4
The weekend was spent like most of my weekends while away at university. Friday evening was spent in my room, reading all of the chapters needed for the following week, making notes, and organizing more. On Saturday, I got even crazier and worked ahead, starting some of the worksheets and homework that I knew was going to be assigned, thanks to the syllabus. As Collin loved to point out, my behavior was geeky, but I preferred to think of myself as proactive.
Spending the whole weekend in my room didn’t happen, though. For fear of becoming a social pariah, I went and had breakfast in the dining hall Saturday morning. I met some classmates for an impromptu bring-your-own-food lunch in the quad at noon on Saturday. I even made it out of my room Saturday evening for a free concert thrown by the university band in the evening.
Going to the concert wasn’t so much about the music. In my opinion, when you’ve seen one university marching band, you’ve basically seen them all. However, there were more vendors giving away free crap to lure university students to their booths. I’m savvy enough to not sign up for credit cards, promise my future to the military, or sign on the dotted line. I will, however, except your free merch and “think about what you’ve said.”
A free t-shirt, some pens, a few magnets, a handful of stickers and random drinking vessels are always welcome. Frats and Sororities were also out in full force, attempting to recruit. My smarts were too sharp for that nonsense as well. However, it was kind of fun to watch freshmen fall all over themselves for a chance to make friends with frat boys and sorority girls with ghastly smiles permanently affixed to their faces.
Free food was also a draw for the concert. The lines were long enough to nearly dissuade someone, but free food is free food. I got a hot dog, a hamburger, a basket of French fries, and a funnel cake so small it was gone in three bites. However, the powdered sugar covered dough gave me the energy needed to keep raiding booths for free merch.
Additionally, I got to socialize with various students from all four years, so I was able to say I wasn’t a total shut-in dorm rat. However, when I got back to my dorm around ten o’clock on Saturday night, I was so hopped up on sugar and caffeinated beverages, I couldn’t even think about bed. So, I cracked open the bottled coffee a vendor had shoved at me, and sipped at it while I did a little bit more of my coursework.
Waking up Sunday morning, I felt like I’d been slapped around, shoved into a busy road, and plowed into by an eighteen-wheeler. My brilliant idea to consume even more caffeine and study kept me up until three o’clock in the morning. I slept fitfully, tossing and turning, dreams of running late to class and missing a test or being locked out of the classroom, only to then find out I was also naked, filled my sleeping hours.
Somehow, I managed to pry myself out of bed and go down to the bathrooms for a complete and thorough shower. The Friday and Saturday activities had left me feeling disgusting, so a thorough scrubbing of all the cracks and crevices was a necessity. I’d felt so disgusting I imagined that TLC or Discovery channel might actually contact me about filming a new show. One about shut-ins who only eat junk food, drink garbage caffeinated beverages, and sit in one chair for so long it melds itself to a person’s actual flesh.
Luckily, I felt much more human after my shower. Even more amazing, I returned to the room to find a text from Collin waiting for me.
Pizza Insanity at six? Everyone is coming!
I wasn’t sure who “everyone”
was, but going out to eat with friends sounded like the reset I needed for the coming week. Shooting back a text accepting the invitation, I finished my morning grooming ritual. By the time I was done, Collin had confirmed that the invitation wasn’t a joke, and I had my plans set for the evening.
Standing there in my room, freshly dolled up, I realized that I had nothing at all to do. Working even further ahead on my coursework was a bad idea. Professors are notorious for changing assignments or shifting lanes halfway through semesters, so I didn’t want to do work that might actually be useless in a few weeks. The one thing that pissed me off more than being unprepared was being over prepared. Hard work that had wasted time was a real corn kernel in my back tooth. So, I decided that getting some fresh air was best.
Grabbing my lanyard and wallet, I headed down to the dining hall. Before lunch on Sundays is always a slow time, so the dining hall wasn’t even a quarter full when I got there. Since I didn’t really see anyone I knew all that well, I grabbed a couple slices of whole grain toast, a covered bowl of fruit salad, a couple strips of bacon, and a bottled water. After going through the line for students with meal plans, I headed back outside.
