BMO's gracefully sleeping in the Minerva bot's arms. I'm still holding Mother's monitor. She signals me to be quiet as the Minerva bot gently slides BMO into my backpack and takes the monitor from my hands.
"We'll have him fixed up after the tour; for now, let the poor guy rest," Mother whispers.
Not long after, our maglev train slows to a halt, and the doors open.
Alright, Finn, now's the time just to bring it and bear it.
Stepping outside, however, I find one of the most breathtaking scenes of my life.
The campus, while built on a giant, lifeless rock, has an eye-pleasing array of greenery. Small beds of grass cover the plateaus of the island. There are all kinds of trees around, too. Some look like pines, others like willows, and, of course, many look like palm trees. Neatly trimmed bushes and colorful flower gardens surround every building as well.
Oh, but nature was only half of it.
All of the campus buildings are a perfect reflection of the hub-island. The schools are primarily white, made of metal, and have numerous glass windows. The buildings' structures are curvy and smooth, with sleek, grooved textures that stand out.
The walkways of the campus are an endless display of geometric patterns. Along the sidewalks are light-up fences and silver and chrome benches; dang, I can't imagine the expenses of keeping this place so pristine.
What stood out to me most, though, was the decorations. Oh yes, the decorations appear to be endless. Light blue banners with a picture of a white lighthouse hang from every wall. White and blue balloons tie onto every fence post. Ribbons and confetti cover every tree.
"Holy Shmow!" I holler, blown away by college grounds.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Mother beams a grin. I'm speechless; not even the princesses of Ooo get this grand of a welcome.
"Hello, Miss Cambell, so good to see fellow alumni," A tall, buff, dark-skinned man approaches us. He's wearing a formal dark blue collar shirt and black dress pants. A shark hat conceals most of his face, but that doesn't draw away from his notable feature, which is his black beard, which has gray specs.
"Nice to see you too, Professor Holmes, I'd like you to meet my son, Finn," She replies, looking at me.
The man stretches out his muscular hand towards me, "It's a pleasure to meet such an inspiring young man."
I merely gaze at the gesture, wondering what he's expecting of me.
"Well, Finn, don't be bashful, shake the man's hand." Mother bids me on.
"Oh…uh," I grab his hand, and instantly the man's grip firms up as he gives it a solid jerk up and down. The man just smiles at me the whole time.
"Heh…" I laugh, though I'm a bit uneasy. The dude's arm is as thick as my torso. I wonder how he got so big? A few moments go by as we both just stare at each other.
"I presume that you will be our guide today?" Mom breaks the awkward silence between us.
"Yes indeed, but it's not just me; I have a student assistant who is currently entertaining our group by the plaza. I just wanted to greet you personally when you arrived. Although now would probably be a good time to rejoin the group and start the tour," Professor Holmes states promptly.
"Oh my, are we the last ones to arrive? Well, let's not keep them waiting," Mother agrees, and with that, we head off toward the group.
Upon arrival, I spot a group of twelve crowding together: four girls in cat hats who look my age and four adult couples, whom I assume are their parents. Standing opposite of the group is a boy my age wearing a black wolf hat. He, too, is wearing a formal, dark blue collared shirt, though instead of dress pants, he's wearing blue jeans. The part I notice most about him, though, is his intense black eyebrows.
The boy leads the group to the plaza, being extra careful not to step on the lighthouse emblem beneath them. A sinister smile grows on his face, similar to one Marceline gives when she's about to mess with Jake and me.
"Oh look," Professor Holmes speaks up, "I think we've made it in time to hear about Willie the Wickie!" He states with glee as we join the crowd.
"The what?" I ask Mom.
"Just listen to the story Finn, and you will see," Mom remarks.
"Hello, everybody. My name is Shannon Schmidt, and I'll be your student tour guide today! To begin, I'd like to share with you part of our proud, yet tragic, history here at FIU," The boy's voice puts on an overly dramatic tone.
