Comma. Comma. Comma.
Command and A.
Comma.
There. Everything was in sync. Now what was the damned shortcut for loop play again? Command and... K? Command and P? Nope. Neither of those worked.
Command and... Conquer? Nope. That was a video game.
"Dammit."
Ross Miller grunted in aggravation and allowed his head to softly thud against the small section of desk beside the keyboard. Fucking Pro Tools was impossible - how the hell was he supposed to memorize all of these shortcuts?! There were hundreds, maybe even thousands.
Perhaps audio engineering wasn't exactly a path he'd be walking down for his future.
((Ross Miller continued from All the Power in the Universe Conspires to Carry You ))
Bringing his head back up to stare at the computer screen, Ross rubbed his eyes and surveyed his Pro Tools timeline once more. If he were looking at things from a big-picture standpoint, the fact that he was sitting here, able to waste an hour or two after class to try and brush up on shortcuts for his film elective class was something that he should have been incredibly thankful for. George Hunter High School had spared no expense when it came to equipment in any area of the student body; everyone was looked after. The drama students had an impressive auditorium, the gymnasium was state-of-the-art, and all of the computers were basically fresh off of the assembly line with the most recent in software installed. Photoshop, Avid Media Composer, Premiere, Pro Tools, and After Effects were Ross' constant companions during his editing elective, and trying to learn all of them ended up being an exercise in futility.
Video editing was his forte, and so he'd only paid a tiny bit of attention to the classes that discussed audio editing - something that he was paying for now. Pro Tools was the premiere audio editing program (according to his teacher, and a lot of websites on the Internet), but more of his focus had been on learning Avid - a fairly complex video editing program in itself, and Premiere, which was a less complex but still fairly in-depth program.
Much to his horror, the teacher had announced that there would be a Pro Tools practical exam near to the end of the semester, and hence... here he sat, using an old soundscape project that he'd done earlier in the semester to play around and try to master the shortcuts to the program.
Command and L! That was it. He sighed. This wasn't going swimmingly, at all.
He'd propped the door open to the suite that he sat in, trying allowing the air to flow a bit better from the stuffy, soundproofed room. The nice thing about using the suites after school was that he'd get people milling about, and sometimes popping in to visit. It was sometimes a really nice way to socialize, or to take a quick break from the project at hand, and while he was mildly stressed out about the exam, he preferred staying a few hours after school as opposed to trying to book time during the school day. That way he didn't have to fight with the music students trying to use the sound booths to sing, people trying to do voiceovers for projects, or anyone else that might be lurking about.
"Fuck sakes... I should have paid more attention."
Ross clicked the spacebar once more, playing the section of project back to listen for sync issues. There were none, so that was good at least. They'd had to take a five minute scene from a movie and redo all of the sound in it. Him and his group had done a scene from the classic meta-horror Scream 2, and it had turned out fairly well, all things considered.
"When did she start smoking?"
"Ever since those nude pictures on the Internet..."
Ross chuckled. It had been a blast to work on. He'd played Jamie Kennedy's role, and had gotten to scream and get killed, which had been great fun to record and sync up to the real actors voices.
Maybe he could do this stuff after all. Nothing worth doing was easy, after all.
Pro Tools for Dummies
Open
[Jackson Sullivan Pregame Start]
The sea of students rushing around the school building at the end of the day was quite the sight. Students doing their best to get everywhere they needed to go, be it to catch a school-bus, to get to a club-room for a meeting, to get to practice for one of the many athletic programs the school held, or even just to meet up with friends scattered throughout the school. It was a messy traffic jam of teenagers going in all directions, people running, people laughing, people arguing. It was sometimes really hard to block all that sound and hectic energy out. Especially for someone like Jackson. Backpack slung over one shoulder, he did his best to plow through the crowd, head down and just piercing through the waves of students. He wasn’t the tallest guy in school, so it could be hard for him to find his way through the crowds sometimes and wind up in the right destination. Luckily, he tended to give off a pretty don’t-fuck-with-me aura to people who didn't know him, so underclassmen had a tendency to move out of his way without him needing to say much. Somehow, someway he found himself in the art block of the school. Not somewhere he spent too much time, but somewhere that had exactly what he was looking for at the moment. He made his way to the suites located in the front of the block, and signed himself in at the desk nearby.
Truthfully, Jackson liked to come to the soundproof rooms whenever he didn't have anything to do after school. It was a nice quiet space where no one could really bother him, and he could get some work done. The quiet helped him concentrate, and it was one of his favorite places to get some feelings down on paper in his notebooks. Plus, no one could sneak up on him and see what he was doing, unlike the library. He’d rather die than let his classmates see the contents of his notebooks. Today he didn’t have work, and Wrestling season had already ended, so it seemed like the perfect day to put off going home for a few hours.Seeing an open door to one of the suites, Jackson made a beeline for it and swung the door open, ready to step inside, but was stopped by the sight of someone else already occupying the space.
“Oh, shit. Sorry, Ross.” He laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand. “The door was open so I thought the room was available, my bad, dude.”
The sea of students rushing around the school building at the end of the day was quite the sight. Students doing their best to get everywhere they needed to go, be it to catch a school-bus, to get to a club-room for a meeting, to get to practice for one of the many athletic programs the school held, or even just to meet up with friends scattered throughout the school. It was a messy traffic jam of teenagers going in all directions, people running, people laughing, people arguing. It was sometimes really hard to block all that sound and hectic energy out. Especially for someone like Jackson. Backpack slung over one shoulder, he did his best to plow through the crowd, head down and just piercing through the waves of students. He wasn’t the tallest guy in school, so it could be hard for him to find his way through the crowds sometimes and wind up in the right destination. Luckily, he tended to give off a pretty don’t-fuck-with-me aura to people who didn't know him, so underclassmen had a tendency to move out of his way without him needing to say much. Somehow, someway he found himself in the art block of the school. Not somewhere he spent too much time, but somewhere that had exactly what he was looking for at the moment. He made his way to the suites located in the front of the block, and signed himself in at the desk nearby.
Truthfully, Jackson liked to come to the soundproof rooms whenever he didn't have anything to do after school. It was a nice quiet space where no one could really bother him, and he could get some work done. The quiet helped him concentrate, and it was one of his favorite places to get some feelings down on paper in his notebooks. Plus, no one could sneak up on him and see what he was doing, unlike the library. He’d rather die than let his classmates see the contents of his notebooks. Today he didn’t have work, and Wrestling season had already ended, so it seemed like the perfect day to put off going home for a few hours.Seeing an open door to one of the suites, Jackson made a beeline for it and swung the door open, ready to step inside, but was stopped by the sight of someone else already occupying the space.
