My dad used to say, “Knowledge is power.”

In a world where wisdom and understanding does not always prevail, he maintained a genuine belief in the power to learn. He focused his time and efforts building knowledge and understanding. The result? Among other things he became an analyst, crunching numbers, finding patterns and providing for his family. In other words, he became successful.

Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell you that he died or had a dark side or even that he worked so much that I never saw him. My childhood didn’t have the dark or miserable setting befitting one of those fantasy protagonists. I had loving parents, mostly friendly neighbors and a few pretty good friends. There were times I struggled with people, was embarrassed or overwhelmed and not everything was perfect. Yet even in my hardest times, I never thought to make light of the hardships in this world by comparing my relatively happy childhood to the suffering others experience.

“Stick to your studies, research and head toward your ambitions with healthy optimism and learn how to achieve your goals,” he used to say. “Humanities greatest capacity is to learn.” That was the lesson I learned from my father.

I mention my father’s philosophy to contrast my own. While he pushed education for the sake of a goal, I always thought of knowledge as its own kind of reward. Learning for the sake of knowledge. There is certainly nothing wrong with goals or working hard to seek a specific result, but for me there doesn’t always need to be ambition associated with study.

I have learned the dangers to such thinking. Studying without focus makes it difficult to exist in a goal-oriented society. Those without a target often end up aimless and unsuccessful. But I can’t seem to help how I approach my life. Studying whatever I wanted just because I was interested. Maybe I just needed a push to show me why goals were important.

So today, I sat at the desk in my room reviewing an intricate yet empty spreadsheet on my computer. “And done!” I quietly cheered, looking over my datasheet.

It was something I had learned to do in a science class in high school, to create a structure for data before conducting an experiment. I filled the table with equations and designed charts which might fill themselves in once I filled them in with data. That way you could see immerging patterns as you collected data. It was a lot of work upfront but made the experiment and final reports world’s easier. In this case, the experiment we would be doing in Chemistry after we returned from break.

Turning, toward my window, the white light blinded me for a moment.

“What a beautiful day,” I said, laughing as my now spotted vision slowly cleared.

For a late-spring day, it was nice out. Despite my initial blinding, the sun was hiding behind the clouds. I guess I had been staring at my computer screen for a bit too long.

“I wonder what time it is now?” I said looking over to my wall clock. Bright red lines almost seeming to laugh back that it was already past noon. The second day of my short break was already half over.

Come to think of it I had started researching different medieval swords after a woke up from a dream fighting in a castle bailey. After that I moved on two or three times until landing on the upcoming chemistry datasheet. My alternative was just playing games anyway, so the morning wasn’t a waste.

‘I am a bit hungry,’ I thought to the sound of my complaining stomach.

A quick look around the house left me with nothing. Plenty of ingredients to make an actual meal, but nothing ready to eat in ten minutes or less. Mom never liked having easily accessible food around the house. Dad would constantly snack while working.

“Maybe a slightly longer break is in order,” I smiled, heading back to my room.

Pushing my chair in and grabbing a new book I headed outside. The sun may have been behind the clouds, but it was still a bit bright outside. The result of only experiencing indirect light today.

Just down the road from my parents’ house is a nice outdoor café. I worked there for a short time when I was younger. My father’s attempt to help me gain focus. It didn’t work, but I did acquire a love for their sandwiches.

Book in hand, I made my way to a small table outside the café and ordered. The smells of greasy food and fresh brewed coffee reminded me that I had skipped breakfast entirely. It was difficult to focus on the book I picked out.

The second in the series I had recently started, it was a typical fantasy setting aiming for a world of magic and monsters. The first story had laid a lot of foundations, teasing at the structure of the fantasy world and I was looking forward to the second installment. From what I read, there would be resolutions to several unresolved plot points, including the romantic tensions established in the first book. Personally, I focused more on the world-building, but I do enjoy a good romance as well. Not that I’ve much luck in its practical application.

“Oh my God! Elliot!”

Just as I thought that.

“Sitting alone, in the corner. Book in his hand. Yup that’s our El alright!” A second voice chimed in.

Looking up from my book I saw two people speedily crossing the street.

This first was Bella. A cheerfully social girl with strawberry blonde hair and infectious smile. She had also been one of my best friends growing up. That is until I we grew apart toward the end of high school. My fault for making our friendship awkward. Still she was always nice, even if I find it difficult talking to her now.

