I'm pretty sure they're out by now, the calendar I was looking at wasn't all too clear and I don't actually attend this university so… But it looks like they should be able to leave by now, so yeah!... Here comes the end.

-:-

University of Iowa
Parking Lot
Monday, June 11
9:45a.m.

LC;

Many students had already left. Some remained either planning to take some summer classes or needed to finish up things. I looked at Massie when she shoved the last suitcase of hers into her car, smiling proudly. Mine were in the back of my truck already. All eight of us were going in a sort of caravan formation to Westchester.

Things between Massie and me were fantastic actually. All seven of us were a little sad that she was going to Montana on the twentieth to stay with her grandparents for a week or something, but we'd just have to deal. The worst part was that her Birthday was the twenty-second, and we wouldn't be there.

It felt really good to know that she loved me back; we seemed to grow closer ever since that January night. Her walking boot was, much to her enjoyment. The only problem was that the one time Derrick suggested tag; she was able to dodge all of us easily and climbed a tree with Kristen.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" I asked Derrick. We were both leaning against the back of my truck, watching the girls playfully bump each other around.

"Depends, what kind of energy drinks do they have?" he asked.

"I think Massie's using Full Throttle today and Amp tomorrow. Alicia has Red Bull for the whole way. Kristen got Monster and Amp. Olivia has Full Throttle, Red Bull, and a Monster," I relayed, craning my neck to see each one individually.

Derrick burst out laughing. "They did the same thing coming here back in August. Alicia's kind of neutral. But I can guarantee that Kristen is going to barge into your and Massie's hotel room tonight and get into a major pillow fight. Olivia will probably join them, although she has sugar and stuff all the time anyway. Alicia will either join them or start a hallway chase, just because it's fun."

"Oh, dear God please help me…"

"Don't try and take Massie's away, she'll probably flip out on you. Either that or distract you until she can get it back. It's more often the latter though, so be careful," he advised.

"I'm so glad we don't start giggling when we drink those absurd caffeinated things," Chris snorted, walking up beside us.

"Funny thing is, none of them have started drinking them yet," Josh added, coming up to us. We'd all requested and gotten the same rooms for next year, but were planning to switch around on our own a little bit for relationship's sake.

"Shouldn't we be going?" Massie yelled from across the parking lot, hopping down from the back of her car. Don't ask me why she was up there in the first place.

"Yep," all four of us guys said in unison.

Every single one of us climbed into their car. Massie into her Charger; Derrick in a truck similar to my own; Alicia into a BMW; Olivia into a convertible; Josh into a mustang; Kristen into Dodge Challenger; Chris into another truck. Josh was the only guy with a short car, if it wasn't obvious, but he loved it. He also claimed that he could join in the games easier in it, so it was okay.

The girls all pulled out, one by one, Massie in the front with Alicia, Kristen, and Olivia following in that order. She was the fastest driver out of all of them. We normally would've left earlier, but we didn't. Josh pulled up behind Olivia, followed by Derrick, me, and then Chris.

We drove for a while, but once we hit the interstate, I saw what he was talking about by caravan formation. The four girls, switched into the other lane, letting us come up closer to them. Derrick had explained to me earlier that Massie was known for speeding up out of sight, but would give warning with her headlights. They also flashed their headlights if they were going to pull into a rest stop.

Although it was illegal, and stupid, Alicia and Massie started to play road games with each other. Massie had all four of her windows down and had taken to using the one hand to drive. The other was just resting lazily on the side of her window. Her favorite sunglasses were propped on. I, on the other hand, was in plaid shorts and a T-shirt, my feet clad in a pair of black and white DC's.

Kristen and Olivia soon joined them though, and I swear they were playing some form of tag with their cars.

When I got up alongside Massie, I could hear that she had her music up quite loud… in fact, all of us did, even me. She had Nickleback going, which is what probably surprised me the most. I had no idea she was a fan. Hmm… music interests.

I tapped my steering wheel slightly and kept driving, switching the iPod songs every now and then. A few hours in, there was a chorus of four girl horns, all of them matching together in a beat, right as we passed the "Welcome to Illinois" sign.

I grinned. It was one state closer to New York and what would hopefully be a great summer.

There was a telltale flash from both Massie and Alicia. A series of responses came from the rest of our headlights before the two sped up and out of sight. Who knows what they were planning, other than their speeding ways.

Another hour later, with the girls finally back to us, we pulled off to fill our gas tanks and grab some food. Massie and I sat on the end of my truck, sharing nachos and looking at the hot sun. Her sunglasses were on her head, even though the sun was directly facing her.

"Shouldn't those be over your eyes?" I inquired.

"Please, I am not getting those circle shaped tan lines, Crane. I thought you knew me better than that," she pouted, taking a swig of her Amp.

"I really despise you drinking those. By the way, were you playing tag earlier?"

"Yep, I was hardly it though."

I was about to say something else when Alicia walked up. "Are you excited to get back to your Viper?" she asked Massie.

"Of course I am! After having to get rid of my first car, it's a great substitute."

"Wait, you have two cars?" I asked.

"Yep, the other is a Dodge Viper convertible. You'll see it more often when we get back. My Charger is more suitable for Iowa," Massie answered, smiling proudly at the thought of her babies.

"We're leaving!" Josh called.

"Crap," she muttered, hopping down. I got down after her and got a quick hug before we got in our separate cars again.

The driving for the last six hours of the day was normal. We stopped twice more for gas (once for the others, twice for the trucks). Normally I got better mileage, but we were going faster than usual.