I found a cozy spot in the shade on one of the benches in the mostly empty quad and had my breakfast. The sun was inching towards the middle of the sky, so even though it was a bit chilly, it wasn’t unbearable. I’d put on jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, and sneakers, so the weather was more than pleasant as I ate my breakfast. After all of the garbage I’d eaten over the last forty-eight hours, the fruit and water were a treat to my gut.
The quad started filling up after I’d eaten, so I threw my trash away and took a walk around campus. I had to roll up my sleeves as the day was getting warm enough to warrant it. I did a pass through the library, checking to see if there was anything I wanted to check out to read simply for fun. I grabbed a newer mystery and a thriller for my spare time. After the library, I stopped by the student bookstore to see if anything was going on, then remembered it was closed on Sundays. So, I took the library books back to my room to make sure they were safe before heading back out.
Most of the early afternoon was spent walking mindlessly around campus, running into friends, having quick chats, and a small snack in the dining hall to tide me over until dinner. I ran into one of the freshmen that was in my American Literature class and we discussed the upcoming books for a bit, which was nice. However, an hour before I had to meet Collin and everyone at Pizza Insanity, I found I was at a loss for anything else to do.
Going back to the dorm to read one of my library books for a bit crossed my mind. When I realized that the walk back to the dorm would leave me only twenty minutes to read before I had to head out to Pizza Insanity, I gave up on the idea. So, I made my way back to the quad, knowing that it would be emptying out since dinner was coming up.
When I got to the quad at the center of campus, I found that I had my choice of places to sit. Nearly all of the benches were empty and the few stragglers left behind were seated on the planters, earbuds in, ignoring the world around them. So, I found a bench and sat down, pulling my phone out to keep me entertained while I waited for dinnertime.
Mindlessly scrolling my phone is not something I typically do. I have no social media presence and I don’t text a lot of people. I prefer phone calls and real-life interactions. My phone was basically to make said phone calls, video calls, keep a mobile calendar for important coursework, listen to music, read e-books, and play a few games. It also doubled as an alarm clock.
I pulled up a mind-numbing game and began to play, not really paying much attention, but it kept my brain occupied for the time I needed to kill. After a few minutes, I realized that staring at the sky or the trees was preferable to the game on my device. So, I checked the time, and then slid my phone back into my pocket and checked out the scenery as my fingers played with the lanyard around my neck. With the quad empty, I realized how quiet campus could be when almost everyone was in their rooms or in the dining hall.
It amazed me how crazy a college campus could be when events were happening, and then suddenly be so dull when the events calendar was empty. A Sunday afternoon on a college campus may as well be a Sunday afternoon in a crypt. Sighing, I sat back on the bench and looked around, wondering if I’d go insane before six o’clock came around.
When my eyes landed on the smattering of trees under the—currently off—sodium lamps, I was shocked to see Theo there once again. After Friday evening, when he’d been rudely yelled at by other students, I figured I’d never see him in the quad again. That was a ridiculous thought, of course, since the quad was nearly unavoidable. What was he going to do? Stay in his dorm the entire time he was at Midway University? Even I, with my geek tendences, couldn’t pull that off. A guy had to eat and stretch his legs—not to mention, bathe—every once in a while.
Unnoticed by Theo, I found myself staring at him. He was sitting on the ground, his knees bent, his back against one of the tree trunks. His phone was out and he was holding it out in front of him at arm’s length. He’d hold his phone out, smile at it, then pull it in close to look at it. He did this a number of times before I realized he was taking selfies. I have a mirror in my dorm room if I need to see myself, so I’m not much of a selfie taker. However, I’m familiar with the concept.
Theo kept tilting his head this way and that, shifting slightly here and there, taking selfie after selfie. He’d smile at the camera each time he snapped a pic, but between each pose, his face would go blank, completely unreadable. It amazed me that at one moment he could look like he hadn’t a care in the world, as if it was the proverbial oyster. Then the next, he’d appear as if he didn’t really care if he was awake and participating in his actual life.
