Alone

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

We have this ritual of watching the freshman move into the dorms. This started our sophomore year. I always enjoyed seeing them struggle with all of their unnecessary crap that they had to cram into a room the size of a closet. We're standing on the farthest street from the freshman dorms to avoid being asked to help them, and so no one could see us laughing at them.

"Who the fuck brings a chest with them?" Paul asks in complete shock.

"A dumbass who can't decide what they want to bring." I say trying to light my cigarette.

I inhaled the smoke as Paul laughs at the people struggling with their things. The burn in my lungs was a familiar one, but is reassuring as well. It was an additional punishment for living a life full of hell. My own personal punishment for being put into it. The large, grey cloud of smoke blocks my vision of everyone, of the world. The separation only lasts a couple of seconds, but it somehow relaxes me.

The chaos returns, but it had to eventually. The sea of frantic people continues, but my eyes caught someone wearing the most obnoxious pair of bright socks. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, away from her face. A dark t-shirt hangs loosely on her, almost hiding her shorts. I continue to stare as my cigarette burns away between my fingers. Paul continues to blab on about the different nutcases he sees, but all of my focus is on her.

"Are you even listening fucker?" Paul asks hitting my arm, startling me.

"No," I said looking at him. I flick the little bit that's left of my cigarette into the street before looking for her again in the crowd. "Dammit," I mumble to myself seeing that she isn't there.

"Whatcha lookin at there?" He says being the nosey ass that he is.

Before I could say anything back, I hear an ear piercing screech. "Harry!" The voice yelled. I turn to see black hair bouncing down the road. Oh no.

"Dude, please hide me." I say as I head towards the closest tree.

"Why?" Paul chuckles as he watches me trying to hide.

"Reagan's coming." I whisper peering around the thin but full tree. "Am I hidden completely?" My tall stature makes it very hard for me to not be noticed.

"You're fine," he reassures.

I can see the strands of black hair through the branches of the tree and hear her obnoxious squeak that is her voice. Reagan started off as a friend of Paul's which caused her to be sucked into knowing me as well. She's a brat whose used to getting everything she wanted when she said it. We didn't hit it off automatically, but one night we were drunk at a frat party and she got a little handsy on me, which led to us hooking up that night. After that, we hooked up every once in awhile, but now it's frequent. I've managed to tolerate her as a person, until she sees me and clings herself to me. I don't do the whole dating thing and she knows that.

I decide to look back at the idiots unloading their shit from their cars. The emotional and frantic parents have always made me laugh. They act like a parent does when their child starts school for the first time, a blubbering mess. The mum's hug their babies like this is the last time they're going to see them. Disgusting. My mum was never like that with me. Since I started school I was in charge of getting myself up and ready to catch the bus on time. Mum was constantly working from the early hours of the morning to the late hours at night. There would be times when I was young where I would wait up for her to come home to spend some time with her, but she was so tired that she ignored me and went directly to bed. I've been doing things on my own since I was five.

Eventually giving up on looking at the emotional parents, my eyes start to wonder. Where is she? Why am I worrying about her? The squeaks seemed like the stopped, so I peered through the branches. All of a sudden, a heavily makeuped eye peers back at me. Goddammit.

"Hi, Harry." Reagan squeaks.

"Reagan," I say as I walk out from behind the tree.

"Busted," Paul mutters to himself. I flip him off, only to get one back in return.

"I was telling Paul about the party tonight at Michael's. You'll be there won't you?" She asks twirling a piece of her curly hair with her finger.

"Yes,"

"Good. I'll see you guys later then." She said as she walked away. Hallelujah.

A few hours later, the craziness stopped. Paul got a text from his girlfriend, Kimmy, to go and visit her in her dorm room. Kimmy's a great girl for him. Although, before they started to date, we used to hook up, often. Whether we were drunk at a party or had nothing to do, we managed something out. Paul knew we hooked up on a nightly basis, but he went after her anyway. He'll have that special someone in his life. I never will.

The short walk to Wilhelm Hall felt like a never ending hike. Will I see this mystery girl again? Why is she taking over my thoughts? All I want to do in this moment is to play my guitar and forget everything, or get shit faced, whichever comes first. Cigarettes only make things invisible for a bit but don't make you forget anything. I'll do anything to get my mind off this mystery chick.