“Oh, shit. Sorry, Ross.” He laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand. “The door was open so I thought the room was available, my bad, dude.”
Ross leaned back in his chair and grinned sheepishly at Jackson as he basically barged in to the suite. No matter - that was half the fun of leaving the door open. He dismissed the wrestler's apology with a wave of his hand. "Nah, man. It's all good. Honestly my eyes are turning to mush right now anyway."
Swivelling his chair away from the screen, he tried his best to tuck away the anxiety of his upcoming practical exam. Half-remembering for a moment, he leaned back to the keyboard and clicked the Command and S keys - no one liked losing work to a computer crash.
"If you want the room, you're more than welcome to it. I have it booked out for another hour or so, but honestly," he yawned, "I think I've hit my limit. You know how it goes."
Ross thought back to any prior dealings he'd had with Jackson. Most of the time, the two of them had been on pretty good terms. Jackson and his family lived down the street from Ross, and so sometimes their schedules would match up and they'd chat as they walked to classes. Any of the big Connor or Carter or Mikki parties that Ross found himself invited to often had Jackson and his pals there, so this particular intrusion wasn't unwelcome. Of all the people that people probably wouldn't assume him to be friends with, Jackson Sullivan wasn't such a bad dude - provided he wasn't drunk and flying off the handle.
Hm, funny. That reminded him of a certain girl he knew.
Go figure.
"You studying or just looking for a quiet place to catch some shut-eye?"
Swivelling his chair away from the screen, he tried his best to tuck away the anxiety of his upcoming practical exam. Half-remembering for a moment, he leaned back to the keyboard and clicked the Command and S keys - no one liked losing work to a computer crash.
"If you want the room, you're more than welcome to it. I have it booked out for another hour or so, but honestly," he yawned, "I think I've hit my limit. You know how it goes."
Ross thought back to any prior dealings he'd had with Jackson. Most of the time, the two of them had been on pretty good terms. Jackson and his family lived down the street from Ross, and so sometimes their schedules would match up and they'd chat as they walked to classes. Any of the big Connor or Carter or Mikki parties that Ross found himself invited to often had Jackson and his pals there, so this particular intrusion wasn't unwelcome. Of all the people that people probably wouldn't assume him to be friends with, Jackson Sullivan wasn't such a bad dude - provided he wasn't drunk and flying off the handle.
Hm, funny. That reminded him of a certain girl he knew.
Go figure.
"You studying or just looking for a quiet place to catch some shut-eye?"
Jackson grinned back at Ross and shifted his backpack a bit higher up on his shoulder. Thankfully his notebook was still safely in his book-bag, away from prying eyes. At least the person he’d stumbled in on was someone he knew relatively well and got along with. It would have been way too awkward otherwise. Ross was a good guy, the two of them grew up basically down the street from each other and even though they weren’t as close as when they were younger, Jackson still considered him a good friend. Ross waved off his apology for barging in on him, and offered to let him have the room if he wanted. He asked if Jackson was looking to study or nap. Jackson shook his head.
“Nah that’s not it. Honestly, I was just trying to avoid going home right away, and figured holing myself up in here was better than nothing.”
Ross was probably at least somewhat aware of Jackson’s home life. His family’s arguments were sometimes loud and could be very public without them meaning to, and even if none of the neighbors ever really said anything, Jackson was sure there was talk about it. It was a bit embarrassing to say the least, and thinking about it made Jackson’s smile fade a bit from his face. Being the family that everyone talked about wasn’t the greatest thing to be known for after all. Jackson blinked and did his best to recover his smile.
“You look pretty drained, man. What are you working on?”
“Nah that’s not it. Honestly, I was just trying to avoid going home right away, and figured holing myself up in here was better than nothing.”
Ross was probably at least somewhat aware of Jackson’s home life. His family’s arguments were sometimes loud and could be very public without them meaning to, and even if none of the neighbors ever really said anything, Jackson was sure there was talk about it. It was a bit embarrassing to say the least, and thinking about it made Jackson’s smile fade a bit from his face. Being the family that everyone talked about wasn’t the greatest thing to be known for after all. Jackson blinked and did his best to recover his smile.
“You look pretty drained, man. What are you working on?”
Ross nodded knowingly, and shot Jackson with a finger gun, which he audibly clicked from the back of his throat. "Mmm, gotchya. Well hell, man - these rooms are as good a spot as any to hole out and kill some time."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, shut his eyes and sighed a bit. Yeah, he supposed that it wasn't overly surprising that he looked like shit. He'd been at this for a couple of hours now, and his eyes were starting to feel like they were going to melt out of his head. Leaning back even more in the chair, he used his head to gesture to the monitor.
"I'm taking that elective film and audio class, and I somehow managed to miss the memo that the audio program has a practical exam worth ten percent of the class mark." He smirked at Jackson. "Naturally, that was the one I kinda glossed over. So here I am, panic-studying for it."
Letting his right wrist fall limp, he shook it out, trying to shake out some of the tension caused from using a mouse for too long.
"Fun class, honestly, but... a lot of shit to remember. Trying to remember keyboard shortcuts turns my brain to mush. Pretty stoked that the year's almost over, honestly. There's too much shit to keep track of." Ross stretched his neck, garnering a satisfying pop from it.
"Speaking of keeping track," he changed the subject, "you're going to prom, yeah? Looks like that's gonna be a fuckin' time. Not sure how I feel about glow-in-the-dark, but I guess it beats like, any other lame themes they could have come up with."
Ross would have assumed that Jackson was planning to participate in the usual end-of-year gala, but it was always good to get an idea of who was planning to go. As someone who was friendly with a good chunk of the student body, he figured that it wasn't a terrible idea to know who was going, and if so, with whom. Ari hadn't been overly keen on going to prom, and it had taken some convincing for him to win her over. Having at least a couple of options for social interactions wouldn't be a terrible idea in case the people they ended up sitting with weren't her cup of tea.
An apt analogy, he thought, as she wasn't much for tea.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, shut his eyes and sighed a bit. Yeah, he supposed that it wasn't overly surprising that he looked like shit. He'd been at this for a couple of hours now, and his eyes were starting to feel like they were going to melt out of his head. Leaning back even more in the chair, he used his head to gesture to the monitor.
"I'm taking that elective film and audio class, and I somehow managed to miss the memo that the audio program has a practical exam worth ten percent of the class mark." He smirked at Jackson. "Naturally, that was the one I kinda glossed over. So here I am, panic-studying for it."