"As many of you already know, Willie the Wickie is our mascot. However, only a few know the story of his past." Shannon goes on, gaining all our attention.
"One night, years ago, when the lighthouse still needed old Willie to trim the lamp's wick, a black, howling hale storm struck the lighthouse, shattering the lamp and causing the lighthouse roof to fall on poor Willie." He states in a somber tone.
"Many ships were still out at sea, heading straight for the dangerous rocky island where we stand today. But, just as all hope was lost, a miracle happened! Willie survived! Standing up out of the wreckage, he used what strength he had left to take out his lighter and set the wreckage on fire, hoping the light would last long enough to warn the sailors. However, oil from the lamp had soaked Willie's clothes, lighting him on fire!" Shannon exclaims, raising both his arms and wiggling his fingers.
Now we're all staring at him, with our mouths wide open. He smiles, knowing that we're begging for him to continue.
"The flames coming from the lighthouse lasted all night, allowing the sailors to navigate away from this island safely. The morning after, many of the sailors claimed to have witnessed the traumatic event, and all of them agreed to give Willie a proper burial. They never found his body, though, just some footprints leading to this very spot!" He says, pointing towards the lighthouse emblem on the ground, which all four girls were standing on.
"AAAHHH!" They all scream, jumping back from the emblem.
"Many to this day, believe that Willie the Wickie lives on as a ghost, forever watching over the lighthouse!" Shannon ends the story.
Wow…
"Now, who'd like to follow me into the lighthouse?" He asks with a mischievous grin. Of course, nobody volunteers, "Well good, because nobody can go in. The Islanders' Council declared the lighthouse as a historic landmark, reminding us of our roots here on the Island. As such, it is to remain untouched. Now, does anybody have any questions before we continue?" He asks, his voice changing to a polite tone.
I see this as my opportunity for answers, so I speak up, "Yeah-uh… How did the lighthouse come to be in the first place?"
"Ah, a great question! I'll let the geezer handle that one, though," he says, pointing to Professor Holmes.
Professor Holmes glares back at Shannon, "Remind me later to enroll you in History 101," He retorts but nonetheless answers.
"The lighthouse was one of the first structures ever built here on the Island. As a matter of fact, it was this very island on which one of the Founders first set foot. A ship led by Two Bread Tom was sailing at night when they got shipwrecked on this island, being drawn in by the ocean current. Luckily, He and the other humans made it, with most of their cargo drifting ashore on the nearby beach. Later on, as Two Bread Tom and his people settled the island, they constructed the lighthouse as a way to warn other arriving ships." He explains.
But I'm still curious.
"Other coming ships?" I see the connection between the Island and Two Bread Tom, but Marceline never mentioned any other ships.
Professor Holmes continues, "Oh yes, after World War Three, humankind from all ends of the earth sought out a place unscathed by the horrors of nuclear war. That's how the Island became such a diverse community of people."
World War Three? Nuclear? What exactly is he talking about? Wait a second, did he just imply that humans from all over the world came to the Island?
"So, this lighthouse actually helped bring people into the Island!?" I ask even more curious than before.
"Yes indeed, but as the Island began to grow in population, the number of ships coming in grew fewer. Eventually, society, as we see today, arose, and so did some… different ways of thinking." Professor Holmes hesitated on that last part, but I understand why.
The Guardian. The very thing is designed to keep the humans from leaving the island. I wonder what made them build it in the first place.
I open my mouth to ask more questions, but Professor Holmes cuts me off, "I'm sorry to end this discussion early, Finn. However, I don't intend to spend the whole tour giving a history lesson. It's time that we continue with the tour." He begins leading the group across campus, talking while walking backward.
"Alrighty, if you all wanna-be students would follow me, please," Shannon motions for me and the girls to follow and starts walking backward as well.
I look towards Mother. She signals for me to follow him.
"Hey you," Shannon pulls me aside from the group, "I saw you come into the group with Minerva back there; she wouldn't happen to be your mom, Finn Mertens, would she?"
