You can find parts one and two here, or by clicking the short story link at the bottom of this post.
Jaime had gone away to college at his dad's alma mater in state. Beth headed five hours west to a small private college in the middle of nowhere Iowa. They never once questioned that it was the right thing to do. And unlike every other pre-college couple she knew, they made it. No wavering, no fights, no awkward jealousies. Beth knew she was the anomaly; the one unlike the others. Everyone had expected there to be issues with Cole and Jaime, but Beth knew better. Jaime loved and trusted her and contrary to all the rumors, there was never anything between her and Cole. Though the way she acted when he left didn't do much to quell those rumors. They were inseparable by the end of freshman year, so when Cole decided to spend a semester abroad in London senior year, Beth was a bit heartbroken. She knew it was an amazing opportunity, and something he would remember forever, but a little piece of her was fretting that she was being left behind. This was only heightened by the fact that Cole was the seventh of her friends to study off-campus. Everyone came back with such amazing stories of the vibrant majesty of India, the landscapes of Ireland, the crazy beaches of Spain and meeting international dignitaries in D.C.
She had loved the stories at first, but soon they just made her jealous. She couldn't really afford, financially or chronologically, to taken an entire semester to study off-campus. At least that was what she told everyone else. it was partially true, but it also her fear of the unknown, the non-routine, the new. Ever since she met Cole, they had been taking baby steps to over come that fear. They'd driven around exploring the nearest big city for hours with only the vaguest of directions. They jumped in the car for a weekend away with only what Beth could throw in her purse. Beth had learned very quickly to carry a big purse. But the jump to travelling alone for an entire semester was still a big much to handle.
Life was so much quieter without Cole there that semester. People had joked she would get more studying done without his distractions, but Beth found their favorite study table too quiet without him and had started driving to Iowa City to study at a coffee shop near campus, letting the conversations of strangers substitute for Cole's studying antics.
Jaime had seen her struggling from afar as she was too proud to admit it. he spent as many weekend as he could manage in Iowa that fall. Beth had appreciated this unspoken support and was touched when Jaime and Cole had conspired to send her to London as an early Christmas present.
It was the day they spent touring the city on a double-decker bus that had sparked their shared career choice. At first it had started out as a game as they walked arm in arm around London spouting ridiculous stories about banal statues and buildings.
Jaime had gone away to college at his dad's alma mater in state. Beth headed five hours west to a small private college in the middle of nowhere Iowa. They never once questioned that it was the right thing to do. And unlike every other pre-college couple she knew, they made it. No wavering, no fights, no awkward jealousies. Beth knew she was the anomaly; the one unlike the others. Everyone had expected there to be issues with Cole and Jaime, but Beth knew better. Jaime loved and trusted her and contrary to all the rumors, there was never anything between her and Cole. Though the way she acted when he left didn't do much to quell those rumors. They were inseparable by the end of freshman year, so when Cole decided to spend a semester abroad in London senior year, Beth was a bit heartbroken. She knew it was an amazing opportunity, and something he would remember forever, but a little piece of her was fretting that she was being left behind. This was only heightened by the fact that Cole was the seventh of her friends to study off-campus. Everyone came back with such amazing stories of the vibrant majesty of India, the landscapes of Ireland, the crazy beaches of Spain and meeting international dignitaries in D.C.
She had loved the stories at first, but soon they just made her jealous. She couldn't really afford, financially or chronologically, to taken an entire semester to study off-campus. At least that was what she told everyone else. it was partially true, but it also her fear of the unknown, the non-routine, the new. Ever since she met Cole, they had been taking baby steps to over come that fear. They'd driven around exploring the nearest big city for hours with only the vaguest of directions. They jumped in the car for a weekend away with only what Beth could throw in her purse. Beth had learned very quickly to carry a big purse. But the jump to travelling alone for an entire semester was still a big much to handle.
Life was so much quieter without Cole there that semester. People had joked she would get more studying done without his distractions, but Beth found their favorite study table too quiet without him and had started driving to Iowa City to study at a coffee shop near campus, letting the conversations of strangers substitute for Cole's studying antics.
Jaime had seen her struggling from afar as she was too proud to admit it. he spent as many weekend as he could manage in Iowa that fall. Beth had appreciated this unspoken support and was touched when Jaime and Cole had conspired to send her to London as an early Christmas present.
It was the day they spent touring the city on a double-decker bus that had sparked their shared career choice. At first it had started out as a game as they walked arm in arm around London spouting ridiculous stories about banal statues and buildings.
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