Yet another college story

CHAPTER ONE: COLLEGE

The sun was bursting through the window of my old Sedan. As I was driving I saw a couple of birds standing about on the electricity poles on the side of the road. I wondered how they could stand on those poles while thousands of volts were racing beneath their feet.
That's kind of my thing, wondering how and why things happen the way they do.

          I was sitting in the back row. I could barely see what was happening on stage as the caps of other students blocked my view. This was it, I thought. The end of this horror and suffering. As I was waiting for my name to be called I saw Sharon and Dennis pointing at me and then laughing. 'Screw you', I muttered.
'Carl Buckley', Miss Adams called. As I was standing up caps revealed faces as people looked to me. I started walking to the stage and the eyes of my fellow graduates followed me, keeping an eye on me. As if they were cautious. After what seemed an hour I arrived at the stage. Miss Adams shook my hand, gave me my degree and whispered: 'Congratulations Carl, enjoy college for me, will you? 'Thanks' I whispered back. People started giving me a round of applause and it was no soft applause, it felt like a genuine applause.
It's weird how you sit through high school, being picked on and hated by so many students, but then you graduate and stand on the stage and they muster up the strength to act genuine for you. The sun was shining bright.

I drove up the parking lot of South Seattle college. Finally it is happening. I shut off the ignition, took out the key and opened the door. It was hot, a late august warmth. A gentle breeze touches my hair as I got out of the car. I looked around, the place was full of people laughing, eating and enjoying each others company. I reached for the handle of the trunk when something hit me in the stomach. It was a football. As I stood there trying not to throw up I heard a voice: 'Hey are you ok? I'm so so sorry about that! I am just that clumsy!' followed by a nervous laugh. As I looked up I saw a girl with brown wavy hair till the shoulders. She had freckles on her cheeks and a kind face. Slowly I pulled myself up with the help of my car. As I rose up the girl took a small, almost not noticeable, step backwards. It confused me but then I remembered that my length of 1,85 meters is above average in the United states. 'Yeah.. I'm fine, just feeling a little nauseous right now.' She threw me a clumsy smile and said: 'I really feel awful for hitting you in the stomach like that. So stupid of me, especially on my first day at college. Let me make it up to you tonight by buying you a cup of coffee. That is the least I can do for you!'

         It was late, around 11 PM. when I stepped out of my car. It was a cold winter's night and I shivered. I saw Sharon waiting at the diner. She said she wanted to buy me a cup of coffee, as we hadn't been hanging out since forever. I entered the diner and sat by her. As she ordered two cups of coffee she told me that she had missed me. I really thought she was genuine but she wasn't. At around 00:30 PM. I stepped out of the diner and headed for my car when I suddenly felt a burning pain on the back of my head. As I turned around I saw Sharon, Dennis and the gang behind my. It took me a while to realize that Sharon had thrown a cup of coffee on the back of my head, hence the burning pain. 'You're such a loser Carl, did you really think I missed you?' The gang behind her started laughing except for Dennis. He looked away. The next thing I saw was a fist heading for my cheek as lights faded away.

'Hey, hey! Are you really okay? Do you need to go to the nursery?' the girl said to me. ' No really I'm fine. Yeah I'll have a cup of coffee, I live in dorm 32F, pick me up at 8 PM ok?' I replied. She nodded and headed back to her friends by the tree who had been watching the conversation the whole time. I looked at her friends. I saw Cassie, a girl from my high school, Jake, I used to work with him, but the others I did not know. I shook my head, opened the trunk and took my stuff out of the car. 'What does life have for me today?'I thought.