Chapter 47: Inside Summer’s-!!
"Urghhh, last day of summer classes... thank you, God!!"
Edward groaned, forehead pressed flat against the desk as the classroom buzzed with idle chatter and scraping chairs. His body sagged in exhaustion, shoulders hunched beneath the weight of sleepless hours. He’d spent the entire night binge-watching old Summer Celestèe films—again. Even though he’d seen them a dozen times, something about her presence on screen, her radiant smile and dramatic flair, kept him hooked like it was always the first viewing.
His breath fogged faintly against the polished wood of the desk as he muttered to himself, "Why’d I stay up so late...?"
"Edward!!" Mrs. Vanessa’s sharp voice cracked through the air like a whip.
He jolted upright, nearly tipping his chair. "Yes, ma’am?" he answered, eyes wide, trying to look alert even as fatigue clung to his face.
"Heads up, we’re about to start," she said sternly. "Today we’ll be talking about the history of the Central Bank of America."
Edward let out a silent groan and rubbed his eyes. Of course, he thought. The final class of summer, and it’s about finance history. He glanced around the room. Other students looked just as lifeless. No one wanted to be there—not on the last day of summer classes, not when freedom was so close.
Still, he forced himself to focus, half-listening as Mrs. Vanessa launched into her lecture. The words washed over him like white noise—Central Reserve, monetary policy, 1913—but his mind drifted. He imagined being anywhere else, maybe lying under a tree in the park, headphones in, Summer Celestèe movie cued up, the sun warm on his skin.
The bell finally rang, a crisp chime slicing through the boredom like a blade. The classroom erupted with the sounds of scraping chairs, laughter, and hurried footsteps.
"I’m freeeeeeeeeee!!" Edward shouted, throwing his arms high above his head in dramatic flair as he walked out. His voice echoed through the hallway, drawing a few stares, but he didn’t care. The joy was too real, too massive to bottle up.
Just as he neared the doorway, his name called him back.