Boundaries Chapter 15
Lincoln was now an undergraduate, studying Nursing at the same university as Whitney. Unlike Whitney, whose parents were financially comfortable, Lincoln came from a more modest background.
"Now that you're here with me," Whitney began, "I hope there won't be any issues—for either of us."
"How do you mean?" Lincoln asked, tilting his head slightly.
"I mean, are we going to live peacefully together here?"
"Sorry, I still don't get it. How do you mean?"
"Okay, are you sure you don't understand, or are you just pulling my leg?" Whitney frowned.
"No, no. I honestly don't."
"Lincoln, listen. This is a university environment. We need to act maturely. There's no need for either of us to become suspicious or insecure."
"I still don't understand. How do you mean?"
"Oh, come on. Stop kidding around, please. What exactly don't you understand?"
"Alright, repeat yourself one more time."
"Lincoln, stop being naughty and listen," Whitney said, a bit irritated. "I'll say it again: This is university. Students are expected to behave responsibly and maturely. There's no reason for a guy to be suspicious of his girlfriend, especially when they're in a committed relationship. Do you understand that?"
Lincoln suddenly burst into laughter, catching Whitney off guard. She looked at him, confused and slightly embarrassed.
"You must be joking—or just a clown," she said with a raised eyebrow.
"Really? I don't understand. How do you mean?" Lincoln teased.
"Oh, now you don't understand? What don't you understand, exactly?"
"Repeat what you just said," Lincoln smirked.
"A comedian or jester would say the kind of things you're saying now," she replied, clearly annoyed.
"Really? I still don't understand."
"Oh, stop it! Quit being childish. What is it that you don't understand?" Whitney said, folding her arms.
"Now I get it," Lincoln laughed. "You're upset because I was mimicking you. Why so serious?"
"You're not serious. If you were, you'd understand what I meant the first time. I just don't want us creating unnecessary problems for ourselves here by becoming suspicious of each other. Trust me, I'm not going to follow you around or question your every move."
"I figured that's what you were trying to say—only you made it sound like you were talking to me, not just in general. But now that you've said it directly, good. Trust me too—I'm not some fool who'll go around spying on who wants to date you."
"Good! Let's focus and work hard. Let's aim to hit the medal together."
"Yes, I agree. Working hard has never been my problem. What might be a problem… is you."
"Me?" Whitney raised an eyebrow. "How do you mean?"
"Well, what's likely to be my own issue here is you too," Lincoln retorted with a smile.
Lincoln burst into another round of laughter, which Whitney found both amusing and confusing.
"So you know!" she said in amazement.
"Of course, I know! You're probably going to attract a lot of people who want to be close to you."
"And what's wrong with that?" Whitney interrupted.
"Nothing. It's good to be friendly," Lincoln said, playfully.
"And don't act like you're not attractive too. Won't people be drawn to you? What if that happens?"
"Nothing!" he shrugged.
"Exactly! So why say I'll be a hassle to you when you just said nothing would happen? The same goes for me. If others are attracted to me and want to be friends, nothing's wrong with that. We can't succeed in life alone—we need to build connections."
"Hmm, that's logical. But caution is important too," Lincoln replied seriously. "Some people don't come close with good intentions. Some might even have criminal motives—and they could get away with it. Can you believe that?"
"My goal here is to graduate with a first-class degree. I don't have time for anyone with criminal intentions. It's you and you alone—or no one else."
"Wow, I love that vow. You and you alone—now that's mind-blowing," Lincoln chuckled. "But getting a first-class isn't a joke. You'll need to work really hard."
"Yes, I know. That's why I said we need each other to succeed."
"I won't need that," Lincoln said with a slight shrug.
"Really? Then what do you need if not a first-class degree?"
"A first-class result is great, sure—but I'm not going to stress myself too much over it."
"You won't stress yourself? What does that even mean? Don't you know that anything worth doing is worth doing well?"
"Of course I do. I just don't see the need to put myself under pressure."
"That's strange," Whitney remarked.
"What's strange about that? I'm just telling you how I feel. Is it wrong to be honest?"
"No, there's nothing wrong with being honest. But it shows you're not ambitious. No one ever achieves anything great without ambition. As we pass through this institution, we should also let the institution pass through us."
"That won't be a problem," Lincoln affirmed. "It will definitely pass through me."
"I'll make sure you work hard so we can both graduate with first-class honors."
"Hmm, how do you plan to do that?" Lincoln asked curiously.
"I don't even know how yet," Whitney admitted. "But I believe it's possible. Don't you think so?"
"No, I don't," Lincoln said with a grin.
He stood up and walked briskly toward one of the classrooms nearby. A few students were walking by, heading toward the university library. Lincoln stopped at a classroom window and peeked inside. Only two students were seated inside. Seeing nothing of interest, he turned and made his way back to where Whitney had been waiting.
But when he got there, Whitney was gone.
"I must get her back here," he muttered to himself.