The transition had been hard on everyone, but none so much as Abed.
His year had seen his best friend leave, another friend die and his school fall apart.
Technically Greendale was still a school, and Abed and the study group were still ‘attending’ classes, but all of their coursework had been moved online. After three months of classes without a classroom, Abed had yet to see a member of his study group with the exception of his roommate Annie.
Annie, who was growing more and more concerned with her friend and his inability to cope, set in motion a plan to bring him something a little more familiar.
Abed was putting his shoes on and looking for his bookbag when Annie came out of her room.
“Abed? Where are you going?”
Abed stopped his fussing and looked to Annie with all seriousness.
“School Annie. You should be getting ready. We’ll miss our bus to the café you like and have to resort to the Starbucks that Garret works at. He’ll make your latte wrong and you’ll be intolerable for the rest of the day.”
Annie ignored Abed’s comment about her attitude towards lattes and proceeded with her plan.
“I thought I told you Abed, we’re staying here today. We have a project to work on.”
Before Abed could answer her, there was a buzz at their front door.
Annie rushed to the intercom and yelled for the mystery guest to come up and buzzed them through.
“Annie, you said we were never to let people in without asking who they are first.”
“I know-“
“Assuming since you didn’t ask and let them up that you invited them for this time, who did you invite to come over at nine in the morning on a Wednesday?”
“Abed, maybe you-“
“Who do you know that is free to come over on a Wednesday morning? “
The knock that interrupted Abed sounded more like a battering ram against the apartment door.
Abed looked from Annie to the door and back again. She was fidgeting and playing with her hands, running them through her hair like a comb and fixing the fold on the collar of her sweater. She was anxious and smiled like it. It was obvious, even to Abed, that the people at the door were meant to be a surprise for him. There weren’t a lot of people they knew who were free to visit on a Wednesday morning. In fact, he could only count four.
Abed bent his head slightly, processing all the information that was running through his head in a fraction of a second before he just grabbed the handle of the door and opened it.
Chang rushed right in, blowing past Abed and Annie and jumping into one of the chairs in the living room.
Britta was then left standing at the front of the group, a backpack heavily slung over her shoulder. She smiled and let loose a Hi Abed as she entered.
Shirley followed behind her, free of books but carrying two large Tupperware containers. Her extended Helloooo trailed behind her as she found her way into the kitchen.
Abed had seen Jeff put his phone into his pocket as Chang ran in. He stopped into the doorway.
“Hey Abed,” Jeff started, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder “We’ve missed ya.”
“I’ve missed you too Jeff.”
Abed did his best to sound sincere. He did miss his friends, but it didn’t stop his response from sounding slightly automated.
Annie flitted to Abed’s side as Jeff entered and made himself at home. She grasped at his hand with hers, in the innocent way she did everything, before she spoke.
“So? What do you think? Are you surprised? I thought we could just have a study day. A little reunion. Get the gang back together.”
Annie and Abed stood at the doorway, watching their friends having fallen back into old, familiar habits. Shirley was setting up the snacks she’d brought, Chang had confiscated the television, Jeff was in the corner checking his phone and Britta was setting her iPod up on Abed’s stereo. Roxanne began to play as Britta spread the printed work pages in piles on the table.
