1.1 Off to College

1. Lucy had always wanted to go to college. She had not particularly enjoyed her middle school or high school experiences. She had been dreaming of college for six years. Finally the day had arrived. She packed up everything she thought she would need and couldn't wait to start the journey.

Mac's story was quite different. He had not been sure if he even wanted to go to college. It was his trip to Spain in the summer that had convinced him. There was so much more to the world than he had ever imagined. He had learned so much Spanish is such a short period of time. Somewhere inside a switch had flipped. He had tasted the forbidden fruit of knowledge and he wanted more.

Lucy wanted to go to Uncle Lee's alma mater, Highlander University. It was situated somewhat remotely in the Allegheny mountains of New York. But what it lacked of the big city it made up for in rivers and woods. It was also an elite school that prided itself on a certain intellectual fearlessness that she found very attractive.

Mac was less convinced. The town had its own share of local restaurants and shops, but he wasn't sure he could live ten miles away from a Burger King or Wendy's. And his parents had always joked about the winters there. For several months they had quoted the line to Lucy from Game of Thrones, "Winter is coming."

To be honest, he settled on Highlander University mainly because Lucy was going there. His dad also showed him a movie from 1986 called Highlander that involved near immortals cutting off each others heads. That sold him... well, that and the fact that Uncle Lee was willing to pay their tuition if they went there.

2. So one Wednesday in late August they and their parents got in a car in south Florida and started driving north...