TC Novel

house. It was Cindy’s 21st birthday. We all stood around to watch her blow the 20 white candles with one big pink one to make 21. She had to be fast before the wind blew them out for her. We all wondered what her wish would be. Would it be to graduate with honors next year, to finally meet the man of her dreams, or to just live a better life. We had been friends ever since college began. We all had the same Algebra class. Cindy was the smartest one in this subject. She was always available for tutoring help as needed. Boy how she had helped me out in times of a crunch. Now she was the last of us four girls to turn 21. How time had flown by. It seemed like only yesterday when we were sitting in class for the first day, scared out of our minds. It was Cindy, Carol, Cynthia, and myself, four girls with first names that began with the letter C in one class. How ironic. We had to become friends for this simple coincidence. My name is Cathy. xxx I can still remember the first day I met Cindy. She was the girl that

turned everyone’s head in the Algebra class when she walked in. She was tall, slender with sandy brown hair. It was parted on the left side, and fell on her shoulders in loose curls. A few strands lay just over her brow. Her eyes were green, and seemed to sparkle when she smiled. She wore a Levi Strauss black denim ensemble, short skirt with cropped waist jacket. Under the jacket she had on an emerald green blouse with sparkles that blended with the color of her eyes. Black stacked heels with shoulder strap bag to match completed her snazzy outfit. As she walked in the room she tossed her head back lightly. I had heard through rumor that she was the most popular girl in the school. I could see why. She was very pretty. She glanced around the room for an empty seat. I was sitting toward the back in the third or fourth row. She slid in the seat just to the right of me, and placed her purse under her chair. After a couple of minutes of squirming in her seat and glancing around the room at the other students, she looked at me and said, “Hi, my name is Cindy, what’s yours?” “Mine is Cathy. You can call me Cat, though for short,” I said softly. “I thought this day would never come. I was so excited when I received my letter of acceptance to this university. I’m a country girl here in a big city,” she informed me gleefully. I smiled and said, “That’s cool, where are you from? “ She stated in her heavy southern drawl, “I’m proud to be from Aiken, South Carolina. What part of this big world are you from?” she asked me. “I’m from a little town, too, in Georgia. Waycross. Have you ever heard of it? To tell you the truth I don’t think anyone knows where either of our little cities is on the map,” We both laughed. “Have you heard anything about this class or the teacher? I believe her name is Professor Kluck. We shouldn’t have any trouble remembering that one, especially since we’re both from the South,” I said trying to be humorous. She smiled and I could see that her teeth were pearly white and neatly spaced. “Math has always been my worse subject. I almost didn’t make it through high school I had so much trouble with it,” I stated. “Have no fear, I love Math. I will be glad to help you anytime you need it. The homework is the key. You have to do it whether you want to or not. If you don’t you will get behind, and trust me, it’s hard to catch up they go so fast. My mom told me that college is just like highschool. You just can’t goof off,” Cindy told me. She seemed to be a nice girl. I

was glad that I met her. Maybe Algebra won’t be so bad after all.

Professor Kluck was a petite woman with short gray hair, and a squeaky

voice. As she pranced into the room hugging a portfolio and a bunch of white

sheets of paper the class got quiet. She walked up to the whiteboard and

proceeded to write her name. Under that she wrote the title of the class, College

Algebra 101. She turned and peeked out over her small dark rimmed glasses,

and scanned the room. “Good Morning class. I am Professor Emily Kluck, and

we will be spending an hour everyday learning a subject that you will use for the

rest of your life-Math. It may not seem as though we use it everyday, but you

would be surprised that we do in some form. Before I get started I’d like to call

the roll, and see if everyone who is supposed to be here is here”, she smiled. My

mind drifted for a moment as I listened for my name to be called by Professor

Kluck. “I made it. Here I am in college,” I thought to myself. “I am finally away

from my brother, Mom and Dad, in this big city of Chicago known as “the windy

city” in Illinois. Chicago is said to be famous for its wind. ###It was known that

back in the late 1800’s the Chicago Tribune referred to the city as windy because

of its refreshing lake breezes. This could definitely be true as far as I am

concerned. It seems to be kind of windy everywhere in my opinion. Not only by

the so-called lake. The other referral was around the same year when someone

said that the wind referred to the long-winded politicians. This depiction seems

true as well. I can see this tradition lingered on into the new millennium.

