Table of Contents

+ Add to Library

Previous Next

Chapter 8

  • Monday morning came and I dressed in a cute graphic tee from Hollister and low slung Seven jeans, and stashed my notebooks in my multicolor Louis Vuitton tote. I pulled my perfectly straight ponytail through a Von Dutch trucker hat, popped on my oversized rimless sunglasses and had my earbuds in. Modest Mouse's “Float On” wafted through the headphones as I started out across campus to fetch myself a coffee before my first class of the day.
  • I was totally that girl for walking into Psychology 101 a minute late with a Starbucks. The professor rolled his eyes at me and waved me in. I went to slide into a seat near the back when I heard a familiar voice:
  • "Cabrey, over here," Colin whispered. I quickly sat in the empty lecture chair next to him. He reached over and took a sip of my coffee, like we'd been married for years and it was the most normal thing in the world. He didn't seem to notice my surprise.
  • We actually had to take written notes in a notebook during the lecture. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed my own penmanship and made a mental note to find prettier pens at the bookstore later that afternoon. Colin took a few notes but mostly listened to the professor, looking pensive. I admired people who could just absorb information like that; I didn't trust my own brain enough.
  • When discussing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the professor passed out a study guide with the pyramid printed on it. Colin wrote “Cabrey
  • After class, Colin and I walked out to the quad together. Though we didn't say much, it was one of those rare, comfortable silences where you don't feel obligated to chit chat at the other person. I felt completely at ease when I was around him, like I’d know him for a thousand years.
  • "You wouldn't happen to be going home anytime soon, would you?" I asked. I had made plans with my mom to come back and visit and also retrieve my Jeep. The pub I had waitressed at over the summer also called me to see if I could fill in for the Saturday night shift. I could ride the bus up the interstate but wanted to avoid that.
  • "I am," He said, “I’m dog-sitting for my mom this weekend.” I wondered what kind of dog he had; people always seem to match their pets. My gray-haired parents had recently adopted a blue merle Australian Shepherd and so now everyone in my household had anxiety.
  • "Any chance I can hitch a ride with you," I asked.
  • "Of course, I'd love your company," he replied. We grinned at each other like idiots before snapping out of it to continue to our respective next classes.
  • The next few days were a whirlwind of classes, meeting new friends and exploring the university and surrounding town. I’d connected with a girl who lived on my hall, Jenny, who was bubbly and outgoing and had introduced me to all of her other friends. It was nice to be adopted by an extrovert, I suddenly had a group of nice girls to share meals and walk to class with.
  • I received an email from Wexford Outdoors welcoming me to the club and inviting me to their first backpacking trip of the semester, scheduled for the weekend after. I’d been bumped up the waitlist for the graphic design opportunity in Japan but I was oscillating between wanting to go and wanting to stay to see how things develop with Colin. I was afraid of missing out in both situations. I was looking forward to our car ride home more than anything else that week. I had seen him during Wednesday’s psychology class, where he’d bought Krispy Kremes to share with only me and we had texted a few times, planning for our trip back. I just liked being around him and wanted to be around him often. He was also the only person I knew who agreed with me that Napoleon Dynamite just wasn’t a funny movie.