Freshman Screwup

Chapter 3

The next few days of classes went by like a blur. It was mostly going over class schedules, doing weird ice breaker games, and getting a feel for my new professors. The art professor, Ayden, was a bearded hipster minimilist who already got on my nerves, but I also kind of liked him. And Patrick and I were settling into a good friendship, which was nice. We went to breakfast together each morning, had lunch with Andy, Pete, and newcomer Joe, and had dinner together too. The guys were becoming great friends, building a dynamic of brotherhood that I felt on the fringe of. 

Pete was another odd thing. We didn’t mention our talk my first night, but from the way he kept looking at me whenever we left, I had a feeling he wanted to discuss it. We were at dinner Friday night after a long day of actual classes. The cafeteria food left a lot to be desired, but I picked at it anyways, mostly pushing it around after eating my vegetables.

“Are you coming to the Welcome Party?” Pete asked, and I stopped moving food around to look up at him with a questioning gaze. One look at Patrick and Joe showed they didn’t know either.

“Andy, you aren’t educating your young'n’s at all. It’s a shame. Anyway, its a party this weekend, for older students to, you know, welcome you guys. Its the first rager of the year, you gotta go,” Pete explained, and Andy rolled his eyes.

“You mean its a big drunken mess and excuse to throw a party as soon as possible,” he clarified, and I fought a laugh. Andy was quiet, like me, and I liked his sense of humor. He looked at me and grinned as he chewed on his salad. 

“Exactly! It’s a great time!” Pete laughed, and I shook my head. I knew Pete liked to party and that Andy was straightedge, but it was nice to see them get along well. Joe shrugged his shoulders and leaned on his elbows.

“Sounds fun enough, I’ll go. You guys?” he asked, looking at Patrick and I. I had never been a big party person, but I liked hanging out with Pete. Patrick also shrugged, and made a face of ‘why not’ that made me laugh.

“I can go for a while. Not super into party stuff, but might as well see what the fuss is,” he said, and even Andy was going to go to keep an eye on Pete and drunken freshmen. I reluctantly agreed, but felt a vague sense of unease about the ordeal. Pete told us he would meet us outside our dorm later that evening. 

Patrick and I went back to the dorm after classes without much else to do. I took out my sketchbook to start working on my first art assignment, making odd shapes and lines all over the page. Patrick picked up his guitar, playing an odd, quick riff before going into a few different songs, melting together.

“Hey, do you think you could teach me a bit sometime?” I asked as I looked up at my roommate. He stopped strumming and quieted the strings, looking pensive for a moment.

“I guess I could try. I’m not sure if I’d be a good teacher,” he said with a shrug. He grinned at me and sat up straighter, adjusting the guitar in his lap.
“Want to try now?” he offered, and I set down my sketchbook and joined Patrick on his bed. He put the guitar on my lap, and moved my hand over the strings, placing my fingers in position for a chord. 

“Here, I’ll teach you something simple. Smoke on the Water is basic,” he explained, moving my fingers as needed to show me how to make the notes. It was incredibly simple, but I still had difficulty keeping my fingers straight. The strings were cutting into my fingertips, so it was a great relief when there was a knock at the door. I rose to get it, not seeing the redness of Patrick’s face when he realized how close we were. 

I opened the door to see a resigned Andy and cheeky Pete. They had changed clothes but looked just as casual. 

“Are you ready to go?” Pete asked, and I shrugged. To be honest, I didn’t really feel like going. But since my friends were going, I figured I should tag along. To help, Pete gave me a winning smile. I returned it with a small grin of my own.