Girl Next Door

Summer 2014

Summer 2014

Both Max and Zoey had decided they didn't want to continue on with a Master's degree right away. It was time for a little practical experience in the real world of computers. So when Max walked out of that last exam suddenly the world felt about ten times bigger. He was done. Done being a full time student forever. It was a strange kind of feeling.

"How do you think you did on that last one?" Zoey asked. They'd met up after the exam at the coffee shop on campus. "I mean I wasn't really sure about question twelve, kinda guessed. Did you know it?"

"I have no idea," Max laughed.

"What's the use of us taking the same exam if we can't talk about it afterwards?" Zoey asked.

"It's nice to have a study buddy?" Max offered. She just laughed and fake punched his arm.

"Ow," Max mocked her, before they got up together and headed out. They were catching the bus today like they did everyday headed home from classes. It was only during the winter months that they got rides home from their parents when the snow got high or the temperature dropped below thirty.

"Have you at least finished applying to all the jobs I sent you?" Zoey asked as they began walking to the bus stop.

"How could I not," Max chuckled. "With you reminding me every ten seconds."

"We have to work at the same company!" Zoey exclaimed. "I told you I already decided this."

"You don't have control over everything in the universe Zoey," Max reminded her affectionately. "They might only want one of us even if we both apply."

"Well then we can just refuse until they want both of us," Zoey replied stubbornly.

"Yeah that is the stupidest idea I've ever heard," he said. "Fresh out of school without any experience means you take what you can get."

Zoey just waved her hand dismissively and added, "Oh and working at the same company means we could carpool to work, sinceI assume at least one of us will end up with a car once we have jobs."

"That is a logical assumption," Max replied. "Since not all the jobs we applied for are on good bus routes."

"Same job, plus carpooling to and from," Zoey said with a grin. "School or no school, this plan is perfect to maintain the best friend status."

"Such faith," Max laughed. "After all this time, our entire lives, how could you doubt we'd stay best friends after school."

"Life has a way of moving people in different directions," Zoey explained. "And I just don't want that to happen to us." She paused as if for effect then added in an annoyed tone. "Especially since someone vetoed the best idea I had to work out some sort of system."

Max just shrugged innocently.

"Oh come one!" Zoey whined. "You know it would be so great to move out of our parents places and we could manage it with two incomes. It makes so much sense."

"Nope," Max repeated, with a smile. He so rarely refused her anything, but having found his hill to die on Max actually found it rather fun to turn her down.

"Spoil sport," Zoey grumbled.

"Just get one of your gal pals to split rent with you," Max suggested.

"They all have plans already," Zoey grumbled.

"Oh well then," Max smiled.

"Why are you so against this anyway?" Zoey whined. "I mean we could turn every night into our movie night! No parents around. First time out in the world as an adult with your best friend! What could be better than that?"