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And you do call them, about several hours later in the evening via group call on your Magifona within the privacy of your own room. Alejandro answers first, saying, "Hello?" in his usual drawl. You greet him casually, and his voice raises in excitement. "Holy shit, Wendell Dumein! You're calling me!" he says just as Lamesha answers the call with her semi-quiet "Hello?" and you barely hear her over Alejandro's excited voice. But eventually, she pieces together what's happening and says, "Oh god, Wendell Dumein? We haven't heard from you for a long time! Why the sudden phone call?"

You take a deep breath before you start to explain about how you're on leave right now for a week. Right now, you've just decided to call and talk to them to just catch up, since you're back home and you haven't really spoken to them in a really long time. "Long is right, Wendell Dumein. That's what? Two years? Right after graduation, right?" Lamesha says contemplatively.

"And your mom made you call us, didn't she?" Alejandro quips suddenly before you can answer Lamesha's question. You wince and protest his words, even though he was right about it. He laughs at your discomfort and says, "Eh, don't you worry about it. That's what parents do. Guilt you into maintaining your social life so that you don't get bored being alone at home all day. So what's the big occasion? I never imagined the army would give you a week's leave, just like that."

You tell them that you're just overdue for a leave since you haven't taken one in a while and on a whim, you thought of taking a long one just so that you can visit people and hang out like the old days. "Sounds like a good idea, but we're having our finals right now," Lamesha starts to say. Just like you expected, you think to yourself, but Alejandro says, "But we could definitely use a break ourselves actually. All that studying is getting on my nerves."

The three of you talk for a while before it's decided that you'll go and meet them tomorrow night at a bar called the Night Dive. You ask them for directions, but Lamesha says that she'll come by your place to pick you up. You voice your agreement and talk to the two of them idly again before you finally hang up the phone. A soft knock against your room's door causes you to turn your head towards it, just in time for you to notice footsteps hurrying away from the door.

You sigh and shake your head in exasperation, though there's a hint of a smile on your lips.

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