Steaming Cup of Joe

"I can do that!" Okay, maybe she was too excited. Seriously, it's just walking, Maddie, cool yourself.

She took point and walked like a child imitating a soldier. She glanced back at him, saying gruffly, "Keep up, boy, or ya get left behind."

"One night, you gotta stop by the beach and check it out. It's absolutely gorgeous at this time of night! Just don't, you know, swim. I think there would be sharks...maaaybe."

She was true to her word, the college dorms and the high school dorms were close together. She stopped before entering either building, standing somewhere between them.

"Your paper should say what dorm they assigned you. I don't know if any staff will be around at this time of night. I mean, I don't want you sleeping on a bench, Malv!"

They stood near the stables. Up the set of stairs to their right would be the college dormitory, the high school and elementary dorms were further down, in their own kind of nook.

Okay, so Maddie wasn't technically wrong. They were close to each other, closer than was normal, but it was a minute or two walk between them.

"You are not sleeping outside. Don't you have stuff you n-- Oh...my...god. Did you have stuff you brought with you? Where is it? You didn't leave it somewhere, did you? Oh no...oh no..."

"Oh my golly gosh! What if someone took it?" Maddie was legit freaking out about this.

She grabbed him by the wrist and attempted to tug him toward the admissions office. "We'll get it. It'll be there. It'll be okay."

Let's be honest, she was talking more to herself than him.

"You know to never tell a woman to calm down, right?" she gave him a wry smile, but she did start walking a bit slower and let go of his wrist.

"I just don't want you to lose all your stuff. That would be bad. Super bad."

It wasn't long before they got to the administration's office, especially since Maddi had dragged him most of the way.