Finals were brutal. I didn't even have time to stress about going to my boyfriend's house for the holiday. I didn't even think about the fact I was already 'meeting the parents' after a couple months. I was too busy studying my ass off and stressing about my grades.

"Alex, relax. You already have an eighty-two in that class. That is better than the rest of us." Ferret was rolling his eyes as we pored over our books and notes. Our group had taken over a study room near the library.

"It's an eighty-three actually. How is that good? I know I can do better." I mumbled as I scratched out a note and wrote in the correction from my test paper.

"You seriously need to lighten up. Here. Have a cookie." Alec tossed me a bag with two cookies in it and I grabbed one out with a nod.

"Mphanks." I replied with my mouth full. Mike glared at me as I tried to flick crumbs off my book.

"When is your next final?" Roger asked me. I looked up at the clock to check the time.

"Two hours." I said tightly. He nodded and we buried our heads back in our notes. I scratched onto a paper with a pen copying from our study sheets. I was writing it out one last time in an effort to retain a little more information in my brain.

"I think I'm going to fail Physics." Ferret mumbled as he stared into space. I rolled my eyes.

"If you don't study you will. Just read my notes. You are lucky I am lending them to you." Micah growled at him. He had finished that exam on Monday and the other class was writing it today.

"I want Alex's notes for English. You have a ninety-something in that class don't you?" Mike asked. I nodded absently.

"Won't help you on the essay part. It has to be creative and you will get docked if it matches mine. I wrote first remember." I glanced up at him and he was frowning.

"Damn. I forgot about the essay. I should work on that now." His head bent down and he began scribbling notes on his book. I looked back up at the clock in worry.

"You won't be late, Alex. We are all watching the clock." Alec mumbled. I smiled at him, sort of. Then I ate the other cookie. Wasn't as good as caramels, but I was saving those as a treat for after I passed.

"Hey babe, you got a package at the front desk with Harold when you are done here." Vince popped his head in the room and called out to me. I waved and nodded, mouth still full of cookie. "Good luck guys."

The others called thanks back as he left the room. I figured I was running low on time and should pack up my stuff. I filled my bag with notes, books, pencils and pens. It was a heavy reminder that school wasn't over yet.

I headed out the door and over to the hall where a group of fellow classmates were waiting for the examination to begin. The door wasn't even open yet. I nodded to the guy who sat next to me in class and we struck up small talk until the teacher showed up.

He told us to wait outside, so we were all quiet and watching for him to let us in. He set out the papers on the desks with a name placeholder for each seat. I watched for my name. It was near the back, in the corner. Suited me fine.

"Leave your bags at the front and find your seats." He called out the door, motioning for us to come in. We dropped our things and went to the desks. All we were given were the exam and two sharpened pencils.

I picked it up and watched the clock tick down. Others came in the room quietly and took their seats. Two left open. One left open. Five minutes to go. The atmosphere in the room seemed to stifle the closer it got.

"Turn your sheets over and begin." The teacher closed the door and sat down at the front of the room to watch us. I flipped the page and began to read.

My pencil flew over the paper as I scratched out my answers. I knew this. I just had to remember. One after the other, I finished the sheet. If I got stuck I moved on. If I remembered, I went back. Before I even realised it, I was done.

I went back to the beginning and looked over each question carefully. When I was satisfied, I got up from my seat and dropped the exam on the teacher's desk. He looked up in surprise. I smiled and grabbed my bag.

Quietly, I left the room and entered the hall. Nobody was there. It seemed deserted. I looked up at the clock on the wall. One hour and forty-eight minutes had passed. It was weird how fast it had seemed to go when I was writing.

I went back to my dorms, stopping by Harold's desk to pick up my package on the way. I had to sign a form and the large box was a bit heavy, so I staggered under the weight as I went up to my room. I dropped it on my bed carefully.

My bag hit the floor and I stared at the box. It had my mom's writing on it for the post address. The tape job was definitely my sisters' doing. I smiled at the thought. It was a little tough to get open.

When I finally got the tape off enough to get inside, I laughed. My mom had sent me a note, and some more clothes. I opened the note first, curious to see what she wanted to say.

Hey pumpkin!

I know you are doing fine there, because your marks have been as amazing as usual. I just wanted to let you know that your sisters and I miss you so much!

Here are a few things that you left behind I thought you might want over Christmas. How exciting for you to get to spend it with your friends. Maybe we can set up a video chat over the break to celebrate? I would like that.

Don't be a stranger my dear, send your mom a letter. Love...

I grimaced at the last line. So my father wasn't passing on my letters to her. I shouldn't be surprised anymore. I really shouldn't. I swallowed hard and tossed the note on my desk. Then I dug into the box.

There was a nice winter coat, a few nice clothes including my dress pants, a new pack of underwear and socks, new running shoes, a couple of my t-shirts and two new flannel pants. One of them was a rather bright shade of green with red stripes. I laughed.

My mom was crazy. I loved her, but she was crazy. At the very bottom was a silly pair of reindeer antlers on a headband. I was grinning pretty hard as I put a few things away into my drawers. I hung up the nice clothes and jacket.

I would have to ask Vincent if I would need those. I guess it would be a good first impression if I wore that nice stuff to be picked up. No, I was over thinking it, t-shirt and jeans would be fine. I put away the last of the package and turned to my desk.

Gotta get through the last of finals first.

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