Kayne absentmindedly browsed the city buildings as he walked by them. Streetlights had recently been awakened by the setting sun, which then guided pedestrians alike along roads and sidewalks.
His roommate, a rather tall and thin young man of the same age, cleaned off a smudge from his glasses and fixed them upon his face. He looked forward and grinned as he asked, "So, have any guesses as to what news I got?"
Kayne, who was still a fair bit taller and whose hair was a darker blond and about the same length underneath his cap, kept his hands tucked into the pockets of his oversized crimson hoodie. "No idea," he answered. "Graduating early?"
"Not quite," Gerald responded. The duo approached the restaurant: a twenty-four hour diner that specializes in waffles. Wilson looked at Kayne and said, "Come on, I'll tell you once we've got some food in us." Kayne agreed and followed him inside the diner doors before they were seated at a booth by a window, which gave them a view of the city lights illuminating the nighttime streets. Kayne hadn't realized he had been staring out the window for a few moments until Wilson's voice brought him back to reality.
"Huh?" Kayne shook his head.
"I said you've been acting weird today," Wilson repeated. He stirred the coffee he had been served while his roommate was brain dead. "ever since I found you at the dorm room you've been out of it. I even ordered your drink."
Kayne looked down to his right, and - there it was - the glass of milk he usually orders. He lifted it up to his lips and sipped from it and set the glass down. "Thanks. Sorry, it's just been a weird day."
The waitress came by and introduced herself. She looked at Kayne and playfully said, "Glad to see you're awake. Are you two ready to order?"
While Wilson explained his entree choice and how he wanted his side of eggs cooked, Kayne caught a glimpse of their waitress. She was rather short, and her straight black hair fell just past her shoulders. Her green eyes bounced back and forth as she looked from Wilson to her notepad. She also seemed to be the same age as the boys. Perhaps he had seen her on campus?
Once he noticed she had finished taking his friend's order, he looked away quickly and pretended to look at the menu laid out on the table. "And for you?" She inquired.
He continued to stare at the menu for a moment as he said, "I'll just have the double waffles with some pinap on the side, please." He closed the menu and held it out just above the table. She finished jotting it down and looked Kayne in the eye, smiled, and said, "Thank you, it will be right out." The waitress took the menu and turned before walking behind the counter.
He felt a set of eyes on him and a smug grin, and sighed. "Let's not-"
"Oh, come on."
"No."
"What, you don't think she's into you?"
Kayne rolled his eyes but couldn't keep a straight face at the situation. "This is exactly what happened at the pizza place a couple weeks ago, and I'd like to come back here."
Wilson leaned back in his seat, still wearing a smile. "Fine, fine." He interlocked his fingers and rested them on the table as the conversation took a pause. "Although, you never know until-"
"I'm good, dude." Kayne answered. "What's this news you've got for me?"
Wilson reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a seemingly new paperback book. He opened it and flipped to the table of contents, then handed it to Kayne across the table. "Guess who just got published?"
Kayne's eyes scrolled down the page before finding his friend's name alongside an essay title and page number. "No way, dude, that's awesome!" He flipped to the page noted in the table of contents, and found Wilson's essay detailing recently uncovered stories of AZ.
"I know, right?" Wilson said as he bounced in his seat. "And now it's just the first of many. I'm on my way to becoming a real historian!"
Kayne responded with a grin. "I'm happy for you, dude. Hopefully you get that position in the university archives soon."
Wilson nodded. "I've been told I'm up against some graduate students for the spot, but I think I have a good shot. How about you? That art thing going well for you?"
His friend fell back into the cushion of the booth. "Not that well. I mean, I'm enjoying the classes, but I don't feel like I fit in with the rest of them."
"What about that big art show you were in charge of setting up for?"
Kayne leaned forward and rested his head in one hand. "That was mostly just cleaning and getting posters put out. My project didn't make it in." He didn't want to make the conversation about himself and shook his head before he could make it negative. He looked back up to meet Wilson's eyes. "But it wasn't so bad. Being able to see that live show from the dance department was worth it. It was really cool how they had fairy and ice types help with the effects."
The two continued chatting before the waitress returned with their food and began handing their orders to them. "Here you go," she said with a smile. "What do you boys have planned for this weekend? You attend Motostoke University?"
The young men nodded. "We're gonna see the battle tomorrow against Fletcher Dedren from Hulbury U," Wilson answered before taking some cooked egg into his mouth.
The waitress's eyes suddenly lit up. "I'm going too! I asked off for tomorrow just so I could see the match. Maybe I'll see you guys there."
Wilson raised his eyebrows slyly when the waitress wasn't looking, and Kayne noticed and pretended to ignore him. "That'd be cool," he responded. "We're uh, going with some friends tomorrow if you wanna go with."
She shook her head and said, "I'd like to, but I already made plans with some of my friends. If I see you guys though, I'll make sure to say hi!"
The boys smiled and agreed before she asked if they needed anything else for their meal, then turned and left to wait on another table while Kayne and Wilson enjoyed their meals.