The rest of the summer slipped by. I enjoyed the second session of the summer camp more than the first. Mac returned, as did Micah—though he ended up in the other group. My increased stats allowed me to excel in the physical activities. The ones that needed finer control—like art—suffered. It was a struggle to use as the right amount of force to do what I wanted. I was happy to note that I didn’t break anything at least. By the time I went to school, I was finally used to my increased stats.

I signed up for classes between the two sessions of camp. I didn’t have as good luck with getting the best professors—there was just too much competition and I didn’t get to pick until hours after everyone else—but I thought I did decently well. The early morning classes wouldn’t be super fun. However, I was young and could handle waking up early if I needed to.

Dad and I drove to the school. He helped me set up my private dorm with everything I would need for the year. I didn’t think I’d be moving out until I graduated, but Dad insisted I treat the place like I would move out after the year was up. I was oh so thankful that the dorm had air conditioning—the heat of the late summer was unbearable otherwise.

“Thanks for coming to move me in,” I said to Dad when we were done.

“Not a problem, kiddo,” he smiled. “I just can’t believe you’re already going away to college!”

“I hope there’s less of a fuss about me here than there was at the last place,” I laughed.

“Eh, I wouldn’t put it past the journalists to try running a story about you again. Just be careful, ok?”

“Yeah. I’ll be careful.”

“Oh,” Dad said, searching through one of the bags. “Your mother and I got you a cell phone. I know you’ll probably be busy studying, but don’t be a stranger.”

“I’ll call,” I promised.

“Good,” he said with a smile. “Do you want to grab something to eat with your old man before I go?”

“Sure. I think I’m covered but not sure if you’re counted in that or not.”

“I’ll pay if I need to,” he shrugged.

We exited the dorm together and crossed the street. His large hand held mine snugly and warmly as we walked. The cafeteria was a flat modern building that extended out onto stilts where the mountain dropped away. Glass windows wrapped most of the building, giving wonderful views of the campus below.

Immediately upon entering the building, we were stopped by the person running the payment booth. Dad was prepared to pay to cover himself, but it turned out that the plan Connor had set up for me covered a handful of extra meals for family or friends—or me if I found myself hungry in-between meals for whatever reason. Once I’d swiped my student ID twice—which garnered an odd look from the person at the payment booth—we entered the cafeteria proper.

The area to get food was broken up into two section. The first section was where we got our trays and plates along with all of the main course options. The second held most of the sides, the drinks, utensils, and other such items. The selection of the food looked amazing—but the quality left something to be desired. I went with meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, and some veggies. Dad chose to test the roast but otherwise we had similar sides.

When we had what we wanted, Dad led me into the next room to find an open table. The room had diner-style booths running a ring around the room. In the middle were many tables that sat anywhere from two to ten people. I suggested we take one of the booths at the far end that had a good view. I sat down and looked out the window.

The sun had just set so the sky was brimming with a rainbow of colors—from bright golds and reds fading into dark blues and purples where night held sway. The illuminated lamps of the campus gave the place a quaint village feel. It was quite homey.

“Beautiful, isn’t it,” Dad commented.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

We ate in silence for a while.

“I’m proud of you,” he said. “I know this is all probably old hat to you, but I’m proud of you for going to college. I want you to know that.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I said with a smile.

“You know, I tried to go to college when I was your age,” he began.

“But you got in trouble with the law and dropped out.”

“Yeah. I don’t want to see you make the same mistakes I did. I regret not finishing, even now.”

“You could always go back and finish,” I suggested.

“Maybe… There’s just no money for it, even if I thought it would work out.”

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Dad shook his head.

“Maybe I could help you out next reset.”

“Oh, are you planning on memorizing the stock market?”

“Yeah. And sports betting, too. The lack of money has forced me down this path—going to college and getting all the attention I don’t really want.”

He nodded.

We talked more while we ate. When I was done, I opted to have a single scoop of ice cream—Dad had to get it for me since I couldn’t reach. Then it was back to the dorm and time to say good bye.

My stomach—now full—was twisting itself in knots. I was excited to be on my own. To not have anyone looking over my shoulder while I did whatever quests popped up. At the same time, I loved my parents and would miss them both. When I thought about the resets I’d have to do, I felt a sense of dread. I knew I’d have to make some tough decisions regarding them that would hurt me a lot. I had considered pushing them away emotionally for that eventuality, but I just couldn’t.

I cried into Dad’s stomach. He held me tightly and rubbed my head.

“It’s ok,” he said. “You’ve got a phone and can call me anytime.”

“Thanks,” I sniffled.

Though he didn’t understand what I was actually crying about—and I wasn’t going to educate him about it—I was glad that he had my back. I knew Mom did as well. He waved to me as I shut the door behind him. I twisted the deadbolt closed. Just in case.