The other was our friend Tara. Tara had known Bella for even longer than I did and while we were never the best of friends, we spent a lot of time together due to our mutual friendship with Bella. Tara had chestnut brown hair tied in a thick ponytail and piercing slate blue eyes. I can’t tell you about her smile though as all I ever received were sideways smirks and grins, but I imagine her smile would be devastating.

“What are the chances?” Bella called over the several tables still between un.

“Are you home for the weekend too?” Tara asked.

“Yeah…” I managed to smile. Like I said, things had been awkward between the three of us for some time and I wasn’t looking forward to the small reunion.

Bella pulled a chair over from a nearby table. “Do you mind if we join you?” she asked.

“You could at least wait for him to invite us.” Tara teased, smirking as she sat in the chair across from me. “Maybe he wanted to be alone.”

Honestly, I would prefer if I could just dive back into my book. Although I suppose it had been a while since we really caught up.

“Of … of course… please pull up a seat.” I said shrugging given that they already had. “I just ordered.”

The table really wasn’t that big, so it would be difficult if the three of us each ordered a meal. But I felt I had missed my window to suggest we moved to a larger table now, so now I was stuck here. Bella right next to me and Tara right across from me. Awkward.

“Well if it isn’t my favorite university students,” the owner cheered as he brought my drink. Both Bella and Tara had worked here before graduating. In fact, it was Tara who had originally introduced me to the job so I think it really irritated her when I quit after a couple of months.

“Bella and Tara it’s so good to see you. Studying hard I assume.” He said.

“Of course, Mr. Bloom.”

“You were both in biology right?”

“Pre-med.”

“Wow, good for you. I’m not surprised you’re both so smart…”

As the conversation continued, I felt completely transparent. No that’s not true, I was sitting between them, so I felt completely visible. I just wanted to open my book and lose myself in the story. This was by no means the restful break I had envisioned.

I should have stuck with studying or maybe I should have just gone with a game. Chances were good that this meal would take a long time now and it was guaranteed to be tiring with Bella and Tara here.

“So, what major did you end up with El?” Tara asked. Suddenly forcing me back into the conversation.

“Yeah…still undeclared.” I said, trying to get my bearings on the conversation I had begun to ignore.

“What! How can that be?” Bella asked. Her brow pinched together in confusion.

“Don’t tell me you’ve actually decided to get a life now that you’re in college.” Tara teased. “Giving up your academics for actual fun!”

“Tara, that’s a bit…”

“It’s alright, Bella.” Tara insisted. “He knows I’m just messing with him. Right El?”

“Uh… yeah, of course.” I said looking longingly at the cover of my unopened book. Tara always balanced life so well. Study, social life, sports a job, she was amazingly focused. Of course, she had a habit of pushing others to her standards.

“Okay,” Bella said accepting our responses. “But, why are you still undeclared?” she insisted.

“Well, it’s just that–”

“Oh hold on,” Tara interrupted. “We should order first. It would be rude to have Mr. Bloom, have to sit through our whole conversation.”

It wasn’t rude when I had to sit through their conversation? Oh well, the sooner the food comes, the sooner this might end.

They made their orders and Mr. Bloom moved on to another table. Leaving me to wonder if I should continue with my explanation or if the moment had passed. I hate the awkwardness of uncertainty.

“So, you’re still into this fantasy stuff?” Tara asked grabbing my book off the table, a definite smirk forming on.

I guess the chance to explain about my major had passed.

“Well… yeah,” I said quietly, fully expecting Tara to start tearing into my reading choices.

Tara wasn’t the type to enjoy those kinds of stories. She was always busy with athletics and work and preferred “books with a purpose”. She lectured me more than once about wasting my time with “such nonsense” when we were in high school. I don’t think she really had anything against the books so much as me not focusing. Although with my own interests I was certain I spent more overall time studying than she did.

“Is this the reason you’re still undeclared?” Tara said, goading me with a smirk. “Maybe you spend too much time in your fantasies and not enough time studying?”

“I study all the time.” I retorted.

“There’s nothing wrong with reading a little fantasy,” Bella said glancing at the book cover. “Who doesn’t like a delightful story with a courageous and pure hero having adventures and saving people from monsters?”

