That One Time We Kissed // Bishova College AU

Maize Maze

"Dude, did you know corn was this itchy?" Kate complained, scratching her neck as she blazed her own path through the corn maze, Natasha following a few steps behind.

Having allowed Kate her fun, Natasha sighed, piping up, "we're supposed to follow the paths, Kate. You know, the ones that were cut out specifically for the maze."

"Is that how these things work?"

"Have you never been to a corn maze? Or any maze?" Natasha asked, tugging Kate by the upper arm to the nearest dirt path in sight.

"Now that I think of it, no."

Hands in her denim jacket pockets, Natasha kicked at a fallen shuck of corn. "Why are we even trying, Bishop? We know they'll win."

"Maybe the prize isn't making it out of here first," Kate posited, "but it's the friends we make along the way."

"You're cornier than the corn."

Kate nudged the other girl playfully, eliciting a small smile. "How long have we been in here, anyway?"

Natasha glanced down at her watch, then up at the bright cerulean sky as if she wished she were somewhere else. "Way too long. Like, fifteen minutes."

"There's no way they haven't made it out."

"Let's pick up the pace, Bishop."

"Why?" Kate asked, strides lengthening to keep up with the redhead's pace. "You got somewhere else to be?"

"Was hoping to pick up a shift later, honestly."

"But... we were gonna go to the pumpkin patch."

Natasha shrugged. "The pumpkins will still be there. Even if I'm not."

"I don't think Wanda will see it that way."

"Well... Wanda understands. She sees that I'm working my ass off."

"Yeah, she does." Biting her lip, Kate searched for a subtle way to introduce the topic of Natasha's schooling and Wanda's concern, but upon remembering whom she spoke with, Kate realized subtlety was unnecessary. "Hey, Nat?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanda's worried about you, man."

Natasha almost laughed. "Worried? Why?"

"This new job of yours."

"What?" Natasha paused her walk, coming to a stop at a fork in the path. "I'm doing it for her."

"She's really worried about you dropping out of school."

"Well, I mean..." she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I was probably going to."

Kate frowned. "Dude, what? We're so close to the end. Senior year."

"Yeah, but what's the point?" Natasha turned to continue the trek, and after a moment of hesitation, chose left. "I've got a good gig with steady cash. Why put all that on pause for a piece of paper in a couple months?"

"Like Yelena tells me, you gotta think big picture. Sure, you're making good money now. But if you graduate, maybe you'll have the option of more money in the future."

"Not for a while, though."

"Yeah, not for a while. We're all in sucky entry level jobs right now. But if you're already pulling a decent mechanic gig now, imagine what you could do with a degree."

"Maybe you're right." The redhead went silent for a little, following Kate's lead as the two zagged through endless stalks. "I just wanted to make her proud."