"Yeah, why?"
A sly grin grows on his face, "Oh, no reason. It's just that you caused quite the hullabaloo last time you came here, and there's been a lot of chatter over what you did."
Oh Glob, surely, they can't be upset over me sharing an opinion.
Shannon sees me frown, "Don't worry, I meant that in a good way," He clarifies, then proceeds to lead our group.
"Hey Shannon, why did we split the groups?" I question.
"So, your parents aren't around to breathe down your neck," Shannon smirks.
"Oh," I reply.
"And What does the college do with the parents while we're out exploring the campus?"
"Ramble on about accolades, achievements, and how highly esteemed the schools are. They also have long talks about supporting your child throughout college, how they have your best interest in mind, and what kind of rules they have to keep you a clean-cut kid. Then, at the very end, when all the adults have had their fill of free donuts and coffee, they talk about tuition and how to 'mitigate' cost." He explains
"Dang, that all sounds super boring," Maybe this is just the assurance I need to know that college isn't right for me, "What are we going to do?"
Shannon smirks, "Show you a damn good time,"
Or maybe not.
Our group arrives at one of the apartment complexes I spied on the train earlier. As we go inside, I'm welcomed by a sweet, savory smell, "We get free coffee and donuts too?" I proclaim, taking a chocolate cake donut and grabbing a cup of hazelnut coffee. The others follow suit.
"You sure do," Shannon smiles, swishing his coffee around in his cup.
"And how big are these dorms you were talking about?" I reach for another donut, but the girls took the whole box.
"Dude, just come see for yourself," He says, chugging down the rest of the coffee, then throws his empty cup at an overflowing trash can. It simply tumbles off the pile of trash and onto the floor.
That's when she walked in.
A girl wearing a janitor's suit and cap pushes a cleaning cart into the lounge room. A few locks of her blonde hair were sticking out. They look frazzled and messy. A few drops of sweat fall from her brow; it seems like she's been at it for a while. She picks up Shannon's cup and then proceeds to empty the overflowing trash can.
Something about her face, though, seems...odd.
"Dude," I call Shannon over to me, "Who is that?"
Shannon's thick eyebrows furrow as he follows my line of sight, "Oh her? That's just Emmy; she's a student here at FIU, but she's on her shift as the cleaning lady right now." He replies,
I don't believe I've seen her before, but a feeling in my gut tells me something is out of place with this girl.
Shannon watches me stare for a few moments—however, his expression quickly changes to a snarky grin, "Checking her out?"
Pssh...As if!
I roll my eyes and walk past him.
We pick up our tour where we left off, going into a student's room. There were two beds, a couple of desks, and some storage trunks. Overall, not much to see, but it all looked clean. And according to Shannon, that's a huge plus.
After exiting the dorms, our group pauses before moving forward.
Shannon speaks up, "So, I'm going to give you guys two choices. We could spend the next forty-five minutes doing 'A' a traditional and boring tour of the schools, cafeteria, gymnasiums, etc., or 'B' we could join some super cool buddies of mine down at the beach who are having a barbecue right now."
All the girls scream with excitement, then proceed to chatter among themselves about meeting college guys.
I guess that makes their decision quite clear.
Shannon laughs, then looks to me.
"I don't know, dude, shouldn't I be learning something college-related? I guarantee my Mom is gonna ask me about what we did later, and I'd like to have some good answers."
"I totally gotcha covered, dude! I can answer any questions about college along the way. Come on! We can make up an alibi together," He teases me with a nudge.
Well…
I have wanted to get on that beach ever since we got here.
"Okay, I'm sold!"
"Alright!" Shannon jumps for joy, taking us to the beach.
"So like, how many classes would I have to take my first semester?" I ask. If I go through with this, I'd at least like to know what I'm walking into.
"That largely depends on how many you feel like taking. Although advisors recommend that you at least take fifteen credit hours." Shannon clarifies
"And what are credit hours?"
