Becoming friends with Daisuke was like your free ticket to a whole 'nother world in high school. You didn't mind your small group of friends — it was familiar. And yeah, maybe studies were driving you guys a little farther than usual, but they had still been your friends.

Then, HomeEc became a mandatory class and the loud, bubbly, cheerful Daisuke shoved his way into your life like the Kool-Aid Man. You were by no means a loner, but Daisuke was... really, really popular.

You kept your head down, he kept his head high. You walked with small steps and hunched shoulders, he took big strides with a puffed chest. You were pretty sure most students only knew your name from school projects — and you knew his from how often it was yelled across the hall.

Senior year rolled around, and in the blink of an eye, you and Daisuke were closer than ever, practically attached at the hip and thinking about how you'd keep in touch when the school year ended.

And what you'd do when it did.

"Y'know," Daisuke started, sitting on your bed as you did... something, "I heard Pony Express has a few internships." He was freshly eighteen, just barely making the qualifications for the job, while you already had been for a while. "My mom told me."

Of course she did. Daisuke was a typical high school athlete — he could tell you the difference between a top spin and a fastball, but not his head from his ass.

"You took Principles of Engineering. We could work there together," he added, grinning. "Engineering buddies."

"And become another corporate work horse?" you scoffed, far more brusquely. "Overworked and underpaid? I think I'd rather work at McDonald's. Snag a few fries and a burger and I get free lunch almost daily."

"We could work at McDonald's together," he concurred, attuning to your idea. He always did seem to become more tentative at the idea of his life after high school. "I'd work anywhere with you."

That surprised you. You'd always assumed he'd want something fast or strong — not that he'd work at Mcdonald's with you.