Professor Kluck depicts this to still be alive and true. “Cathy Stevens” she sounds

out. ^^^ After class, Cindy and I exchanged phone numbers. I am not that much

of a talker but, I thought okay, I guess I need to be more sociable. Now, that I

am in college and all. I was never that popular in high school. For a minute I

thought well maybe if I hang around Cindy then I will be noticed a little more.

Well it was off to the next class. This was my favorite subject, Science. As

I walked in the classroom I looked around, and saw nothing but a bunch of nerdy

guys. I thought to myself "am I the only Science loving girl in class?" The teacher

was a tall, well-built, make your heart beat fast kind of guy. Well, I can overlook

all those nerdy guys and grow to love this class, I thought. xxx Just as I found

myself day-dreaming about this gorgeous teacher standing in front of me, the bell

rang signifying it was time to get serious. I almost jumped out of my seat it

alarmed me so. “My gracious that really scared you, didn’t it?” I heard someone

say. Boy was I happy to see that there was another girl in this class besides me.

“Mr. Lynberg. Mr. Robert Lynberg. Isn’t he the bomb! When I was standing in

that long line to register, a bunch of people said to take Mr. Lynberg for Science.

They said he was a great teacher, and most of the girls said he was good-

looking, too. They were so right. You know, I hate science, but I could learn to

live with it just to look at this guy,” she smiled. “Sorry, I forgot to introduce

myself. I am Carol Brown. I’m from Baltimore, Maryland. What’s your name?”

“Who me?” I stuttered still in a mild daze. “Oh, sorry, my name is Cathy, Cathy

Stevens, and I’m from a little town in Georgia. You’ve probably never of heard of

Waycross have you? “No I sure haven’t.” What did you say your name was? I’m

bad with names. She said, “Carol Brown.” “Hey, aren’t you in Algebra 101?” Iremember Professor Kluck yelling your name out this morning among all the

others. We smiled. “Yeah, I kind of remember you too. You sat by the girl with the

jean outfit on, didn’t you? “You’re exactly right. That’s Cindy. We just met today,

too. She seems cool, and she loves Math. Algebra is definitely not my strong

subject.” “Mine neither”, she chimed in. ”If she doesn’t remember seeing you in

the Algebra class when we go back to it again, don’t worry I will officially

introduce you guys again,” I said as I patted her arm lightly.

That’s about all we said to each other that first day in the Science class.

Neither of us could take our eyes off of the teacher. He rambled on and on about

the syllabus, the assignments, and the lab tests. I did take a few minutes in

midstream and spot checked the room for my new classmates. Although they

were a bunch of nerdy guys, I wondered whether they would need help with

homework. I knew that this could turn out good for me. I loved Science, and I

was good at it. I used to help my younger brother, Sammy, with his biology

projects when he was in middle school. He’d whine and complain, “Mom, why

can’t I be smart like Cat?” He is a sophomore in high school now, and at times

he still calls me to help him. When he was a little guy, I’d tell him that he just

needed to study more, and I’d reassure him that I wasn’t smarter than him at all.

He’d feel good then, and stick out his chest and grin from ear to ear. This class

would be an easy one for me. Thank goodness, since I was carrying a full load

this semester.

Before I knew it the bell was ringing in my ear again summoning me to go

to the next class, or wherever I had to go. I had about an hour and a half

between classes, so I figured this would be an opportune time to go to the

bookstore to pick up books for my classes. First stop would be the ladies’ room,

and then to the bookstore, which was clear across the campus. I thought about

how beautiful this campus looked on the pictures I looked at on the internet. I

spent hours opening and closing what seemed like hundreds of web sites trying

to find a great college to attend. I knew that you had to send a bunch of

applications out to different universities and pray you got accepted to the one you

desired the most. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to study. I did know that I

wanted to obtain a college education. My parents had drilled the importance of

having an education in my head ever since I was old enough to read. Since both

of my folks were college graduates, it was expected of me to go to college also. I

