My Hope

I was just finishing up on my work with our report for our example of the two person project with Liam, when I’d received a text from Tillie, asking to meet up.

It wasn’t often that she reached out like this, even if we had been friends for a couple years now.

Ever since I’d started to really apply myself, not only with work and studies, but also socially, Tillie and I had often interacted. Usually it was out of coincidence or convenience, but I’d found us having similar personalities, viewpoints, and values.

We’d even started to spend time together in the first semester just to talk about our lives. Stuff like asking each other for advice, or just talking about the day to day activities.

We’d maybe met up a half dozen or so times so far this school year, but each time it was either mutually suggested after an interview or event, or suggested by me on a whim.

Neither of us seemed particularly committed nor reliant on said meetings, but it felt like we both got enough out of it to be worth our time, on top of it being enjoyable.

Usually we met off campus, but she’d simply asked where I was and then requested that I stay at the library, once I informed her that I was here.

A few minutes after said communication, the door that Liam had left a mere quarter hour earlier opened once more, this time with Tillie entering.

She sat down next to me, evidently comfortable enough with these meetings to no longer think a polite greeting was necessary.

Looking at her, I got the impression that her main concern this time around wasn’t a specific event that had happened, or some classwork she’d been struggling with, but something a little more related to me. The only reason I got that impression was because of her eyes studying me with an intensity that I struggled to take in stride.

“So why’d you want to set those two up?” She asked.

I stared at her for a second, not quite understanding before putting the dots together regarding recent events.

I shrugged, meeting her gaze.

“They seemed to be into each other, and I did actually want to do that project, so why not?”

For Tillie’s credit, she seemed to nod in quiet understanding, what left of her studying or suspicion instantly gone.

It seemed that she had no intentions of pressing beyond making sure I wouldn’t be causing trouble for Ria, as she soon changed the topic and we sat there for a while, chatting away like any of our other meetings.

She didn’t seem to have any intent of meddling more than necessary, and I didn’t really either.

Despite Liam’s suspicions when I’d first told him about the project, I had genuinely planned it purely for the first year students. The only reason that things ended up as they did was because I’d happened to mention the project idea to Tillie over break, just in idle conversation.

I’d mentioned specifically that I hadn't picked out who we’d be interviewing yet, and hadn’t been expecting her to volunteer as she had.

After a while, we eventually parted ways for the night, and Tillie looked as pleased as I felt after the time we’d chatted.

It was nice to have someone who I could just talk to like this, with no expectations or anything between us.

Part of me wondered if we’d stay like this for the rest of college, and maybe even beyond given our expected fields of work after school.

I hope that will be the case.