Letting his right wrist fall limp, he shook it out, trying to shake out some of the tension caused from using a mouse for too long.
"Fun class, honestly, but... a lot of shit to remember. Trying to remember keyboard shortcuts turns my brain to mush. Pretty stoked that the year's almost over, honestly. There's too much shit to keep track of." Ross stretched his neck, garnering a satisfying pop from it.
"Speaking of keeping track," he changed the subject, "you're going to prom, yeah? Looks like that's gonna be a fuckin' time. Not sure how I feel about glow-in-the-dark, but I guess it beats like, any other lame themes they could have come up with."
Ross would have assumed that Jackson was planning to participate in the usual end-of-year gala, but it was always good to get an idea of who was planning to go. As someone who was friendly with a good chunk of the student body, he figured that it wasn't a terrible idea to know who was going, and if so, with whom. Ari hadn't been overly keen on going to prom, and it had taken some convincing for him to win her over. Having at least a couple of options for social interactions wouldn't be a terrible idea in case the people they ended up sitting with weren't her cup of tea.
An apt analogy, he thought, as she wasn't much for tea.
Ross pointed a finger gun at Jackson and made a shooting sound, then agreed that these rooms were a good place to hide out. Jackson smiled weakly at the silly display. Ross was a character, that was for sure. Ross continued by explaining what he was working on, and complaining about how he’d managed to skim over a part of his elective class that happened to be worth ten percent of his grade. Jackson shook his head and chuckled. Jackson could sympathize. The only classes he had a decent grade in at this point was his Creative Writing and English classes, and in English he was barely managing a B-. School work wasn’t necessarily Jackson’s forte. He’d been blindsided himself by a few of his classes final projects that all of a sudden seemed to be the only things that mattered for his grades. His GPA was rocky, and if he didn’t buckle down in a few classes he’d end up getting screwed. Just thinking about it was giving him some serious anxiety.
“Yeah, graduation can’t come soon enough, honestly. As much as I’ll miss some of the people here, I sure as hell won’t miss all this stress.” He leaned against the door frame and let out a sizable sigh.
Ross then asked if he was going to prom. Jackson felt the blood rush to his face a bit but he did his best to try and force it back. He coughed into his hand a bit to try and cover up the blush. Just thinking about how embarrassing all the pre-prom shit he’d been doing with Luca and her mom was making him uncomfortable. He’d felt so stupid and extra poor when dealing with Luca’s mom. She was so taken aback when he told her he didn’t know his suit measurements that if he could have crawled into the ground and just died he would have rathered that. Not that she wasn’t a very nice woman, but Jackson wasn’t used to all that stuff, and it made him feel like he didn’t belong. But then when he thought of how much Luca’s face lit up during the process and how warm her smile was, he figured it was definitely worth it. Jackson’s parents were floored when he told them he was gonna go with Luca, and that her mom had offered to pay for a tailored suit for him. He knew his parents didn’t like to accept handouts, and he felt the same way, but even still, he knew that his parents were happy for him, and glad that he was going to look his best, even if they personally couldn’t provide him that kind of opportunity.
“Yeah, prom should be fun. Glow in the dark is a fucking dumb theme though. Who even decided on that?” He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “Me and Luca had no idea what it even meant to be honest. Oh… I’m going with Luca by the way.” He smiled a bit wider. “It’s been kinda stressful getting our outfits together, but I’m sure everything’s gonna look good, I mean, what do I know about shit like that.” Jackson chuckled some more. He really was excited to see how Luca was going to look.
“What about you and Ariana? Has she been driving you nuts about your prom outfit?”
“Yeah, graduation can’t come soon enough, honestly. As much as I’ll miss some of the people here, I sure as hell won’t miss all this stress.” He leaned against the door frame and let out a sizable sigh.
Ross then asked if he was going to prom. Jackson felt the blood rush to his face a bit but he did his best to try and force it back. He coughed into his hand a bit to try and cover up the blush. Just thinking about how embarrassing all the pre-prom shit he’d been doing with Luca and her mom was making him uncomfortable. He’d felt so stupid and extra poor when dealing with Luca’s mom. She was so taken aback when he told her he didn’t know his suit measurements that if he could have crawled into the ground and just died he would have rathered that. Not that she wasn’t a very nice woman, but Jackson wasn’t used to all that stuff, and it made him feel like he didn’t belong. But then when he thought of how much Luca’s face lit up during the process and how warm her smile was, he figured it was definitely worth it. Jackson’s parents were floored when he told them he was gonna go with Luca, and that her mom had offered to pay for a tailored suit for him. He knew his parents didn’t like to accept handouts, and he felt the same way, but even still, he knew that his parents were happy for him, and glad that he was going to look his best, even if they personally couldn’t provide him that kind of opportunity.
“Yeah, prom should be fun. Glow in the dark is a fucking dumb theme though. Who even decided on that?” He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “Me and Luca had no idea what it even meant to be honest. Oh… I’m going with Luca by the way.” He smiled a bit wider. “It’s been kinda stressful getting our outfits together, but I’m sure everything’s gonna look good, I mean, what do I know about shit like that.” Jackson chuckled some more. He really was excited to see how Luca was going to look.
“What about you and Ariana? Has she been driving you nuts about your prom outfit?”
Ross leaned back a bit further in the chair and threw his hands lazily up in the air. The prom planning committee was made up of the go-getters, the do-gooders, and several enthusiastic administration members who were probably stuck a bit too far back in the nostalgia kick sweeping the globe. If anyone asked him, it was a bit of a weird theme, and so he picked up what Jackson was putting down.
"Right? It feels like we're going bowling or something rather than attending a fancy dance and dinner. I just hope the music isn't all disco or whatever." He absently scratched the back of his neck. "It'd be topical, but fuck... imagine having to sit through a whole night of disco? Not my scene."
At the second question, Ross sheepishly shook his head and laughed, straightening up a bit and allowing the chair to slowly return to its standard position. Of all the females in the school that Ross could have found himself dating, he'd managed to score the one who didn't seem to be at all concerned with what she wore to prom. Fashion, really... wasn't her thing.
Which was great, since the array of jeans and t-shirts in his own closet would never be confused for a fashionable wardrobe. But it meant that he didn't have to work very hard to impress anyone. For Jackson's benefit, he shook his head, stifling another laugh.
"Oh God no. It was enough of a task to convince Ari to actually come to prom in the first place," he gestured to himself. "Truth be told, I'm the one who really wanted to go at all. You hear so many tales of crazy proms and debaucherous spiking of the punches, and... I dunno. Just really wanted to see it for myself."
Ross paused for a moment, as a thought came to mind.
