Saint Walsh

Ronnie Mulvaney

California University was a jungle, especially at two in the morning. The library had just closed so a mass exodus was taking place from the world of books to the dorms. I, Ronnie Mulvaney, was returning home. I had a long drive to go from school to the apartment so I rushed a bit quicker than the rest of the horde. Once I get home, I would only have four hours of sleep to look forward to and then back on the road for school again. Madeline was right, why did I attend this university? Johnston Community College was literally right down the road from where I lived, it was basically free for me with scholarship, and I would get the same good education. I tried convincing Madeline that there was more opportunity at Cal-University for a Comm Major than at any regular college. The broadcasting studio was more equipped, I argued, it was more diverse which meant it offered more opportunity for networking. In reality it had nothing to do with any of that...

The truth was the University campus was huge, with bushes of expensive roses, the air fermented with perfume, the buildings rose over my head. The money invested into the establishment was lots. To a nineteen year old these things were important. After getting out of high school it feels good to be at a place where it's made obvious that you're a step above everyone else. So in a sense I did what my siblings JC and Oliver told me not to do, I got mesmerized by Beverly Hills' number one recommended university, and all its prestigious-ness.

In the frat headquarters (I called it) hung Steve Sanders, the man who ruled everything. It was a picture of him in his youth standing beside the fraternity building in its late 90's. The wallpaper in the DJ booth for broadcasting had none other than David Silver and his wife Donna plastered all over it. In the psych department were countless photos of who everyone called the stunning Kelly Taylor-Sanders and last but not least Saint Walsh had another gallery dedicated to him because he was also student-body president there too. Right beside the Saint's enlarged sophomore photo were personal heartfelt words about him from former chancellor Milton Arnold along with heartfelt words about him from the current chancellor, Milton's daughter, Clare Arnold. (Gotta love Saint Walsh). What I mean is I thought California University was the place of Gods, and it was nice to be a part of it.

Life was exactly the way I wanted it to be, not too good to be considered a fantasy and not to bad to be called a nightmare; all the interesting stuff wouldn't happen until later. This was three days before my brother got into that massive fight and ten days before my sister almost got shot by Bentley Silver. This is more of a love story. Not the familiar one that you're thinking of, but one that sorta runs in the family (you won't get this phrase until you read to the end... the very end.)

I headed for my crappy car that night and caught Sam from my Anatomy class sitting right on top of it. Now usually I didn't have a thing for white chicks (I never wanted to be the stereotypical mixed guy who went for blondes just because I was lighter.) But there was something about this blonde cutie, she smoked a cigarette that night because her parents would kill her if they caught her, and she wore a revealing cheerleading uniform because her parents would kill her if they caught her.

Every time I was with her I felt like the dork in one of those old 90's films that secretly was scoring the hot girl. The thrill had a lot to do with the fact that she just wasn't any girl; she was Steve Sanders second daughter.

"How's it goin' stud?" She said seductively trying to give her best Sandy from Grease impression.

I flirtatiously chuckled (something about women on cars always got me goin'.) "Not too good?" I jested. "You're on top on my vehicle which means I'm not going to be able to get home."

"What's so bad about that? Thought you wanted to lose sleep." In case you didn't get that innuendo, she was talking about sex. We hit it off one time at an Ace McKay party, and she hadn't detached from me since. It was weird because I didn't want to stay with her, but didn't want to leave her either.