Table For Two

8 - Harvey

I somehow slept soundly for the next few hours. I even wake up smiling. All the horrors in the restaurant from yesterday have been forgotten and gods help me, I'm even looking forward to classes today. The weather outside is still nice enough and I can feel the warmth of the early sun. I jump in the shower quickly and then spend entirely too long trying to figure out what to wear... which for someone whose wardrobe consists almost solely of oversized plaid, beanies, jeans in various shades of blue and about a dozen pairs of vans is actually a remarkable feat in its own right. I go for the light blue jeans, a mustard, white and navy plaid and a pair of white and navy check slip on vans... yeah okay I have a slight obsession with colour coding what I wear, sue me. And yes I am taking a mustard beanie too. Whatever.

I pack up my stuff into my backpack and go to leave about three times before I realise I forgot something. First was my wallet, followed by my jacket and then my headphones - probably the most important one I had to go back for. Like hell am I sitting on the bus and enduring that ridiculous amount of noise without these. Sometimes I don't even listen to anything. They're noise cancelling so I just put them on and zone out. Once I am definitely sure I haven't forgotten anything, I head out and immediately bump into Ryan who honestly looks like death warmed up. I say hi and he murmurs something incomprehensible to me as he shuffles past to the kitchen. Fuck, he smells like a distillery and sweat. I practically run to the elevator.

As I get out onto the road I can see the bus coming down the road and jog over the stop a few yards away where only a precious few people are waiting. Clearly the first night was too heavy for most of them... then I look and see that some of them are only getting the bus home now. That'll be an interesting first day. The bus ride up to the university is quick enough, traffic being mercifully light. I sit on the top deck right at the front. I do actually listen to one of my random playlists as the bus trundles along. Then "Is It Love?" by Jordy starts playing and it kind of snaps me out of my usual daydreaming. That is not a sentiment I need to be addressing. Skip... for now. An acoustic version of 1973 by James Blunt takes over and I sigh... why am I sighing? What even was that sigh? It was not a usual sigh it was... you know what? Overthinking it. Stop.

I reach down to where my bag is and double check the medication is stored in its usual pocket on the front. The subtle rattle reassures me that yes, the safety net is there. That's how I taught myself to see it, coming from a world where you just suck it up and get on with it, no matter what the problem is. You wouldn't want to walk a tightrope without knowing there was something beneath you to catch you if something went wrong... and before I started these, plenty had. I check the schedule on my phone to remind myself what building and what room I need to be in. It's quarter to nine when the buses squeals and hisses to a stop outside the library. I wait for the rest of the top deck to clear before making my way down and out. I turn and smile at the old manor house before heading to the big new teaching building - Commons. I still have a few minutes so I dive into the little Costa they have and grab some much needed caffeine before practically running through the building to get to the top floor for my class.

It's the first time this module has sat together. Some people seem to already be talking to each other and making themselves known. I sit at the table nearest the back with two other people. They both do that thing of looking up and giving that half smile that's kind of just a straight line where you make your lips disappear and it is the epitome of awkwardness. And I give them the exact same expression right back, but accompanied with an awkward wave.

"Hi... I'm Harvey"

"I'm Erika," one of them says. She's pale with dark hair. She kind of reminds me of Tori from Heartstopper. She looks at the person sat by her who looks slightly less awkward now.

"I'm Quinn" they tentatively stick a hand out and I shake it. They have an ear full of piercings and a shock of electric blue hair which honestly is so vibrant I'm actually amazed they manage to keep it that colour. I smile at them both.

"Are you both okay if I sit here? I didn't want to assume."

They share a look and Erika shrugs. Quinn looks back at me.

"Yeah it's fine."

I quietly thank them and sit at the opposite end of the table, facing the front of the room so that the wall is at my back. I know it's an anxiety thing but I prefer being able to see everything and everyone I can in a room and know that people aren't going to sneak up on me. I take a deep breath before unpacking my laptop and notebook and pencil case and to anyone else it must look like I've brought basically everything but then... better to be prepared, right?

Pretty soon the professor walks in. His name is Mr Deshmukh but he says to us to call him Charun. He's got salt and pepper hair that he keeps stylishly short and seems to insist on wearing suits. I remember seeing him at a couple of open days and he was dressed much the same way. He adjusts his glasses and begins the lesson.

I look at the clock behind him and start counting seconds. I lose track of what he's saying a lot but it's mostly introductory stuff anyway, not much serious course content so being distracted isn't going to cost me anything. Time seems to move far too slow and too fast all at once and suddenly that's it! Lesson over. I check my phone and sure enough it's just ticked over half past ten. I turn to Erika and Quinn.

"Hey, uh... I have to shoot because I'm meeting someone but have you both got snapchat... or something? I feel like I should probably try making some friends on this course."

"Uhh, sure" Quinn says and we exchange numbers. Erika looks less sure but I WhatsApp them both so they have my number in return before saying goodbye with a wave. I'm fairly certain they are looking at me like I've slightly lost the plot but I do have the promise of breakfast waiting. I get to the elevator and smile remembering what Ali said about a mountain of hash browns. I'll get a table for us once I get up there. He should be there a little after eleven.

Today is a good day.