"Blue." That was the stray memory. "All she said was she wanted to wear something blue, but she'd figure it out, and that I could just go with whatever. I mean, fuck. Blue suit - easy, yeah?"
Leaning back, he grabbed the bottle of water that he'd left sitting next to the keyboard, undid the small plastic cap, and took a drink of it. Ross figured that he'd just about written off any more hope of getting work done, and he wasn't sure how much in the way of quiet time Jackson was truly looking for, but he was good company and a nice enough dude. It was interesting to imagine him going with Luca - if it was the same Luca that he was thinking of.
"And hey, Luca... from the basketball team? Am I thinking of the right one? She's pretty cool. I didn't know you two were friends," Ross winked at Jackson, "or ... a bit more?" He laughed. It wasn't really any of his business - and he didn't know Luca all that well, but he couldn't recall seeing the two of them together and the pairing piqued his curiousity.
It was a nice pairing, though. Ross didn't doubt they'd look good together, which gave him a warm feeling in his chest. He liked seeing good people find one another.
"Right? It feels like we're going bowling or something rather than attending a fancy dance and dinner. I just hope the music isn't all disco or whatever." He absently scratched the back of his neck. "It'd be topical, but fuck... imagine having to sit through a whole night of disco? Not my scene."
At the second question, Ross sheepishly shook his head and laughed, straightening up a bit and allowing the chair to slowly return to its standard position. Of all the females in the school that Ross could have found himself dating, he'd managed to score the one who didn't seem to be at all concerned with what she wore to prom. Fashion, really... wasn't her thing.
Which was great, since the array of jeans and t-shirts in his own closet would never be confused for a fashionable wardrobe. But it meant that he didn't have to work very hard to impress anyone. For Jackson's benefit, he shook his head, stifling another laugh.
"Oh God no. It was enough of a task to convince Ari to actually come to prom in the first place," he gestured to himself. "Truth be told, I'm the one who really wanted to go at all. You hear so many tales of crazy proms and debaucherous spiking of the punches, and... I dunno. Just really wanted to see it for myself."
Ross paused for a moment, as a thought came to mind.
"Blue." That was the stray memory. "All she said was she wanted to wear something blue, but she'd figure it out, and that I could just go with whatever. I mean, fuck. Blue suit - easy, yeah?"
Leaning back, he grabbed the bottle of water that he'd left sitting next to the keyboard, undid the small plastic cap, and took a drink of it. Ross figured that he'd just about written off any more hope of getting work done, and he wasn't sure how much in the way of quiet time Jackson was truly looking for, but he was good company and a nice enough dude. It was interesting to imagine him going with Luca - if it was the same Luca that he was thinking of.
"And hey, Luca... from the basketball team? Am I thinking of the right one? She's pretty cool. I didn't know you two were friends," Ross winked at Jackson, "or ... a bit more?" He laughed. It wasn't really any of his business - and he didn't know Luca all that well, but he couldn't recall seeing the two of them together and the pairing piqued his curiousity.
It was a nice pairing, though. Ross didn't doubt they'd look good together, which gave him a warm feeling in his chest. He liked seeing good people find one another.
Jackson laughed heartily at Ross’ disco comment. That would be a sight to see to be sure. It would be an absolute revolt by the student body and the prom would go up in flames if they ended up subjected to nonsense like that. Imagining the absolute meltdowns some of his fellow students would have over such a thing was pretty damn amusing. Ross went on to explain that he’d been the one to have to convince Ariana to attend prom. Yeah, that made the most sense in Jackson’s mind. Ariana was probably not too happy about having to go even if she relented to Ross. Hell, Jackson didn’t think he could even imagine the girl in a dress. That’d be something to see at least.
“Yeah man, I didn’t really plan on doing the whole prom thing initially, but I’m honestly pretty excited now that I’m going. It’s one of those High School milestones, y’know? And we’re only ever gonna get this one chance to do it.” Jackson grinned. “Plus knowing the psychos we go to school with, there’s gonna be hella booze and the whole thing’s gonna devolve into madness almost instantly.”
Ross started to grill him about going with Luca, and Jackson’s face must have turned about three shades of red. Ross made some implications that they might be more than friends, and Jackson’s defense mechanisms immediately jumped in to try and save him from the absolute embarrassment of such a question. Jackson awkwardly laughed a little too loudly and waved his hand in front of his face excessively, trying to blow off what Ross had said.
“No! No, no, no, we-we’re definitely just friends. Yeah Luca from the basketball team, hahaha.” He swallowed nervously and tried his best to calm his heart-rate. “We hang out sometimes outside of school, but like, in a totally platonic way, y’know? And I’m her one hundred percent platonic prom date, friend zone on both sides, just… just friends, haha.” He was rambling now and he needed to change the damn subject.
“So yeah, prom should be a good time. What about the senior trip? Are you excited? I hear DC is a pretty crazy city. I’m really looking forward to it.” Nice transition, Jackson. Really smooth exit. You loser.
“Yeah man, I didn’t really plan on doing the whole prom thing initially, but I’m honestly pretty excited now that I’m going. It’s one of those High School milestones, y’know? And we’re only ever gonna get this one chance to do it.” Jackson grinned. “Plus knowing the psychos we go to school with, there’s gonna be hella booze and the whole thing’s gonna devolve into madness almost instantly.”
Ross started to grill him about going with Luca, and Jackson’s face must have turned about three shades of red. Ross made some implications that they might be more than friends, and Jackson’s defense mechanisms immediately jumped in to try and save him from the absolute embarrassment of such a question. Jackson awkwardly laughed a little too loudly and waved his hand in front of his face excessively, trying to blow off what Ross had said.
“No! No, no, no, we-we’re definitely just friends. Yeah Luca from the basketball team, hahaha.” He swallowed nervously and tried his best to calm his heart-rate. “We hang out sometimes outside of school, but like, in a totally platonic way, y’know? And I’m her one hundred percent platonic prom date, friend zone on both sides, just… just friends, haha.” He was rambling now and he needed to change the damn subject.
“So yeah, prom should be a good time. What about the senior trip? Are you excited? I hear DC is a pretty crazy city. I’m really looking forward to it.” Nice transition, Jackson. Really smooth exit. You loser.
Knowingly nodding along, Ross' eyes widened as Jackson mentioned some of the more colourful kids that they attended school with. As someone who often fell to the sidelines in the more dramatic happenings of George Hunter High, Ross knew exactly who came to mind as far as 'psychos' were concerned. Some of the more popular folks in the school knew how to throw their collective influence around, and when a more-connected member of the football team ran afoul of, say - one of the theatre kids?
