7 7 Hanging Out

[POV: Joy]

I'm currently studying in the library right after finishing my Engineering class where we only went over the syllabus and introduced ourselves. The teacher told me he had high expectations for everyone, but I feel like he was directing that statement at me though. I have always been an overachiever but not for anyone else's expectations. It's only been about bettering myself and making myself be the best me for well... me.

Before coming out to my parents, I was more subdued and withdrawn. I may have been the same then with my grades and everything else, but it was for my parent's that I did that. After though, I worked on gaining confidence in myself to veer away from the self-abasement I endured.

I would have never gained the courage and strength to face the world as I am without the love and support of my family. My maternal side of the family are all rather religious and were slightly disappointed in finding out about my identified gender, but everything came around alright. We're not as close as we used to be, but the familial love is still there and I know that they still care for me.

I only wish I can give that same kind of support to Iris though. At the times I've talked to her throughout the day, I've noticed telltale signs of substance abuse in the past, but I can tell that she is recovering. She's already at a healthy weight from what I can see, but it still looks like she's struggling.

I decided I will be there for her. While we're out hanging out and catching up, I'll try to probe her for these discussions in the future. I'm only praying she doesn't get defensive about it. Recovering means admittance first and she's already done that it seems.

I'm getting distracted in my thoughts, not even having finished reading a single chapter of my novel, and I get brought out of my reverie when Iris walks up and knocks on the table.

"Hey, you okay there? It seems like you were distracted by something."

I turned at the soft knock and look up at her after closing and putting down my book. I give her a small smile and say, "Yeah. I'm good. Just thinking. You ready to go?"

"I'm as ready as ever! I've been looking forward to this since P.E.!"

I stand up, chuckling, to pack away my book and pick up my bag. When I look at Iris, I just see her wearing the dopiest cutest grin ever, making me giggle even more.

"What? What's so funny?" Iris asks.

"Nothing, you're just too cute. You must be really excited with that stupid grin plastered on your face." The color of her face turns a shade of light pink and she coughs and looks away in embarrassment. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, but first quick question." I reply to her by raising an eyebrow as if I'm asking her to continue. "I heard you got dropped off today in a Porsche. If that's the case, what are you driving?"

"Ah. I told him not to drive that stupid car. My dad dropped me off because of how nervous I was before coming here. He should of had someone drop my car off earlier today while we were in classes."

"So that's how it is. How many cars do you own?"

"Well, my dad is a luxury car collector as you may have known from the past, and he'll let me drive any of his cars, but they're all too... I don't know... showy? I'm more reserved. I only have two cars. My black Land Rover LR2 and a gunmetal grey Tesla Model Y."

"Those cars aren't exactly the best in not being too showy," she says while chuckling and doing finger quotes.

I run my hand down my face, "I know, and I told my dad he could just get me a Corolla or something, but he wanted to get "the best" for his baby girl. He wanted to get me a bright yellow Tesla Roadster or Lambo or something, but I put my foot down. I may be his princess, but I'm not A princess."

We talked and bantered the whole way to my car parked in the lot. On the way to the cafe I normally frequented, she plugged in her phone to play her playlist. She's got surprisingly good taste and it coincides with mine. We belted our voices with the windows rolled down, not caring for anyone else around.

~*~*~*~*~

We ordered our drinks, mine, a soy milk matcha latte and her's, a black americano. We mainly talked about our common interests, catching each other up on our lives. Iris told me she wants to do graphic design and artwork working for Wizards of the Coast. Either that or work with Marvel, DC, or Image comics.

"Wow... nerd."

"Hey! That's uncalled for Joy."

"Hehe, I know. I'm just messing with you. It's good you have a dream goal like me. I have it easy since I'm basically guaranteed a job at my parent's research facility, but what about you? Do you have any backup plans just in case your path falls short?"

She looks out the window. "I don't know. I'm aiming for those types of internships or jobs while I'm in college, but if everything falls short, I guess I could be a freelancer or something."

"That'd be hard if you had to freelance. So do you know where you're going?"

"Yeah, luckily, I got a full-ride scholarship to CalArts because I've won a few design competitions."

"Wow, I'm shocked! That's one of the hardest arts colleges to get into! Proud of you, boo!" I exclaimed as I put out my fist for a bump.

She let out a chuckle as she bumped my fist. "Surprised me too. I just have to keep up my attendance and grades while in my final year of high school and I'll be good to go. What about you?"

"I've already been accepted into Stanford. I was offered a scholarship to John Hopkins, but I honestly didn't want to travel out of state and away from my family. I'm taking a double major of biomedical engineering and pharmacology with a minor in internal medicine. I'll be working at my parent's research facility while working on my thesis', and once I have my doctorates for those, I'll finish postgraduate studies for oncology."

Her jaw dropped the more I told her. "Damn, I knew you were overachieving but not by this much. Do you have a whole road map of your life planned out or something?"

I sighed and looked down into the steam swirling off my latte. "I did know I wanted to be a medical researcher, like my parents, since I was a child, but I didn't know what I wanted to specialize in. At least, not until a couple years ago. My grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer and the tumors had already become malignant and metastasized onto her lungs and spine by the time anything was discovered. She died 3 months later." A couple tears manage to form and fell down my cheeks, hitting my hands on the table. I reached up and lightly wiped them away. I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath, but my breath hitched when I felt her hand caress my cheek and Iris used her thumb to wipe the corner of my eye.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Was it Grandma Flo?"

I look up at her and nod my head. My voice coming out shaky, "Yeah... yeah, it was."

She scooted her chair around the small two-person table to sit next to me, and she wrapped an arm around my head and brought it to her bosom while she just gently stroked my hair. I moved my arms to wrap around her waist and we just sat there in comfort.