It's March, 2026. Life is going good in the suburbs of St. Clair. Everyone in the town is happy. Or so it seems.
"BEEEP BEEEP BEEP!" Goes the alarm clock. "Fuck! I hate that damn clock!" Screams Rachel as she reaches to hit the top to shut it off. She leans up, yawns, and stretches her arms out as far as she can. "Thank God it's Friday! The big party is tonight!" She exclaims. She hops out of bed and walks to the closet in her small room. "Gotta get the right outfit ready for today. I know that boy I saw in my class will be there!" She says. She finishes getting dressed, wearing black leggings and her favorite UCR sweatshirt, and heads out of her room.
"Morning loser!" Exclaims Evan, her roommate. "Hey Evan, what a way to welcome me into the living room." Says Rachel. She walks into the kitchen and puts two slices of bread into the toaster. "What classes you got today girlie? Any with that hottie you keep telling me about sister?" Evan says to Rachel as he sips his coffee. "No not today. I do think he'll be at that party though. Think I'm gonna go." Rachel says, while staring at the ceiling, almost as if she's day dreaming. She continues,"I can see it now. Hot dude gets with nerdy, all be it somewhat emo, girl. Sounds amazing."
She's brought back to reality when suddenly she smells her toast burning. She frantically rushes to the toaster, and yanks the lever, where the toast shoots out like darts into the air. "Maybe McDonald's for breakfast." She says as she giggles. "Girl you put way to much thought into this guy! You don't even know his name sister!" Evan exclaims. "I'm just hoping there's some hot ass dudes at that party!"
Rachel grabs her bag off the coat hanger by the door. "Later Evan, I have class! Tell Elizabeth to text me!" She says as she rushes out the door. Rachel then hops into her car by sliding in the driver side door, and pulls out her planner. *hmmm* she thinks, *Today we have Careers 101, Intro to counseling, and psychology*. She turns on her car, connects her phone to the Bluetooth, then starts bumping music as she drives to the university grounds. While driving, Rachel passes through a red light. She notices a Mercedes roll by her when the light turns green, followed by a Motorcycle of some sort. "I wish I knew what kind of bike that was." She says out loud, trying to hear herself over the Little Uzi playing on loud in her car.
Rachel rushes to class. She was almost late with that McDonald's stop for breakfast. Class goes by quick, all 3 of them. She's very lost in her head today, dreaming about this guy that she never got the name of. They'd talked once or twice during class discussion, but she never got his name.
Rachel begins walking to the parking garage on campus, day dreaming. **THUD** She instantly snaps back to reality. "Hey, watch where you're going," says the man in front of her, looking very annoyed. "You made me drop my lunch." She looks down and sees a bag of Taco Bell laying on the ground. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She says as she helps him pickup his lunch, "I guess I was day dreaming again." The man, wearing jeans a Tshirt with some military art on it, looks at her weirdly. "Day dreaming, what about if I might inquire?" Rachel looks into the man's hazel eyes, then looking at the rest of the man's face structure. Sharp jaw line, 5 o'clock shadow, and those damn hazel eyes. "Oh it was nothing, just me being silly!" She says. "Well, see you around then. Names Danny by the way," The man says, "Hope you have a good rest of your day." Rachel looks once again into his eyes, then abruptly says, "Hey since I ruined your lunch, want to get something new? I'll pay." Danny stares back at her, somewhat taken back. "Uh sure, let's meet at Panda Express in like 20 minutes?" Danny says. She nods in an approving way, and says, "Sounds good! See you there!"
Rachel pulls into the Panda Express parking lot, and sees Danny stepping off a bike. *Oh thats the biker I saw earlier today* she thinks, *Ive always been scared of bikes*. "Hey, ready to buy me that lunch you spilt?" Danny says sarcastically. "Oh definitely. I'm starved and it's the least I can do." Rachel says. They walk together into the Panda Express and make their orders.
As they sit down, Rachel says to Danny, "So, are you going to USC?" Danny looks up from his food and says, "Sure am. Started two semesters ago, got a bit of ways to go before I get my bachelors. What about you?" Rachel looks shocked and replies, "two semesters ago? You look older than 19, why'd it take so long to start? And yes, I'm actually working on my Masters!" Danny looks at Rachel, smiles and says, "Wow that's really awesome. I just started because I just got out of the army and I'm trying to reset my life at the moment." His smile fades, and a glossy look comes over his eyes. Rachel states back for a moment, then all of a sudden Danny's mood shifts as he starts gulping down the shitty Chinese food. "What are you majoring in?" Rachel asks while Danny floods his mouth with Orange Chicken. " MMMRRRE, Criminal Justice!" Danny shouts while his mouth is half full, causing Rachel to laugh. "You're a dork!" She exclaims, while still laughing at Danny's full mouth talking. Danny finally shallows his food and says, "what are you getting your major in?" Rachel says, " counseling with a military emphasis." Danny looks at her almost shocked and says, "what exactly prompted you to get Into that field? You know most of us are pretty fucking brain dead." She laughs and responds, "Well, yes. I know that. I just want to feel like I'm making a difference to a small community who give their lives to it, wether they know it or not..... and lots of military guys are hot." Danny chuckles at the remark. "Yeah, some of us are. Also some of us look like healthy crackheads," Danny says. Rachel giggles as she says, "Well, you definitely hit both boxes!" The pair laugh and finish eating their Panda Express.
The pair exit Panda Express. "I've always loved shitty Chinese food!" Explains Danny as lifts his helmet above his head, sliding it on."Thank you for lunch. We should do this again soon." Rachel looks back at him as he slides his bag on his back, and replies,"Yeah definitely, but next time it'll be somewhere nicer and it won't be because I ruined your lunch." Both begins to laugh. Rachel grabs her car keys and says to Danny, "So, are you going to the big party tonight? Heard it's gonna be insane." Danny pulled his helmet visor up, and responded, "Maybe, I haven't been to a party since I left the Army. What time is it starting?" "9pm is start time, and booze is provide!" Rachel says, "Don't be late, biker dude." She giggles as she rushes down to her car. Danny shrugs, climbs on his bike, and kicks it to life. *Damn she purring today, probably for the cute girl* he thinks, as he slides his visor down. Danny pulls out of the parking lot, giving his bike some extra gas to make loud and thunderous. "What a goof," says Rachel, "he might even be hotter than that dude I was originally going to that party for."