Things tended to get explosive.
"Yeah, you're telling me. Here's hoping we don't get some sort of Carrie-esque prom prank and requisite fuckin' homicidal meltdown." Ross laughed at the image. He didn't know who was even in the running for prom royalty - he'd voted for himself, though he knew that he had about as much chance of winning that as he had of winning the student council election the year before.
At the mild insinuation that Jackson might be going to prom with Luca as something more than a friendly person-of-happenstance, Ross couldn't help but notice Jackson's face going red and the wrestler's sudden stumbling over his words. Oh, snap. They were going as friends all right, but did Jackson have a little crush? The smirk crawled upon his face before he could stop it, though his self control let that be as far as it got as he nodded knowingly.
"Okay, okay - of course. Just friends." Ross stretched the 'just' out a syllable longer than it needed to be, allowing his friendly smirk to say the rest of what he was saying. As a general rule, Ross wasn't one to needle his friends - or acquaintances about their personal lives, but poor Jackson had backpedalled so quickly that he couldn't help giving him at least one friendly jab. The two guys weren't overly close, but Ross knew a crush when he saw one.
God knows before he'd lucked into meeting Ariana, he'd had his fair share. Most of them not going nearly as well as he'd hoped. Seeing the near-panic and the sloppy conversation change, Ross allowed Jackson the easy out, though the next topic was particularly exciting for Ross. He straightened in his chair, the smirk replaced by a genuinely enthusiastic smile.
"Man, have you ever been? Washington is a sick city to go and visit. If you have any interest in history at all, it's the place to go!" Leaning forward, he extended a hand in front of him, and started counting off using his fingers.
"Natural history, Air and Space, American History, African American history..." Ross trailed off, but sheepishly grinned as he did. "There are so many to go and see! I went a few years ago on a family trip, but we only had time to do two or three."
His face reddened as he realized how quickly he was talking - a trait of his that only enhanced as he got excited. "Sorry. I just," he adjusted his posture to try and seem more relaxed about the trip, a mostly futile effort. "I love stupid shit like that. My dad is really into history and museums and such, and he sort of passed it down to me. I honestly can't wait for the trip. It's one thing to go..."
Oh - hell. That was right. Ross mentally chastised himself. He wasn't overly close with Jackson, but the boy's family life was something of an open secret - mainly that it wasn't the greatest. He quickly rephrased his thought.
"I mean, uh, going with the whole school is going to be a heck of a time. Better than any lame family trip. I'm sure it'll be one for the ages. You ever been to DC?"
It was a clumsy save, but the effort was there. He hoped Jackson wasn't too touchy about the subject, or at least would be okay letting his gaffe pass on by.
Things tended to get explosive.
"Yeah, you're telling me. Here's hoping we don't get some sort of Carrie-esque prom prank and requisite fuckin' homicidal meltdown." Ross laughed at the image. He didn't know who was even in the running for prom royalty - he'd voted for himself, though he knew that he had about as much chance of winning that as he had of winning the student council election the year before.
At the mild insinuation that Jackson might be going to prom with Luca as something more than a friendly person-of-happenstance, Ross couldn't help but notice Jackson's face going red and the wrestler's sudden stumbling over his words. Oh, snap. They were going as friends all right, but did Jackson have a little crush? The smirk crawled upon his face before he could stop it, though his self control let that be as far as it got as he nodded knowingly.
"Okay, okay - of course. Just friends." Ross stretched the 'just' out a syllable longer than it needed to be, allowing his friendly smirk to say the rest of what he was saying. As a general rule, Ross wasn't one to needle his friends - or acquaintances about their personal lives, but poor Jackson had backpedalled so quickly that he couldn't help giving him at least one friendly jab. The two guys weren't overly close, but Ross knew a crush when he saw one.
God knows before he'd lucked into meeting Ariana, he'd had his fair share. Most of them not going nearly as well as he'd hoped. Seeing the near-panic and the sloppy conversation change, Ross allowed Jackson the easy out, though the next topic was particularly exciting for Ross. He straightened in his chair, the smirk replaced by a genuinely enthusiastic smile.
"Man, have you ever been? Washington is a sick city to go and visit. If you have any interest in history at all, it's the place to go!" Leaning forward, he extended a hand in front of him, and started counting off using his fingers.
"Natural history, Air and Space, American History, African American history..." Ross trailed off, but sheepishly grinned as he did. "There are so many to go and see! I went a few years ago on a family trip, but we only had time to do two or three."
His face reddened as he realized how quickly he was talking - a trait of his that only enhanced as he got excited. "Sorry. I just," he adjusted his posture to try and seem more relaxed about the trip, a mostly futile effort. "I love stupid shit like that. My dad is really into history and museums and such, and he sort of passed it down to me. I honestly can't wait for the trip. It's one thing to go..."
Oh - hell. That was right. Ross mentally chastised himself. He wasn't overly close with Jackson, but the boy's family life was something of an open secret - mainly that it wasn't the greatest. He quickly rephrased his thought.
"I mean, uh, going with the whole school is going to be a heck of a time. Better than any lame family trip. I'm sure it'll be one for the ages. You ever been to DC?"
It was a clumsy save, but the effort was there. He hoped Jackson wasn't too touchy about the subject, or at least would be okay letting his gaffe pass on by.
Jackson felt his ears burn even harder at Ross’ insinuating smirk and comment. It wasn’t as if he had a THING for Luca. I mean, sure she was a great person with a vibrant and sweet personality. And she was a gorgeous girl, there was no denying that. And the two of them did get along really well, to the point where she was probably one of the people he’d consider to be a close friend. But even with all that, they dated in middle school for a little bit, and that had quickly devolved into just friendship. So obviously they were better off as friends. There were no lingering feelings there. He just saw her as a friend, and nothing more. That made the most sense, and besides, a girl like her would never end up with a guy like him, this wasn’t some shitty romantic comedy. In the real world, girls like Luca went on to be successful and got married to someone who was a social equal. He wasn’t good enough, and that was a fact, so why even consider such a ridiculous thing?
Thankfully, his messy segue into the topic of the senior trip seemed to work out in his favor, as Ross enthusiastically began to rattle on about Washington DC. Ross started to list off museums in the city, then quickly seemed to get embarrassed about how excited he was. Jackson found it funny how quickly the conversation had been turned around and now Ross was the one on the defensive. Ross excitedly told him how his father was a big museum buff, and then seemed to trail off for a second. Jackson felt his jaw clench a bit. It sucked that people who knew about his family situation seemed to tiptoe around the topic with him. It wasn’t as if Ross was trying to be insensitive. If anything, Jackson knew he was doing his best to do the opposite, but it still stung just a bit. Ross recovered quickly though and tried to push it off as a class trip being better than a lame family thing. Jackson simply smiled as best he could and responded.
