Day four super later I'm sorry! I don't know, I like this story but I feel like I'm dangling on the weird part of Fanfiction. I have to remember that I'm writing a Magic School Bus fic that has the children as literal government soldiers. In comparison, this Fern and George fanfiction is incredibly normal.
George Lundgren was staring at the prettiest girl in the world, and she didn't even know. Fern Walters was in line at their university's on-campus coffee shop, getting them cocoa. They took turns paying, and he held her book bag while he waited, a dopey smile on his face as he looked at her.
"Hey! What're you looking at?" Fern asked, offering him his cup. He startled then took the warm paper cup.
"The lights," he fibbed, a blush coming onto his face.
"They really go all out for Christmas," She agreed, shrugging on her bag and twirling slowly to admire the bustling campus center. This was their first time experiencing Christmas here, having just started as freshmen in August. After the crushing stress of college life, it was nice to have days like this to appreciate simple beauty. Like twinkling lights, and your childhood crush twirling as she admired those lights.
"Gorgeous." He affirmed, not just meaning the lights and the tree.
"I'm looking forward to being back in the city, though," Fern mentioned.
"Oh, totally."
"Are you homesick?" His best friend asked.
"No, not when I have you." Fern laughed and pushed him a little.
"You're a goof. I know you miss your family."
"Well, yeah. But it's hard to miss home when I'm always with you." Fern blushed, looking down at her drink.
"That's really sweet. Sometimes I forget that you're not the writer out of the two of us, you say nicest things."
"You're clearly the better writer."
"Thanks. My Christmas mystery is almost done."
"And I look forward to reading it." Sometimes he missed the days of playing make-believe detectives. But he wouldn't trade what he had now, both of them chasing their dreams at the same school, ambitious and encouraging, for even one more day of their childhood.
"I shouldn't have told you about it. It was going to be your present."
"I'll still pretend to be surprised. I was quite the actor back in my day," He joked, smiling lovingly at her.
"You should tell me what you got me for Christmas." She always tried to deduce her present before she got it. It was one mystery that she could never solve, and he took pride in keeping the secret until their annual Christmas Eve gift exchange. This year... This year was different, though. This secret was more important than any of the little trinkets he'd gotten her in the past. This year he was making her a jewelry box, with a necklace and a note inside. This would be the Christmas he told her how he felt about her. This would be the Christmas he found out whether or not she felt the same. But right now, they just walked in the cool winter air and sipped on their cocoa.
"Do you miss the others?" Their friends had spread out, going to colleges across the country. Each one chasing a dream, each one noteworthy in their own way.
"Yeah, of course. Do you?" Fern turned thoughtful, taking a long sip of her cocoa, closing her eyes for a moment to ponder.
"I miss all of us hanging out together... But I'm glad that you're here." She smiled up at him, hating that they weren't quite the same height anymore. He had a few inches on her, and whenever she had to tilt her head up she was struck with how suddenly they had grown up. One minute they were chasing each other around at recess, and now they were in college, chasing dreams instead of each other. He blushed without meaning to. Fern noticed the blush and lowered her gaze, studying her cocoa. She felt warm all of the sudden, which was odd because the weather had turned just cold.
"How are finals?" She tried to change the subject, to keep the blush coming on to her own face at bay.
"Ah, I've been a mess trying to prepare for them when we're just now taking down the Nutcracker set." George worked on stage crew for the school's drama department, and was busier than anyone else she knew, juggling that commitment, a job at a nearby Popeyes, and all six of his classes.
"You should really take a break from all that and focus," Fern suggested, worried that he'd lose at his dream if something went wrong. He wanted to go into the film industry. If he could he'd direct but the whole industry intoxicated him, he'd be happy wherever he landed, as long as he was making something noteworthy. She wanted to be a writer and was majoring in it, but she didn't have the same confidence as him. While it seemed so realistic to George that he would land a cameraman job, or something in special effects, or even the holy grail of directing, her future felt shaky and unsure. What if no one wanted to read her writing? What if it never mattered to anyone but George?
At least it mattered to George. When she felt her shakiest and most unsure, he was always there to pick her up, rebuild her confidence, and remind her of what she had.
Her face felt red again.
"Mine have been going good, so far." She sounded quiet, distracted. He didn't push. He knew sometimes she needed space to herself, and sometimes she needed someone there to reassure her. He always waited to see what she needed. It was important to him that she was happy.
"Can I walk you back to your dorm?" He asked, nearing the end of his drink.
"Oh, sure. I guess we both should study."
"We're still driving back to Elwood City Thursday, right?"
"Yep. Five hours of Musicals and then we're home."
"Okay, but we're only listening to Hamilton once this time."
"Fine, buzzkill." She laughed.
"Thanks for the drink." He lifted his cocoa in a mock salute, and again, her face felt warm. It had to be from the hot chocolate... Or maybe it was something about that boy, that just made her smile.