Chapter 5.5: The third semester

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From Venus's diary


Today we're playing another soccer match and, as usual, we all came to the pre-match party to have some fun. Cassy is beating Steve at ping pong again, but no one seems surprised by it.

Cassy: Yay!


Venus: Did she win again?
Steve: (laughing) Did you have any doubts?


Steve: Rather, good luck with your match!
Venus: Thanks!

But not even the best wishes in the world have helped, we are keeping to lose blatantly...


This time I even sprained my wrist, it hurts quite a lot...


Cassy: That foul deserved a red card! Or, at least, a penalty in your favour!
Steve: How's your wrist?
Venus: They say I'll have to keep the bandage on for a few days, but at least nothing's broken.

Steve is a cuddler, so seeing me down after losing the match and spraining my wrist, he instinctively hugged me tightly, to cheer me up a bit.

In this kind of situation, however, Cassy always makes some sort of excuse to leave us alone, such as:


Cassy: ... now that I think about it, I have some homework to finish. See you later!



Inevitably, the dynamics of our weird little group have changed a bit since when Steve and I started dating. It's obvious that now he and I try to spend time on our own, with the result that Cassy often seems to feel like the proverbial third wheel.
We are a bit sorry about this, but what could we do to avoid it?

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From Cassy's diary


Cassy: Uhm, let's see...


Cassy: Ah ah, this is genial!

It is undeniable that now both Steve and Venus have much less time to spend with me than they did before. I mean, it was obvious, it's normal that they prefer spending time together now.


Steve: Hey, hi!
Cassy: Hi Steve! Is Venus at the soccer practice?
Steve: Yup.
Cassy: I see.
Steve: (laughing) Rather, that's why you always win, you're training secretly!


Steve: But I've learned a few moves too, look here!
Cassy: Are you sure this is a good choice?
Steve: Yes, why?


Cassy: because I can move the queen here and...


However, I cannot deny that I am also happy with the fact that, despite everything, Steve and I remained good friends. After Venus, I think he was the only real friend he ever had, I would miss him if this wasn't the case.

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Steve is passionate about robotics, so when we are studying all together we often end up sitting at the ​​Foxbury common's tables next to the robot-building stations.


???: What a nice gear!
Steve: Yes, I'd say it's almost ready...


Cassy: What do you want to build?
Steve: I haven't decided yet, these pieces are quite versatile...

We are now at the beginning of the third semester, the subjects we are studying are becoming more and more complex. Now we will study in detail the physics of atoms and their nuclei, and then the complex theories of space-time, which will respectively serve to understand more in detail the functioning of the matter remposters that we use here in New Sixam to produce everything we need, and that of the teleport devices which we now use every day to move around the country.

Venus and I also take additional astrophysics courses, to prepare for our future careers as astronauts, while Steve has chosen some engineering courses focused on the design and construction of service robots.

Many of our classmates complain saying that this stuff is too difficult and impossible to understand, but I think that it's just now that what we are studying is starting to get interesting instead.


Steve: Venus, doesn't your soccer practice start shortly?
Venus: Yes, I finish this demonstration and then I will run to the pitch!

Venus, on the other hand, continues to run left and right throughout the campus to keep up with both football practice and courses. She decided to settle with Bs for most courses, and also to reduce the number of football practice days she participates to. To me she still seems to be doing a crazy amount of things, but compared with the last semester she seems to have found a much better equilibrium point. Well, good for her, recently she seems to be the happiest since when we started college.

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From Venus's diary



Venus: Hey, look at that cumulonimbus! Do you think it's going to rain?
Steve: It's possible, even the weather forecast talked about variable weather...


Venus: Alright, maybe we should go and look for Cassy. She had a whole free afternoon, knowing her she's probably somewhere studying extra books.

Maybe I'm the weird one, but I can't help but worry about the others. And lately I avoid thinking that Cassy may be feeling lonely and left out, so I do my best to carve out time to spend with her. Luckily Steve also seems to think the same way.

