Reverse Encounters

Ghost Girl Part 7

Two days ago it snowed, so logically today it's 70 degrees and sunny. Because that's Illinois weather logic apparently. I sat on a blanket next to the large fountain on the quad. Several of us were scattered across the quad, throwing frisbees or reading or practicing swing dance moves. It's the first day we haven't been cooped up in the conservatory and it seems everyone is eager to take advantage of it. Across the quad is a gathering of students, all sitting in a circle. On closer inspection, they're all holding newspapers with a large stack of them in the middle. They sit there for a long while and then disperse. One of them walks towards our little congregation with a large stack of newspapers – it's really no wonder people think we're a cult – and walks straight over to where Thomas and Anna are sitting on a bench. Just as she passes me, I realize it's Ghost Girl. Agh, I've already forgotten her real name. Dangit.

She begins talking brightly with Anna about newspaper articles and a few various other things. Thomas asks for a newspaper as well and she makes a few sarcastic comments about the book he's reading or something of that sort. Jeremiah joins them and also starts to talk to Ghost Girl; apparently he forgot to give her something ... I wish I was sitting closer so I could hear better. Several other conservies have gathered around the little bench gathering but the others seem to ignore her presence – or at least that's how it seems from here. Finally Ghost Girl leaves with her stack of newspapers and heads towards the conservatory. She talks to stop to some freshman girls sitting on a blanket a little ways away from us before actually heading in. Does that mean she's a freshman? Come to think of it, if she were any older I would have seen her in classes. But is she in the conservatory?

Several minutes later I hear footsteps coming up behind me accompanied by a voice. After Ghost Girl passes me, talking on the phone, I realize I've already mentally marked what her voice sounds like. She sits on the other side of the quad facing our little gathering, still talking on the phone. I go back to working on my paper on my laptop and attempt to forget she's there. After I don't know how much time, she begins to walk over to where we're all sitting. Again. She sticks her tongue out at someone behind me as she approaches us. I follow her gaze to the freshman girls who have moved their blanket closer to the main congregation of people. She sits down and talks brightly with one of the girls. After she's set up her laptop and books she looks over and smiles at me. I smile back, but I think I may have smiled too broadly; God I hope I'm not scaring her. Peter begins to play a tune on his portable keyboard and she talks to her friend about it.

"Agh what's that from?" says Ghost Girl.

Her friend shrugs; I think her name is Helen.

"I know this..." Ghost Girl mumbles. She rests her chin in her hands dramatically and squints across the quad. "Gah what is this from? Toy Story?"

Helen shrugs again.

"It's from UP," I say, catching her eye.

"OHHHhhh, right!" she says smiling.

I look back down at my laptop, slightly pleased with myself.

A little while later someone brings a small dog over to where we're sitting. I wouldn't say I hate dogs, but I'm really not a fan of them jumping on me out of control. I politely ask the owner to keep her away from us, but some of the others are eager to play with the dog. When the dog comes near Ghost Girl, I see her flinch; actually she flinched a lot. Seeing my opening, I try to catch her eye again.

"You not a fan of dogs either?" I say in the most sympathetic-but-not-condescending tone I can.

"Yeah," she says uneasily, quickly trying to locate the dog.

Say something else.

Idiot. Say something!

Aaaaaand the moment has passed. She's working again. Good job.

I resign myself to working on a song with my buddy next to me for a while, since I can't think of anything else to say to her. She's looking at her laptop really intently – actually she looks rather dismayed and seems to be staring at one particular thing. After awhile she asks for Helen's opinion on the wording of something. I try to eavesdrop to see what they're talking about but all I caught was something about gravity. She emphatically gestures to something on her laptop and I can just catch something about not knowing where to make a line break. Although I look over several more times, she appears to be staring at the same thing each time. Several minutes later she hits a key on her keyboard dramatically and says an exasperated "There." Could I comment on that? Hmmmm.... I think maybe not – it would be obvious I was eavesdropping.

That stupid dog is back. He's not on our side of the quad this time though – he's further back towards the entrance on the conservatory....Oh dear God what is my roommate doing. He's communicating with it. Typical. Ghost Girl and Helen are watching him interact with the dog and they seem to find it pretty amusing.

"That's my roommate," I say in an informative tone.

"Oh," Ghost Girl says.

Well that didn't work. Aaaaaand now I sound like an idiot because she doesn't even know me and I'm pointing out my roommate. Awesome. I go back to my laptop once again.

"Hey, what's your name again?" says Ghost Girl, looking over at me.

"James." I hope my voice didn't sound too excited.

"I'm Rachel," she said grinning. I grinned back for several seconds before I realized I was staring and looked back down. It was in that moment I realized I'd really screwed up. I was staring at her so long I completely forgot what she said her name was. Crap. Is it weird to ask someone's name again right after they tell it to you? It's windy. Maybe she'll think I just couldn't hear her.

"Wait what was your name again?" I tried.

She didn't look up. Crap crap crap.

"I'm Helen," her friend said, thinking I was speaking to her.

I nodded as politely as possible and tried to catch her eye.

"And yours?" I tried again.

"Oh, I'm Rachel," she said.

I repeated her name several times in my head to ensure I didn't forget it again. They seemed to be getting ready to pack up and head inside. It was pretty windy after all. I should look sociable. Yes, that would be good. I walked over to stand with my roommate and some other people. And then genius struck. I walked over to the lamppost and did a flagpole. I looked back and she was facing the other way. Dangit. I motioned to my roommate to come over.

"Tell me when that girl is looking," I said.

"Now," he said with very little hesitation.

I gripped the pole and tried to look as impressive as possible as I hoisted myself back into a flagpole. This time she saw. I tried hard not to turn around and look at her.

"Did she see?" I asked him.

He nodded subtly and I smirked. She disappeared into the conservatory a few minutes later and was gone.