was looking forward to it. My one thought ever since ninth grade, a freshman at

Long High School in Waycross, was that I wanted to go to college and make my

parents proud. My father, Samuel is a psychologist, and my mother, Carol is a

nurse. My brother Sammy talks about going to law school, especially since he

says he hates science. Upon graduation from high school, my grade point

average was up in the higher range at a 3.9. I had also scored almost 1200 on

my SATs. Grades were not an issue. Location was the issue as far as my

parents were concerned. Since my GPA was exceptional I got a scholarship to

go to any university I wanted to. My parents wanted me to stick close to home,

but I really wanted to get out of the little town of Waycross, Georgia. My dream

was to go to a college in a big city where I could meet new people and live in a

dormitory. I was 18 now, so why couldn’t I finally do what I wanted to do?### The University of Chicago was exactly what the pictures on the

website depicted. It had beautiful landscaping. I loved the open feeling it let off

when arriving at the front gates. The Botanic Garden was one of the reasons I

chose this university. It was originally initiated by President Hugo Sonnenschein

in an effort to establish a formal Botanic Garden on the campus of the University

of Chicago. It is a long-term goal to identify and restore the rich history of

landscape design at the academy. It is a garden full of perennials, shrubs and

trees that are donated from around the world. It is used for studying and is

appreciated by surrounding counties alike. The school itself is situated in a place

called Hyde Park. It is right on Lake Michigan and home to 42,000 people,

including more than 62 percent of the University's faculty and nearly all of its

students. The area was settled in the 1850s as an elegant suburb and is among

the most desirable places to live in the City of Chicago. It is also the site of

renowned museums and architectural landmarks. This is a place for a girl like

me. It is so totally different from Waycross.

Approaching the bathroom I see Carol. “Hey Cathy” she yells. “Hey girl,

where to after this?” “I have one more class for today, History 101. How boring.”

We both agreed. “I have one more too.” Well I have about an hour before it

starts, want to go to the cafeteria to grab a snack?” “Sure.” We travel throughout

the halls and walkways before approaching the large cafeteria. “This is the

coolest school ever huh?” I said. “I love it too Cathy.” “You can call me Cat, I tell

her.” “Well you can call me Carol, she says laughing.” We both got a cappuccino

and a cookie. XxxThere wasn’t much time left before the next class, and I still

had to purchase books from the bookstore. I asked Carol whether she had

bought her books yet, and she said she had a couple more to get. So we both

scuttled off to locate the bookstore. Since Carol wasn’t as shy as I was, and we

didn’t want to be late for our next class, she opted to ask for directions from a

couple of students on the campus walkway. We were pleased to find out that it

was just a five-minute walk on the other side of the cafeteria. Carol and I

hurriedly searched for the bookstore. As we arrived I saw a man standing

outside the front door. I said, “Are you getting ready to close? Can we please

grab a few books before the next class begins? We know which ones we need.”

As he put the key in the glass door, he hesitantly sighed, “I guess so, but please

hurry.” I already had my list, so all I had to do was pick them up. Carol went to

the aisle with the Math books, and I pranced off to find my Science books, which

was two, a hardcover and a lab project notebook. It seemed that the cost of the

books were expensive. I was glad that I had the funds from the scholarship to

cover most of the cost. My parents both worked and could afford to put me

through college, but soon my brother would graduate from high school, and

pursue his dream of becoming an attorney. Law school was probably going to

cost even more than this fancy university I was attending. Ultimately, my parents

would be thrilled with our success, and very proud of us. That is all that mattered

to me. I felt a slight tap on my shoulder. It was Cindy. “Hi, Cat. I see you’re in

here trying to get books between classes, too. I thought I’d better come now

before all the used ones are gone. You know they are a little cheaper than the

new ones. What’s the sense in spending money on books when you can spendit on pretty clothes? I love clothes,” she said cheerfully. Just as I was getting

ready to comment on Cindy’s statement, Carol strode over and stood beside me.

I didn’t hesitate to introduce them. “Carol this is Cindy. You remember? She’s in

our Algebra class. She sat right next to me.” “Of course I remember you. You

had on a jean outfit. I thought it looked really cool. It’s nice to see you again,”

Carol said. “Have you two got another class to go to? Cause I think it’s almost

time to be there,” Cindy exclaimed. “We don’t want to be late on the first day,

now do we,” I said racing for the counter to pay for the books.

