More Than Just Notes

Chapter 9 – Finals and Fears

Olivia slumped into the chair in Harper’s dorm room, dropping her backpack to the floor with a loud thud. “I’m dead,” she declared, letting her head fall dramatically onto the desk. “Like, fully deceased. You’re speaking to a ghost.”

Harper swiveled in her chair, her sketchbook balanced on her knees. “Oh no, a ghost in my room? Should I call the campus exorcist?”

“No need,” Olivia said, lifting her head just enough to glare at Harper. “This ghost only haunts people who schedule final exams back-to-back. So unless you’re secretly the head of the scheduling committee, you’re safe.”

Harper grinned. “Good to know. Though, if you’re haunting anyone, I’d suggest Professor Daniels. He totally deserves it.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Olivia muttered, leaning back in the chair and rubbing her temples. “I swear, if I have to memorize one more enzyme pathway, my brain is going to melt.”

Harper closed her sketchbook and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “You’re being dramatic.”

“I’m not!” Olivia protested, throwing her hands in the air. “This is peak med student suffering. You wouldn’t understand.”

Harper raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “You’re right. My suffering is more existential. Like, what if art is meaningless and we’re all just specks in the universe?”

“Wow,” Olivia said, her voice deadpan. “That makes me feel so much better. Thanks for the pep talk.”

Harper laughed, reaching out to nudge Olivia’s shoulder. “Okay, okay. What can I do to help? Want me to quiz you?”

Olivia hesitated, her brow furrowing. “You’d really do that?”

“Of course,” Harper replied, her tone genuine. “I mean, I won’t promise to understand anything I’m asking, but I’m great at pretending to be smart.”

Olivia smiled, a little of the tension in her shoulders easing. “Alright. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—this stuff is dense.”

---

Half an hour later, Harper was sprawled on the floor with Olivia’s flashcards in hand, squinting at the tiny text. “Okay, here’s one: What’s the rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis?”

Olivia perked up, her eyes lighting with recognition. “Phosphofructokinase! Also known as PFK.”

Harper blinked at her. “How do you even pronounce that?”

“Phospho-fructo-kinase,” Olivia said slowly, enunciating each syllable. “See? Not so hard.”

“It sounds like a villain in a sci-fi movie,” Harper muttered, flipping to the next card. “Okay, what about… oh, wow, this one is long. What’s the mechanism of action for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors?”

Olivia groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Ugh, that one’s so annoying.”

“Come on, you’ve got this,” Harper encouraged, sitting up and giving Olivia a mock-serious look. “If you don’t answer, I’m going to assume you don’t know it, and then I’ll tease you forever.”

“Fine, fine,” Olivia said, lifting her head. “Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors block the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, which increases the levels of acetylcholine at the synapse, enhancing neurotransmission.”

Harper stared at her, wide-eyed. “You’re like… a genius. How do you even keep all this in your brain?”

“I don’t,” Olivia said with a sigh. “That’s why finals are killing me.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m impressed,” Harper said, setting the flashcards aside. “You’re like a walking encyclopedia.”

Olivia smiled, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. “Thanks. That actually means a lot.”

---

As the night wore on, their study session morphed into something more relaxed. Harper had pulled out her sketchbook again, doodling while Olivia flipped through her notes. The room was quiet except for the sound of pencils scratching and pages turning.

“Hey, Harper?” Olivia said suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Yeah?” Harper replied, not looking up from her sketch.

“Do you ever… feel like you’re not good enough?” Olivia’s voice was hesitant, almost as if she were afraid to hear the answer.

Harper paused, her pencil hovering over the page. She looked up at Olivia, her expression thoughtful. “All the time,” she admitted. “I mean, I love what I do, but there’s always that little voice in the back of my head telling me it’s not enough. Like, what if I fail? What if I’m not as good as I think I am?”

Olivia nodded, her gaze dropping to her hands. “Yeah. I feel that way too. Like, no matter how hard I try, it’s never enough. It’s exhausting.”

Harper set her sketchbook aside and leaned forward, her eyes earnest. “You’re not alone, Olivia. I know it feels like you have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, but you don’t have to do it alone. You have people who care about you. People like me.”

Olivia looked up, her eyes meeting Harper’s. “Thanks, Harper. That… means a lot.”

“Anytime,” Harper said with a small smile. “Now, come on. Let’s tackle those flashcards again. You’ve got this.”

---

The next morning, Olivia woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring. She groaned, fumbling to turn it off, and sat up, blinking blearily at the room. She wasn’t in her dorm—she was in Harper’s, curled up on a pile of blankets on the floor.

Harper was still asleep, sprawled out on her bed with one arm hanging off the edge. Her sketchbook was open on the nightstand, a half-finished drawing of a tree taking shape on the page.

Olivia smiled, feeling a strange sense of peace wash over her. Despite the stress of finals and the weight of her insecurities, she realized something: she wasn’t alone. She had Harper, and that made all the difference.

---

Later that day, they were back in the café, sitting at their usual table. Olivia was poring over her notes while Harper sipped her matcha latte, her sketchbook open in front of her.

“Hey,” Harper said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Take a break. You’ve been studying for hours.”

“I can’t,” Olivia replied without looking up. “I have to be ready for my exam tomorrow.”

“Olivia,” Harper said, her tone gentle but firm. “You’re going to do great. But you’re not going to be able to focus if you burn yourself out. Come on, just ten minutes.”

Olivia hesitated, then sighed and closed her notebook. “Fine. Ten minutes. But you’d better make it worth my while.”

Harper grinned. “Oh, don’t worry. I have an idea.”

---

Ten minutes later, they were outside, walking through the campus gardens. The air was crisp, and the late afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the trees and flowers.

“This is your idea of a break?” Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yup,” Harper replied, her hands stuffed in her jacket pockets. “Fresh air, pretty scenery, and zero flashcards. It’s the perfect reset.”

Olivia couldn’t argue with that. As they walked, she felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease. She glanced at Harper, who was looking around with a content expression.

“Thanks for this,” Olivia said softly. “I didn’t realize how much I needed it.”

“Anytime,” Harper replied, her smile warm. “You’ve got enough on your plate. Sometimes you just need to step back and breathe.”

Olivia nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. She realized then just how much Harper meant to her—how much she relied on her support and presence. And for the first time in a while, she felt like everything might actually be okay.