After the lecture with Alec, I half-expected him to seek me out and tell me off for being an idiot, but he didn't. A multiple collision left him with surgeries he needed to perform, and I spent my volunteering hours alone in his office, helping him with his paperwork. 

My focus is shit today, and my strained eyes struggle to read the notes I took in Physiology. I pop the lid of my third coffee and blow on the scorching liquid before taking a few sips. 

The hallway where I am is deserted. My classes are over, but I can't move my ass to the hospital without getting more caffeine into my system. 

"Brian."

Alec struts toward me. I give him a small smile and survey my surroundings.

"The coast's clear." He rolls his eyes. "Come on. I don't have all day."

I rest the cup on the windowsill to shove my arms in the sleeves of my parka. It's cold as fuck already. As Alec and I walk out of the Science Building and I grip the hot cup tighter, I think about the heat in Indonesia. I'd rather suffer from it now than freeze my ass off. Too bad I don't have a choice.

Alec gets behind the wheel of his SUV and turns the key in the ignition. It takes me a minute to realize we're not going to the hospital.

Lucky for me, I trust the dude. Plus, me being a wimp during his lecture would barely be enough for him to want to murder me and get rid of my body. Or so I hope.

"I need to stop somewhere before going to work," Alec says, taking his eyes off the busy lane to glance at me. 

He only does it once. I spend the rest of the drive staring at his profile. I'm good at reading people, but I have no idea what runs through his head.

The car slows down next to a cemetery. Alec gets a flower arrangement from the back seat, and we get out of the vehicle. I toss the empty cup in a trashcan and follow him as he walks through the wrought iron gates.

After five minutes of navigating the not-so-cheerful place, Alec stops next to a grave. He crouches down and puts the flowers at the bottom of the headstone. I catch a glimpse of the name carved into it. It flatters me that he decided to visit his friend with me.

"It’s Caleb's birthday," Alec says. "I know he'd rather celebrate the day he was born than the day he died."

"Makes sense."

Alec rises to his feet and shoves his hands in the pockets of his black coat. His eyes are glued to the headstone in front of us.

"Average people don't make history."

I turn my head and look at him. "Huh?"

"You heard me."

I let out a sigh. "You’ll kill me, won't you?"

Alec groans and looks skyward. "Honestly? I wanted to. Like what the fuck? Where's the little shit with his smartassery and attitude? Where the hell is that attitude when you need to show it?"

Alec's eyes flit to me. I feel my cheeks heat. 

"You knew the answer. If you didn't, I'd be disappointed cause that'd mean you didn't study, and Medicine isn't for the lazy ones. So, what happened?"

I move the fallen leaves aside with my foot. "A guy in my class. The dude's been bugging me about my grades. He said I was smart."

Alec chuckles. "Aw, poor thing. He's smart—what a misfortune."

"It's a fresh start for me, okay? College's a fresh start. I didn't want to be the same guy I was back in my hometown."

"You're not the same kid I met almost two years ago, Brian. You did grow up. Apparently, not enough."

"What does that mean?"

The look Alec gives me says I don't understand something obvious. “You’re smart," he says, "and we need smart people. The world has too many fools who don’t care about anything. If you want to make a difference one day, if you want to save lives and help others, you have to use your intelligence instead of hiding it. That guy's opinion doesn't matter, but what your professors think of you will directly impact your chances at a good internship later. You need mentors, Brian. You need professionals you can learn from."

I process Alec's words for a moment. "I tried not to stand out."

"You forgot I studied the same degree back in the day. I'm not stupid, either."

"You also had annoying people comment on every achievement of yours?"

Alec shrugs. "Of course. And it'll get worse later on when you get paid for what you know and the kind of professional you are. Someone's jealousy isn't your problem unless you play into their hands and give them too much importance. Surround yourself with true friends and stop letting idiots walk over you. They might drop out after the first year. Don't waste your chance of showing what you're made of. You're working for your future. Focus on that."

The flowers Alec left on the grave move with a gust of wind.

"See?" He gives me a wink. "Caleb agrees."

***

We're looking at some reports in Alec's office when someone knocks on his door.

Alec sets the paper on the table and rubs his eyes. "Come in."

A dark-haired woman peeks her head in. "May I?"

"Dr. Lincoln." Alec smiles. "About time."

The woman laughs and walks into the room. Her eyes pause on me.

"Harper, this is Brian. Brian, this is Dr. Harper Lincoln, an Ob-Gyn."

Dr. Lincoln grins from ear to ear. "You're Jim's brother. I'm friends with Ava," she says. "I've heard a lot about you."

