Finding Us

Chapter Three

This project was going to be a good one, giving him a chance to get involved the way he'd always wanted to. He felt sure of himself as he walked the campus. Fall hadn't hit yet, but today was an awfully breezy day throwing off the heat that had followed the week. Chris had met a few new people, but none he had really been too familiar with yet. He preferred to spend his time outside of class exploring. Last week, he'd found the perfect spot right outside of the buildings that made up the campus.

Chris made his way to a huge Alder tree and ran his hands along the trunk just like he had when he'd first come across it. What had to have been decades and decades of personalized carvings into the tree filled the trunk. He knew numerous people who didn't believe in defacing nature, and maybe they were right, but he loved this. He had a deep appreciation for all the stories that had happened right here over a long period of time in the very spot where he stood.

Making it on a sports scholarship alone wasn't enough and so in picking a major to study, he'd decided to pursue journalism. He didn't know how good of a writer he actually was, though, he loved the idea of creating stories. Of being able to escape reality...to create your own amazing reality if only for just a minute. That's exactly what his first assignment was. He leaned against the tree and recalled his professor's words: "For the next month, I'm going to give you a group of people to be your topic. You will study them. You will get to know them. You will learn something from them and once you do, you will make a report on it. Full interviews, full report, full involvement." He couldn't wait to get started. His professor would give him the group around campus he was to research. There were a few groups he hoped he didn't get stuck with and almost everyone else agreed. He wasn't worried, though. He faced the tree again and ran his hand along initials surrounded by hearts and names written together with & signs and symbols of peace and infinity signs. All of these meant something at some point in time. He spent some time by the tree and then walked back toward his dorm room.

"Chris!" His roommate ran up to him, Demetrius always had a smile on his face.

"Hey, what's up?"

Demetrius threw his arm around Chris's shoulders: "There's a party tonight. Just a few of the guys, you should come!"

"Oh, I don't know man. I have a lot of work to do." Parties were one of the things his parents had stressed to him to be careful about. It was a great way to connect, if it was safe.

"It's just a few of us. C'mon, don't be a party pooper.... c'mon!!" Demetrius kept insisting with that constant smile

"Okay, okay." Chris chuckled, he'd be safe... and maybe it'd be fun.

Lights flashed and noise echoed from the frat house on the corner of campus as Chris met up with Demetrius and a few other guys.

"Yep, it's just a few of you alright."

The guys chuckled: "Are you always this uptight?"

Why did they have to hassle him? So, he wasn't a partier, but he knew how to have fun. He brushed off the comment and went inside. The house was packed. This was not his kind of environment, but he wasn't going to back out yet. The guys lead Chris to the beer, where they each grabbed one and hastled him about grabbing one. When he finally made it clear that he was declining, the guys left him alone and went to party themselves. Yeah, this was not how he wanted to spend his night. He was leaving. He made his way through the noise and the crowd and stepped out onto the porch. Standing there, facing the street was a thickset average height brunette. He was going to walk past until she abruptly turned around, jolting him in the process.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

He stood there for a moment, not sure what to do. Then, slowly made his way toward her: "I should say the same to you, too", He chuckled to lighten the mood, but she didn't budge, "Are you okay?"