"It's basically the number of hours you'll spend in class throughout the week. In a typical first semester, you'll probably have three or four classes, four days a week, though most students are done with classes by noon or two o'clock. So that still leaves you plenty of free time." He elaborates.
Short days and long weekends? Glob! College would be a breeze compared to homeschooling with Mom.
"So like, what if I'm not sure what I want to study in college? Do I have to pick a degree on the first day?"
"Heck, no, dude!" He exclaims, "Most freshmen come in with no idea what they want to major in, but college orientation does a pretty good job of helping find you're interested in. But I wouldn't worry about your first semester since you'll be mostly taking general requirement classes."
"Well, what about housing? I mean what if I get stuck with a roommate I don't like,"
"Then you are more than welcome to request a room change," He answers nonchalantly.
"And how much does all of this cost?"
Shannon just laughs, "Dude, what does it matter if your Mom is paying for it?"
Fair enough.
"You should relax, Finn; though it is college, that doesn't mean we don't have fun here. Besides, you have yet to hear all the reasons why I think you should come."
"Like what?"
"Because after you graduate, you'll make tons of money."
"PFFFT…" I make a fart noise with my mouth. I really don't care about getting a job on the Island. That, and money has never been hard to come by in Ooo. Just loot a dungeon or two, and you're good for a year.
"Well, the second reason is that you'll make tons of friends, considering you'll be surrounded by tons of people your age. Particularly girls your age," His eyebrows waggle.
"What!" I shout.
"Dude, have you not noticed that the girl-to-boy ratio of our group is two to one? The whole university is like that! FIU did a demographic study last year and found that the campus was two-thirds female and only one-third male. Seriously, dude, we could use some guys around here." He remarks.
"And lastly," Shannon pulls me in close, "Because you would get to see more of Emmy." He whispers, giving me a devilish grin.
"I don't see how that relates," I counter, turning my head away from his gaze while I blush.
"Oh, my mistake," He rolls his eyes, "Look! I can see my buddies grillin' now!" He rushes our group of three buff guys in swimming trunks, all of them not wearing their animal hats.
We finally arrive at the beach, with a solid forty minutes to spare. The girls stampede by me and head for a nearby gift shop. I wonder what's the matter with them?
Huh, Girls.
"Finn! I want you to meet my pals, Moe, Larry, and Curly!" Shannan introduces me. His friends, however, just scowl at him. One of them walks up and slaps him on the back of the head.
"My name is James," says the slapper, "And these two are Kyle and Randy." He clarifies.
"Yeah, don't believe half the things this turd tells you," Kyle retorts.
"For real, sheep shouldn't hang around wolves," Randy quips.
"Sheep!" I yell. Shannon laughs.
What the heck is he talking about? Where did he get sheep fro- MY HAT!
"Dude, this is a bear hat!" I clarify
"Sure it is," Randy smiles.
"Ain't gonna lie, Finn, I thought it was sheep hat too!" Shannon chuckles.
"Hmph…" I pull my hat off my head to prevent further teasing.
"Oh, look, the girls are back!" He cuts me off.
Sure enough, all four girls come running out in bathing suits, with their hats off as well. They all crowd the guys, ignoring Shannon and me completely.
"Those jerky jocks always steal girls away from my charm," Shannon grumbles. I roll my eyes.
The girls do remind me of something, though. Maybe I can make the poor guy's day after all! I quickly slide off my backpack and pick BMO out of the sword hole.
"BMO, it's time to wake up," I gently press a few buttons. BMO's screen comes on.
"Uh… seven Finns? Glob! Am I having a nightmare?" BMO says, still sleepy.
"More like your dreams are coming true," I turn the console around, "Look, BMO, humans in swimsuits!"
"GASP!" BMO hops out of my hands and runs up to the group of seven, laughing and giggling. BMO then climbs up a beachball and starts dancing, all while keeping balanced. The others notice this and become mesmerized by it. Now everybody wants to party with BMO.