I'd like to say I've heard about her too, but Ava and I haven't spent enough time hanging out for me to know her friends.

"What's up?" Alec asks the woman, saving me from having to speak.

"I'll teach too, starting in January. The HR people called. In your college." She beams at me.

Great. Another professor I'll have to pretend not to know.

"Awesome," says Alec. "If you wanna talk about it, let's grab some coffee later."

"Text me," Dr. Lincoln says and turns around to leave. "It was nice to meet you, Brian."

"You too."

I watch her walk out of the room and face Alec. "Is she a friend or…?"

He laughs. "A good friend. We also studied together. I'm a couple of years older, so I used to tutor Harper when she was a freshman."

The buzz of a phone echoes in the room. Alec picks the gadget up from the table. "Speaking of friends."

I can't help but grin when I see Diego's face on the screen. Alec accepts the video call as we sit on the small couch propped against the wall.

"Finally," Diego says.

He looks relaxed and even more tanned than in Indonesia.

"Show me that muchacho," Diego says to Alec. 

Alec smirks and angles the screen so that the camera's focused on my face.

"A little bird told me you kept quiet in class, Brian. No seas pendejo."

The Spanish bit means don't be a fool. For fuck's sake. 

The way Alec grins at me makes me wanna give him the finger. Of course, he had to tattle.

"He's on his way to growing some balls," Alec says, patting my shoulder. "How are you over there?"

"Enjoying the good weather and waiting for the two of you to visit."

A light groan leaves Alec's mouth. "You know I'd love to, but I'm also teaching now. I'm afraid I won't be able to until spring break, but Dr. O'Brien is free in December."

My eyebrows scrunch up. 

"You have to visit, Brian" Diego says. "The weather here's wonderful at that time. Take your girl and come spend at least a week in Mexico."

The idea is tempting. Kitten and I have never traveled together. She'd probably be thrilled to go to the beach with me. 

The area on the coast where Diego lives is breathtakingly beautiful, and it'd be a good opportunity to practice my Spanish.

"Say yes, don't be a fool," says Alec. "You'll study your ass off afterward. Enjoy the little things while you can."

"Okay, I guess," I say. "Thank you for inviting me."

Diego rubs his palms together. "Awesome. Talk to your girl and tell me when you're coming."

***

I can't stop thinking about the vacation for the rest of the afternoon. 

As I enter the apartment I still share with Bast, the smell of cleaning products hits my nostrils. Bast is in the kitchen area, scrubbing the counter with the same vigor he applies when he studies for quizzes.

I perch on a stool at the breakfast bar. "Aw, Basti, you look so good in your gloves."

The fucker throws the rag at me. I dodge it.

"Pick it up, dude," Bast says, pointing to the floor. I do and hurl the rag back at my still-roommate.

Bast catches it and goes on cleaning. "Barbie might be a pain in the ass, but I'd rather she moved into a clean apartment."

"Knowing how fond you are of each other, I expected you to welcome her with cockroaches."

Bast chuckles. "That weirdo loves bugs. Something tells me she wouldn't care. She'd probably tell me off for mistreating the poor babies."

Bast's voice is deliberately thin at the end. 

I chuckle. "Need help?"

"Nah. How did it go at the hospital?"

"Good. I'm not asking you cause I see what you've been up to."

Bast leans against the counter. "I still think it's a giant-ass mistake. We're super different. We might end up killing each other."

"I only ask you to behave on Saturday when we have dinner at our new place. Then you can do whatever the fuck you want. Jim and his girl will be there too, by the way, same as Mac and Annie."

Bast nods, but I don't like the way he traps his bottom lip between his teeth.

I squint at him. "What, dude? Don't tell me you planned some childish prank to piss Tara off."

With a shake of his head, Bast reaches for his phone connected to a charger. He unlocks it and looks for something.

I lose my patience. "What?"

"I wasn't sure how you'd react," Sebastian says, handing me the gadget. "I saw this on our college forum."

My eyes widen at the photo on the screen. Jim and I are next to his car on the day he dropped me off on campus. The dude who posted it is anonymous, except he's not.

"That piece of shit." I grit through my teeth. "Fuck! I didn't want anyone to know. What the hell, Bast?"

Sebastian lets out an exhalation. "It's that Chad shit, right?"

"Who else? He saw me."

"What a dick. It's your private life."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

My knuckles whiten as I grip the phone. Now, everyone will know. This picture will be all over the internet. They can also see the license plate of Jim's Audi, and my anonymity must've gone to hell by now.

So much for not wanting to stand out.