^^^ Cindy and Carol seemed to hit it off good. I kind of had that feeling. I

asked them what they were doing that evening and if they knew of any good

restaurants. At the same time both of them replied "Wednesday's." It's a small

hole in the wall place, but they have the best French fries ever... “So do you girls

want to meet up there tonight?" I asked. Sure they said. What time? We all

agreed on 6:30PM. Everyone made sure to get home and cell numbers before

we were off. Here we go, off to the next and final class. This would be the easy

class I thought. Physical fitness! I loved to work out so this would be a breeze.

As I walked into the gym I started thinking, "I can't believe I have made friends so

fast." Well, how could I know that these girls were actually going to be my

friends? It was just something inside of me telling me that. It wasn't just

something, it was God. He knows what is best for me and he knows what I like,

so he sent them my way. "Thank you, Lord, just thought that I would say a small

prayer for my new friends."

This class is also where I met Cynthia. She was neither skinny nor

overweight, either. On the first day of this class we all sat down and introduced

ourselves. Finally, it was my turn. I just wanted to get this over with I thought (I

really don't like talking in front of a crowd). "Hi, my name is Cathy and I am from

Waycross, Ga. This is my first day here, and I am having a really good time so

far. “Just as I was about to sit down Cynthia yelled out "don't you have Algebra

with Professor Kluck?" I said yes, yes I do. The gym teacher said, “Okay girls

you two can talk after class.” This teacher was a very broad, heavy voiced

woman. Everyone thought that she was homosexual, but come to find out she

wasn't. The guy sitting next to me said, "I feel for her husband". We both

giggled.

###”Well class, today is the first day of the rest of your life. I say this

because physical fitness will carry you on throughout your entire life, at least if

you let it. Don’t let this frame of mine fool you; I am in the best shape of my life.”

We all were looking at this teacher as if to say, “Yeah right. I don’t think so.” She

continued with her syllabus for the rest of the half hour we were in this class.

Cynthia kept peeking at me smirking at the way the teacher, Ms. Buff, looked.

Her name definitely fit her. After P.E. ended, Cynthia hurried up with her books

and met me at the door. We laughed quietly at the way this hour had went and

continued out into the hallway. “I can not believe the way she looks, at least for a

physical ed instructor. And that name!” Oh well, there is a job and a place for

everyone I guess. How is your first day at U.C. going? I am now done for today.

It has been a challenging and positive day. I have already met 3 new friends, and

all of them have names that start with the letter “C”, I smiled. Isn’t that acoincidence?” “Well, I have also enjoyed my classes today, she said. I have not

exactly met the other “C” girls, but look forward to in the near future.” What plans

do you have for tonight, if any?” Now that you mention it, Cindy, Carol and I are

going to a place called “Wednesdays” for dinner. I hear it has good French fries.

She smiled. I love French fries and milk shakes too. I’d love to go. What time are

you guys going to meet? Could you tell me how to get to this place? I pulled my

school campus map out of my backpack and drew a line showing her the best

way to the restaurant. The plan was to meet at Wednesdays at 6:30PM.

At 6:00PM I headed over to Wednesdays to meet my three new friends.

Since the restaurant was so close I decided to walk. I almost ran while thinking

about my night ahead. How excited I was that I not only met these new girls on

the first day of school, but I also like all of them right away. Wednesday’s

restaurant was only about a quarter of a mile from the school campus. I needed

the exercise, so I didn’t complain about the walk. It wasn’t a long walk at all, not

even a mile. Anyway, this is what Ms. Buff would recommend. She mentioned in

class today that to help us stay healthy, we should try to do some form of

exercise for at least 30 minutes at least three times a week. Fifteen minutes

wasn’t going to be much, but it was better than nothing, I figured.

Judging from the appearance of the outside of the building, it was

definitely a hole in the wall. It was a store front restaurant next to a juke joint. I

could see the smoke coming out of the bar next store. The sound of outdated,

rock’ n’ roll music blared as I approached. I hurried into the restaurant before a

man exiting the bar could see me. A lady gave me a smile as I entered the room.

