Calvin and Hobbes: Off to College

Chapter #2: Doomed Hours

Sapling Cafeteria, Pinesaps College

12:00 PM

    Calvin and Taylor were standing in the lunch line, waiting to get to the front. "The lunch line back in elementary school wasn't nearly this long." sighed Calvin. It had been an eventful morning. First, the duo had woken up to a loud hallway full of guys running to and from the showers (along with Moe's loud music booming from next door), then their math teacher, Mr. Sanstop, had given them a 5 page worksheet to see where they were at (Calvin did great, as Taylor didn't do as well), and just before lunch, Moe had given Calvin a wedgie in the middle of science. Hobbes, Calvin's stuffed tiger, was stashed away in his owner's backpack. As Calvin and Taylor entered the buffet area, they spotted Moe and his roommates Johnny and Silas stuffing some students' heads into the salad bar. "I was going to get a salad, but I'm rethinking that." groaned Taylor, staring at Calvin. "Has Moe always been like this?" Calvin gave a grin and told Taylor what happened in his elementary school days. "Well, I guess Moe will never change." Taylor laughed. "I heard from my mom, who knows Moe's parents, and his parents said they considered shipping him off to reformatory school...or Alcatraz." snickered Calvin. The roommates finally got to the start of the line, and once Calvin saw what was for lunch, he couldn't have been more happy. For lunch there were hamburgers, mashed potatoes, and (for some very strange reason) 2 foot long sandwiches. Calvin ordered two foot long sandwiches and hamburgers, and decided he would give one of the two sandwiches and hamburgers to Hobbes. The roommates found a table and sat down, but not far away from them was a group of girls chatting. Hobbes recognized one of them, Susie Derkins. "Dude, Calvin! It's Susie!" Hobbes whispered to his friend.

   "Wait, what?!?" Calvin said, turning his head in the direction of Susie. The brown-haired girl was one of Calvin's classmates back in his elementary school days. She had never liked Calvin, due to his imagination running wild. Moe and his roommates had just come out of the line, and rudely introduced themselves to Calvin, flipping his tray over whilst. "Moe," Calvin growled, "you woke me up at 3 am today!" Moe grinned and whispered to Rickey and Edward that 'Project L.U.N.C.H.' is a go. "Twinkie, I know I've been rude to you, but maybe we should settle this like men." Moe told him, "How about we battle like in a fight?" Before Calvin had a chance to react, Moe slipped him a sheet that read "Meet me at 6:00 outside Watterson Hall, and we'll fight. Reward (for me): I wake you up at midnight every Saturday for a month. Reward (for you, Twinkie): You live for now."

    6:00 was approaching fast, and Calvin felt as if that fight's events would be the last memories he'd ever have. Later, in the dorm at around 5:41 PM, Taylor stared at a nervous Calvin. "Dude, three words. What the heck?" he told Calvin. The yellow-haired boy had been pacing the floor for several minutes now and it was 5:59. "Oh no." Calvin muttered,"I'm doomed." The boy left the building with his Little Mac boxing gloves and a headband with the Nike logo on it as he headed to Watterson Hall. Moe was waiting outside with his lackeys at his side. Several students watched on as the fight began. Moe delivered a jab to Calvin's cheek, and Calvin immediately uppercut the bully. The fight lasted for a few hours until finally Moe fell in defeat. Everyone cheered and hollered as Calvin went back to his dorm. Susie was watching the fight, and thought to herself. Maybe I should give Calvin a second chance, thought Susie.