Chapter 5
I walk out of class after the long lecture that had people yawning as they escaped the building. It'd been scheduled early in the morning with a handful of people who definitely wished they'd gotten a better time slot.
"Hey, Valerie!" A voice calls out, sneakers squeaking as they jog and adjust to my pace. Taking a closer look, I realize it was Westley, another person from the class. "I totally blanked during the lecture. Rough days, you know?"
I roll my eyes before retrieving my notes from my bag. "You're lucky I trust you enough to take care of my notes. Return them as soon as possible, okay?"
Westley takes the papers into his hands gratefully, an exhale of relief. "You're the best, Val."
"Don't call me Val," I scrunch my nose at the sound. The nickname could never fit me no matter the context. "You know I can't stand it."
"Sorry, just a slip of the tongue." He justifies with a guilty smile. Wesley glances at the notes one more time before he starts to head in a diverting directing.
"Thanks, Valerie!" Wesley calls, walking a few steps backward.
"Bye Wes!" I shout back quickly. I sigh at another usual encounter. Not much substance, conversation revolving around circumstance, and snuffed like a flame after a minute or two. Sometimes it still surprises me that people remember my name.
Having another class to go to in roughly half an hour, I settle for the small bakery on campus. It wasn't as homey as the coffee shop near the house, but they had sufficient drinks and simple pastries that were a delightful pleasure.
Entering upon scene, there's a short line I hum a tune through to wait out my impatience before ordering a latte and a plain croissant. My eyes scan the lack of tables, most full, as I come to the luck of a small table for two in the corner.
My bag sits on my shoes and I sip down my coffee to regain the energy I lost during the early morning lecture. I observe my surroundings - mostly because I'm the type who hates being on their phone in public settings - and see that there's only one girl at the register for the time being. She's wearing an oversized, baby pink sweater paired with leggings and a pair of ankle boots I shortly become envious of.
Her doe eyes scan over the small seating area, every chair filled up except for the one at my table. My eyes divert as I notice her slowing walking towards me.
"Hi, I'm Maggie." She introduces herself shyly. "Sorry to bother you, there's just nowhere to sit and I have another class soon enough. I hope you don't mind if I sit here?"
"Oh not at all," I smile warmly. By now, I would've probably left the table all to herself entirely, but I take note of the boy's persistent advice from the past few days. I want to be more than a girl who soaks her life in her studies and doesn't have any friends. "Go ahead."
"Thank you so much," Maggie says appreciatively as she sits in the chair across from me. On her end of the table sat her coffee steaming a bit from the lid and a blueberry muffin. She starts with the muffin, unraveling part of the tin, chowing down. "Thank god the bakery here is really good or else I don't know what I'd do. I swear; a good, classic pastry is all I ask."
I laugh at the corky personality that she wears so easily, still chomping on her blueberry muffin.
"Oh," She looks up guiltily when she catches my simple stare; misinterpreting. She shoves the last of her bite into her mouth before speaking. "Sorry, I probably look really gross. I was just really hungry this morning because when you wake up so early it's like it's already noon or something, and I have classes back to back so I know I'm not going to eat for a bit and -"
"Hey, hey breathe," I giggle. "I don't mind. In fact, I totally get it. Sorry if you got the wrong idea, I wasn't staring to be rude or anything. I just admire you - in all honesty."
"Admire?" Maggie gives me an incredulous look. "I'm a mess. What is there to admire?"
"Your personality. I've never met someone so naturally nice and quirky before." A smile tugs my lips. "Quite admirable if you ask me."
"Why thank you," She coyly tucks a nonexistent strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes though widen quickly and she checks her phone, standing up abruptly. "Oh snickerdoodles, I have to get to my next class soon. It was nice meeting you... sorry, I'm so inconsiderate, I didn't ask for your name."
"Don't worry about it," I wave it off. "I'm Valerie, by the way."
"Valerie," She repeats, like a way to keep the name in her memory. "Cool, see you around!"
I chuckle quietly to myself when she turns around again and waves when she sees my gaze is still following her. She exits the bakery and speeds off to catch her next class. I think about what I had told her, how I admired her. I wish I could be as nice, and though she was shy, I wish I were able to take those chances. If only I had the bravery to walk up to an empty seat and take it. Who knows where the simple task could take me.
I wonder if her words will stay true; I wonder if I'll see her around again. Because from what Atlas says, maybe I should make friends that stick around for a while. The biggest, most personal issue though, is that I'm afraid "awhile" won't be long enough. Like those friends in high school, some become close, others closer. You share your laughs, accompany each other on the weekends, and you're there when the times get dark. But as I once learned from the beginning of my college days, those friends won't sit by you every day anymore. There is space but between you and with time, they move on. You become a memory. That's why I'm afraid to become friends with a girl like Maggie, especially Maggie. That this one moment is going to be the only reason why we're friends. She will be a person in my memory that I'll miss, and she hurt me without intention. And that outside of this college, outside of this bakery, we are nobodies to each other.
I just fear that one day she'll decide to leave once she realizes that the entirety of what we become was based on circumstance.
