Socially Awkward

II.

Saturday at last! Best day for a hermit at a predominantly white college.

I'm going to the store to buy some snacks and then I'll hide in my dorm for the rest of the weekend.

Oh right, I was supposed to become a more social person.

Nope, I change my mind. The guilt of losing my resolve so quickly doesn't even faze me anymore. My car is parked across campus in the freshman parking lot.

I think I change my mind about snacks too. My phone starts vibrating and all my hermit-joy pits at the bottom of my stomach.

I should let it ring.

"I know you're there." McKenzie's voice says in my delusional mind.

I swipe it off my desk. "Hey."

"Come down to the lobby." McKenzie orders me.

"I was going to study so..."

She cuts me off. "Study what, the syllabuses?"

Should that be syllabi?

I sigh, "Okay." but do as I am told.

When I get down to the lobby both Berlin and McKenzie spot me and start jumping up and down immediately.

I think they are the kind of people that write curse words on mad-libs and then laugh as they read them aloud.

"What took you so long?" Berlin whines and crosses her lanky arms. I notice a tattoo on her wrist. Some kind of flower.

"Got distracted." I conjure up the plainest most glass excuse possible.

"We need to go somewhere!" Berlin exclaims.

What did I say about fast friends again?

"I heard there's a cute little historical district, has nice little shops." McKenzie informs us.

Historical? There is nothing historical about a university that was built in the nineties.

"It's right up the road. We can catch the bus there, I think."

"When I think of the bus I'm reminded that I'm not doing that." I remark sardonically.

"You have a car." McKenzie reminds me. Berlin looks intrigued.

"Right."

"Can we go?" McKenzie shouts and puts on a pouty face.

"My car is across campus." I try to deter them but they start smiling instead.

"Let's go then, time isn't going to stop for us!" Berlin begins to skip out the door, followed by McKenzie.

I slouch, but still slowly follow them.

❶②❸❹

I absolutely hate driving long distances, especially when the passengers are noisy and kind of obnoxious. If I didn't know any better then I'd say they are growing on me.

Berlin continues to do an impersonation of a teacher she has.

Um... no.

McKenzie cackles louder than necessary.

This is irritating enough to bring out my inner psychopath.

"I thought you said 'right up the road'." I question her. I've been driving for an hour now.

"We can only do what the GPS tells us." she adds some kind of mystical tone to her voice.

Berlin smiles next to me. She must think this is funny, but wait until I decide to send us careening over the next bridge.