LIFE MOVES PRETTY FAST

~Cousins & Coffee~

Chapter 1

~Cousins & Coffee~

School is the worst.  For example:  yesterday I was sitting in my Intro to Psych class just thinking how much harder my first week of college had been in comparison to the 8 AP classes I took senior year.  Seriously, all I had heard about was the parties, drinking, and sex?  Not that I was that type of girl just that when you hear those stereotypes you want to find out for yourself whether or not they are true.  Let’s just say the partying 24/7, and all the freedom was not exactly all it was cracked up to be.  I just remember feeling those butterflies, the anticipation of what the move to college would be like.  The anticipation of the changes that come with college.

Both my parents had attended The Ohio State and were more than average alumni.  My father participated in pretty much all the alumni clubs available and always looked like he had bought out the campus store apparel section.  My dad had his own law firm and sometimes he would even go into work wearing one of his really nice suits and an OSU hat! To say the parents were a little obsessed with their alma mater was an understatement.  Of course mom could barely stand to see me go.

~   “All ready to go sweetie?” my mom, Rebecca, asked me a bit tearfully.  “We are very proud of your decision Reagan.  You know your father and I had such a great time at Ohio when we went, and I”m sure you will too! I’m just sad my baby is leaving me alone.  I guess every parent has to watch their kid leave to college at some point.”

”Wifey everything will be fine.  At least we have each other.” my father said as he winked suggestively at my mother.

Ughh I hated when my dad winked at my mom in that suggestive way.  I mean come on I”m not five anymore, I pick up all those sexual innuendos and it is NOT alright!!  At least at college I won’t have to hear those anymore.

No Harvey you are right.  Our little baby will do so well in the pre-med program.  Study hard sweet cheeks.  Remember we love you!”

At that, I hugged my mom and dad and hopped into my 2010 red Honda Accord and slid out of the driveway, ready to start a new chapter of my life.   ~

I was going to miss all of my girlfriends.  Sarah, Molly, and Danie had been my best friends since third grade.  The four of us did everything together which is a bit ironic when you think about it because we have very, very different personalities.  Sarah is seriously the most brilliant person I've ever met.  Of course she’s off to Dartmouth and not to say that Molly and Danie aren’t smart but they both opted to stay and attend the local community college.  I was excited for all of us to have a new start, but I was going to miss our daily chats at the local coffee shop.  That place epitomized our middle and high school experiences.  Everyone, and I mean everyone was always hanging around that place.  If someone was sluffing school, I would place a $50 bet they were at that coffee shop.  I’’m not sure one could really call it a coffee shop.  I mean it always had the best dj, the best food, and the best service.  Of course the coffee was awesome but that’s not the reason everyone went there.  Looking back I think it just had that chill/freedom vibe that teenagers are always looking for.

Weird to reminisce about my favorite coffee shop as I was sitting in the closest Cafe to campus.  This little cafe really paled in comparison to my favorite high school locale, but I had agreed to meet my long lost cousin who was two years older than me here for some morning coffee.  Alright, he wasn’t that long or that lost, but I hadn’t seen him in eight years and let me tell you, that boy was not a very nice twelve year old.  He had already graduated high school and had been attending The Ohio State for two years and was also on the collegiate rugby team.  Or so I had heard.  

At the very least lets hope he has stopped that annoying habit of pinching my cheek making me feel like a two year old.  I mean seriously that doesn’t exactly speak for the wisdom of a twenty year old man.  But perhaps that in and of itself is a bit of a contradiction.  A wise twenty year old?  Ha ha, ya right!  My mom’s brother had set up this “meeting” as a way for me to feel more comfortable on campus.  My “cousin”  was to help me be more comfortable on campus, show me the ins and outs of being a successful college student, and hopefully make some new friends.  I would just be happy if he could get through a cup of coffee without the pinching thing.