"Time for the swimsuit modeling competition!" BMO shouts.
The crowd gives a flattering scream, then starts posing in front of BMO.
"Now that's charm!" I nudge Shannon, whose jaw is hanging wide open.
Shannon grabs me by the shoulders, "Dude! You got to come back to the university with that robot. That thing could be the ultimate chick magnet!" He begs.
"If I did that, BMO might steal every girl on campus," I joke. We both laugh at that.
"Well, at least let me fix his cracked screen. I'm an engineering technology major, so I have access to some computer parts that would fit it perfectly." Shannon offers.
"You know what, Shannon, you're a pretty mathematical dude," I compliment.
He raised one of his thick black eyebrows, "Uh…thanks, I guess. And I guess I'll admit, you're one of my favorite newbies I've had to show around campus." He extends his hand out to me.
What is with the humans and this silly hand ritual?
"Thanks," I firmly grip his hand and give it a good shake. He returns the gesture.
"Dang, you got a tight grip there, bro. You lift?" Shannon asks.
"Nah man, I fight. Well, used to anyway." It's been a while since my last real adventure.
His eyebrows raise up when I mention this, "You know, they have a martial arts club here on campus, and they host a tournament every year."
"They teach karate here at the university?"
Shannon nods his head, "Just another reason why you should join us next semester." He teases.
I smile in response.
After a half-hour, the girls change back into their day clothes, and we head back towards the campus. As promised, Shannon stops by his school on the way and finds a new screen for BMO, who's still giggling with the girls.
It's a short trip, and it doesn't take long before we make it back to the plaza, where our parents are waiting for us. Before we depart, they hand us all free t-shirts with a lighthouse on them. On the way back to the port, Mom bombards me with questions, just as I expected.
But I don't mind it now.
The tour was interesting, eye-opening, and even fun—something I wasn't expecting.
BMO talks about the girls the whole boat ride back to Ooo. Apparently, their names were Sandy, Wendy, Charlie, and Rosy. I laugh as the little womanizer tells me about how the girls got upset when he declared himself the winner of the swimsuit modeling competition. In the end, though, all was forgiven, and of them asked when BMO was coming back. To which he replied that he wasn't, leaving all of them with a frown as we went home.
I guess that makes BMO a heartbreaker.
Glob! Today's been a good day, even a somewhat relaxing day!
As we approach home, however, I notice Jake, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, and Simon are all waiting for me by the dock, talking to Mother.
"GULP!"
Please tell me she hasn't told them anything about the tour today. Glob, that's the last thing I need right now.
As we set foot on the docks, however, I notice that Jake isn't around to blow up in my face. Perhaps she hasn't mentioned it yet.
Good!
"Oh, hey Finn, watcha been up to today?" Princess Bubblegum greets me.
"I-"
"We visited Founder's Island University today!" BMO shouts, popping out of my backpack.
Bad!
Of course, this catches everybody's attention. They all look at my shock and wonder, wanting to ask me all about it.
But they never do. I never give them the chance to. I'm just not ready yet. So, to avoid all conversation, I run to my apartment and lock the door.
BLAM!
Jake slams open the door with a huge fist. Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, and Simon rush in after him.
So much for going to bed.
"Finn, what's going on? You ran off in an awful hurry." Princess Bubblegum asks in a worried tone.
"Yeah, are you ok, dude?" Marceline adds, equally worried.
"I'm doing just fine, just getting ready to hit the hay is all."
"NO! He's up here freaking out about going to college," Jake retorts.
"That is not true!" I protest.
"Then what would you be doing in bed at two o'clock in the afternoon?" He remarks.
"…"
PB looks shocked, "Finn, is this true? Have you been accepted into a university?"
"Well…"
"Minerva made him take something called an ACT; she said that Finn scored high enough to get into Founder's University on the Island." Jake interrupts.
"Way to go kid! Since when did you get so smart?" Marceline comments.
