SOPHOMORE YEAR

Sean stood idly by the baggage claim, scanning the flood of new arrivals for a familiar face. It occurred to him that this was the first time in his entire academic life that he was looking forward to the beginning of the new school year. After one summer in Spaulding, his sleepy Midwestern hometown, he couldn\'t help but miss the lack of a curfew, the round-the-clock activity of campus life, or even the bi-weekly all-nighters with his roommates which had comprised his freshman year. He had especially been looking forward to seeing all the friends he had made at college. Above all else, the singular greatest reason he had spent the summer counting the days until the fall term, was Lisa. Sean had met her on the first day of classes, and after discovering over the course of the first week that they had nearly identical schedules, they quickly became friends. Despite being introverted and antisocial all throughout high school, he found Lisa incredibly easy to talk to about anything that was on his mind, and she was always willing to listen. Looking back, Sean saw that he always enjoyed the time spent with Lisa the most, even in November when he was dating Danielle, or March when he was with Amy. He realized that even when Lisa was going out with Ben, it was always Sean whom she confided in. It was Sean whom she told things that she could never say to her boyfriend. He tried calling her a few times over the summer at her parents’ house in Austin, but she was always either at work or out with friends from high school. He would go weeks at a time without hearing from her, and it occurred to him how much he cared for her. As he waited by the baggage claim, watching for Lisa amongst the crowd of passengers, he decided that tonight, the first time that he had seen her in three months, would be the night that he told her how he felt.
“Oh my God! Sean!” He turned at the sound of his name, just in time to catch Lisa as she jumped into his arms. He staggered backward, laughing, as she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tight.
“Hey, girl,” he said to her. “Miss me?”
“You have no idea,” she replied, wearing the widest smile Sean had ever seen on her. She put her feet back onto the ground. “Thanks for picking me up. You’re a godsend.”
Sean grabbed her two duffel bags as she chased her suitcase around the carousel. They walked out of the airport to his car. Along the way, Lisa continued to smile just as brightly, giggling and bouncing along as she walked, sharing bits of her summer with him. “Goddamn,” he began, his own grin not even comparing to hers, as he unlocked the trunk and tossed her bags inside. “What is with you today? Why are you so happy?”
Lisa lifted her suitcase into the car, shaking her head and laughing. He asked again as she opened the passenger door, and after what seemed like forever, as he was backing out of the parking space, she answered him. “I have a boyfriend,” she said, beaming.
“Really? When did this happen?” Sean looked over to her, saw how her eyes were shining as bright as her smile as she spoke.
“Over the summer. His name’s Neil. We went to high school together. He’s just about the greatest guy you could ask for. He’s so sweet and funny and caring,...” She shook her head again. “He just makes me so happy.”
“Where is he now?” Sean asked as he made his way out of the parking garage.
“He’s going to school back in Texas.”
“Doesn’t that bother you? You probably won’t see him again until next summer.”
Lisa turned to look out the window as they got onto the highway. Sean glanced over and noticed her reflection, the expression on her face distant, but serene. “It’s only nine months. Hell, college is just another three years. We’ll have plenty of time together after that.” Her voice got quieter as she went on, in a tone of simple contentedness. “I mean, I think I could spend the rest of my life with him. I think I’ve found the one.”
They talked more along the way home, the conversation leading from classes to friends from last year to current living arrangements. Lisa laughed at Sean’s jokes, sang along with the radio, and teased him about his driving. But a few blocks from the dorms, she became quiet again, looking away from him at nothing in particular. Sean pulled into a parking space in front of the main entrance and popped the trunk. Lisa didn’t move. She stayed looking out the window, lost in thought.
“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” he asked.
Lisa turned back toward him, her eyes shining with a beautiful light. “Yes,” she said quietly as a tiny smile parted her lips.
For a moment neither of them spoke, until Lisa sheepishly turned away and opened the door.
“Do you need any help with your bags?” Sean asked as she stepped out of the car.
“I can get them,” she answered. “Thanks for picking me up. I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
He watched her in the rearview mirror as she slung her duffel bags over her shoulders, picked up her suitcase, and closed the trunk. She headed inside, turning around at the door and giving a little wave with her free hand. Sean waved back, then drove away, headed home. He began to smile, a huge irrepressible grin that stayed with him for the rest of the evening.