The day after military training ended was the Mid-Autumn holiday, and this year it overlapped with National Day producing an eight-day vacation. The teacher in charge of their class briefly explained the safety precautions for going home during the holiday, and what to be aware of when school recommences, before dismissing them to go home.
Carolline Ruiz returned to her dormitory to tidy up a bit. She took off her bedding to bring home for a wash, along with clothes she had just changed out of and hadn't had time to wash yet. She packed everything in a large bag.
"Hey, I say, since military training is finally over, why don't we go out and have some drinks to celebrate today?" suggested Megan Clifton, a local resident of G City.
"Forget it, only you and Ruiz are from this city, we still need to take several hours' drive home. I think we should postpone." answered Sophie Thompson, who was from the neighboring city. Sophie's father was the Deputy Mayor, but she didn't mention this to her dorm-mates.
Just after she finished speaking, her father called her. "Um, okay, I'll come out right away," She said.
Carrying her backpack, Sophie Thompson gave a somewhat unruly smile and said, "Sorry, my family has come to pick me up, I need to get going."
"Agatha Gage, what about you?" Megan looked a bit unhappy. What was the point of going home so early? Even if Sophie wasn't coming, there were still three of them.
"I'm sorry, I can't go either. Although my house is closer than Sophie's, transferring buses still takes quite a while. Besides, my mom knows what time we get off school, so..." Agatha seemed embarrassed to finish her sentence.
After all, they were sixteen or seventeen years old. Being so restrained by her family made her feel a bit awkward.
Under her mother's strong control, Agatha Gage was indeed a well-behaved child. Her life didn't have big ups and downs but was rather simple and unexciting, filled with marriage and children.
"Alright then." Megan didn't want to make things hard for well-behaved girls like Agatha Gage. With only Carolline Ruiz left, who was a local, Megan directly made sure Ruiz wouldn't have an escape.
Naturally, Ruiz couldn't refuse Megan, so she agreed to go out with her for drinks.
There was nothing urgent for her at home at this time anyway, and her parents had always been open-minded. When she called home to tell her mother she was going out with a friend for drinks and would be home later, Emily Hill was actually pleased. She said it was great that she had found friends to go out and play with so quickly. Emily even suggested that it was perfectly fine for her to come home after dinner, and even asked if she had enough money.
"I'm just going for drinks then returned home. ... Right, got it, hanging up now." Carolline Ruiz explained and then ended the call. Megan Clifton casually wound her arm around Ruiz's and they left.
Ruiz's one arm was being held by Megan Clifton, while she carried the large bag in her other hand, which was a bit difficult for her. But she didn't want to refuse Megan, so she maintained this somewhat awkward posture.
The moment the two of them walked out of the female dormitory, they ran into Andy Aguirre, who was just leaving the cafeteria after his meal. When Andy saw them, or more accurately when he saw Ruiz, he walked over to them.
"Heading home? Little junior sister." Andy, who was sunny-faced, walked over. That day, there was brilliant sunshine that dazzled Megan and made her quite disoriented. Seeing the tall and broad body of Andy, she started blushing.
She was initially planning to tease Ruiz a bit since a handsome school senior seemed interested in her right after she got admitted to school. But this notion was completely squashed when she heard him called her "little junior sister".
"Um, first going out with my friend for a bit of window shopping, then going home," replied Ruiz, nodding. After a sudden thought, she began to introduce them, "This is my dorm-mate, Megan Clifton. And this is my cousin, Andy Aguirre."