[COLOR=GRAY][CENTER][COLOR=8A9A5B][sup]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][url=https://open.spotify.com/track/7hDVYcQq6MxkdJGweuCtl9?si=8d74aaa5c3f84971][img]https://i.ibb.co/589szLm/harperbanneri-copy.jpg[/img][/url][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=8A9A5B][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]The Beach[/I] - [I]Pacific Royal Campus[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=8A9A5B][b]Welcome Home #1.033:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Dreams[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][COLOR=8A9A5B][SUP][sub]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][indent][sub][color=8A9A5B][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR][I]*Insert Everyone gif here*[/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=8A9A5B][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [COLOR=GRAY][I]Tempest[/I][/color][/right][/SUP][/indent]

A smirk began to form on Katja’s lips as she listened to Harper’s reply, giving a couple of small nods to acknowledge her answer. 

[color=#FF7514] “I feel you on that one, sis. We’ve got a lot of things on our plates, so I totally understand forgetting about it.”[/color] Her voice was filled with the usual enthusiasm she was known for across the campus.  [color=#FF7514]“You shouldn’t worry though. A cute girl like you will find a date in no time! If you don’t then I’ll take you to the dance, and you don’t want that now do you?”[/color]She said with a playful wink.

[color=8A9A5B]“Thanks, Kat,”[/color] Harper replied. She managed a small laugh, but beneath it lay a quiet vulnerability. [color=8A9A5B]"I appreciate the vote of confidence, but honestly, I'm not too worried about finding a date. There's more to life than dances, right?”[/color]The brunette highly valued her friendship with Katja. Still, the thought of attending the dance together as friends felt like a band-aid solution—a temporary fix for a deeper yearning she couldn't quite voice to the guy beside her.

The next words out of Gil’s words seemed to hang in the air like a frosty mist, however, chilling away the warmth of Harper’s anticipation.

[color=FCE205]"As for the dance, I don't have a partner yet. You've got to keep your options open, you know?"[/color] he said, as if the whole thing were a mere footnote in his grand life. His words were a paradox to her—a plea for freedom disguised as practical advice. Harper couldn't help but wonder if he truly believed it or if it was merely a shield against vulnerability. Perhaps he feared commitment, or maybe he revelled in the thrill of uncertainty.

Or maybe she just wasn't his first choice for some stupid dance like he was hers.

And then came the final blow:[color=FCE205] "Besides, I'd hate to disappoint any die-hard fans."[/color] The pang in Harper’s chest was sharp, like a sudden frostbite. Die-hard fans—those who clung to his every word, who traced the contours of his fame. A face in the crowd of his adoring fans? Was that all she was to him, perhaps?

But self-awareness tugged at her. [color=8A9A5B][i]I’m not being very fair here, am I?[/i] [i]What exactly have I done to be seen as any different? [/i][/color] Harper knew that her feelings for Gil ran deep, but she also recognized that, to him, she might simply be a friend and fan.
 
The realization stung more than she wanted to admit to herself. 

As the weight of her thoughts fully settled in, Harper found herself searching for any semblance of normalcy remaining in them. And then she took a deep breath. 

[color=8A9A5B]“Well, I’m sure you’ll make the right choice when the time comes, Gil,"[/color] Harper said, offering a smile tinged with a hint of sadness. [color=8A9A5B]“As for me, I’ll probably just go with the flow.”[/color]She paused, her gaze drifting back to the scene behind her further up the sand. By now, Lorcán seemed to be in better shape than he was before, as far as she could tell. But her eyes were more so focused on the cooler beside him. She licked her lips.[color=8A9A5B]

“And…right now I think I could use a drink.”[/color]

[hr] 

As the sun dipped lazily toward the horizon, casting a warm golden hue across the beach, Harper found herself in familiar territory—sand between her toes, the rhythmic lull of waves in her ears. This time, she held a cold can of beer, its aluminum surface chilling her palm. Settling onto the warm sand near the campfire, she stretched her legs out before her. The beer can perched on her knee left a faint damp circle on her light blue jeans, thrown on earlier with a white tee after an afternoon with the group. The remnants of her earlier buzz had faded following a refreshing shower, leaving her hair slightly damp but no longer carrying the scent of saltwater.

Lorcán's question, delivered with his signature flair, broke through the comfortable silence then: 
 
[color=#fe650d]“Alright gentle-dudes and lady-brahs, where does everyone see themselves once they graduate?”[/color]
 
Haven was the first to answer, supplying a response that sounded pretty incredible to the brunette. 

[color=8A9A5B]“I think it’s their loss if they don’t accept you,”[/color] Harper reassured her, offering an encouraging smile across the fire. 

Next was Aurora, echoing sentiments of uncertainty about the future. Harper had previously held back her own aspirations, fearing they might come across as boastful. The last thing Aurora needed was to hear about Harper's confidence in her path.

The thought held her tongue, until finally, she spoke, her voice soft but resolute. [color=8A9A5B]"If I keep my grades up, I’m aiming for a spot in a diagnostic radiology residency program."[/color] Leaning back, she traced patterns in the sand. [color=8A9A5B]"It’s not as fancy as it sounds, though."[/color] It was one of the best ways to help others with her ability, but the program was notoriously competitive—a source of occasional stress.

The waves seemed to whisper their approval nonetheless, as if saying, “Go for it, Harper.” And she would. Because beyond the textbooks and exams, she had to believe there was a purpose to her being the way she was. 

[/color]