|
The College Years (Chapter 28)
By Vader
THE COLLEGE YEARS
Entry III: Time of Conclusion
Continued from Chapter 27 . . .
CHAPTER 28
The weekend, which at first seemed to be getting off on a fine albeit unsure start, had quickly turned into something dreadful, filled with remorse. I guess it really mirrored the entire semester as a whole. It appeared every bad thing that could have happened to me . . . did, and in the end, I still wasn’t sure exactly what to feel. On one hand, I felt refreshed after ridding all the torment I’d held up for what seemed like forever. On the other, I knew my life had been littered with heart-wrenching episodes, which had in turn plagued everyone else who’d been involved.
No matter what I felt, I knew a definite something – that it was all coming to a close.
At long last, I’d been hurled into finals week by the same ticking of clocks that had tossed me into the beginning of the college years I hadn’t been ready for. During the experience, I could have sworn that time itself was being prolonged to its extremity, only for a maximum amount of pain and suffering to take its course. Yet now, being stared in the face by the end of my semester, it unexplainably seemed like it had gone by quickly, as if it were only yesterday that I climbed the staircase leading from the bottom of the canyon up to what struck me as an unreal world.
I couldn’t dwell on it for longer than a few minutes without detecting a gut-feeling of utter strangeness. The fact that it was one of those weeks where half the sky was bright and other side was dark dramatically added to my weird feelings of melancholia.
Gusts of Winter’s wind picked up the dead leaves from the ground, strewing and swirling the depressed life forms in a ballet-like dance around me as I took a seat on the grass bed, under a large sycamore that sheltered my sore, beaten back. My cold still clinging, I sniffed, produced a small cough, and rested my backpack at my side, reaching into it and pulling out Health and Algebra books for study. It wouldn’t be long before I would have to recall nearly every bit of knowledge I’d learned in the past four months to put my memory to the test.
I loathed study periods that required longevity, and the background contemplations of recent affairs didn’t help. My trouble keeping my mind on the material provided a further distraction – the remembrance of how back in September, I had just as much trouble trying to prepare for my first Health test while having to deal with Scott’s machinations. I began to wonder what ever happened to Scott . . . who in turn reminded me of Kevin . . . who reminded me of Erin . . . the disaster at her house . . .
I snapped out of the wandering, shaking my head, rubbing my eyes. I forced my brain to focus, taking a fury of rapid notes and underlining. Before I knew it, my allotted space in the schedule for the studying was up, and a glance at my watch told me it was time for Algebra class. I collected my books, shoved them back into my pack, and headed off across the bleak-looking grey courtyard, fallen upon by shadow from above.
I reached room I-214, recognizing this would be my very last entering of it. Inside, it was the same as it always had been – everyone in the same seats they’d been in all semester, save for the now absent delinquent who never showed up for class again after our last confrontation. Each student was either cramming for the day’s test, or slouching in their chair with moody looks on their faces.
I placed my backpack on the seat in front of the huge African-American who hadn’t spoken to me in endless weeks – Emmanuel. Whereas at first he’d been so outspoken, loud, filled with hilarity, and protective toward me (for a particular reason I still don’t know), the giant man had now become indignant and ignorant of me. I must have appeared to not care, but deep down, every time I walked by and saw him, it enforced that I’d offended him. Our dispute had only arisen because of another dispute, producing heated conversation and misunderstandings.
So there I was, my back turned to him, knowing that I probably wouldn’t be seeing him again, and faced with a choice of either leaving the grudge unsettled, or settled. I gulped, entirely unsure of what his reaction would be as I twisted in my chair, looking back at him with fidgety hands. He’d been talking to his best pal Louis, a wide smile on his face. However, the moment he detected my gaze, the expression of happiness turned to one of anger and annoyance.
“What is it, boy?” he growled in a thundering voice. I almost shuttered at his low tone, but mustered up enough courage to reply.
“How’s it going?” I forced a smile, seeing his mammoth fists clench out of the corner of my eye.
“Fine,” came the sharp bellow.
“Um . . . I just wanted to say . . . I thought it’d be good if we – you know – got over the whole argument before the class ends,” I edgily put. “So . . . I know I might have offended you . . . but I didn’t mean to. I know you were only trying to help, but, uh . . . yeah.” He squinted, his jaw tightening, his head easing back, his arm curling.
With a wind-knocking pounce he shoved his arm around my neck and pulled it towards him, an earth-shattering laugh roaring from his wide mouth. “I just playin’ with you,” he continued to howl, rubbing his knuckles rapidly over my hair. “I ain’t pi*sed off, man. I got over that a long time ago. I thought you didn’t wanna talk to me,” he returned, letting go with a shove. At seeing my priceless expression of utter shock and surprise, he let out another massive hoot.
“Alright, cool,” I quizzically nodded as Louis joined in with Emmanuel’s apparent side-splitting. Before all the guffaw could go on, Professor Meckstroff trotted to the front desk, pushing her glasses up against her nose and adjusting a stack of papers.
“Well, class, this is it,” she gave her quirky grin, passing out the tests throughout the room. Still recovering from the aftermath of Emmanuel’s unexpected shouts of joy, I raised my eyebrows, hardly able to believe that we’d resolved the matters between us so suddenly. Nonetheless, I was glad I could end at least one aspect of my first semester on the right note.
The final test fell onto the desk before me, dozens of numbers looking up in my direction, challenging me to solve them. I took a deep breath, doing my best to push all else out of my mind, and began.
(More to come)
4/4/2003 1:25:51 PM
(Updated: 4/4/2003 1:26:15 PM)
Comment on this fan fiction!
|
|
|