After several minutes of taking selfies, Theo frowned at the final picture he’d taken, and his shoulders slumped. He slid his phone into his pocket and sat there, looking as though whatever he’d seen in the photo had ruined his life. He stared at his knees for the longest time as I stared at him, wondering about his story. As I began to decide that maybe it was best to walk over and introduce myself, he looked up.
It was if my stare had drawn his gaze because our eyes locked immediately. Tempted to look away quickly, as if I’d been doing something wrong, I had to fight the urge. It would have only made me look guilty of something, anyway. Instead, I forced myself to raise my hand and wave. Theo stared at me blankly for a moment, then his expression changed, as if he was thinking something over. Finally, the blank look returned and he jumped up from his spot under the tree.
My hand fell to my side as I watched him stuff his hands in his pockets, turn, and start walking towards the dorms. With a sigh, I shook my head, wondering how I could piss a stranger off so thoroughly every time I ran into them. Instead of agonizing over what I could have possibly done wrong, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. My spirits rose when I realized that I only had fifteen minutes before dinner.
I leapt up from the bench and headed off on foot towards Pizza Insanity.
It’s really just a ten-minute walk from campus, as the restaurant is a few blocks from the edge of the north parking lot. However, I didn’t want to be the last person to arrive. Since I didn’t know how many people were going to be eating with us, I didn’t want to get boxed into a seat in the corner. If that happens, it’s nearly impossible to leave when you want. I wanted a seat positioned around the table where I could easily skedaddle when I’d had enough pizza and people.
Pizza Insanity takes up the entire side of one block of Avenue F in town. Once a micro-brewery, the warehouse was converted into an ale house and pizza place years before I began my attendance at Midway University. The outside of the enormous building is metal and stone and glass, industrial aesthetics the entire way. When it was a micro-brewery, I imagine it looked a little more austere, but when it was turned into Pizza Insanity, some updating had been done to give it more character.
Neon lights advertising different beers and food were displayed in the windows, Christmas lights were hung around the building, and the fenced in patio to the right side of the building was always lively. Inside, dozens of booths lined the walls around the room, with a giant square bar at the center. Stools lined every side of the bar, save one—which was where servers were able to gain access to the area. Four-top tables filled up the rest of the place. The kitchen and restrooms were in the back.
Some nights, the owners would set up a small stage in the corner where the jukebox was and local bands would come and perform. People from town, Midway, and towns up to twenty miles away would dine at Pizza Insanity regularly. However, us university students were not welcome for longer than necessary unless we were actively buying food and drinks. Some students took issue with this, thinking of the restaurant as a free place to study. I understood the owners’ stance, though. When you’re as busy as Pizza Insanity on any given day, you can’t give up valuable real estate to entitled university students who won’t be repeat customers for more than four years.
Locals keep coming back, but you can only depend on the university students for the length of their degree plan. So, keeping locals happier was more important.
It made perfect sense to me. Then again, I wasn’t one of the students who showed up just to hang out. I always bought food and drinks and never stayed longer than seemed polite. Unless we were having beers and drinks and kept purchasing them as we stayed.
I rarely drink, though. Geeks need clear heads to keep track of their studies, of course.
The Sunday night crowd at Pizza Insanity was light since it was early in the season. Once football really got underway, that would change. However, since the crowd was sparse, I easily spotted Collin when I stepped in the front door. He’d selected the back corner U-shaped booth due to the size of the friend group chosen to eat with us.
While I was surprised to see that it looked like everyone had already arrived since I was a few minutes early, I was also pleased at what that meant for me. Wisely, Collin had chosen the outside seat on one side of the booth and let everyone fill up the rest of the booth. The only seat left was on the outside of the booth on the opposite side of Collin. As I’d hoped, I would have an outside seat, a quick escape readily available when the time came.
Everyone was in an intense, lively discussion when I arrived, so they didn’t notice when I walked in the door. I made my way across the restaurant and slid into the seat across from Collin slick as snot. When he noticed me, his face lit up, and the entire table turned their attention to me and cheered happily. It should have felt great, having my friend group cheer at my arrival, but I knew them all well enough to know they’d done this for everyone after the first three had arrived.