Foot switching, cruise control, steering mechanisms, rare pit-stops, Massie's seemingly giggly mood from the energy drinks; I took it all in stride.

The sky was bright, a brilliant summer-produced blue. The sun shone down cheerily on us as we made our way home.

After ten hours of driving, we pulled up to the same hotel Massie and I had stayed at the time before, ready to end the day.

-:-

Holiday Inn
Room 622
Monday, June 11
9:00p.m.

MB;

After a lot of driving that day, I was pretty steered out for a couple hours. Don't get me wrong, I love road trips, but the constant driving on my own mixed with the energy drinks was making me go a little haywire. I think Landon noticed too because he kept giving me strange looks.

Speaking of Landon, ever since I'd slipped that day, things seemed to be going good. Heck, I'd learned from my mistake… learned that mistakes are pretty freaking fantastic sometimes. I also learned that night that he'd been planning to talk to me that night anyway, which would be why he was there in the first place.

Any who, I was sitting back on the bed in the hotel room, finishing off the other energy drink I'd had that day. He gave it an unhappy glance before completely taking it out of my hand and holding it backwards.

"You need to stop drinking those," he reprimanded. We were laying the wrong way on the bed, heads by where the feet should be and feet up by the pillow.

"Landon, give me the thing back," I responded with a raised dare-you-to-test-this eyebrow.

"No."

I flipped over onto his chest and propped myself up. "Please? You do realize I'll crawl until I can reach it, right?"

"I figured, but I don't care 'cause you aren't getting it."

I was about to reach for it when I realized how awkward the situation could turn if I did. I sighed and let a growl-like snort out. He chuckled.

"Giving up?"

I nodded before leaning down to kiss him. Because I was just that rude, when I got him distracted, he automatically moved his hands forwards, enabling me to grab the can back. I sat back up, satisfied.

"I win." I finished it off and chucked the can in the garbage can.

"That is so cheating!" Landon groaned.

"Maybe, but maybe I'll spare you from a pillow fight now," I shrugged.

"I think I'll be spared either way," he said victoriously. I noticed my eyes widen. Oh no…

Alicia came bursting in with a "Now!". Landon picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, marching out of the room and depositing me in Alicia and Chris's.

"Traitor," I mumbled, whacking his back.

"That actually kind of hurt," he admitted.

"Good," I said with a playful smile. He shook his head, flashing me an adorable one-dimpled grin and leaving.

It was quiet for a minute. Olivia and Kristen were both their too. That left four girls, all high on energy drinks and supplied with pillows.

"So… the traitor left me. Pillow fight?"

"Pillow fight."

-(0)-

10:15p.m.

"Not that I don't love it, but what's with the Snookie-esque bump?" Landon asked when I walked back into the room.

"Olivia… At least I got to put hers in super high pigtails as revenge. Alicia has three braids. Kristen just has a bun on the top of her head… Like a tree," I stated, switching into a pair of ridiculously short boy-shorts and a tank top.

"And no, you don't have staring rights," I added, crawling under the covers. He raised his eyebrows, ignoring my comment and peeling off his T-shirt before he got in next to me. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, he always did it unless I was around. Up until Valentine's Day anyway… he took if off for bed that night after one of those cheesy romantic comedies and dinner.

I didn't completely lie down though, as I was still occupied with coming the teasing in my hair back down. Once it was fully situated, I laid down all the way and curled up against his chest.

"Big day tomorrow," he said quietly. "Get some sleep."

"You have to sleep too," I reminded him.

"That's true. I love you." I still felt amazing when I heard that.

"I love you too."

-(0)-

Tuesday, June 12
6:00p.m.

We pulled up into New York after leaving at about 7:30 that morning. The first year of college was finally over, and I did it!

The summer, I just knew it, would be amazing.

Landon helped me a lot that year. He'd taken the time to break down that wall and show me that love is real, not a "derogatory statement". I had been in the dark, and he'd found the light switch for me and turned the lights on.

For that, I will be forever grateful. I'd found A Light in the Dark.

-:-

"So, I knew this is a little overdue, quite a few months actually, but was I right?" the professor asked, glancing between Landon and Massie.

"About what?" Massie asked, honestly not remembering why they were there again.

"Have your opinions on love changed, Massie?" he continued.

She smiled. "Actually, you're right. They have. I'm in love with Landon Crane. He showed me what the truth in it all was. It is very much a real thing, not to be taken for granted."

"How about you Landon?"

He ran his free hand through his raven black hair, his other occupied with Massie's hand. With a quick glance in her direction he grinned.

"Most definitely. I always thought that love was just something people made up in fairytales when they had no other thing in their life, but I was wrong. I'm in love with Massie Block. Best decision I ever made was to just keep trying."

"I thought so," the professor smiled at the pair.

The couple grinned at each other, that sweet look in both of their eyes.

-:-

Fin.

Well, technically anyway, the sequel is coming, so if you want to read it, wait for the author's note (That will come within a few days, for real) that contains the link.

Super thank you to all the people that ever reviewed. This includes:

entwined leather

bookie101

Laura

da1genius

ifandonlyif

Brianna

it's just real

winged wishes

Cliquemadkc

Would-You-Go-With-Me

Briony-rose

Any anonymous' that didn't leave a name. I think that's all. Thank you for reading this. Thank you so much also to all the people who put this on story alert, favorite, or author alert (for me in general I suppose). You guys are what gave me inspiration.

Edit: I believe at some point at a significantly later date, I will rewrite this. For now, it's left as is. Thank you, again, for all of your support.

xx

Laur

and the whispers commence

(previously SDOW or Seattle Dreams of Writing)