She put her finger up as if to say wait one minute. I looked around to see if I saw

my friends. While scaling the area I saw a room full of booths. Some were red,

some black, and some green. The floor was black and white checkered and the

walls were painted yellow. It appeared to have been decorated in a diner fashion

but became outdated as time went on. The smell of fresh French fries lingered in

the air. XxxA tall, slender woman with flashy, red hair motioned me to sit in one

of the green booths in the far left corner. “Hi, you must be a new freshman here

on campus? she said. I can tell you new ones a mile away,” she grinned from a

mouth full of yellow colored, false teeth. As she spoke the dentures wobbled

around in her mouth like they were about to jump out and bite me. I smiled

sheepishly, trying not to stare at the choppers. Yes ma’am I’m new here, a

freshman I mean. I’m meeting my new friends here. I looked down at my new

Timex wrist watch. Mom had given it to me the day she and Dad dropped me off

at the administrative building, where I had to register. Almost 6:30. I’m early. I

usually was. My parents pressed that issue, time. They used to tell me that the

early bird always catches the worm. “I’ll be back when your friends get here to

take your orders, OK. The French fries are the best in town,” Rose said, at least

that is what her name tag said. As I waited for the time to pass I viewed the

restaurant and the people in it. The booths were placed all around the edges of

the large open room. In the middle were round tables covered with black and

white tablecloths that matched the checked décor. There were tiny wall lamps

sitting over individual miniature juke boxes at each booth. At each booth and

table sat salt and pepper shakers that were small Coke bottles. Everythingincluding the pictures on the walls, and the waitresses’ uniforms were fashioned

after the 1950’s theme. Black and white stripe blouses were tucked into white

fluffy, knee length skirts adorned with poodle dogs made of felt and cotton balls.

They either had big hair or ponytails with ribbons. They wore red bobby socks

with black and white oxford shoes. I thought about the old saying you can't judge

a book by its cover. The outside of this place may have left a bit to be desired,

but the inside was much better. It was very clean and neat. The waitress was

nice too, even if her teeth made me laugh.

Most of the tables in the center floor were occupied with noisy, hungry

college students. I thought about those dorky guys I saw in Science class. I

hoped that wasn’t all this school had to offer in the line of boys. Although I knew

that this college thing might be difficult I still wanted to have some fun. My

stomach started growling, so I looked around for the menu. At my booth on the

bottom part of the miniature juke box were little pages designed as the menu.

After each food item there was the title of a song you could play on your

individual music machine. I thought this was a clever idea. Just as I was about

to look at the menu and view the songs to see if I knew any on them, I heard a

voice say, “Hi Cathy.” It was Cynthia. She was the first to arrive. It was almost

6:30. This is some kind of place. Cool. At first I was sort of scared to come in.

Did you see all of that smoke coming from that place next door? I’m glad this is a

no-smoking institution. It is, isn’t it? She said as she looked around. Oh, look

over there, Cat; it’s OK for me to call you Cat isn’t it? There’s a sign that says No

Smoking. Thank goodness. I’m allergic to cigarette smoke,” she declared. “I

don’t care for it myself. Cindy and Carol should be here any minute. I can’t wait

for you to meet them. Hey, I’m fascinated by the fact that all of our names begin

with a ‘C’, and we all have the same Algebra class at the same time. Isn’t that

cool!” In my heart I thought God really does have something to do with this.

Carol and Cindy pranced into the restaurant arm in arm chuckling as

they sat down in our booth. “I see you girls are getting to know each other

better,” I pronounced smiling. That’s good, cause I have someone else real nice

for you to meet, and guess what she’s in our Algebra class too. This is Cynthia.

What is your last name, Cynthia, so that I can introduce you officially,” I asked

her. ^^^ "Harris, Cynthia Harris. Don’t you guys look at me so weird. I know it is

a common name, but I didn't pick it okay." We all laughed. “Well everyone this is

Cynthia Harris. There, I introduced you properly.” "Well, hi there Cynthia; it is

nice to meet you," Cindy said, followed by, “Yeah a pleasure to meet you” from

Carol. Just then the waitress walked up. She asked us what we wanted to drink.