The dorm was fairly quiet. The sounds I could hear came from students loudly chatting as they came to and from the cafeteria. I could hear nothing through the shared walls on either side. In my bedroom at the back of the dorm, I couldn’t hear the loud students anymore. In that peace, I broke out my laptop to work on some quests and check out what else I needed to complete before I was ready for classes on Monday.

I needed the textbooks from the book store, but otherwise I was good to go. And even then, those textbooks were covered by the stipend Connor had extended to me. It was run off of my student ID like nearly everything else. The only issue I was going to have was hauling them back up to the dorm. The book store was at the bottom of the hill near to where the admin building was.

----------------------------------------

The next morning—Sunday—I woke up just after dawn. I took a shower and got dressed before my stomach decided it needed breakfast. Now.

I exited the dorm, stuffing the key into my shorts. I turned left then right in preparation of crossing the street. As I turned right, I saw a young girl who appeared to be of a similar age standing with a man and a woman who I figured were her parents in front of the dorm next to mine. She waved when she saw me. I waved back. That got the attention of the dad, who pointed me out to the mom. The three of them walked towards me.

“Hello,” the mom said when they approached.

“Hi,” I said nervously.

“Are you our neighbor?” the girl asked.

“I think so?” I said, unsure.

“Well, I think you are,” she said. “I’m Julia, what’s your name?”

“Eddy,” I said.

“Are you waiting for your parents?” the mom asked.

“No.”

“Are they already in the cafeteria?”

“No. I—”

“You shouldn’t be out on your own,” she cautioned.

“I’m a student,” I managed to get out.

“Are you now?” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“Yup. Got an ID and everything.”

I pulled it from my pocket and showed her.

“Well I’ll be!” she exclaimed.

“Can he come eat with us?” Julia asked.

“But you just met him?” the dad questioned.

She shrugged off the question.

“Please?” she asked.

The dad looked at the mom, who nodded.

“Sure,” she said. “I guess we could look out for him while his parents are away.”

I gave the woman a questioning look. I mean, my parents weren’t coming back except for holidays and stuff. They weren’t the ones going to college. I was. Still, I didn’t mind the company. Making a temporary friend in college was a good idea so I wouldn’t be lonely—and so I wouldn’t be as reliant on my parents’ presence in my life. The resets. I shivered just thinking about them.

I paid for my breakfast with my ID. The four of us reconvened at a larger booth near where I’d sat with Dad the previous night.

“So which one of you is the student?” I asked when everyone was seated.

“We both are,” the mom said.

I raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” the dad agreed. “I’m finishing my undergrad in electrical engineering while she’s working on her masters in chemistry.”

“Oh,” I said. “I’m studying business administration. I think. I haven’t chosen a focus yet, but I’m leaning that way. I still have a year left to decide.”

“Shouldn’t you have two years?” the mom asked.

“I’m a sophomore,” I corrected, “so only one year left for me.”

“Wow!” she said.

“Eddy’s smart, right?” Julia asked.

“Seems like it, Julie,” the dad said.

I blushed from the attention. Then I got an idea to make a little money on the side while also giving me someone my age to talk to sometimes.

“Do you need someone to keep Julia company while you’re both in classes?” I asked.

“We do,” the mom said. “Are you offering?”

“Yeah.”

“Aww, that’s so kind,” she said. “Unfortunately we don’t know you well enough yet. And you’re pretty young, too. Let me and my husband talk about it first, ok?”

“Sure.”

“Can I still play with him, mommy?” Julia asked.

“Of course. Just while we’re around to watch.”

Julia smiled. We all chatted while eating breakfast. I learned that Julia really wanted a dog but that family circumstances—them all being in the family dorms—prevented them from having one. I also learned the names of the parents: Allison—Aly for short—and Greg. Just Greg.

Aly had been worried for me being all alone and apologized for how strongly she’d reacted. She just wanted to make sure I was safe.

“I lost my younger brother when he was about your age,” she told me. “He was run over by a car.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “That must had been hard.”

“Thanks. Yeah. I miss him even if it’s hard to remember his face. It was a long time ago.”

When breakfast was over, Greg asked what I was up to for the rest of the day. When they learned I was going to the book store, they decided to tag along. Well, Julia decided to drag her parents and follow me.

While I wasn’t totally sure why she had attached herself to me, I could guess. She was young and didn’t really have anyone to hang with that was her age. I learned she would be going to school—first grade—in a few weeks. I hoped that she’d find some more friends there.

The hike down the hill to the book store wasn’t bad. It was a cramped and dusty place filled with books and all sorts of items emblazoned with the school name and colors. I found the books I needed—six in total—and paid for them at the front of the store. I mentally thanked Connor for the stipend. Fifteen-hundred bucks for six books was an absolute robbery. I was oh so glad I wasn’t going to be on the hook for it.