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From Cassy's diary


Given the amount of stuff we have to study, I decided to join the group of brainiacs and spend the afternoons studying with them. After all, the library is my natural habitat, and this is the most efficient way to study!

When they can, Venus and Steve also join me, and in those moments it really feels like going back to the old days.



Cassy: What's funny?
Venus: Nice T-shirt. Do all the people in the study organization have one?
Cassy: Almost everyone, yes.

This way another semester was passing by, among homework, essays and presentations to do.
Even if the courses become more difficult, we have now picked up the right pace, and so we have once again arrived prepared for the final exams week.

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From Venus' diary


Venus: Finally the semester is over and we can relax a bit, I'm so exhausted!
Steve: Don't tell me!


Venus: I was thinking about introducing one of the guys from the soccer team to Cassy, ​​I think they might get along... Maybe. Does that sound like a good idea to you?
Steve: Ahm... hard to say. Cassy is a little unpredictable about certain things.
Venus: Uhm...
Steve: But it probably doesn't hurt to give it a try.

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From Venus' diary

So we found ourselves at a new pre-game party, all together as always.


Cassy is great at many things, but she struggles a bit with meeting new people. Even among the people she now studies with at the library in the afternoon, she doesn't seem to have managed to find any real friends. Why not try introducing her to some of my friends, then? Who knows, maybe they could get along.


Venus: Cassy, ​​I wanted to introduce you to Jacob, he's my teammate. He studies computer science, you know?
Cassy: Oh...okay.

My sister seemed a little hesitant, but eventually she still decided to answer:

Cassy: Nice to meet you, I'm Cassy.


Cassy: What do you think of today's match, do you think you can win?
Jacob: Rumours say that the other team is not that strong, so maybe this time we'll make it!


Shortly after we ran to play the game. This is our last chance to stay in the tournament, we have to give it our all!


Cassy: Great goal!
Venus: It was a good match, yes!

We won 3-1 this time, it's time to celebrate tonight!


Venus: Listen, do you remember my friend Jacob, the one I introduced to you earlier?
Cassy: (perplexed) Yeah...
Venus: He kept talking about you the whole time after the game, you know?
Cassy: Ah.
Venus: Wouldn't you like to try to go out with him, just to get to know each other a bit? I think you would get along!
Cassy: Um, well...

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From Cassy's diary

First of all, I have to say I mostly accepted to spend some time with that guy because of my sister. Let's say he doesn't look like the kind of person I would normally talk with, but I wanted to trust Venus's judgement this time.


Cassy: Well, Venus told me you study computer science.
Jacob: Yes, I want to learn how to program videogames.
Cassy: Oh. And how many exams would you have already passed?
Jacob: Ehm, let's say a few? Rather, your sister told me that you both want to become astronauts.
Cassy: Yes, exactly.


We talked for a while, but I can't say I enjoyed it much. This Jacob strikes me as a really shallow person, the type of person who cares more about appearance than substance. Luckily, he didn't seem very impressed either.


Jacob: I thought you were more like your sister, you know? 
Cassy : ... what do you mean?
Jacob: Well, she's the one scoring the most goals in this university soccer team, she has good marks, she's nice to everyone... The whole campus talks about her!
Cassy: Ah...


Cassy: Well, I can't really say I'm having a good time either. To be honest, I only came because Venus tolm me to, but I don't have any issue at finishing it now.




Venus: So, how was the date?
Cassy: I wouldn't even call it a date... Your friend is a bit of an airhead, you know?
Venus: Oh, I'm sorry...
Cassy: Venus, I don't mind remaining on my own from time to time, you don't need to worry so much about me.
Venus: But...
Cassy: And then we are about to start our last semester, it's time to start work on the final thesis project! I can't wait for it!

Venus seemed a little unsettled at first, but I think she understood what I mean. 

Venus: Sometimes I wonder what planet someone you might like is hiding on, you know?
Cassy: Well, it's not my fault if most people around here are so boring!

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