Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all the characters that you know and/or love. I own the plot and what I've changed about the characters' lives.

Summary: Kel and all her friends are in Harvard and basically this is how their lives might have been like in our world. It's set in modern times. This story will run simultaneously with another about Alanna's life at this time. More details on that later.

Author's Note: I've made Kel, Merric, Seaver and Esmond (basically all Kel's year mates from PotS) all 18 years old. Neal, Cleon, Faleron and Roald are 21 years old.

Chapter One - Autumn Leaves

"Kel, I don't know why you've boxed yourself in her and refuse to come out." Neal cried disgruntled.

"I need to study, and so should you." I pointed out to him since he was studying medicine and had been doing so for the past 3 years and his workload was sizably bigger than hers.

"But look outside, it's a beautiful autumn day and all the trees are alight with vibrant shades of orange and yellow. Besides, I've finished all my assignments and I'm months ahead of my course, study notes wise." He replied.

I glared at him. "Well, you might be all up-to-date and beyond with your course but everyone else in the world is not so lucky or so prepared. I need to finish these notes."

I could feel him leaning over my shoulder to have a peek at my work. He snorted. "Seems like I'm not the only one ahead. That's a whole chapter ahead of your lecturer."

I blushed. "Well, I want to continue to do well, besides it's only a session ahead."

"Liar," he said, poking his tongue out at me, "That's a whole chapter, I know since I was talking to Uline earlier today and so I know you're lying."

I managed to blush even harder. "Well, I don't want to ruin my track record." I was coming top of International Business and had been doing so for the last 2 years since I started the course, so I guess I had a lot of expectations of myself. "Anyway, aren't we doing to a club tomorrow? So I need to make up for the time I won't be here to study because of the night out and possible morning hangover."

He sighed dramatically. "I give up. Suit yourself; lock yourself in this room and stay here to rot. You're missing a beautiful day I'm telling you and you don't even care. You're gonna die one day and wonder at all the wonderful things you missed out on and this is going to be one of them. Poor Kel."

I laughed. "Oh stop with the melodrama. It's only one day, crazy head. Autumn will still be there tomorrow and I promise I'll go out another time."

"Great, I'll drag up out to drinks with us this evening then." Neal grinned and bounced out of my room before I could reply.

"And you're supposed to be mature." I muttered under my breath, chuckling as I returned my attention to my work.

"You're burning it, you big oaf!" came a cry from downstairs. There was a dull thud and crash of pots and pans from the kitchen. Muffled cursing revealed that Cleon had come to visit. I'd been studying for 12 hours straight except for toilet breaks and a few snack breaks. With all the racket down stairs, I thought it was time to take another break.

Merric, Esmond, Seaver, Neal, Roald, Faleron and I had decided to move in together after Merric, Esmond, Seaver and I graduated and got into Harvard. Since Roald, Faleron and Neal also went to Harvard, we all decided it would be a good idea to move in together. Neal and Merric I'd known since high school but Esmond and Seaver I'd met through a Harvard chatroom and Roald and Faleron through Neal. Our plans were made easier by the fact that Roald was First Son, so his parents paid most of the rent on the house big enough for all of us and we shared payment on the rest. At first, it was a bit sketchy since we didn't know each other that well. But in the end, it worked out great for all of us.

As I was walking down the stairs, I ran into Cleon who had been looking for me.

"Hey girl, busy studying all day?" he asked.

"Yep, I'm a genuine nerd." I replied continuing my way down, Cleon following.

"Yeah, apparently." He replied lightheartedly, looking around at the foyer. "Man, I miss this house."

Cleon used to live with us but after he graduated with a Commerce degree, he moved in with a girl he had gotten pregnant while he was drunk one night. We couldn't exactly blame him for moving out after that and I certainly couldn't blame him either. We had been going out for a year when we realised our relationship wasn't going anywhere so I broke it off with him. That was the night he got drunk. And three months ago, Tamson was born. I didn't hold it against him because I felt it was my fault despite what he, and everyone else, said.

"How's Rachel and Tamson?" I asked walking into the kitchen and into mayhem.

Black smoke was rising up to the ceiling from a blackened pot and a small fire was starting in a frying pan of rice. The sink was filled with dirty pots and pans while a few plates on the counter sported charcoal rich meals. Merric and Seaver were arguing over how the fried rice should be made not noticing the small fire on the rice they were discussing was erupting into a big fire. Meanwhile, Esmond was sheepishly searching the fridge while Merric and Seaver continued to argue.

Cleon disappeared from my side and returned with the fire hydrant. He quickly doused the pan of fire-rice and Merric and Seaver with mountains of white foam. Both stared at Cleon stunned before glaring and yelling at him.

I quickly interrupted, "You guys left the rice to burn, literally! It had a small fire sitting in it, so Cleon just saved all our lives and our house, so be more grateful."

Seaver sighed and apologised. Merric continued to glare, red-faced with embarrassment.

"What's going on here?" Faleron also came into the kitchen and his mouth dropped at the sight of it. "What the hell?"

"Small accident." Esmond replied with a small smile.

"Well, we wouldn't have had the accident if Cleon hadn't burnt our food." Merric muttered, which explain the charcoal plates.

Faleron continued to gap at the state of the kitchen while Roald popped his head through the doorway.

"Looks like we're heading out for dinner again." Roald sighed. "We'll all clean up when we get back later. I'll go get Neal." And he left.

We all exchanged glances and shrugged. Dinners out was becoming a reoccurring theme since we avoided take out when a small, live cockroach was boxed in with our pizza. A memory we'd all rather avoid mentioning ever again.

Ten minutes later we were piled into three cars and after much discussion (though arguing at the top of our voices I wouldn't really consider a discussion), we drove off to a Spanish restaurant.

So much for studying, I thought as I got into the passenger seat of a car with Neal and Roald, At least, Neal doesn't have to drag me out for drinks tonight. I suppressed a sigh; they were becoming reoccurring themes as well.

A/N: I hope you liked that. Please tell me what you think.I've been trying for a lighter writing style because my other story When an Ill Wind Blows has a more descriptive (I think)and detached style so it takes a while to writeand doesn't have the feel of something that could keep someone enthralled with the characters and the story. Oh, and my hands tend to get a bit detached from my brain sometimes so can you please tell me about spelling and grammatical errors I've made? (Usually grammatical because I don't realise I've typed a different word to the one I've got in my head) Thanks.

Also the other story I'm going to write is basically Alanna's story set in modern times and her life in politics with Jon and co. (Going to skim through her earlier life so that it can run simultaneously to this story's timeline.)