Back in Seattle, Amanda Bloom was on the bus heading towards her neighbourhood. Beside her, Lori Trager seemed to be brooding before an idea hit her.
"Hey, Amanda, you want to come to a party tonight? It's at one of the dorms on campus."
Amanda shook her head in regret, "Sorry, I can't. I have a lot of studying to do tonight. Thanks for the invite, though."
"Yeah, no problem, maybe next time."
Just then, the bus came to a halt at their stop. Amanda rose from her seat. Noticing Lori didn't follow her, she asked, "Aren't you coming?"
"No, I have to stop by the book store."
"Ah, okay, see you tomorrow."
As Amanda got off the bus and began to walk home, she took out the notes from her music theory class and began to review them. Ever since she had begun the music program at U-Dub nearly two years ago, she had been swamped in study. This, combined with the hours she put in at The Rack, gave her little time left over for her friends and socializing.
Still, the experience had been a very positive one. She had come into contact with so many new ideas. High school and its enclosed, anti-intellectual nature was now a distant memory. Now, the subjects she studied were actually interesting and the flow of ideas stimulating.
Besides the intellectual aspect of college, Amanda had also met a lot of new people. Admittedly, some of those people had been a bad influence on her. She remembered the first and only time she had gotten drunk and how some of her friends had pressured her into drinking too much. Shuddering at the memory, she also knew that she had made other friends who respected her and who would be there for her.
Amanda also felt as if she had finally broken free of the bubble that her mother had tried to enclose her in. She smiled, recalling how her mother had given her 'the talk' when she had turned eighteen.
"Look, you're legally an adult now. You can go out to parties and meet with your friends, but I expect you to work hard in school. Remember, you live in my house. If you neglect your schoolwork, I'll ground you," Mrs. Bloom had paused, choosing her words. "Amanda, college is different from high school. You have to make sure not to get yourself in dangerous situations. Just…don't let anyone take advantage of you. You're all I have left, so be careful."
Amanda knew her mother had offered her a deal that day, a deal which she gladly took: more personal freedom in exchange for good marks….and the promise to be responsible. At the time, she had been surprised that her mom had loosened up a bit, but in the end she was grateful for her understanding.
Of course, Amanda wasn't completely free. She still lived at home since she didn't have the money to move out. The feeling of independence, though, of finally just beginning to make her own way in the world, was thrilling. As a result, Amanda felt as if she was a much more self-confident person. It wasn't that she lacked confidence back in high school, but now she had gotten past her 'anxious' phase. She was no longer afraid of opening herself up to meet people, nor was she uneasy about spending time at bars.
Despite this new-found self-confidence, Amanda had still remained true to her convictions. Although she was modest about it, her friends complimented her honesty, integrity, and her sensitivity towards others, as well as her conscientiousness in completing her schoolwork. She had never been the loud, boisterous type and this hadn't changed.
After about a twenty minute walk, Amanda reached her house. She glanced at the Tragers' home before opening her front gate. While she had made new friends at U-Dub, Amanda never neglected her old friendships. Lori and she had become very close over the previous few years. They shared all their secrets, and as Lori lived just next door, they also spent a lot of time together.
Even with the scholarships Amanda earned, her mother had to work late hours in order to pay her daughter's tuition. As usual, Amanda was stuck making her own dinner. While the spaghetti boiled in a pot of water on the stove, she decided to practise the new piece her piano professor had assigned earlier that day.
As Amanda sat in front of her piano, she was reminded of him. Every time she sat down in that spot to play, she remembered the boy who had gifted her with the wonderful instrument. Her relationship with Kyle had been the brightest point of her life. When they had been together, she was truly happy. The old joy she possessed before her father's death had returned because of Kyle. But his sudden departure had hurt her deeply. Even though they weren't 'together' when he had left, she had still loved him. He had told her his secrets right before he left, and yet even knowing who he really was, she had still loved him. She loved him for who he was and how his soul could touch people.
Amanda had tried to find another guy after starting at U-Dub, but she could never seem to get past the first few dates. She was convinced that most of the guys she dated were decent people, but after being with Kyle….Well, how could anyone compare to Kyle? He had been thoughtful, sweet, and selfless to a fault, always trying to protect her. The truth was that she hadn't gotten over him, even after nearly two years apart. Their connection had been too deep and they had shared too much for that to happen.
All of a sudden, Amanda heard the spaghetti boil and rushed to turn off the burner. She then finished preparing her meal, took the bowl, and walked up the stairs to her room. Sitting down at her desk and flipping on the computer, she decided to quickly skim through the news while eating. As she scrolled down the web-page, a small photograph of a man caught her eye. The man looked to be about her age, but what really seized Amanda's attention was his striking resemblance to Kyle, though admittedly an older, much tougher looking version. Beside the photo was the headline: 'Insurgents capture two PMCs in Iraq'. She knew that the resemblance was likely just a coincidence, but her curiosity got the better of her as she clicked the link.