Cindy went first “I’ll have a Sprite." Then Carol, “Coke for me please. “I'll just

have an

xxx unsweetened ice tea.” Cynthia ordered a Diet Coke. For dinner we all

agreed to try their famous French fries. Cheeseburgers seemed only fitting to go

along with the fries, like peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches. Rose, the

waitress returned with our beverages, took our orders and shuffled away with

pad and pencil in hand. I opened the conversation with chatter about high

school. ### “I remember my first day of high school. I was so nervous about what

it might be like. I can remember the way it felt to step onto that yellow school busand how time seemed to fly by before we were pulling up into the high school bus

zone for drop-off”. “Me too”, said Cynthia. Carol and Cindy chimed in with a nod

as if to agree exactly. “It was kind of the same feeling today, only without the

yellow school bus,” I said smiling. “Well my first day as a freshman in high school

was not that bad,” said Cynthia. My brother was a senior football player at the

time so everyone basically knew me from day one. He, being popular and all,

made it easier for me to fit in, at least with the people who weren’t jealous of his

success.” “How neat”, said Carol. “Yeah, way cool Cynthia,” Cindy sounded.

“So what about you guys? What was the best part about the first day of high

school?” I say. “Everything,” says Cynthia. “I especially liked the way my brother

Todd’s football buddies kept acknowledging me. Ha,ha. They weren’t all that bad

looking either. I remember thinking that high school wouldn’t be so bad.” We all

chuckled. “Well, besides the fact that I was late to almost every class because I

got lost, it went okay, said Carol. I remember being too scared to ask any upper

classman for directions. You know how they can tease the freshmen. I basically

winged it and ended up late. The teachers understood, thank goodness.” “Well,

I,” said Cindy, “had the best outfit a girl could have for my first day of high school.

My mom took me to Gap and I chose a long blue jean skirt, white oversized

button down oxford shirt, and a red mohair fur sweater to wear over the white

button down. I wore black leather boots that went up mid calf. I loved that outfit. I

must have worn it at least three times a month. How funny, huh? Me and my

clothes. I haven’t changed much since then.” We all laughed leaning towards

each other as if trying not to fall out of the booth.

XxxTime seemed to pass so quickly while the four of us sat munching on our

hamburgers and sharing stories about our high school days. I looked at my

watch. Almost 9:00 PM. Well, it’s time to go. Out of the window I could see the

tree branches wavering in the wind. People were walking toward the juke joint

next door. I knew that in a little while the sound of loud, rock and roll music,

laughter, and mumbled chatter would begin, and probably go on until wee hours

in the morning. We were college students. No time right now for such fun. We

had to study and had classes to attend early in the morning.

xxx Buzz…the alarm clock sounded in my left ear. I thought I was dreaming

when I rolled over in my bed to turn it off. A glimpse of sunshine peeked through

the large bay window of my dormitory room. I squinted my eyes to block the

warm light. I grabbed for my eyeglasses. I was blind as a bat without them. I

kept promising myself that one day I was going to get brave, and try contact

lenses. In the meantime, these large, oval shaped, burgundy spectacles would

do. “At least they match everything, honey,” Momma would say when I whined

about how ugly they were. “One day, Momma, I’m going to get rid of these

glasses. Then I’ll be pretty like you,” I used to tell her. I pulled myself up to the

side of the bed, and looked around the room. It was a pleasantly decorated

spacious area. Everything from the wall décor and antique wood furniture to the

plush rug under my feet blended nicely with the university’s Gothic style of

architecture. Draperies made from quality fabric hung at the massive, arched

windows. %%% I am so glad my roommate and I take interest in décor;

amateurs would not have done this gorgeous architecture and furniture anyjustice. We talked so much before we moved in and coordinated everything so

well! Her parents must not be hurting for funds either. I found my amazing rug at

Macy’s, and I picked up one for my roommate, Doreen, too. We both love pink.

The draperies were Doreen’s idea and one of her contributions to the room, and

their fuchsia color blended so well with the lighter pink rugs I’d found. The pieces

of art were so fun, meant for a dorm room. One of them had polka dots all over it

in every shade of pink. Another was 3-D and made out of a fuzzy material; it was

a big picture of a flower, each petal a different bright color. The room was bigger

than all of the dorm rooms I’d visited at other colleges, which I am so happy

about. It was difficult enough having to share a room with someone for the first

time. It was bizarre that I could see my roommate’s every move and see her, a

complete stranger, so clearly from my bed. xxxI looked over to the right at

Doreen. She was still snuggled up clutching her pink comforter. “Is it time to get

up already? It seems like we just went to bed. What time is it?” “It’s 6:30 in the

morning. I’m sorry if I woke you. I thought I had that little clock set on low. But I

guess not, or you are a light sleeper.” Rubbing her eyes she said, “I believe

that’s it,” she smiled. “No bother, thanks, Cathy, I needed to get up anyway. I do

have a problem getting to class on time.” “My dad believes in that old saying, the

early bird catches the worm. Do you want to use the bathroom first? I have a

couple of math equations to finish before class. Go ahead, you go. “Doreen

scurried out of bed, and went straight into the restroom. She was so concerned

about the time, that she didn’t waste a minute. I grabbed my notebook from the

desk in front of the window, and proceeded to do my necessary class work.

