Chapter 8 The end of the beginning
February/2/ 2025
12:34pm
Well hello there.
My name's Xavian Reed.
Nineteen years old. Grad student.
Everyone's favorite 270 lb villago skinded potbelly pig built loser.
Well… okay, maybe not a total loser. I'm not a nerd or anything. I actually have a decent number of friends. I wouldn't say I'm popular but I do know a lot of the popular people. Friends of friends. Acquaintances. Maybe I was adjacent to popularity?
Eh. Not important.
Where was I?
Oh right. Quinley and Zelina.
Yep, that's right two best female friends. You'd think I'm either gay or a desperate guy trying to play the long game but...
Those two? They were my best friends all through high school. Thick and thin. Rain or shine. Ride or die. And yeah they're drop-dead gorgeous. I wish I could say the same about myself.
(Okay, insecurities… let's chill.)
Anyway, we made this pact: we'd all go to college together, live our best lives, get rich, buy a beach house hell, maybe even our own private island someday.
You know. The usual "dream big or die trying" kind of plan.
But… there was a problem.
My grades sucked. Like, capital-S Sucked.
I had to go to summer school more than once, and honestly? I barely graduated. I mean that in the most literal, on-a-technicality sense.
If it weren't for them Quinley and Zelina I probably would've dropped out the minute I turned eighteen.
Meanwhile, they were on a whole different level. Top of the class. Every single year, those two were fighting for valedictorian like it was a contact sport.
In our senior year?
Quinley got it.
But if you ask me…
Zelina should've taken the crown.
Quinley never talked much about her family. We never saw her parents, either. But word was, someone in her family paid for private tutors top-tier ones. Like, test-prep ninjas or something.
Zelina, though? She grinded. No handouts. No tutors. No fancy backup. Just sweat, coffee, tears, and an absurd number of highlighters.
But I guess none of that really mattered in the end, huh?
Anyway, the point is: big-name colleges were knocking down their doors. Ivy League. Houston. You name it.
Me? I got none of that. Not even a polite rejection letter.
I kinda felt bad, honestly. For messing up our "let's all go to college together" plan.
They were really into it. Me? Not so much. I guess I wasn't as motivated back then.
It's not like I was dumb or anything hell, in some ways, I actually had a leg up on them. Which they always begrudgingly reminded me of. A lot.
Most times, I didn't even need to study. Just one of those "natural talent" types.
I remember once, I was knocked out in class, mid-nap, drooling on my desk when the teacher called on me to solve some complex-ass equation. I sat up, scratched my head, solved it in ten seconds, and went right back to sleep.
She never called on me again when I was sleeping. True story.
Anyway... point is, I have no one to blame but myself for that dream dying.
Well, until...
Zelina leaned over the lunch table, eyes bright. "Hey, Xavian. I just found the perfect place we can all go."
Xavian
"Oh, I told you this before. I'm not gonna hold you guys back and go to some cheap, unheard-of college just because of a pact we made in middle school. This is your future it's important. I won't be the reason you mess it up."
Quinley rolled her eyes, leaning back with a smirk. "Wow. Our hero. Anyway… they're just colleges, right?"
Xavian (internally)
Damn it. Am I speaking to a wall?
Quinley twirled a pen between her fingers. "There's this new college showing up. It gives equal, if not more, opportunities than the big names. I think it's called... Eleanor Academy or something?"
Zelina nodded, brushing her braid over her shoulder. "It's kinda strange though. It's only been around for like six months, but already has 80 buildings across multiple states. And apparently, they're planning to expand to other countries too."
She lowered her voice slightly. "But it's shady. No one knows who founded it or who's running it. All their buildings are in or right next to crime-heavy areas. The official pitch is that they're giving opportunities to people who come from less fortunate environments."
Xavian crossed his arms. "Yeah, that's a load of bullshit."
Quinley gave a tight smile. "Of course it is. But it works in our favor. Me and Zelina already decided. We're going there."
She poked my arm. "And you're coming with us."
Xavian blinked. "You can't be serious."
Quinley
"I'm as serious as my Holy King from above wants me to be."
Xavian
"Okay, but just because they accepted you guys doesn't mean they'll accept me. You know, since I barely passed and all."
Zelina narrowed her eyes, her voice dry. "Were you even listening to what I said? They give opportunities to the less fortunate."
Xavian: "Wow. So I fit into the 'less fortunate' category?"
Quinley & Zelina (in unison): "Yes."
Xavian: "...Fuck you guys."
Quinley: "Language Zelina."
Zelina: "Sorry... Wait I wasn't the one who even said shit."
Quinley and Xavian (laugh in unison)
Zelina
Why am I even friends with you assholes
Quinley
"Shut up you love us anyways, I talked to my family. They're paying for your expenses and tuition."
Xavian scoffed. "Oh wow. Your creepy ghost-family that never shows up to anything suddenly decided to give money to a random nobody for a college no one knows about, located in the middle of crime-ridden cities? You see how that doesn't compute?
Can you guys please just go to a normal college? I'll be fine. You'll be fine. It's not like we're gonna drift apart."
Zelina stood, slinging her bag over one shoulder. Her voice cracked slightly, but she steadied it.
"No. College is everything to me and Quinley And so are you.
We spent twelve years working for this. Twelve years. Sleepless nights. Study marathons. Crying over tests that could tank our GPA."
She turned toward me, her eyes sharp.
"And then there's you. My best friend. With all that raw talent and you don't even try.
You breeze through without even looking, and sometimes your grades are better than ours. Do you know how devastating that feels?
That hurts, Xavian. That hurts like hell."
Xavian
Lowkey If it's hurting you the honestly I don't feel too bad about it Zeli .
Zelina
haha Oh wow I see how it is
Xavian
And honestly that's just even more of a reason why I shouldn't go to this college.
Quinley stepped beside her, folding her arms. "Also? I had to do something I hate ask my parents for money.
You know how hard that is for me. But I did it because I thought we were still chasing that dream. Our dream.
The one we made when we were just dumb kids. The one that was still yours too, even if you forgot."
She took a deep breath, voice softening.
"So... please. Just this once. Work with us."
Zelina: "Pretty pleeeeease. With a dab pen on top."
Xavian (internally)
I swear, women are scary the way their looks can affect dudes like me...
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"…Fine. You win. I'll go to that stupid college with you. But don't expect it to go as smoothly as you think."
Zelina grinned. "Honey, we plan. We've got backup plans for our backup plans. Even if it all burns down, we'll still be standing."
Xavian turned red. "Don't call me that."
Zelina
"Aww, what's wrong? You gonna pop a boner on me?"
Quinley
"Eww, Zeli quit teasing him!
You're supposed to be gay anyway hehe.
Zelina
"Shut up quin we gotta get ready anyway."
She grabbed Quinley's sleeve and tugged her toward the door. "Hey. We better see you at that front gate when it's time."
Quintely tries to speak in the stereotypical mock British accent as she getting dragged out the door
'Ow there, this vile beast this peasant!
Zelina grabs me by the arm an' commands,
"Xavian! Make haste and Slay this beast at once in my honour immediately!"
Xavian
I sighed and offered a lazy salute. "Yeah, yeah. Aye aye, captain."
They left, Quinley terrible British accent voices fading into the hallway.
And just like that, I was alone with my thoughts.
But I'll admit something to you just between us.
All that stuff I just told you? That happened three months ago.
Right now, I'm thinking back on it as a kind of… curse. Or maybe a distraction. A way to take my mind off what's happening now.
Because what's happening now? Yeah… it's bad.
End of chapter