“Nah, I’ve never been. When I was a kid my family used to do a bunch of vacations, but it’s hard for us to go too far with my dad’s dialysis.” He shrugged.
“But we used to go a bunch of cool places, so I’m kind of excited to get a chance to do something like that again. Plus it’ll just be good to get the hell out of this city for a while, y’know?” He scratched the side of his head with his right hand and grinned at Ross.
“My mom’s already begging me to bring her back something cool, so maybe checking out the gift shops at one of the museums would be kind of cool.” He laughed. “We should try and get a group together to check some of them out when we go.”
Thankfully, his messy segue into the topic of the senior trip seemed to work out in his favor, as Ross enthusiastically began to rattle on about Washington DC. Ross started to list off museums in the city, then quickly seemed to get embarrassed about how excited he was. Jackson found it funny how quickly the conversation had been turned around and now Ross was the one on the defensive. Ross excitedly told him how his father was a big museum buff, and then seemed to trail off for a second. Jackson felt his jaw clench a bit. It sucked that people who knew about his family situation seemed to tiptoe around the topic with him. It wasn’t as if Ross was trying to be insensitive. If anything, Jackson knew he was doing his best to do the opposite, but it still stung just a bit. Ross recovered quickly though and tried to push it off as a class trip being better than a lame family thing. Jackson simply smiled as best he could and responded.
“Nah, I’ve never been. When I was a kid my family used to do a bunch of vacations, but it’s hard for us to go too far with my dad’s dialysis.” He shrugged.
“But we used to go a bunch of cool places, so I’m kind of excited to get a chance to do something like that again. Plus it’ll just be good to get the hell out of this city for a while, y’know?” He scratched the side of his head with his right hand and grinned at Ross.
“My mom’s already begging me to bring her back something cool, so maybe checking out the gift shops at one of the museums would be kind of cool.” He laughed. “We should try and get a group together to check some of them out when we go.”
Okay, great. Potential awkward crisis averted. Ross quietly thanked his clumsy segue abilities for navigating him around a small minefield. Once more in a casual conversation, Ross managed to have the ability to say exactly the wrong thing, and backpedal will all the grace of a tranquilized ox. Some people found it an endearing quality.
He hated it.
But Jackson had been cool enough to brush by it without too much fuss, so Ross quickly surmised that it was probably something he had a little bit of practice doing. That was a real shame - when the ability to avoid talking about one's family became a practiced quality, that inevitably meant that things weren't always going so swimmingly.
Picking up on the trip thread, Ross was relieved to hear that Jackson was going, and seemed pretty enthusiastic about it too. Nodding along with his assessment of getting out of the city for a while, he found himself continuing to nod along at a proposed grouping up. He figured he'd just tack himself on to whichever big group happened to be around at the time, but Ariana had been expressing discomfort at the thought of going on the trip at all, and so to have at least a few familiar names to bring up might have helped set her mind at ease.
"Oh dude, totally. I'd be really down for that. I don't know how they're going to organize it, but it's always better to go in numbers. As far as gift shops," he smirked, "it is Washington. I bet we have the pick of the litter as far as they go."
Ross lowered the octave of his voice to a more cinematic lilt, reminiscent of that from a movie trailer.
"Your mom will get so many gifts... that she won't know what hit her." He stifled a smirk and continued. "This summer... Mrs. Sullivan will never be the same again! GHHS Summer Trip '18. Coming this June."
Finally he allowed himself a laugh. Sometimes he was a bit of a dork, but the movie narrator voice was something he'd been working on for a long time, and if he had to gauge it himself, Ross figured that he might actually have a future as a voice over person. Of course, the chances of making it in that kind of an industry were slim-to-none, but it was a nice pipe dream.
"You have a lot of friends who are planning to go? My parents were all for a class trip, all things considered on how class trips for seniors... have historically gone." His voice got a bit more serious now - class trips weren't without their share of risk and hadn't been for quite some time. Some people were wary of them.
He hated it.
But Jackson had been cool enough to brush by it without too much fuss, so Ross quickly surmised that it was probably something he had a little bit of practice doing. That was a real shame - when the ability to avoid talking about one's family became a practiced quality, that inevitably meant that things weren't always going so swimmingly.
Picking up on the trip thread, Ross was relieved to hear that Jackson was going, and seemed pretty enthusiastic about it too. Nodding along with his assessment of getting out of the city for a while, he found himself continuing to nod along at a proposed grouping up. He figured he'd just tack himself on to whichever big group happened to be around at the time, but Ariana had been expressing discomfort at the thought of going on the trip at all, and so to have at least a few familiar names to bring up might have helped set her mind at ease.
"Oh dude, totally. I'd be really down for that. I don't know how they're going to organize it, but it's always better to go in numbers. As far as gift shops," he smirked, "it is Washington. I bet we have the pick of the litter as far as they go."
Ross lowered the octave of his voice to a more cinematic lilt, reminiscent of that from a movie trailer.
"Your mom will get so many gifts... that she won't know what hit her." He stifled a smirk and continued. "This summer... Mrs. Sullivan will never be the same again! GHHS Summer Trip '18. Coming this June."
Finally he allowed himself a laugh. Sometimes he was a bit of a dork, but the movie narrator voice was something he'd been working on for a long time, and if he had to gauge it himself, Ross figured that he might actually have a future as a voice over person. Of course, the chances of making it in that kind of an industry were slim-to-none, but it was a nice pipe dream.
"You have a lot of friends who are planning to go? My parents were all for a class trip, all things considered on how class trips for seniors... have historically gone." His voice got a bit more serious now - class trips weren't without their share of risk and hadn't been for quite some time. Some people were wary of them.
Jackson was happy to see that Ross seemed on board with his idea to get a group together for some sightseeing and museum hopping. He nodded in agreement when Ross stated that being in DC they’d have plenty of stuff to choose from as far as gift shops were concerned. Jackson was pretty excited about the trip honestly. Getting out of Chattanooga for a while and being able to see a new place alongside his classmates right before they all split up and started their adult lives was a nice prospect. It was like a last hurrah for the class of ‘18. DC was a big city though, and the idea of having a big group to explore with made Jackson feel a bit more at ease. Plus, if he went along with Ross at least there would be plenty of entertainment.
