On the last day of exams, just like all the previous semesters, my entire year's classmates come together and we all head to the nearest restaurant, ordering food and celebrating for surviving another semester and another round of exams.

After our little gathering, we bid our byes and wish each other well for Christmas and New year before each of us goes on its own way.

I set on the path to return to the campus, but soon notice Brian is following me closely. I slow down my pace, and he gets the cue and catches up with me.

"So..." he starts uncertainly.

With a side glance, I catch him surveying the street and peeking at the grey sky.

"I know you're still mad at me-" he continues but I cut him off.

"I'm not mad, I'm disappointed. There's a huge difference."

"Right." He nods. "Since it's New year in a few days, I thought maybe we can move on from it, for good," he suggests and turns to look at me with hopeful eyes.

He's hopeless too, just like Nathan.

"You don't know a lot about me, so I don't expect you to understand my decisions but I do expect when you find out about them, you don't judge me," I tell him, looking straight ahead. From the corner of my eye, I see him nodding.

"Definitely. I like you, a lot. And I think you already know that. And that day I was being stupid and jealous, I'm really sorry again."

I release a breath of air and a small cloud of steam appears in front of my face briefly.

"It's okay. New year, new beginnings?" I offer with a weak smile and he grins in return.

We enter the campus grounds.

"Where are you going anyway?" he asks.

"Library, have to return some books I got." Including the ones I got for Spencer Wright's class too. It's been so long since the last time I talked to him. I was busy with exams and he was maintaining a healthy distance from me. Thinking about him sends a sharp jab into my heart. I miss him. A lot.

"Any plans for Christmas and new year's eve?"

I shrug as we enter the building of the library and I walk to the front desk, pulling out the books one at a time and placing them on the desk.

The librarian smiles at me. "Exams are over, huh?"

"Yeah," I smile at her, getting the last textbooks out. After a moment of her entering the required information in the computer, I'm good to go, Brian follows me closely.

"I guess I'll be spending both holidays in my apartment."

"Oh." Sadness drops its shadow over his face. I avert my gaze to avoid seeing the pity probably dancing in his brown eyes.

As we walk towards the entrance of the campus, to leave, we walk by the maths department and Brian halts. "Mind if I check inside, I asked from the head of the department to start some useful workshops for us, like programming, or I don't know data development and stuff like that. Wanna come?"

I raise my eyebrows. "Sure." As we climb up the stairs, my heartbeat steadily rises. Now that I don't have anything to occupy my mind with, my thoughts keep running back to Professor Spencer Wright.

"Were you the only one who asked for these workshops?" I ask as we step into the vacant building. An odd eerie silence has gripped the place and our footsteps are the only interruptions.

"Me and a couple of other guys. It's better to start learning something from now and prepare for a job, rather than waiting around to graduate and then decide what to do."

I hum, agreeing. Without the students filing the building, the place looks like a haunted house. Regardless we walk to the other end and begin scanning the leaflets stuck to the wall.

Our gaze lands on the workshop notice almost at the same time. But as I read the name inscribe for the instructor, my heart leaps.

Dr. Spencer Wright.

"What the heck," Brian mutters next to me. Frowning I turn to him, his expression shifting to annoyance. "Him!"

I cross my arms in front of my chest, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Yeah, so?" I struggle to keep my voice even and unaffected.

He groans. "Why him of all people?"

"Maybe because he knows more." Rolling my eyes I scan the other leaflets.

"But we just had an entire semester with him, and frankly, I don't think he's that smart."

That's because stupid people can't recognize real intelligence. Instead of saying it aloud, I shrug. Not wanting to do anything that might hint I've formed a relationship with Spencer Wright that's not exactly in the standard student-professor relation description. It's more in the grey area but I doubt someone from the outside would understand.

He huffs, pushing his shoulders back. "Anyway, will you sign up?"

For a moment I stay silent, pretending as if I'm mulling over the question, but in reality, the answer shone clear as the sun the second I read his name on the workshop's paper. "I guess, it sounds useful. Look all the programs he'll be covering."

"Yeah," he mumbles, sounding defeated. "I guess I'll have sign up too... I can give your name when I come for it."

I smile at him as we turn to leave. "That'd be great." And even better than that, is the fact I'll be seeing more of Spencer Wright on a daily basis once the new semester starts.

Exiting the campus, we part ways, wishing each other happy holidays before going down our separate paths.

It's surely going to be one hell of a long and boring holiday.

∞ ∞ ∞

Sorry it was a comparatively short chapter.

I hope you enjoyed it,  don't forget to comment your thoughts on Brian and Gracie going back on good terms with each other =)

Thank you for reading, next update will be up tomorrow.

Stay safe, lots of love, happy reading <33