Home Comings

The semester break came at the perfect time. After the stress of exams, late-night study sessions, and Grayson's unexpected confession, Victoria needed time to clear her mind.

The day before her flight home, she had gone around NYU, saying her goodbyes to all her friends. The excitement of going home mixed with the bittersweet feeling of leaving behind the life she had built over the past few months.

When she finally landed in California, stepping into the familiar warmth of her hometown, everything felt different. Being back in her own room, with walls covered in old photos and shelves lined with her favorite books, brought a sense of comfort. But there was a restlessness inside her.

She wasn't the same girl who had left for NYU months ago.

Texts That Kept Her Company

Despite the distance, Victoria and Grayson texted constantly.

It started with casual check-ins—Landed yet? Don't forget to drink water, dummy.

Then it turned into random late-night conversations, sharing funny things about their families, talking about their childhoods, and sending each other memes.

Tori: My mom is making me clean my entire room. If I go missing, she buried me under the bed.

Gray: Tell her I support her mission.

Tori: Rude.

Gray: Kidding. You should've left your room a mess so you could "miss NYU" more.

There were no awkward mentions of his confession, no weird tension. Just them, being them.

With Damon, though, things were different.

They didn't text much, but when they did, Victoria felt something stir in her chest. Their conversations weren't about everything and anything, like with Grayson. Instead, they were sparse yet meaningful—like catching up with someone who had known you for years.

Damon: I bet you miss NYU already.

Tori: A little. But home is nice too.

Damon: Let me guess. Your days are filled with reading and annoying your mom?

Tori: You know me so well.

Damon: I know a lot more than that.

The butterflies in her stomach were impossible to ignore.

Time passed faster than she expected.

Everyone had gone home, scattered across different states, but their group chat never went silent. Plans were being made before they had even returned.

Aspen: We HAVE to do a movie marathon when we're back.

Aria: And go out to that pizza place again.

Mylo: Also, we need a proper NY trip. Grayson, add that to your list.

Grayson: Already done.

Harry: We just got home, and you guys are already planning to leave again???

It was comforting, knowing that no matter how far apart they were, their little NYU family remained the same.

When the break finally ended, Victoria found herself eager to return.

As she walked through NYU's familiar gates, dragging her suitcase behind her, a rush of excitement filled her. The chilly New York air, the towering buildings, the constant buzz of life—it all felt like home now.

She barely had time to settle in before her phone buzzed.

Grayson: Dorm. Now.

Shaking her head, she hurried to his dorm, already knowing that most of her friends would be there. Sure enough, when she stepped inside, the room was filled with familiar laughter and warmth.

"Tori!" Kimber ran up to hug her. "Finally, you're here!"

Aspen and Mylo were sprawled on Grayson's bed, and Aria was sitting cross-legged on the floor, eating chips.

"You guys didn't even give me time to unpack," Victoria laughed, dropping her bag.

"You can unpack later," Aria said through a mouthful of chips. "We have plans to make."

Grayson smirked from where he stood near his desk. "Told you they'd ambush you."

Victoria rolled her eyes playfully before taking a seat next to Aria. "Okay, let's hear it. What's the plan?"

The room instantly erupted into excited chatter, everyone talking over each other as they made plans for the months ahead—trips, movie nights, weekend outings.

For the first time in weeks, Victoria felt truly at ease.

She was back where she belonged.

As the night stretched on, laughter filled the room, and Victoria couldn't help but smile. She had missed this—the chaos, the warmth, the feeling of belonging. No matter what the next semester had in store, she knew one thing for sure—she was exactly where she was meant to be.