BANNERS HUNG FROM EVERY wall, prompting students to register for the upcoming spring semester. Cheap Christmas decorations wrapped around railings and doorframes, glinting red and green with the yellow lights. Paper snowflakes were pasted to a few classroom doors, drenched in too much iridescent glitter. Lockfell U was all prepped for the holidays.
Gwenn crossed her legs under the high table she found in a corner, drumming her fingers over the zipper of her bag as she stared at the door to her abnormal psychology classroom. She had been inside twenty minutes before, taking her last final of the semester. The exam was easier than she expected it to be, and she zoomed through it. It had taken her less than thirty minutes to complete, so when she did a second round through it, she felt confident in her performance and handed it in. No one else had finished by the time her feet carried her out the room, so she waited for Ronan to slip out.
Many of her classmates filtered out, nodding at her with a smile as they passed her. She kept waiting, chewing on her bottom lip.
They had discussed that material for the last two weeks like it were life or death. It had become a mantra. He went over her apartment most nights, repeating all the material front to back and side to side. Gwenn knew he was prepared, but she feared he might've fumbled when he was handed the exam.
No. She refused to believe that. Ronan was a smart guy. He would pass that exam, and that class. He would be right on track to graduate next spring.
Gwenn moved to knock over on the table instead of her bag to keep herself from overthinking, when the doors squeaked open to reveal Ronan slipping out. His eyes sparkled when they met hers across the hall, and he rushed to her at the same time she jumped out of her seat.
"How'd you do?" she asked, slamming right into his chest as he embraced her. Minimal pain spread through her arms and back as he pulled her in close. "Did you find everything okay?" she mumbled into his signature hoodie.
"I think I passed it," he said, pulling away to cup her face. "All because you're a freaking genius."
"Nah, you just needed to know how to study," she said, but she couldn't help the wide smile spreading over her lips. "And now we're both done, which means we can leave."
He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they walked back to her table to retrieve her bag. "Arizona better be ready for us," he whispered in her ear. She giggled, and let him lead the way out of the depressing building masking in fake holiday cheer.
Their fingers brushed together as they walked so close to each other. At that point, Gwenn no longer cared that people saw them together. If Wolf had connected the dots so easily when they were trying so hard to keep it all a secret, it didn't matter anymore. And knowing that was the leverage he had over her, she knew he wouldn't want it to fall over her mother's ears before he had the chance of detonating the bomb.
Besides, they would be leaving the state once they drove out of campus. They had planned weeks in advance what they would do-Ronan would take Gwenn to Lockfell U for their last day of finals, then they'd leave together, and go stay in Arizona overnight so she could finally get the answers she so yearned for.
Her heart echoed in her ears as they made their way across the campus green, walking past the oak tree. A group of carolers passed by, pointing at them with their bright red gloves while they all wore matching goofy grins and sequined Santa hats.
"Oh, man," Ronan grumbled under his breath. Gwenn laughed as the group approached them with their large books and stood before them. The leader bowed at them, then turned to the carolers and waved an imaginary conductor wand.
They sang a slow rendition of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You," prolonging the last note while pointing at both of them.
A girl separated from the crew and threw glittering snowflakes over them like confetti. Gwenn raised her hand up to catch a few in her palms. Ronan was beet red, shaking his hair to rid it of all the gleaming cheer thrown overhead.
YOU ARE READING
Forever Luminescent
General Fiction"Just shine like you always do." Gwenn Davidson has always known she was adopted, but after clearing up her stuff for her first move out of her parent's house, she finds an old blanket gifted to her by her birth mother that triggers an avalanche of...
