A Petrichoric Romance

Classes

After a brief session of introductions from both the students and the staff, Ms. Cruz announced that the classes for each cohort would be only 25 minutes today (God bless her soul). Grant, indeed, did attempt to deliver his grand soliloquy in front of everyone, but Ms. Cruz cut him off, which us Chicagoans found hilarious.

After ushering Grant back to his seat, Ms. Cruz returned to the front of the theatre, "Maybe next time Grant. As for the rest of you? HAVE AN AMAZING FIRST DAY!" And with that, she sent us all on our way. 

The mass exodus that began after she dismissed us was, and often is, one of the most beautiful parts of the day, weather permitting. We all exited the theatre, rejoining our various groups and walking into the new courtyard. The sun was warmly shining over the tops of the trees in the quad, and in every direction you saw teens walking and smiling, actually happy to go to school.

That in itself was a contradiction. 

I rejoined Dakota and Elyse and we began mirroring everyone else. Well, up until Elyse and Dakota began having their "girl talk" and kicked me to the back of the walk way.

I hated not being in on the gossip, but I let the two of them talk. At least momentarily. I got bored after a minute or two and started throwing Craisins at the back of Elyse's head, the majority of them went unnoticed in her long, brown hair.

She probably wouldn't notice them until they began falling randomly in the middle of her next class.

I added a bit more force to the next one and caught her in the back of the head. When she turned around, I hid both the cup and my face by quickly joining into conversation with one of the Third years behind me, Leslie.

Leslie was Guatemalan, if I recall correctly, and she was cute. Petite, kind of tan, with a bright smile. We had met the summer before because her dorm was across from mine, so we often walked home from study session together. She was a total sweetheart.

"Leslie! Hide me!" I whispered to her as I felt Elyse's eyes scan over me, looking for her attacker. 

Coming to the rescue, Leslie proceeded to engage in one of the most animated conversations, as if we had been talking for the longest. 

Once Leslie saw Elyse turn back around she smacked my shoulder lightly, "What'd you do to her? There's murder in her eyes. Then again it may just be her winged eyeliner.." 

I held up the cup of fruit, "They were ignoring me so I threw Craisins at Elyse's head."

Leslie nodded in understanding, and I gave her a quick hug. It was actually my first time seeing her since we had gotten back to campus. 

I turned around and rejoined Elyse and Dakota, who were, thankfully, done gossipping. 

"Someone was throwing these little raisin thingies at me!" Elyse complained while Dakota just giggled.

"Wonder who you pissed off this morning," I said, laughing along with Dakota.

As we neared the fork in the road, Dakota and I gave hugs to Elyse. Our first period classes were being held in different places this summer, with Dakota and I having classes in Morse, and Elyse having classes in Gelb, the main building for classes. 

Dakota and I headed into the rear of Morse and turned the corner to meet a group of confused looking second years hoarding the staircase.

"What's going on?" Dakota asked once we realized they were the rest of our classmates.

"We have no idea where our class is, " Natalie said with a frown. Just then, Mr. Aquino, one of the most amazing Teacher's Assistants, came into the building with donuts.