Kansas Corncob(s) – Part 29 (Patreon)

Everyone in this story is 18+

The small meeting room already smells like coffee and Lori’s cookies when we walk in. A few familiar faces look up. Marco gives me a quick wave from his usual chair. Daniel is there again beside him, sitting a little less stiff than last time. Isabella and Tyler are talking quietly near the window.

Kansas stays half a step behind me, one hand stuffed in the pocket of his jeans. I can feel the nerves rolling off him, but he’s not as flushed as usual when nervous. That already feels like progress.

“Hey everyone,” I say, setting the plate of cookies on the table. “This is Kansas. He’s… with me. My boyfriend.”

A couple of soft “oh”s go around the circle. Marco’s eyebrows shoot up in a way that is pure delighted gossip, but he keeps it contained. Daniel offers a small, genuine smile.

Kansas clears his throat. “Uh. Hi. I’m Kansas. I go to K-State. Agribusiness. I live on a farm just outside town with my parents.” He glances at me, then back at the group. “I used to think I was the only one around here who felt like this. Guess I was wrong.”

It is short and a little awkward, but honest. A few people nod. Isabella smiles at him. Tyler says, “Welcome, man. You’re in good company.”

We settle into the circle. The conversation moves the way it always does, slow at first, then a little deeper. Someone talks about a rough week with family. Daniel mentions he finally told one colleague at the university and it went better than expected. The usual mix of fear and small victories.

When it gets to me I lean forward, elbows on my knees.

“So… my update is kind of messy,” I start. “I found out for sure I’m not getting into NYU. The waiting list is basically a polite way of saying no at this point. Everything feels up in the air. I have no real plan for what comes after the summer. No fancy school waiting. No clear next step.”

I pause, looking down at my hands for a second.

“But I can’t really be sad about it. Not the way I thought I would be. And it’s not just because of Kansas.” I glance sideways at him. He is watching me with that quiet, steady look he gets sometimes. “Not just Kansas the person. My person. It’s the whole thing. This state. The people here. This little group. The way my own prejudices about small-town Kansas turned out to be mostly bullshit. I came here thinking it was going to be three months of pure hell, and instead I found… this. A kind of calm I didn’t know I was missing. Even though I still have zero clue what the hell comes next.”

The room stays quiet for a beat. Then Marco gives a soft little clap. Isabella nods hard. Daniel looks at me like he understands exactly what I mean.

We talk a little longer after that, nothing heavy, just the usual mix of support and dumb jokes. Someone asks Kansas about the farm and he ends up explaining irrigation systems in more detail than anyone asked for, which somehow makes the whole circle laugh.

By the time people start packing up, the energy feels lighter again. Kansas helps me carry the leftover cookies to the car. As we walk out into the warm evening air he bumps his shoulder lightly against mine.

“You did good in there,” he says.

I bump him back. “You too, farm boy.”

◆◆◆

We are almost at the truck when Daniel steps away from the side of the building. He still has the same quiet posture from the meetings, glasses catching the streetlight, corduroy pants as always, but something in his expression is different now. More resolved.

“Jett? Do you have a minute?”

Kansas stops beside me. Daniel looks between us.

“I should be clearer about who I am,” he says. “You already know me from the group. What I didn’t say last time is that I’m not only a professor here. I’m also the Dean of Student Affairs at Kansas State.”

I blink. “You’re the dean?”

He gives a small, almost sheepish smile. “I am. What you’ve built with Prairie Rainbow matters more than you probably realize. The way people open up. The fact that I felt safe enough to keep coming back after that first meeting. That doesn’t happen by accident.”

I do not know what to say. Kansas stays silent but I can feel him listening hard.

Daniel continues. “I’ve been impressed by you, Jett. Not just the group. The way you’ve thrown yourself into this place. You’ve shown real community spirit, and that counts for something. Maybe more than people think.”

He pauses, choosing his words carefully.

“Kansas State has a small number of late admission slots that open in special cases each year. They’re not advertised. They’re reserved for students who demonstrate something beyond transcripts. I can’t promise anything. The final decision isn’t only mine. But if you want this… if you actually want to stay and build something here… I encourage you to reach out to Professor Ramirez. Ask her about writing a strong personal essay. Tell her I sent you. Between the work you’ve done with Prairie Rainbow, the growth people around you have noticed, and a solid essay, I think you have a real chance.”

He looks at me directly.

“Maybe you’re exactly what this city needs right now. And from what I’ve seen, maybe this city is exactly what you’ve needed too.”

The evening air feels suddenly heavier. Kansas’s hand finds the small of my back, steady and warm.

Daniel nods once, polite and final. “Think about it. The door’s open longer than most people realize.”

Then he turns and walks toward the parking lot, leaving us standing there under the streetlights with the whole future suddenly looking a lot less closed than it did an hour ago.