It was a sunny afternoon at Terman U. Maria strode across the campus after her economics class, her steps fresh and determined and her appearance sharp. She planned to grab some lunch before heading off to History and get some studying in the library done after the class. As she settled down in the cafe with a sandwich in hand, she pulled out her phone and looked at Ria's last message
Ria: Love you too Prez! ❤️❤️❤️
Maria felt a warm fuzzy feeling in her chest as she went through their recent chat, with the silly selfie of Ria with her mouth full of Red Velvet cake. 'God I already miss my silly dork.' she thought, her thumb tracing the picture. She shook her head after a few moments. She couldn't let her emotions get the best of her right now, not when there is a whole day of classes and assignments to do.
As she brushes off the last crumbs of her sandwich, her eyes drat to a poster on the bulletin board in the cafe, advertising an open mic that evening. Maria is immediately drawn back to the memories of Ria, singing during open mics held at Pindarus. She could get lost for ages in her melodious voice, which carried a lot of life and energy…
'Hey Maria!'
Maria was snapped out of her thoughts when she turned around and saw Aiden waving at her. 'You alright? You zoned out for a while there.'
Maria took a moment to regain her composure. 'Um, yeah. I'm fine. What's up?'
Aiden didn't look completely convinced, but he let it slide. 'So, what are your plans for tonight?'
Maria shrugged 'I was just planning on getting some studying done. You know, get those assignments out of the way…'
Aiden sighed. 'Maria, come on. Its only the first week of college, you are allowed to lighten up a little.' Maria frowned 'Hey! I'm not that studious.' Aiden raised an eyebrow 'Really? Because the past few days you have been holed up in the library like it was your sanctuary or something.'
Maria ran a hand through her hair. 'Maybe I have been…' Aiden put a hand on her shoulder. 'Come on Maria, college is about stepping out of your comfort zone. How about you and me attend this open mic night for a change?'
Maria gave it a thought. The idea of a relaxing night without worrying about assignments did seem tempting. 'Okay. I'm in' she said 'But are you being so persuasive because you want me to see you perform?'
Aiden raised his hands in surrender, smiling 'I plead the fifth.'
Later that night:
Maria enters the cafe to see the participants getting ready, some adjusting the mics and others with their instruments. She finds Aiden in the crowd, adjusting the strings on his violin. 'Hey' she said 'When is your turn?' Aiden beamed at her 'Hey. Glad you could make it. Mine is the 10th performance, so we've got plenty of time.'
The first performer comes up 'Hi everyone. I am Kristen, and today I will be singing a song. This is dedicated to my girlfriend…' she eyes a girl who was sitting in one of the chairs in the front row 'It's our third anniversary. So, I hope you enjoy it.'
As the girl sang, Maria felt a pang of nostalgia of Ria and her singing corny love songs together during their rides to school, popping the radio on full volume. Sometimes Ria would hum soothing tunes whenever she felt stressed, or worried, or had a pre-exam nightmare to calm her nerves down.
Maria's train of thought was interrupted when the girl had finished singing and her girlfriend had rushed up on the stage, pulling her into a huge kiss. Maria just couldn't take it anymore. She got off her chair and quickly strode out of the cafe. Her eyes pricking with tears. She leaned against the wall, trying desperately to think of something else, even counting to ten didn't seem to work.
'Maria!'
Maria turned and realized that Aiden had followed her outside. He looked at her, concern etched on his face 'Hey, are you okay?' Maria wiped her tears off with her sleeve 'Yeah…' she said, her voice coming a bit hoarse. Aiden didn't look convinced. 'You know you are not the best liar, right?'
'Fine!' said Maria a bit frustrated. 'I am feeling a bit homesick okay? I miss Ria. I miss her dorky jokes, her singing, her corny love poems…everything about her!'
Aiden wraps an arm around her 'Oh Maria…why didn't you say so sooner?' Maria, taking comfort in the physical touch, spoke 'I don't know…maybe I just don't want to come off as sappy or pathetic. Its been only a week in college and I'm pining for my girlfriend like some lovesick puppy…'
Aiden shakes his head 'You are missing her, its only natural you feel that way. There is nothing sappy or pathetic about it.' Maria nods. 'I know…that's part of why I've been throwing myself at work because I don't want to confront my loneliness…I just feel guilty about enjoying college without her.'
'Hey.' said Aiden, his arm still around her. 'Ria wouldn't want you to miss out on having a good college experience because she is not around. You are allowed to have fun too without feeling guilty about it. Besides, think of all the stories you could tell her the next time she calls up.'
Maria gave a small watery smile 'You're right…thanks Aiden. I really needed this. Besides, when did you get so good at pep talks?' Aiden blushed 'Maybe I spent too much time around Cameron before college…' Maria laughed 'Well, it certainly helped me. Thank them from my side.'
Aiden's name was announced from inside the cafe. 'Ready to head back in?' asked Aiden.
'You bet.' said Maria, her confidence returning as they both headed back inside the cafe.
‘Every time I replay HSS3 I remember how excited I was the first time I read it and I saw Cameron. I was still questioning my gender at the time and seeing a genderqueer character was legitimately so amazing and something I'll never forget.’
POST/CONFESSIONS DO NOT REFLECT THE MOD’S PERSONAL OPINIONS!
OK, there's a few things I want to say about this little scene: 1- MC humblebragging, Michael teasing, Aiden blushing = 👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀 good shit go౦ԁ sHit👌 thats ✔ some good👌👌shit right👌👌there 2- Cameron being the icon™ they are, making it very clear that they don't need a partner to be happy, and ultimately, that actually applies to all of us. Thinking otherwise is dangerous. I like this message. That being said, I'm totally pairing them with Aiden on my second device (where he's single). I'm very curious, and I have a feeling it'll be super cute and wholesome 💕
Uhhh, since it's obvious Cameron was sabotaged (by someone in Hearst), can we not just hold another audition with them? Like, it's not like my stellar performance is a one time thing, and I'm all for giving them a fair shot. That's one way to prove I wasn't the saboteur.
Like Cameron, Evie is a very picky eater. She's hesitant even towards a lot of South Asian cuisine... and let me tell you, that's not fun haha. I can definitely see Aiden getting her to try new foods like this and helping her broaden her tastes.
