Alright, for simplicity's sake, I'm making the tiny twins, Fire and Thunder, Kilik's sisters. Sorry if that bugs anybody, but they're only mentioned in passing.

Skype was the world's best damn invention. It meant that I could still see and talk to all of my high school friends when they went out of town. Most didn't, because they had local jobs, but it was my only way to keep up with others. Liz had taken a job waitressing down at Chupa Cabra's, and Kidd was now the principal at our old school. Three years had passed since we graduated from the Academy, and Liz's little sister Pati was a senior now, getting ready to graduate herself. BlackStar had joined the military, and Tsubaki had a job at a local bookstore. Those two made the most of the time BlackStar had when he visited. I'd spoken to him recently. The next time he came back, he said it would be with a ring. Harvar and Jackie had gone off somewhere and were happily living in Oceania with a modest one-story house. They sent pictures and visited. Ox Ford was now an instructor at the Academy, and Kim Diehl was a housewife. Yeah, I know, I didn't believe it either. Kilik and his little twin sisters were sports coaches for Kidd at the Academy. It was amazing how many of us had wanted to stay behind after we didn't have to. That place had great memories.

However I hadn't been with Maka since we graduated. She was off at some fancy university, learning a bunch of random crap that would never apply to real life. All I got were the Skype conversations—which, not that I'd admit it, I lived for some days. They were far better than nothing, true. But I missed my best friend. I made due playing the piano down at various nightclubs, living in our—I refused to call it mine—apartment. She'd moved in half way through senior year, the moment she turned eighteen. It surprised everyone, because we'd only known each other for a few months, but I had no problem with it, and she was handy to have around. Now I realized that, although she hadn't even been there for a year, I'd already gotten used to her presence. It felt weird opening the door to her bedroom and seeing everything neat and orderly. Her bed was made, the covers tight enough to bounce a quarter off of them. Her desk was free of textbooks, study guides, and loose sheets of paper covered in notes, and her bookcase still had most of her old novels sitting patiently for someone to pull them down and open them once more. Her closet and dresser were empty. Everything was covered in a layer of dust that, as soon as I finished cleaning, seemed to swoop right back to settle on any semi-flat surface, mocking me.

I missed her more than words could express, but of course I never told her that. It wouldn't be very cool to make her feel guilty about going off to get an education.

A loud beep sounded from my room, followed by an impatient shout.

"Soul! Where are you?"

I hurried out of her room, shutting the door behind me, and rushed into my own bedroom.

Sure enough, there she was, grinning at me from my computer screen. We had set times in the afternoon when we could work these talks in, and I was always in the apartment, with my computer's volume up as loud as it could go, by seven at night, and I was there until nine, fingers crossed that she'd pop up on that screen.

"Hey!" she said brightly, flashing a dazzling white smile.

"Hey Maka," I grinned. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" she answered. "The curriculum isn't as hard as everyone was saying."

I snorted derisively.

"Yeah, well, it helps that you're some sort of freaky genius."

She stuck out her tongue at me.

"Just because I study, unlike some people I know."

"Hey, I studied!" I protested, but I couldn't hold back a smirk.

She grunted in amusement.

"Yeah, if Sports Illustrated and Playboy magazines count."

We both let out loud laughs.

"Maka," I said a little more seriously. "How are your studies going?"

Her smile widened.

"Great. The instructors are really impressed. I'm ahead of everyone else in my classes."

I smiled softly.

"That's great."

"Ugh, have I told you about my Biology instructor?" she shuddered.

I chuckled.

"The one with the stitches?"

"Yeah, Professor Stein! He creeps me out! Sometimes he'll have these normal, sane moments where he can be serious or funny, and then all of a sudden he takes a dive off the deep end. And he's obsessed with dissections! We're in college, for Death's sake! I would've thought we'd outgrown this crap, but he's fascinated with cutting things apart. It's downright scary!"

My snicker turned into full-blown laughter.

"Your own fault Maka! But at least you only have one more year of school, right? Then you can get away from the crazy professors and back here to your even more crazy friends!"

She blinked, and looked on the verge of saying something, but seemed to think better of it. I frowned.

"Maka? Something wrong?"

She shook her head, and her smile was back. Was it my imagination, or did it look…a bit like my impish grin? The one that told everyone I was up to mischief. Nah, that couldn't be right. Innocent, sweet little Maka would never in a million years be playing tricks on other people. Ok, yeah, maybe she was up to something. But I knew better than to push it. So, I shrugged.

"Alright then."

"So, how are things at home?"

"How do you think? 'S more of the same. "Kidd's pretty good up at the school, albeit on occasion he'll freak out students when he goes into one of his obsessive-compulsive fits, but what else is new? Pati's actually on track to graduate as of right now, which her sister is really proud of. BlackStar'll be back soon, and you'll have to come down for what he's planning. No," I added at her questioning look, "I'm not about to tell you. Liz is working with our friend Blair down at Chupa Cabra's, and Tsubaki is working at your old hideout."

"The bookstore by the old café?" Maka checked.

I nodded.

"The very same. She loves it there."

There was a moment of silence. Then—

"Soul, how are you?"

I frowned.

"Uh, fine I guess, but—"

"Give a real answer, not that 'I guess' crap. The last few times we've talked, you've looked like something's been bothering you."

Damn, but Maka was perceptive. And here I thought I'd been doing a pretty fantastic job of not letting anything on.

"I miss you, Maka. We all do," I sighed, and shrugged. "So sue me; I miss my best friend."

Maka gave a half smile.

"I miss you too, Soul, but I'll be back for the summer. School year's almost over already. Just be patient. I'll be home before you know it."

I nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I'd say I'll have your room clean, but every time I try, the dust comes right back."

She laughed.

"That's because it's not afraid of you. Dust is afraid to settle when I'm there."

"I don't doubt it," I muttered.

She just smiled, then glanced at her watch.

"Oh, I have to go now, Soul. Talk to you soon, alright?"

I looked over at my clock. It was already after eight. I nodded to her.

"Yeah, later. See you, Maka."

"Bye!"

The screen blanked out, and I sat back in my chair with a heavy sigh, wishing later could come a hell of a lot sooner.