“Well that’s true,” Tara admitted. Her teasing smirk almost raising to an actual smile. “Although I wonder if that’s the kind of fantasy El here reads. If his fantasies are getting in the way of studying, he might be fantasizing a whole other kind of story, you know.”

“Of course, it is!” I insisted, worried by her grin. It usually meant she was about to make a point against me. “I mean, that it is a story with fantasy monsters and heroes and magic.”

“Let’s see,” she said opening the cover and fluttering through the page corners.

Was she picking a random page to check the validity of my statement? That should be alright. There were likely a few more risqué scenes, but there certainly weren’t that many that she could randomly flip to one. She would have to specifically go looking for one and for that she would have had to actually read the story…right?

“Well let’s see,” she said finally landing on a satisfactory page and opening the book. Her eyes scanning for a something she could use. “Oh my…” she gasped, exaggeratedly covering her mouth.

“What?” Bella asked, rolling her eyes. “It can’t be that bad.”

“‘Finally,’” Tara began reading, “’she sighed, relieved as he returned for another. Skillfully, he released the final clasp to her –”

“Wait!” I yelled grabbing for the book.

Tara was ready for me though. She pulled herself out of my reach and continued scanning the pages.

I got up to chase her, but as expected I have never been her match. She continued to evade my desperate attempts to retrieve my book. All the time making slight comments.

“Oh my…Really!...I wouldn’t have expected that…El, I never would have guessed you were into that kind of thing…”

I stood no chance against this monster. I flailed and she danced.

“Just like old times,” Bella laughed. “I knew you missed him too.”

It was kind of nice to know that the three of us could still get along. Maybe that was Tara’s goal. Probably not, she just liked teasing people.

We continued for a couple of laps around the mostly empty tables. That is until I flailed into Mr. Bloom and knocked a drink out of his hands and all over Bella.

Oops.

All eyes were on Bella, as every sound on the street seemed to disappear. She stood up completely drenched. I could feel her usually light and smiling face, glaring at us as I grabbed for some napkins.

“These were new clothes,” she frowned. It was hard to get Bella upset, and I wouldn’t have really thought this was enough to do it. Not that it wasn’t something to be irritated about. I just really hoped our reunion didn’t end on a sour note.

Tara giggled lightly behind me. At least until Bella’s furious gaze focused on her. I was glad I wasn’t receiving all the blame for this.

“I’m sorry,” Tara said, lowering her head slightly. “Although it was El’s erotic book and awkward clumsiness which was the root of everything, I am partly to blame for teasing him when I knew how clumsy he could be.”

“What!?” I retorted, turning to her with the napkins I had collected.

How is that an apology! She insulted me, accused me and insulted me again. All loud enough for everyone at the café to hear. At least, by Bella’s glare I knew that Tara wasn’t off the hook with that weak defense.

“I … I’m sorry Bella. I should have been more careful,” Tara said in a more convincing tone. She passed Bella the book and moving to help Mr. Boom. “Shouldn’t you apologize too? For actually running into Mr. Bloom and dumping the soda over her new clothes?”

I turned around with a handful of napkins. Bell was in front of me. clearly waiting for my apology.

“Bella I… I’m sorry. It was an accident.” I said pleading for her forgiveness before adding “And, the book isn’t erotic or anything.”

“That’s it?” Tara scoffed from beside Mr. Bloom, clearly relieved Bella had focused on me for the time being. “At least accept responsibility for your mistake.”

“Don’t think you’re off the hook,” Bella said turning to Tara. “You’re just as much to blame. I’ll deal with you after you finish helping Mr. Bloom.”

Bella turned back to me as she took a step closer. My nerves were getting the better of me. Being this close to Bella, especially an angry Bella. I could feel my heart pounding and my insides now. I wonder if she could hear it. Probably not, but my I’m sure my face had turned colors. It wasn’t like Bella had never been upset before. We were friends so we had gotten mad at each other plenty of times and over stuff much worse than a spilled drink.

I must really been upset, because everything around me started to lose color. A whiteness enveloped my vision as Bella pushed the book into my chest. Like the bright light from looking outside the window, moving in until all I saw was Bella.

“Aren’t you going to take responsibility?” she said, before the whiteness completely enveloped my vision.