Nearly six times they’d cheered for someone’s arrival. I wasn’t special.
Also, this behavior explains further why Pizza Insanity gets annoyed with Midway students.
“It’s about time!”
Collin squealed at me from across the table.
My eyes flicked to the guy sitting on his left. Built, floppy, shiny hair, chiseled features, frat boy aesthetic—I assumed this was the mysterious Dylan. Collin didn’t make a formal introduction, so I didn’t bother getting too invested. I knew enough to know that no formal introduction to one of his guy friends meant that he had already decided they wouldn’t be around for long.
“I’m a few minutes early,” I said.
Everyone made joking, disapproving sounds at my response. The last person to the table was always treated as though they had been keeping everyone from ordering.
Our put-upon waitress approached our table right as everyone settled down. Begrudgingly, she took everyone’s drink orders. Mini conversations broke out around the table while we waited, discussions being had about what food would be ordered. When the waitress returned with a tray balancing ten drinks, she passed them out and set about taking orders.
Fortunately, I had convinced everyone that the best thing to do was order a couple of the extra-large pizzas and share. None of us were all that picky about toppings, so I had suggested three extra-large pizzas, one cheese, one pepperoni, and one supreme would do the job. Everyone had agreed, not realizing I was trying to make our waitress hate us less. I took it upon myself to relay our order to our waitress, and when I saw the gratefulness in her eyes, I knew it had all been worth it.
Maybe I had gotten Midway University students a few aura points in that moment.
Once she was gone again to put in our order, Collin twitched in his seat, his eyes like lasers on me. Suddenly, it seemed as if everyone else at the table was also staring me down. Uncomfortable at the sudden attention for some unknown reason, I sipped at my Mountain Dew nervously.
“What?”
I finally looked over at Collin when no one said anything.
“We’re waiting!”
he rolled his eyes.
Genuinely confused, I stared back at him blankly, the straw sticking out of the giant plastic tumbler poking into the corner of my mouth.
“You have to tell us all about Theo Hendrix being rude to you!”
Collin was rolling his eyes again. “We’ve been waiting.”
My brow furrowed as I took another sip of my soda and set the cup on the table.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
Everyone at the table booed, as if I’d said the most egregious thing they’d ever heard. I looked around at all of them, wondering what they were all talking about. When the noise died down, Collin spoke for the group again.
“You said he was a nasty little bitch in your American Lit class!”
“I did not,”
I said, chuckling nervously. “I didn’t even say he was rude. You exaggerate everything I tell you and then you get all of these freaks wound up.”
More razzing and boos came from the table, though everyone was amused.
One of our friends, Marissa, who was sitting in the center of bench on the right of the U-shaped booth, spoke up next.
“Collin said you were all, like, ‘hi’, and he told you to go fuck yourself or something?”
she asked.
I turned to look at Collin blankly. He shrugged.
“Really?”
I asked Collin. “Really?”
He grinned impishly.
“That’s not what happened,”
I said, turning to face everyone in turn. “When I said ‘hello’ to him he gave me a nod. He was just standoffish. Not rude. Mister Sister over here is making stuff up for dramatic effect. It was nothing.”
Everyone was booing again.
“I’m serious!”
I laughed. “It wasn’t even a thing. He just sat by me in class because it was the last empty seat and we didn’t even really speak. He wasn’t rude. It. Was. Nothing.”
The razzing from my friends was swift, but only lasted a minute. When they realized I had nothing more to add to what I’d said, they gave up. Mini-conversations broke out around the table again, and I was left staring daggers at Collin as I sipped my Mountain Dew. By the time the caffeine hit, I hoped the pizza was out and ready to eat, or I’d end up performing an incredibly aggressive and unnecessary tracheotomy on my best friend with my straw.
Collin noticed my glare and mouthed “I’m sorry”
sheepishly at me in the middle of the all of the discussions. Once again, I decided to forgive his drama. Smiling and shaking my head, I mouthed back, “Okay.”
“Good afternoon, Arthur!”