where are you now?

… Yeah. At least it gets me out of the house for a little bit. 

Can someone … uh . . lend a hand?

Yeah, we do! I’m gonna help you find what you’re passionate about.

You don’t need to thank me. I’m just telling you the truth. Over the past year, my life has changed a lot, in good ways and in bad ways, and it’s put a lot of things in perspective for me, things I’d originally discounted as meaningless. Plus I talk to people now without immediately biting their heads off, so that’s an improvement.

Change is good, especially if you're saying that it's been good for you. I don't know, I still feel like I need to thank you. I used to just... not talk to anyone at all, so I think we're both making positive improvements.

Thanks. It means a lot. You don’t? Well, then we’ve gotta find you something.

...We do?

"You’re not making this easy on me!" She nudged him with her hand, her eyes still stuck on the road before them. She’d always been a careful driver, especially with this car considering it wasn’t her own. Their neighbor had been kind enough to allow her to use it when he wasn’t, and considering he was in the tail end of his old age, it was practically becoming her own. He’d been friends with Summer, her grandmother, for years, which meant he knew Serena’s story, so she assumed it was a small token of pity. She didn’t mind it though. After all, he meant well, and she got an only slightly banged up car out of it. She hadn’t told Jack this however, afraid of having to explain his intentions behind it, so she’d dismissed it as a friend’s. "You think I don’t know that? I’ve practically been on my hands and knees begging for a raise since November." She frowned dramatically, releasing a sigh. "You tell me. You’ve always been the brains in this friendship." 

Laughing with no intended malice, he grins, making sure she didn't take her eyes off the road. "Or we can move somewhere that the language isn't English so we have to assimilate into a different culture... so then, no one will ever know it's us if we're speaking fluent Spanish or something." He concluded easily, knowing that what he was saying was more than a pipe dream. Maybe it was his idea to escape before he went to school, to try and get out while the time was good enough so he could disappear, but if he knew better, it wasn't going to happen. There was no escape from his father's insistence that to make money, he needed an education, and each passing day he was becoming more and more comfortable with the insistence of an education. After all, it was already written for him. "Well once I get a job that'll be double the income to escape." Furrowing his brow together, he turned his head towards her, shrugging. "No clue. I'd still swim in it."

Yeah.

You're welcome. 

That was my point. Plus, you get paid well and tipped well, but no one seems to care. What?

...I still think it's cool. I just... I don't really... have anything.

I dunno if it’s my passion or the fact that I like stuff no one seems to bother thinking are worth pursuing. Thanks. You’re the best, and I mean it. What are you passionate about?

If it's not worth pursuing, then why do so many people go to spas? I wouldn't go that far, but thanks. Uh...

I think so? I dunno, I probably read it once but forgot it was a thing. Hey, I eat what will make me healthiest, I think, and I’m good with that. Really? People think I’m dumb for liking it. I will, thank you so much.

...You're not dumb for being passionate about something. I'm being honest when I say it's cool. It's hard to find something you really like, so stick with it and you'll be the best someday. Not a problem. I'd be happy to help.

Yeah.

Just tell me if you need anything.

I do try to be smart now and then. I think it’s okay to be unsure about everything. And you were smart by giving yourself options. If you absolutely hate wherever you end up, a transfer is always an option. No matter what, you’ll be out of here.

Thanks Kennedy. I think I just needed to hear it first before I... disappointed myself or something. Thankfully I don't think I'll have the opportunity to do that now.

I still eat fish, sometimes, so I’m one of those “cheating” vegetarians. I hate that term, you know? It’s like, this is my lifestyle choice, why do I have to fall into one rigid diet? I guess it’s not as much about relaxing me as much as others- I’m teaching myself different types of massages, ‘cause I think that’s what I wanna do after I graduate. So, I test stuff on my friends, and if I’m allergic to the oils, my hands are gonna burn and that’s gonna suck. But, I guess it’s kind of relaxing for me, too. I’ll think about it, but hopefully I won’t have this reaction again.

I don't think it's cheating. I think it's pescatarian, right? So you're not. It's ridiculous to conform regardless to something you don't want to. That's really cool actually. To help other people relax. Like I said, you can test them on me. Arm or whatever you'd like to test, I'd be more than happy to help, so keep it in mind.

I mean, I guess I’m trying to feel the best as I possibly can- physically, at least. That’s easiest to control. You know, I thought about that for a while, but honestly, it’s cheaper to buy them than to make them. Some extracts are ridiculously expensive. Plus, I can always read the ingredients before I buy it. But I need to test it on myself, because if I’m gonna be using it, then I need to know I won’t have this reaction. It hurts enough on my arms; I can only guess it’d be worse on my hands. So, I’ll just disappoint myself, and not you.

That's really great. I don't know if I could get rid of chicken or fish but it's something I'd really contemplate with all of those videos, you know? Makes sense. I know... absolutely nothing about that kind of stuff. Not exactly something I'd shop for but if it's what's going to relax you it's probably the best to be looking at it. Well... here, if you try it and you get the reaction you can smack it on me still. You'll be disappointed but I'll smell like it and maybe that could be comic relief?

Orrrr…. look at all the other stuff about it. The clubs, or the scenery, or what’s nearby. That can help you make a decision, probably. Just take your time. It took me most of last year and some of this year to decide I wanted to go to college period, let alone which one and what I wanted to study.

...That's smart. It's a good way to look at it. I'm just unsure about... everything really. I should've taken more time to look into where I applied.

Well you have options, so it’s not a bad situation. Just look into them and see if they have what you want to major in. Boston University is one of the top rated in the country for their journalism program, so that made it a pretty easy decision.

Ah.