Math was my weakest subject. I planned to ask Cindy to meet with me for

tutoring. Math was her best subject. About twenty minutes or so passed when

Doreen came out of the restroom drying her hair with a towel. “My, is this a

wonderful room. This place must have cost a fortune to build. Would you take a

look at this furniture? I feel like I’m in a palace.” “Yes, I thought the same thing

when I opened my eyes this morning.” “Did you know that this school has quite a

history?” Doreen asked. “You can tell me about it later. I’m not trying to be

rude. It’s just that the time is slipping away, and we need to be on our way.” She

turned up her mouth a little, and said, ”Yes, you’re right. I’m trying to work on

that getting to places on time myself. Thanks, Cathy.” I hated to get up from the

desk, because for a few minutes I was really enjoying the scenery outside the

bay window. I could see gardens everywhere around the campus. They were

filled with various perennials and shrubs. Our dormitory room had a great view.

%%% I grabbed a trail mix Nature Valley granola bar, my favorite, and

rushed to the front of my building. The campus bus I needed to catch was pulling

off just as I reached the door, so much for being early. I decided I just didn’t feel

like walking; I hate smelling like that outside smell first thing in the morning. I

glanced at my watch; I still had fifteen minutes to spare. At orientation they said

the buses ran every five minutes in the morning. Good- just enough time to pull

my curly black hair into a decent ponytail. My outfit was pretty cute today. I

decided to wear one of my short dark denim skirts with a gorgeous pink strapless

baby doll shirt. I bought outfits for the entire first week of college. Although I

wish I didn’t wear my awful glasses, I think I am okay enough as far as looks areconcerned. My complexion is perfect to me, not too pale and not too tan. My mom always tells me I have a great shape. I guess I do have a coke bottle figure. I told myself I would stop hiding it once I began college. Within five minutes, the next bus screeched to a stop in front of me. There

were already some people standing up on the bus. I carefully stepped up onto the bus and secured my position, holding tightly onto the bus rail and taking my stance, with one foot a little in front of the other. Oh how I would hate to fall or bump into anyone on the second day of school. I do not know enough people yet for that utter embarrassment. As the bus barely missed a curve, I bumped into a handsome guy with a great smile; I didn’t mind that a bit. ### He looked down at me with a wonderful grin as if to be laughing inside at how clumsy I appeared. “Sorry about that,” I said. “No problem. It’s okay,” he replied. “It’s Michael, and yours?” I almost fell when I realized he was talking to me. “Cathy…Cathy Stevens…” He laughed this time at how I clearly appeared to be nervous. “You okay Cathy?” “Yeah, why do you ask?” “Just making sure.” I smiled, a little embarrassed. He obviously was a part of the football team being that he wore a UC football jacket. He stood about six foot high and had dark brown hair and green eyes. As I looked him over I noticed he had a Science book in his book bag. I proceeded to ask him what time his class was, being that I took Science as well. He surprisingly said he was in the same class as I was, Mr. “Cutie Pie” Lynberg’s, so all the girls think. I didn’t even notice him yesterday since all I could do was daydream for the entire hour. I remember seeing the nerdy guys but not him. This was such a coincidence and a good one I might add. We continued to talk about that and how our school week was going so far. He was a junior who got a scholarship in a town not far from Chicago. He was a great football star back home and they were proud of his accomplishments so far. The time went by so fast that I hardly realized we were at our stop in front

of the school. “Well it was so nice to meet you, Cathy Stevens,” he said, grabbing tightly to his book bag. “Hope to see you around.” “Me too Michael. “Well I’ll see you in Science class.” “I look forward to it,” he said brisk fully walking away from the bus. What a wonderful way to start a seemingly rushed day. Now it was time to get back focused on the matter at hand, my Algebra class, which I was about to be late for. This is the second day of this class, where I met my newfound friends.