Tongue Tied

September 2011

It was different, going back for my second year. I was excited to return to the uni life I'd missed so much during the long summer break but it wasn't filled with anticipation anymore. I knew what to expect, there weren't any surprises. Maybe more coursework to deal with but that was about it.

I also had somewhere else to live, I wouldn't be on campus anymore so that experience would be new. The student houses were set up on campus to create a community feel, to help people get to know one another when they first set foot into this brand-new life. Second year students were expected to make it in city apartment's all by themselves. Another step on the journey to adulthood.

Luckily, I still had Natalie to live with, so I'd have that constant.

"Hey, girl!" She wandered through the front door with a thick duvet tucked under her arm. "This place is nice, isn't it? I was worried since I only saw it online but I think I did a good job, don't you?"

I glanced around my surroundings happily. It was small, but it was ours. I was more than happy with that. "I love it, it's awesome. I'm so damn glad you decided to switch to Sociology studies. Can you imagine where I'd have ended up living if you'd left after New Year?"

Natalie snorted with laughter. "I still can't believe I ever thought I'd like Geography. It was never me. Doing a course where I can people watch is much better. I love it. I'm actually excited to get back to it, which is something I never thought I'd say."

I couldn't wait to get back to my course too. I'd spent some of the summer when I wasn't working writing stories, just to keep my creativity flowing. I wasn't sure any of it was very good but doing something had to be better than doing nothing.

I liked writing, I wanted to write. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with that dream, but at the moment that was all I had. I wanted to write something.

I couldn't wait to see Scott either, now things were much better between us. After New Year it was awkward for a while, I came to settle on the idea our friendship was dead and buried, but over time things eased off and the tension simply rolled away. By Easter, we were pretty much back to how things used to be and judging by the few messages we'd exchanged during the summer break, everything was just fine now.

Maybe it wasn't what I wanted, possibly it never would be, but I could cope. The time apart had been good for me. I was probably completely over him by now, maybe I wouldn't even feel anything once we saw each other again.

Hey, anything was possible. Especially now everything had changed.

"Come on, give me some of your stuff, I'll help you get set up. I suppose since it's the first night we have to be out. We wouldn't want to go unseen."

"Oh, can you imagine? That would be absolutely insane. How could a party work without us? We're the life and soul, don't you know?"

***

The music pounded so loudly my bones rattled hard. It even shook my drink between my fingertips. What the hell was going on? Why was the student bar more like a rave tonight? Had it been this way last year? I certainly didn't think so but maybe that was because I saw it through newer eyes then.

"This is insane!" Natalie yelled, only adding to the raging headache building in the back of my brain. "I can't even hear myself think. Do you want to go outside and hang out where the smokers do? Just to give my ears a rest."

I nodded encouragingly and followed Natalie through the crowds of people. There seemed to be so many sweaty, writhing bodies on the dancefloor it was dangerously close to becoming a different type of club altogether. Maybe we were really tame during our first year, or this lot were incredibly wild. Either way, it seemed the student bar was about to be something else. Thank god we lived away from it, that gave us a variety of bars when we wanted a night out.