Three days, herbal cleanse, enough water to drown a horse; there's no way I won't pass. Alex goes through the list over and over in her head in order to slow her palpitating heart and shaking hands. She knew about this drug screening a week in advance this time -thanks to her boyfriend, Matt- so she had time to prepare. It still doesn't make it any less stressful.

"Girl, there is nothing else that proves you are ADHD more than making you wait in line," Annabelle teases, "you look like the energizer bunny, hopping the way you are!"

If she only knew the real reason."I can't help it, it's been two hours!"

Annabelle drops her head back and laughs before she answers, her wild gingersnap ringlets bouncing down her back. "it's been five minutes, Lex! Five!"

"Exaggerate much, Matts-girlfriend?" Ezekiel grumbles as he swats Annabelle's hair out of his face.

"It's Alex, Zee," She jabs at his irritating version of a moniker with her own. Like Prince or Sting, there was only one name you called the man in the Mr. Rogers-worthy sweater-vest, and it was certainly not "Zee".

"It's Ezekiel, Matts-girlfriend," he replies dryly. Alex is fighting a losing battle, she knows that.

Both of the girls roll their eyes and ignore the brooding Eeyore behind them. He always got extra snippy when he didn't have his laptop, and this is one instance he's not allowed. The school was trying a new random drug test system which isolated certain floors of residence halls -this time at least. They had to work out a schedule though, and that's how Alex snuck around and got the advance notice.

The uniformed campus police shifts against the wall opposite of her. For some reason, she is constantly aware of his movements. She secretly hopes that he hasn't already notice her hands, drumming against her thigh as though she was playing chopsticks in her head. She has to remind herself that there's no neon sign flashing above her head, that even though it was against school rules, her taking her prescribed medication is not, in fact, illegal. She isn't some junky, she is a run-of-the-mill art student that struggles with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She just happens to go to a school that had a zero tolerance policy for any schedule II drug and above. Uhg.

"Is Matt coming?" Annabelle asks while she stands on her toes and looks around.

Alex shakes her head, "he's working today, so he did it at the counselors this morning. He's probably up there taking roll." She nods towards the front of the line. A few minutes later, and the dark -perfectly coiffed and shaped- head of hair proves her correct.

"Name?"

Alex raises an eyebrow at her boyfriend. He just smiles a bit wider.

She decides to play along, "Alex."

His silence prompts her to continue.

She sighs, "Alex winters."

Still nothing.

"Alexandra Winters?" She's starting to feel like she's having to guess the secret password for club drug test.

Matt tries to look stern, furrowing his brow and adjusting his thick square-rimmed glasses that he doesn't actually need. He looks more like a eager little kid playing make-believe with his dads clipboard. "I don't see an Alexandra Winters, but there's a Violet Winters here."

"Oh come on Matty! Really? Isn't this supposed to be official or something?" She complains, but she knows the truth, once Matt has given you a nickname, that is who you are. You might as well change it on the birth certificate, because so long as you are around him, you'll never hear your real name again.

Matt appointed all of his friends wild nicknames - with the exception of Ezekiel, Matt is a good enough friend to know respect his strict reservations on the matter. Alex remembers how she had earned hers the very first time he saw her...and dumped a gallon of paint on her head.

Matt smiles at her, warm and genuine, like he's thinking of the fond memory as well. He hands her the customary sample cup and winks at her before she is summoned to the bathroom by a female guard.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is no competition when it comes to which of Alex's classes is her favorite this Quarter. When all of her close friends had different majors, there isn't a lot of curriculum that overlaps. Color Theory is one of those classes that nearly every major had to take, for good reason obviously. Alex feels a familiar fluttery sensation as soon as her gaze meets with warm, brown eyes and a lopsided smile. Matt was sitting in a circle on the small section of lawn in front of Calder Hall. He was surrounded by Annabel, her boyfriend Barry, and Ezekiel, Matt's roommate. Matt yanks Alex down onto his lap as soon as she gets close enough, despite her weak protests about the cold grass. He then hands her a cup of her favorite coffee and a sandwich from the cafeteria. Alex hadn't even realized she skipped lunch.

"Missed you," he murmurs into her ear and kisses her lightly on the cheek. Her heart warms with her cheeks at the open display of affection. Matt was never shy to show his feelings for her - he isn't shy about anything, really. She starts picking at the sandwich when he smiles at her expectantly, she really doesn't have much of an appetite.

"My favorite fucking human in the world!" Annabel cheers when she finally breaks apart from her intense -and frankly uncomfortable to witness- make-out session with Barry.

Barry, whom Annabel is using as her arm chair, cocks his head to the side and glares down at his girlfriend. His short cropped mohawk glints in the sporadic autumn light. The way the acid-green color of his hair flashes reminded Alex of those safety reflectors you see on road workers. "What the fuck am I then, doll?" he growls, low and raspy.

Annabel waves him off, "you don't fucking count, you're super-human" She winks, and that seems to placate him - especially when Alex hears him grumble something like "Damn straight." She shakes her head, if there was one thing that made those two the perfect pair, it was their enthusiastic use of profanity. It's something you'd expect of Barry -or Flash, as Matt dubbed him- in his classic punk-rock fashion and fuck-the-world attitude. But Annabel? Everything about her screams "innocent catholic girl"; her curly auburn hair that looks like a golden halo when the light hits just right, wide hazel eyes that shift from green to brown, and a smattering of freckles that span her face and the bridge of her button nose. Even her name sounds like one you'd give a fair Irish maiden who wears pretty lace dresses and curtsies for the king. Annabel grew up a military brat, though -Navy, specifically- and is the poster-girl for the saying "curses like a sailor." She also rocks the hipster-grunge look with oversized plaid shirts and cut-off shorts - that girl wouldn't be caught dead in frilly lace dresses...unless, of course, she could wear her shit-kicker military boots with it. Annabel and Barry were the strangest combination of the most perfectly cohesive colors and they came together in a way that made magic. Alex would be envious of their love if she hadn't had a version of it for her own. She smiles up at Matt, who was already looking down at her with a lightness in his eyes that made her heart flutter.

When the time comes, Barry parts ways with the group, off to his own class. His major, Dramatic Writing, was one of the few that didn't need Color Theory. But the rest of them, a brooding Ezekiel included, take their seats just before Dr. Horton starts taking roll. It's all routine up until he begins to announce their next project. It's still a little early in the Quarter for their Final project, but nothing about this assignment is ordinary. Not only do each of them have to create a piece of art that shows everything they learned throughout the class, but her entire grade rests on this one project. To top it all off, their class was chosen to be one of a select few in a showcase at the campus' main art gallery and have a chance to win an award. It is kind of a big deal, especially if you want to make a name for yourself in the community like Alex does. This is important, way more important than just a passing grade. It's a chance to prove to everyone -her peers, her parents, her self- that this is where she belongs. She makes a silent promise to not let anything mess this opportunity up for her, no matter the cost.

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Word Count: This Chapter- 1487, Total- 1487