She was right; it wasn’t a free country at all. She was right, and something in her voice reminded him that she was probably the crying girl in the bathroom, and a heartstring twanged in sympathy. He nodded along with her when she said it, wanting her to know that he knew what he’d said was bullshit, really, and he was embarrassed for saying it.
It would have been an interesting conversation to have, but not here… it was, in fact, the kind of thing he should be talking about at 3am over fries or black coffee. Or in dorm rooms in some distant state, in that dream of university and real-as-you-could-get freedom.
“Soon,” he said, with a small ache to his voice. “I’m finishing up school this year and then, yeah, university. Or something,” he added quickly, remembering he’d told Ava he’d go wherever the wind blew him, and that she'd seemed to like that answer. “What about you?” He couldn’t deny how curious he was; every little thing about her was unexpected.