"Give me one man, c'mon." Seth pleaded as I put my 8 pound bag of butterscotch into a drawer by my bedside table. I was just finishing unpacking for college and Seth was the first friend I made after we both went up to the desk and asked for the same room key. "I need to take a walk." I stated, and bluntly walked out.
The hallway was mostly deserted, so I walked with my mind elsewhere. All of the sudden I was on my back, after being smacked in the face by a swinging door. "Oh my gosh. I am so sorry," I heard a fairly feminine voice say above me, "Are you okay?" she asked again. "Just peachy." I said with a heavy dose of sarcasm. I then opened my eyes and saw a girl, her gorgeous features now etched with hurt. "I'm sorry," I said, trying to fix my mistake. "I'm Adam." I smiled at her, and her bright green eyes lit up with happiness as she smiled back. "I'm Harper."
We chatted for a while, mainly talking and comparing classes. we were both studying forensic sciences, so we should have some classes together. She laughed often, and her laugh was infectious. She tucked her brown curls behind her ears as she talked, and I listened intently, grasping on to every word as if it were life support. She was patient and kind, sipping her coffee as she listened to me talk. She was amazing. I eventually had to leave her, and I headed back to Seth, my mind once again in the clouds, but for different reasons. I eventually made it back to our room from the college cafe. When I got back to the room Seth was in the shower, so I plopped down onto my bed. And changed into my pajamas. Aka, no shirt and some soft cookie monster pajama pants. I scrolled through my phone. By the time he was done I was fast asleep.
he was in a dream. that was the only explanation. He was in a field of long grass and wild flowers. There was nothing to see, not a tree for miles. There was a heavenly figure in front of him, with fair skin and dark hair. She floated on wings above him, and they were almost identical. The only difference was that her eyes were the warm melted chocolate, and his the color of a crystal sky. "Mother?" He asked, but there was no need. He recognized her instantly. "Come to me, my son." He reached out to her, but hesitated. "I will help you forget." He reached up, his hand almost to her hand, but also too far away. "Mother?" He said again, as she started to fade away in his grasp. "MOTHER?!" He screamed, as she faded into the sunlight and he fell to the ground.
"BRO!" Seth shouted as he shook me awake. I threw him to the ground with a thud and burst into tears, head in my hands. He sat across from me on his bed, letting me cry. I finally slowed enough to compose myself somewhat, and went to take a shower. I stood in the shower, leaning on the wall for support as I cried for a long time. I hadn't had a good long cry since the funeral, and it felt good to get it all out. When I finally stepped out of the shower, i walked into the main area of our dorm with a blank look on my face and a towel around my waist. I noticed Seth had a couple people there, so I went to go change. After throwing on a t-shirt and some jeans I head back out and sit on one of our two couches. Seth stood, and the two girls followed suit. He cleared his throat, and began. "This is Melody, my sister, and her roommate, Harper." " I've met Harper before." I said before smiling at her, her face brightening my mood in an instant. "She smiled her infectious smile as I told Seth, "She hit me in the face with a door when I first met her." And laughed at the memory. I greeted Melody and Seth continued. "They live in the dorm next door, so we should get to know them pretty well. Coffee?" He added, offering the pot to me. I gladly took it and poured a large mug. They continued the conversation they were having earlier, asking my input here and there. About an hour later they left, after a long goodbye. Since we still had a full day before classes officially started, Seth brought out his Star Trek disk set, and we watched it until nightfall.
That night there were no dreams, and I awoke peacefully, only slightly remembering the events of the day before. I remembered one thing clearer than the rest. Harper. Seth and I head down to breakfast, which was being served in the cafe for free, since it was the first day of classes. First class I had was advanced physiology. I sat about three rows back, and I was a bit early, so there were only a few other people. I saw someone I knew enter the room, and she immediately smiled at me and sat down. "Hi." I whispered to her. She giggled and greeted me back, and then class began.
By the end of my classes it was about 5 at night, so Seth and I decided to go to the Applebee's across the street. We started off down the hall, but Seth stopped at a door 3 doors down from us. He knocked, and invited the two residents, Melody and Harper, to come with. It was officially a party now with all four of us. We made it to the restaurant, and we were put into a booth in the back. Harper slid into the booth next to me, and she smiled, her face turning a slight shade of pink. I couldn't help but smiled back, because her smile lit up the dreary restaurant like a lantern in a dark room.