"You!" I point at Jake," I can't believe you, snooping behind my back like that." I holler.
"It wouldn't have happened if you just told me what was going on earlier." Jake counters.
"Finn, what's i squared?" PB blurts out.
"-1" I reply.
"Heiliger Strohsack!" PB cries out, "It is true."
"Dude, you should totally go. Smart guys always score more chicks." Marceline jeers.
"THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!" I shout at the top of my lungs,
"Dude, just hear me out!"
"Not a word out of you, Snoopy! " I yell at Jake.
"Finn, what I think we're all trying to say is that we're proud of you and think that college would provide you with a lot of great opportunities." Princess Bubblegum cuts in
"She's right bro," Jake adds, "Listen, Finn, I'm sorry for going behind your back. It's just that I hate to see you freaking out about something, and you don't tell me what's going on. It makes me feel helpless man, and I care about you too much to do nothing," He confesses.
I run my fingers through my hair and grab a handful of it.
Sigh...
"I get that, Jake, and I appreciate you looking out for me. PB, I couldn't agree with you more." I try calming down a bit.
"Then why try to hide it?" Jake asks.
"I don't know... I guess I just couldn't believe it myself. I mean, come on! Me go to college? That's algebraic and scary at the time! That and I'm not sure about leaving. I would have to go all the way to the Island to do it. What if Ooo needs me?"
"Finn, although you do the kingdoms of Ooo a great service with your heroics, we can manage ourselves just fine." PB proclaims.
"PB's right, Finn. Plus, I'd be here for Ooo while you were gone." Jake points out.
"Yeah, same goes for me, Finn." Marceline buds in.
All of a sudden, I feel a soft hand touch my shoulder. I flinch, only to turn around and see Simon.
"Your friends are here for you, Finn, and they want what's best for you." He says in a voice that reminds me of Mother's.
"I... I... " Jake, PB, and Marceline stand there gazing at me, but I can't find the words to speak.
My mind is going all stupid again, and their stares aren't helping. I run off to my bedroom and plop right into bed, not even bothering to close the door behind me.
"I believe all of you have shown your support for him quite well. Now that all of you have done your part, I bid you goodnight," Simon quips, holding my apartment door open as he motions for them to leave.
Thank Glob!
However, Simon doesn't leave with them. Once Jake, PB, and Marceline walk out, he merely shuts the door behind them and walks up beside me.
Sigh...
"Relax, Finn; I'm not going to ask any questions. I'm just going to pick up where we left off in silence. But just know Finn, that I'm here for you." Simon reassures.
I cross my arms on the bedrail and rest my chin on them, "Mom's right, PB is right, Everybody's right! College is the opportunity of a lifetime, simple as that!" I grumble.
"Hey Finn, do you remember all that happened on that day when you, me, and Betty got stuck inside Golb's stomach? " He asks, sitting on my bed.
"I thought you weren't gonna ask questions?" I gripe.
"Yes, I know, but I'd like to hear your side of the story." Simon insists.
His request catches me by surprise, but I end up giving in, "Oof, that's all a long story, but to make it as simple as possible, Betty was trying to use Maja's power to summon Golb, then use his power to cure you. In the end, we all ended up in his stomach and nearly died."
"But what ended up happening instead?" Simon prods.
"We survived," I reply, still not seeing his point.
"Indeed, we did. And it made for one heck of an adventure, didn't it?" He beams.
"Yeah, I guess it did."
Simon continues in a soft voice, "Take it from the Ph.D. in archeology Finn, when I tell you that college is just like that. It can be quite chaotic at times, but in the end, you'll end up doing more than just survive, you'll thrive! Because college is one heck of an adventure."
"Thanks, Simon." I smile once more.
(A/N: Well, there you have it, a slightly better chapter 3! Now I can move on to the next chapter. Thank you, anonymous reader, for the very helpful review. I agree with a lot of the points that you made about Finn. Thus, I revised it accordingly. The Adventure continues, folks, so stay tuned!