Ross broke out a pretty decent movie trailer voice and made the idea of buying a gift for his mom sound a lot more intense and epic than it was probably going to be, but it brought a smile to Jackson's face and made him chuckle. Ross was a bit of a clown, but it was easy to get caught up in his antics and mood. Jackson appreciated people like that. It helped him stop overthinking everything for a while and relax a bit. Ross asked if he had a lot of friends going, and brought up the proverbial elephant in the room.
Class trips were somewhat taboo in recent years, with all the terrorist attacks that had seen many a high school class kidnapped. Many high schools had banned them outright, but George Hunter had sent out a ridiculous amount of paperwork to parents concerning all the precautions put into place to ensure the safety of the students on such a trip. Jackson’s parents had been concerned initially, but had softened considerably after reading the information provided by the school.
“Yeah, most everyone I know is going. I know a few people who haven't made up their minds yet though.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“I mean, if we don't go on the trip and miss out on making those memories… I think that’s the worst thing to do. That’s how we let them win, by making us too afraid to live our lives.” Maybe that was a bit too analytical, and maybe he was repeating what he’d heard from people on the news and in articles he’d read on the subject, but Jackson truly stood by that narrative.
“But that’s just my two cents.” He laughed again.
Ross broke out a pretty decent movie trailer voice and made the idea of buying a gift for his mom sound a lot more intense and epic than it was probably going to be, but it brought a smile to Jackson's face and made him chuckle. Ross was a bit of a clown, but it was easy to get caught up in his antics and mood. Jackson appreciated people like that. It helped him stop overthinking everything for a while and relax a bit. Ross asked if he had a lot of friends going, and brought up the proverbial elephant in the room.
Class trips were somewhat taboo in recent years, with all the terrorist attacks that had seen many a high school class kidnapped. Many high schools had banned them outright, but George Hunter had sent out a ridiculous amount of paperwork to parents concerning all the precautions put into place to ensure the safety of the students on such a trip. Jackson’s parents had been concerned initially, but had softened considerably after reading the information provided by the school.
“Yeah, most everyone I know is going. I know a few people who haven't made up their minds yet though.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“I mean, if we don't go on the trip and miss out on making those memories… I think that’s the worst thing to do. That’s how we let them win, by making us too afraid to live our lives.” Maybe that was a bit too analytical, and maybe he was repeating what he’d heard from people on the news and in articles he’d read on the subject, but Jackson truly stood by that narrative.
“But that’s just my two cents.” He laughed again.
Ross shook his head in agreement as Jackson opined about their generation's seemingly overcautious nature when it came to school trips. What was the point of living life if you saw danger around every corner? While Ross himself knew that he was more the cautious sort, in recent months he'd been trying to stretch himself out a bit more - take a risk or two. Heck, it had worked out well enough at this point. If he hadn't gone out to the back deck at that party, he probably wouldn't have a girlfriend right now, so hey. You win some, you lose some.
Terrorists weren't lurking everywhere, after all.
He mentally chastised himself at the thought. Come on, Ross - superstition dictates that he should keep eyes eyes open for lurkers now. He'd have to remember that going forward. To Jackson, he pointed at him in validation.
"Nah man, I think you're absolutely right. We can't walk around thinking that danger is around every corner, you know?" He leaned back a bit more in his chair. "You could walk outside and get hit by a bus, or choke on a peanut while having lunch. Both more likely to happen than getting kidnapped by terrorists."
Glancing at the computer screen, he made note of the time. His allotted time in the suite was approaching its end. Not necessarily wanting to rudely push Jackson out, he lazily leaned over and closed his binder while shifting the conversation back to something a bit lighter.
"But yeah, I can't freaking wait for the trip. My folks were all for it when I ran it by them. They had the same thinking as you, basically. It's been a bit of a harder rope to try and convince Ari to go, though," he furrowed his brow, "she isn't overly enthusiastic about it. I think the only reason she's even remotely considering it is because I'm bugging the hell out of her."
The smile returned, though, as he zipped his binder up and replaced it in his knapsack.
"It's kind of cool, though. Going out of the city with everyone really makes you see what everyone's like away from all of the bullshit. Like, sure, you'll still have all the cliques and all that, but I wouldn't be surprised if like, maybe one of the douchey rich kids is really in to history, or maybe some quiet kid gets really rowdy and makes a name for 'emself."
He smiled, and let his chair back up from its reclining position.
"Almost an opportunity to make new friends at the very last minute, but fuck, man. Why not? We're so close to the end it all barely matters - all of the cliques and all that."
Terrorists weren't lurking everywhere, after all.
He mentally chastised himself at the thought. Come on, Ross - superstition dictates that he should keep eyes eyes open for lurkers now. He'd have to remember that going forward. To Jackson, he pointed at him in validation.
"Nah man, I think you're absolutely right. We can't walk around thinking that danger is around every corner, you know?" He leaned back a bit more in his chair. "You could walk outside and get hit by a bus, or choke on a peanut while having lunch. Both more likely to happen than getting kidnapped by terrorists."
Glancing at the computer screen, he made note of the time. His allotted time in the suite was approaching its end. Not necessarily wanting to rudely push Jackson out, he lazily leaned over and closed his binder while shifting the conversation back to something a bit lighter.
"But yeah, I can't freaking wait for the trip. My folks were all for it when I ran it by them. They had the same thinking as you, basically. It's been a bit of a harder rope to try and convince Ari to go, though," he furrowed his brow, "she isn't overly enthusiastic about it. I think the only reason she's even remotely considering it is because I'm bugging the hell out of her."
The smile returned, though, as he zipped his binder up and replaced it in his knapsack.
"It's kind of cool, though. Going out of the city with everyone really makes you see what everyone's like away from all of the bullshit. Like, sure, you'll still have all the cliques and all that, but I wouldn't be surprised if like, maybe one of the douchey rich kids is really in to history, or maybe some quiet kid gets really rowdy and makes a name for 'emself."
He smiled, and let his chair back up from its reclining position.
"Almost an opportunity to make new friends at the very last minute, but fuck, man. Why not? We're so close to the end it all barely matters - all of the cliques and all that."
Jackson found himself nodding along with what Ross had to say. At the end of the day, there was no use worrying about something so unlikely. There were more important things to worry about after all. Real things that actually had an affect on their lives. Like college, and prom, and all sorts of other things high school seniors should be worried about. The world had really become a twisted place that this conversation was even possible. Jackson snapped himself out of his thoughts as Ross went on about how awesome the class trip was going to be. He mentioned how Ariana wasn’t too stoked for it. Jackson could understand.
“You should keep on her about it. I’m sure she’ll end up enjoying it more than she thinks.” He smiled.
