Excerpts, from a Galaxy Wide

Dellah's Diner

Dellah's Diner was small, if the place could fit fifty customers I would be surprised and the twenty five patrons around the diner seemed to keep the servers very busy. The interior was blue, thankfully not the electric blue you would expect (and would give me a headache) but a softer baby blue. Like every other building on and surrounding St. Paul's College, Dellah's Diner sported many chrome finishes, but it was clean and you could see there was a sense of pride in the way the waitresses wore their (you guessed it) baby blue 1950's uniforms.

I couldn't see a face older than twenty five so I assumed the diner was college staffed. I again noticed the lack of freshman within the diner but ultimately brushed it off to the fact that the freshmen dorms were on the total opposite side of campus, and surrounded with multiple others diners and restaurants.

Our group mashed into two booths straight across each other so that the conversation flowed freely across the aisle and the servers would have to avoid Jason and Henry smacking and throwing sugar packets at each other. Robin somehow positioned me between Vanessa and herself throughout all the commotion of sitting down, and I sat in the middle of the booth. I felt pinned yet comfortable.

Across from me sat Russell, one of Jason's friends. Other than him and Henry the only other person's name I knew was Jimmy, who now joined Henry in bombing Jason with sugar packets. The three people in the opposite I had met but I had also met fifty other people Robin and Vanessa knew and I couldn't for the life of me remember their names. I kept on waiting for somebody to say their name out loud.

Vanessa and Robin were quick to promote the milkshakes and fries, and before I had even finished saying 'salted caramel', Robin had ordered milkshakes for her, Vanessa and me. The guys from Kappa Sig seemed undisturbed by my, Robin and Vanessa's presence and often made jokes with Vanessa about Jason, while throwing fries at Jason (and getting irritated stares from the waitresses, which scared them so they stopped).

I turned to Robin, "Is Jason a Kappa Sig?"

"Oh no, he is in a frat though," she said, "() but he knows many of the guys from high school, that's what happens when everybody from a small town goes to the same college. Vanessa is in a sorority too, ()."

"So you know everyone too? You mentioned that you, Jason and Vanessa went to high school together."

"Pretty much," she nodded, "almost everyone I know goes or went to college here."

Robin smiled at me, "Is there really no one from your high school here?"

"Nah, I don't know."

I could see Robin wanted to know more, but thankfully the service at Dellah's was excellent and our milkshakes arrived just in time to distract Robin from her interrogation. I felt like the new kid in school, I technically was but these people have known each other since puberty.

"So I noticed that we're the only freshmen, is that normal?"

Vanessa slurped up a sip from her bubble-gum milkshake, "Kind of, not many freshmen hang out here, the place is usually crowded with fraternities and sororities, and seniors get preference you know – the whole pledge thing. It's just better to come when they're partying or with seniors so you don't get ignored."

St. Paul's party kids had more of an ego than I thought – all this senior privilege was kind of immature, but then again it is their side of campus. The housing surrounding Dellah's Diner were all fraternities, sororities and senior dorms. I didn't even want to think of this place at breakfast time the next day – filled with hung-over Greeks.

By the time we finished our milkshakes, there were no more people walking outside, not even stragglers from the party at Kappa Sig. My phone was dead, after Vanessa zapped it from the table and took multiple selfies and pictures of all us – so I couldn't even tell the time.

Across the diner I could faintly see a clock on the wall, but I strained to see it. I could barely see the thin line pointing towards twelve.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked quietly, "Why are you squinting? Who are we spying on?"

"Oh, Uh. I'm trying to read the clock on the wall." I blushed; I must've looked like an idiot or a blind mole.

"Oh Gosh that's meters away, my phone is right here... it's, uh," she paused to unlock it, "half past twelve, wow. I didn't know it was that late."

"Me either, my phone died a while ago."

"I think that's a night for us." Robin said decidedly, and stood up. Jason and Vanessa turned their heads toward as if they were confused, "I'm tired, how about you Jay?"

"Uh yeah sure." I stood up too, Russell stood up so Robin and I could scoot out of the booth.

Vanessa looked Robin up and down, "Are you alright Robin? You're usually the last of us to go home."

"I'm great, just tired, today was eventful." She smiled, "there's a whole week before classes start, let's not exhaust ourselves on the first night."

The more Robin spoke, the more I agreed. I was tired, the day was far more eventful than the last month of my life and I had met so many new people I couldn't process names or faces. I was struggling to stay awake, I wanted my bed and my pyjamas, like now.

Henry stood up as well, "I'm about ready too, I'll walk you guys to your dorm. "

"Thanks man." Robin smiled.

"Ah it's nothing my dorm is literally a street away."

After saying goodbye to everyone and telling Vanessa we would text her once we were in the dorm, Henry, Robin and I set out towards the other side of campus.

"So that wasn't that bad huh?" Robin asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier you said you weren't a social person, you were pretty social tonight." Robin laughed and Henry chuckled, he must have noticed my shyness earlier in the evening.

"Oh that." I smiled, it was a nice evening; "I enjoyed it, thank you for inviting me."

"So you'll join us again?" Henry asked

"Maybe, I don't go out much, but tonight was fun."