As Cold As A River

Chapter Two- First Day of Classes

     I don't see anyone I could ask for assistance. All I see are crowds of students rushing through hallways. I don't recognize anyone that looks like they know their way around the school. I continue walking while I'm looking down at my map, before I know it someone bumps into me and I fall to the floor letting go of my tote bag and watch as all the contents inside of it spill out. Well this is comical, I feel déjà vu of this happening in basically every single romance book and movie. All I need to do next is look into the handsome guy's eyes and fall in love with him. I look up and before I can take a good glance at the guy, he rudely proceeds to walk as if nothing even happened. Asshole. I collect all my things from the ground and scan all of the hallway to see if anyone saw that. No one's looking. Everyone's in their own little world. That's a good thing, I suppose. I resume to search for my class as I'm already a few minutes late. I feel a little relieved when I find rooms beginning with "AS". AS201, AS202, AS203, AS205... Where the heck is AS204? I literally jog up and down the same hallway three times and feel so frustrated. I decide to pass AS205 and take a right. I find my room, thank god. I open the door and everyone is staring. This is what I was trying to avoid. I feel my hands start to shake and I quickly shuffle to the last few open desks at the front and pick one to sit in. I take the items out of my bag and begin to place them on my desk quietly.

     "As I was saying," The professor says sounding irritated. "In this class, you won't have to do homework, and I won't give you long lectures. If you're here for every class it is most likely that you will pass." I let out a gigantic sigh of relief and so do a lot of other people. Some students even clap their hands.

     "So the first thing we're going to take a look at are common gestures that people make and try to indicate how they're feeling." He says loud and clear. I start to panic. That doesn't sound like something you would learn in pharmaceuticals. I slowly turn my head and see that the door reads "S204" not "AS204". I think about leaving but I feel stuck to my seat. I can't get the courage to stand up and walk out so instead, I stay for the whole class. As soon as it's over I get up from my seat and rush out the door. I can feel the bags starting to form under my eyes from the stress. I push myself to continue the day and go to my next class that starts in fifteen minutes. After that class is over I impatiently head back to my dorm. When I open the door, the girl who is living with us is sitting at the kitchen table with a friend who looks like she could be a model. She has shoulder-length, blonde hair with natural beachy waves and brown eyes.

     "That's the quiet one." The girl whispers to her friend. In times like this, I never know what to say.

     "Hi," I wave with an unsure smile on my face. "I'm River." I make eye contact with the girl. "I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I apologize. I also never caught your name."

     "You didn't get off on the wrong foot, that bitch got off on the wrong foot." She says bobbing her head.

     "Don't listen to her, she's always in a bad mood." Her friend says and winks at the girl. "Her name is Bexley and I'm Lacey." Lacey puts out her hand and I shake it.

     "It's not Bexley, it's Bexie." Bexley announces.

     "For the last time, I am not calling you that. It sounds like a stripper's name." Lacey chuckles.

     "Those are really unique names." I say.

     "Says you, your name is 'River'" Lacey playfully teases. "And besides, I had my name legally changed because I couldn't stand my old one."

     "If, you don't mind me asking, what was your name before?" I ask.

     "I'm not going to tell you because the only people that know are my parents and Bexley, but try to think of the ugliest name you can imagine and you probably got it right." Lacey answers. The door flings open and it's Alice.

     "And that's the loud, obnoxious one." Bexley says.

     "And you're the rude, always-in-a-bitchy-mood one." Alice retorts.

     "Ladies, settle down." Says Lacey who is currently looking at her phone. "Bex, I gotta go. Hannah's having a meltdown. See you tonight." Lacey waves at us and leaves the room. Alice and I go to my room and sit on the fluffy blue carpet. Even though I have a chair and a bed to sit on, Alice and I always just end up sitting on the floor. It's like our thing. After we talk about or first day, Alice examines my duduk that's placed at the top of my bookshelf.

     "What's that thing called again?" She asks.

     "A duduk, I think you've asked me that like twelve times." I over exaggerate.

     "It just looks so much like a long flute. I forget what it sounds like, you want to play it for me?" I actually have been practicing a lot during summer when Alice was gone because I was so majorly bored. I feel pretty confident than I did last year when I played it for Alice. I grab it off the shelf. The duduk does not sound like a flute at all, it sounds like something you'd hear in a sad part of a movie. It sounds beautiful, yet a little depressing. The only way it doesn't sound as depressing is if you're playing it in a band or with another instrument that is a little more upbeat. I begin to play and the notes roll off the tip of the duduk and into the air with a mellow tone. Alice is watching like she's mesmerized. The song lasts around three minutes and all throughout Alice doesn't look away. I finish and her expression hilarious. She looks so amazed.

     "Wow. I don't remember you being that good." She says in awe.

     "I had a lot of time to practice." I state and Alice faces the clock.

     "Dude, it's already five O'clock."

     "And?"

     "And it's time to drink!" She leaves the room to get the huge expensive bottle of wine she's been saving for this moment. She brought it all the way back from her trip to Peru. She pours some into these two gorgeous crystal wine glasses that she's also bought for this occasion.

     "To surviving the first day of university, and to all the drunken mishaps sure to come." She toasts.

     "Cheers." I take a sip and my tongue ties. I really don't enjoy the taste of any kind of alcohol but I know that I'll learn to enjoy it. I continue to sip and try not to think about the taste. I look back at Alice and she only has a few drops left. She's downing the whole thing in one go.

     "Jesus." I say in shock.

     "Yup, it's from all the nights I stayed in France. Drink up girl, let's get fucked."