Ross continued on about how cool it was going to be to see everyone out of their element, and Jackson had to agree. It would be very interesting to see how certain members of their class acted once they were in unfamiliar territory. Maybe there were sides to some people that they never got the chance to show off in George Hunter. God knows Jackson had a side like that himself. Who knows, maybe the trip would be the perfect opportunity to show those hidden depths off.
It was fun to think about at least.
Jackson eyes Ross starting to pack up his stuff, and figured that his time in the room must be running out. It was probably for the best, and he’d done what he came here to do after all, waste some time before heading home. And to be honest, chatting for a while with Ross had been far more enjoyable than his original plans, so he was happy.
“Yeah dude, It’s been a wild ride here at George Hunter, but none of these high school politics matter anymore. We’re about to actually start our lives, and I think the trip will be a real wake up call for a lot of us.” He smirked and shouldered his backpack again.
“But hey, I think it’s time I head out man. It was really good talking.” Jackson grinned and held his hand out to bump fists with Ross.
“I’m serious about that museum thing tho. Let’s try to get a group together.” Jackson laughed and after they bumped fists he waved himself off as he left the doorway and made his way out of the area.
“I’ll talk to you soon man, see'ya!”
[Jackson Sullivan Continued in Trapped in the Bathroom: Chapter 173 [HD 1080p] ]
“You should keep on her about it. I’m sure she’ll end up enjoying it more than she thinks.” He smiled.
Ross continued on about how cool it was going to be to see everyone out of their element, and Jackson had to agree. It would be very interesting to see how certain members of their class acted once they were in unfamiliar territory. Maybe there were sides to some people that they never got the chance to show off in George Hunter. God knows Jackson had a side like that himself. Who knows, maybe the trip would be the perfect opportunity to show those hidden depths off.
It was fun to think about at least.
Jackson eyes Ross starting to pack up his stuff, and figured that his time in the room must be running out. It was probably for the best, and he’d done what he came here to do after all, waste some time before heading home. And to be honest, chatting for a while with Ross had been far more enjoyable than his original plans, so he was happy.
“Yeah dude, It’s been a wild ride here at George Hunter, but none of these high school politics matter anymore. We’re about to actually start our lives, and I think the trip will be a real wake up call for a lot of us.” He smirked and shouldered his backpack again.
“But hey, I think it’s time I head out man. It was really good talking.” Jackson grinned and held his hand out to bump fists with Ross.
“I’m serious about that museum thing tho. Let’s try to get a group together.” Jackson laughed and after they bumped fists he waved himself off as he left the doorway and made his way out of the area.
“I’ll talk to you soon man, see'ya!”
[Jackson Sullivan Continued in Trapped in the Bathroom: Chapter 173 [HD 1080p] ]
"Amen to that. None of this shit's gonna matter in six months, you know?"
Grabbing his binder and slipping it in his knapsack, Ross saw Jackson pick up on the fact that he was getting ready to go, and managed to beat him to the exit. That was cool. Jackson was a good dude, and it had been nice chatting with him for a few minutes. As he reaffirmed his thought of getting a museum group together, Ross grinned and nodded emphatically.
"Oh yeah, for sure dude. I'll drag Ari along and I'm sure there'll be a few other people we can round up. It'll be good times! I can't wait, honestly." Returning the fist bump, he leaned over and zipped up his bag as Jackson made his exit, waving goodbye as he set out down the hall. As he sat in silence for a moment, Ross turned around to the computer, shut down the programs, and logged out of his student user account. It was true, he really was looking forward to the trip. None of that had been a put-on. This was the best time of the year; prom, a few end-of-year parties, and the trip all to be looked forward to before the student of GHHS set out into the world to try and make something of themselves.
It was the time that he'd been waiting for. All of the small doubts that he'd been having for much of high school about his own capabilities, many of them had dulled as of late, and he supposed he probably had his own good fortune with a certain lady to thank for that. Smirking to himself, he realized that he probably had been walking around the school a little straighter, a little more bounce in his step. Maybe it was the new Ross, ready to face the world and take his future by storm.
That was pretty fucking cool by him, and frankly? It was about time he figured out some confidence.
Grabbing his knapsack, he slung it around his shoulder, and exited the editing suite, dragging his headphones out of the pocket of his hoodie as he set out towards the end of the hall. Scrolling to his Spotify app, he selected the playlist labelled "Ross' Tunes of 2018" and hit play. The app was set to shuffle, and he smiled in recognition as the first few chords of acoustic guitar strummed in his ears. The band was called the Glorious Sons, and as far as he was concerned, the song was perfect for this moment in his life, right now.
Everything was alright.
((Ross Miller continued in Sunshower, Or, The Devil is Beating His Wife))
Grabbing his binder and slipping it in his knapsack, Ross saw Jackson pick up on the fact that he was getting ready to go, and managed to beat him to the exit. That was cool. Jackson was a good dude, and it had been nice chatting with him for a few minutes. As he reaffirmed his thought of getting a museum group together, Ross grinned and nodded emphatically.
"Oh yeah, for sure dude. I'll drag Ari along and I'm sure there'll be a few other people we can round up. It'll be good times! I can't wait, honestly." Returning the fist bump, he leaned over and zipped up his bag as Jackson made his exit, waving goodbye as he set out down the hall. As he sat in silence for a moment, Ross turned around to the computer, shut down the programs, and logged out of his student user account. It was true, he really was looking forward to the trip. None of that had been a put-on. This was the best time of the year; prom, a few end-of-year parties, and the trip all to be looked forward to before the student of GHHS set out into the world to try and make something of themselves.
It was the time that he'd been waiting for. All of the small doubts that he'd been having for much of high school about his own capabilities, many of them had dulled as of late, and he supposed he probably had his own good fortune with a certain lady to thank for that. Smirking to himself, he realized that he probably had been walking around the school a little straighter, a little more bounce in his step. Maybe it was the new Ross, ready to face the world and take his future by storm.
That was pretty fucking cool by him, and frankly? It was about time he figured out some confidence.
Grabbing his knapsack, he slung it around his shoulder, and exited the editing suite, dragging his headphones out of the pocket of his hoodie as he set out towards the end of the hall. Scrolling to his Spotify app, he selected the playlist labelled "Ross' Tunes of 2018" and hit play. The app was set to shuffle, and he smiled in recognition as the first few chords of acoustic guitar strummed in his ears. The band was called the Glorious Sons, and as far as he was concerned, the song was perfect for this moment in his life, right now.
Everything was alright.
((Ross Miller continued in Sunshower, Or, The Devil is Beating His Wife))