The Last Girl on Campus

Chapter 1

It was hard for me to stop crying at the Air Canada desk in the airport.

"Please, there has to be something that you can do," I said, wiping my eyes on the already soaked sleeve of my sweatshirt.

"I'm sorry. But there really is nothing that I can do about the weather," the woman behind the counter said. She looked down at her computer screen and started typing. "Everything is booked solid until a few days after New Year's."

"That's no good. That's no good at all." I sniffled. "I haven't seen my family in three months, and now you're telling me that I can't see them for Christmas or New Year's?"

"I'm very sorry Miss. You can try another airline, but they'll probably tell you the same thing."

I sighed, trying to calm myself down. "This is the fifth counter I've been to! You're the last airline at this airport that goes to Toronto!"

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. What I can do is take down your information and put you on a waitlist for a seat after the storm is over. So you know, there are about two hundred people ahead of you."

A million thoughts were running through my head. Where was I supposed to go? How was I going to tell my parents that I wasn't going to be able to make it back for Christmas? Why was this happening to me? I gave the woman my information and stepped away from the counter, taking my wheeled suitcase over to a seat. I sat down, took my phone out of my pocket, and called my mom. She picked up on the first ring.

"It's the storm isn't it?"

"How did you know?"

"Because it's coming down like crazy! We could barely even get the back door open to let Sparky out." She paused. "How long do you have to wait?"

I sighed again. "They're going resume the flights in a couple of days, but everything is booked until after New Year's." She didn't respond. I waited. Still nothing. "Mom?"

"You...you can't be serious Bridget! After New Year's? No...no. There's got to be some other way. Did you check another airline?"

"I checked every airline. I don't know what else to do!"

"Okay...okay. Did you give the people at the desk your information so that they can let you know if there are any open seats?"

"Yes. I gave every single counter my info. Everyone said, 'there's over a hundred people ahead of you.'"

"I just can't believe that this is happening," she said.

"Neither can I." I could feel the tears coming on again. "I mean, I can be back for the last week or something."

"But still...that's over three weeks. Where will you stay?"

"I mean...we're still allowed to be in our rooms over the break. It's just that no one will be there. I have all my clothes and I can go out to buy some food. I have the oven, so I can cook or something."

She let out a long sigh. "Alright. I guess you should just head back there then. There's no sense in you staying at the airport if you can't leave. Do you have enough money for a cab?"

"Yeah. I took out some cash before I left."

"Just let me know when you get back."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up and put my phone back in my pocket, then proceeded to the tram, which would take me to the other side of the airport. When I got to the outside of the dark terminal, there were cabs waiting. I opened the door to the one in the front line and got in.

"I need to go to the University of Tampa, please."

The driver nodded and we pulled away. It was about a fifteen minute drive back to campus. I stared up at the black sky above the highway and tried to fathom what would happen now. What was I going to do for over three weeks by myself? No one around, no one to talk to. There wasn't even going to be class or homework. Three weeks...all alone. The driver pulled up in the back of Steinman Hall.

"Steinman Hall?" he asked.

"Yes, this is the right place," I said. I took out my wallet and handed him thirty dollars, then thanked him before getting out.

I dragged my suitcase up the back steps and went over to the door sensor before taking out my student I.D. I held it up to the scanner and the light turned green. I heard the door unlock and pulled it open. The light in the lobby was still on. I took a right and proceeded down the hall to our first-floor apartment. I took out my key, unlocked the door, and slowly slid it open. Of my three other suitemates, Kayla was still had one final to take the next morning before she could go home. I slowly shut the door, then picked up my suitcase to the wheels wouldn't make any noise. Stepping slowly, I tiptoed through the darkness over to my bedroom, opened that door, and gently put my suitcase down. Suddenly, there was a noise in the darkness.

"If you leave right now, I won't have to hurt you."

I turned around and flipped on my bedroom light, when illuminated just enough of the living room for me to see Kayla ready to kill someone, holding a baseball bat over her head as she sat in her wheelchair in her Eta Alpha Tau clownfish pajamas. She lowered the bat when she realized that it was me.

"Bridget? What are you doing here? It's after midnight! Wasn't your flight supposed to leave like, four hours ago?"

My lip was starting to quiver. At this point I was so frustrated with crying. I sat down on the living room couch. "I can't get home Kay."

"I figured that much." She put the bat in her lap and wheeled closer to me. "Can't they just get you on a flight tomorrow?"

I shook my head. "Everything is booked until after New Year's."

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was."

"So what are you going to do? Just stay here for three weeks?"

I stared into my lap. "I guess."

Kayla was silent for a moment. I looked up at her and she yawned. "So since you'll be here...do you want to do me a favor?"

I knew exactly what it was. "No...don't tell me that you want me to take care of the fish!"

"Oh come on! Pretty please? Do you know how hard it is to hold his bowl in my lap for six hours in the car each way?"

"Fine. I'll watch the fish," I said.

She started clapping her hands. "Yay! You're the best!" The room grew silent again. Kayla looked to the left, eyeing our pizza clock in the kitchen. "Well, I'm going back to bed."

"Goodnight."

"Night," she said, wheeling herself back into her room and shutting the door.

I went back in my own room, changed into my pajamas, and went to bed. The thing was, I thought I was tired enough to sleep. My body was exhausted, but my mind refused to simmer down. Three and a half weeks with nothing to do. Maybe I could finally try that Vietnamese restaurant downtown or go to that museum near campus. I could redecorate the common room or something. I wound up falling asleep thinking of all the things I could do.