Will’s new student apartment was considerably smaller than Gabriel’s home, and his narrow single-bed had him longing for the king-sized mattress he’d rolled out of this morning. He placed his sports-bag down and eyed the second single-bed across the room. Sharing the room took a chunk out of his rent; that chunk went toward taxing and insuring his car. Dad promised to support him financially. His dad also left the overdue bills in places Will couldn’t miss them; on the kitchen table, the fridge, the living room table—on the door, with a post-it note saying ‘PAY SOON.'

He clocked the items of someone else scattered around the room; clothes on the bed, a laptop on the desk, and a guitar propped up against a tall-oak closet. He’d never shared a room in his life.

Will set about unpacking and got as far as dumping a LIDL shopping bag of sports-shorts onto the bed when his phone buzzed. An image of Cassie taking a sip of a coffee flashed on-screen.

“Hey, you guys on the way?” Will answered the phone.

“Sure are.” Cassie said. The doorbell rang. “Dune wanted to leave early, you know, in case of traffic. Nice door.”

Will chuckled. “I’m coming down.”

He opened the door to Cassie, who greeted him with a hug. “I’m so excited.” She whispered before going past him into the living room, “Nice living room.”

Will waited for Dune, then closed the door. Green eyes flicked over him and studied his face. “It went well?”

“Yeah,” Will shifted his weight, and fought against the smile. “A bit awkward, given he had guests over that I didn’t see until after I kissed him.”

Dune lifted his eyebrows. “Yeah? Good. I’m glad. Not about the awkward part,” he buried his hands into his pockets, discomfort crossing his expression briefly, before being smoothed out, “I’m glad it went well for you.”

“Thanks,” Will let the smile come out.

“Nice TV. Nicer than mine.” Cassie popped back into the hall. “I’ve got a tiny box of a flat-screen.”

Dune turned to her. “I told you I’d cover rent if you moved in with me.”

“No, your mom and dad would cover rent. And there’s no way my conscience could take that. What if you annoyed me? What could I even say if you were paying my rent?” Cassie wondered over to Will, and peered up the stairs.

“That’s if your dad would even let you pay.” Will pointed out. His dad wasn’t quite as generous as Dune, and Will could imagine the man having a problem with doling out cash to pay for Dune’s friends as well.

“I’d rent a house for myself. Furnish it how I like. Have as many guests as I like, who could stay over as often as they liked, every night of the week.” Dune explained.

Will and Cassie exchanged a look. Dune had brought up his plans to get them all living together several times, but they hadn’t worked out for him.

“Let’s head in.” Will suggested, “We can wonder around campus before class starts.”

“Yes, good idea,” Cassie said.

“I just need my bag, down in a second.” Will trotted upstairs, the back of his thighs aching a little. He got his bag, and decided he’d make the bed and unpack when he got home. His suitcase hadn’t even been touched—he’d left them there and gone straight to Gabriel’s yesterday.

“You can leave the car if you want,” Dune was waiting at the bottom of the steps. His dirty blond hair, shorter at the sides and long on top, was messier than when Will had gone to the room, which meant Dune had been running his fingers through it. Again.

“—Save you on petrol,” Dune finished.

“That’ll be great, thanks.” Will locked the front door behind them. He assumed Cassie had gone on ahead to the car. He paused before walking down the outdoor steps to the ground-level. “You okay?” He asked Dune.

Dune shrugged and half-smiled. “Nervous.”

“What about?” Will hardly ever got to hear about Dune’s troubles, because he seemed to take absolutely everything in his stride. If he could hear him out, maybe help him, like Dune had done for him, Will would do it. “Classes? You got six hundred points. You’ll be able to handle whatever comes your way.” In fact Dune could have been going to Trinity University, not DCU. Will and Cassie both knew he’d picked a course in DCU because that’s where they were going.

Dune walked down the steps ahead of Will. “Yeah, just nervous about starting.”

A slight flush crept along Dune’s cheeks. Will thought it over, following Dune, studying him as he ran a hand through his hair and tousled it once again. Even if Dune was nervous about college, he wouldn’t be embarrassed by that.

With a sudden realisation, Will caught up to him. He smiled, nudged Dune with his elbow. “You miss your mom already?”

Dune’s flush darkened. He pushed Will away, playfully. “Shut up, shut up.”

Will laughed. “God, that’s cute.”

Dune shot him a look, his eyes flicking over him, before he smiled too. “Today I woke up, and nobody told me good morning. It just hit me all of a sudden.”

Will’s chest warmed. “I’ll text you good morning.”

They got to the car. Cassie had claimed the front seat, and Will got into the back. He slid into the middle, leaned forward. “And I’ll text Joyce. Tell her to ring you in the morning.”

“Don’t.”

“It’s okay, I’ll make an excuse for you.” Will said, “I’ll tell her you’re worried about sleeping through your alarm, and you need someone to make sure you get up.”

“Will,” Dune twisted around to look at him. “Don’t text my mom.”

Will grinned back.

“Joyce told me to keep an eye on you.” Cassie reported.

Dune, surprised, looked at her. “She did?”

“You too, Will.” Cassie smirked at him, “’Keep an eye on our boys,’ she said.”

Dune rolled his eyes, but Will could see from the way his lips twitched up he was pleased. “Let’s go, before we’re late.”

Will and Cassie exchanged a smile.

On the long, long drive to UCD, Will got his schedule and a map of campus up on his phone. He was taking a Sports and Management Course, and honestly half of what was on his schedule terrified him: Sports Legislation, Marketing, Exercise Science… He didn’t know why there were business modules thrown in with the subjects like the Theory of Coaching, but he’d do his best. He’d do well. The Volleyball team had arranged his entry into the program with a sports recommendation, and Will didn’t intend to waste the opportunity they gave him.

Despite them coming to campus almost two hours earlier than they needed for class, they were almost late. There wasn’t a single space with the on-campus parking, and Dune had to sit in traffic to get to a parking lot. The nearest one to the college was also full, and they spent even more time getting to another one. At the second one the prices for parking had Will cringing, but Dune didn’t bat an eye.

Finally on campus, they were left with ten minutes to find their classrooms.

“My building is this way… I think.” Cassie squinted at an old, vine-infested building in the distance.

“Same as.” Dune said.

“Pretty sure I’m in that glass building,” Will tried to orientate himself with the map. “Catch up to you guys later?”

“My last class is at three.” Cassie said.

“Mine too.”

Will sighed, “Five.”

“We’ll wait for you,” Dune promised.

“You convinced me to leave my car behind, so I’d hope so.”

Dune chuckled.

“Good luck, Will.” Cassie marched up and hugged him.

“It’s just class.”

“We both know how awful those can be,” Cassie said, “Take notes, be good, call me if you see a cute guy.” She walked backward, “A straight cute guy.” She clarified.

“Will do.”

“Call if you need me for anything.” Dune said.

Will watched them join the other students walking down the footpath, and went the other direction. The ache in his thighs was almost gone, he was at college with Dune and Cassie, free from home and the memories that came with it he felt light as he stepped into the glass building, so light that he didn’t mind getting lost trying to find classroom 44B.