"Don't forget, exam on Monday!" My Health Psychology professor, Dr. McMinn, shouted as twenty anxious young adults exited the lecture hall.
"Have a good weekend professor," I said as I passed him, heading towards the door myself.
"Thanks Niall," he smiled, "don't do too much studying." I chuckled and left the room. What he said was oddly accurate. I went to UW Madison in Wisconsin. Its a huge party school, but it also takes a lot of intelligence to get into. I am here more for the learning than for the fun. I can have fun when I am head of a business and all of my employees are the partiers who blow off their classes.
Luckily, this was my last class of the day. On the other hand, my dorm room was on the other side of campus. I decide that it would be best to take a detour and make my way through State street to grab a bite to eat. God knows my roommate will just order pizza or take-out, or maybe he will be missing like he always is. He tends to disappear for a week or two and then he'll turn up again either with another tattoo or maybe another piercing.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and see I got a text from my friend Dan:
Hey dude u hungry? Come to jj
I respond saying I’ll be there soon.
I can hear someone shouting behind me so I stop and turn to see what all the hype is about.
"Hey, everyone!" Some preppy guy is climbing the stairs to a building that I have never been in. Once he reaches the top, he cups his hands around his mouth and continues, " there is a party tonight! Hosted by the wonderful boys at Sigma Pi!"
He continues to shout directions but I shake my head and keep walking, my hunger becoming more noticeable with every step. Frat parties are always the worst. Sometimes, when I'm in my dorm on a weekend night, I can hear sirens and automatically knowing that they are going to break up a fight, or catch drunks doing something illegal. I like to distance myself from that chaos.
Finally, I reach Jimmy Johns and head inside. I still wonder why Dan decided to work at this fine establishment.
"Hey Niall, what can I get for ya bud?" He asked as I approached the counter.
"The usual," I responded. The usual for me would consist of a turkey sub with all the works. I payed for my small meal and went to fill up my soda.
"Hi," I look to my right and see a girl who looks somewhat familiar. "Um," she continues,"my name is Becca... I am in your psych class... that we just got out of..."
"Oh, yeah of course, " I say, only half meaning it. I don't remember seeing her in there but I guess that would explain why she looks familiar. "I'm--"
"Niall, your order," Dan says with perfect timing.
"Niall," I let out a small laugh at that and she does the same. I excuse myself to go get my sub and then return to the soda machine where she is still standing.
"Want to, uh, sit?" I ask, awkwardly. Which I don't know why I am feeling nervous, I am usually a smooth talker when it comes to girls. I mean Becca is pretty and all, with her short blonde hair, but I have no clue what she is into and all we have to talk about is Health Psychology.
"Sure, my stuff is over there, I'll meet you there in a minute." She points to a table behind my and I sit down and look to where she is going. She goes to talk to Dan which takes me by a little surprise but I don't put much thought into it.
After about a minute of sitting there alone, she comes and sits. I just took a bite of my sub so I almost choke when I try to welcome her. Once my embarrassing coughing fit is over, I gulp down some soda and try again.
"Hi again,"
"Hi Niall, long time no see," I laugh at her sarcastic comment. "So, I like your accent, but I can't place it."
"Thank you, its Irish," I say putting my sub down after I determine that I should not take another bite mid conversation.
"Oh, cool," she says nodding. "So are you, like, from there?"
"Yeah I grew up there and then when I was 16 my family moved here because we had family and my dad had a higher paying job opportunity."
"Nice," is all she says. Way to go Niall, why don't you tell her every little detail of your life. "I heard theres this huge frat party tonight, are you going?"
Just as she asks that, Dan comes over and smacks me in the back. "Yeah bro, you should totally come." Dan is definitely about that party life but he also is amazingly smart. He is quite the complex person.
"I was planning on staying home actually," I say looking down to avoid both of their stares.
"Come on," he says, dragging the 'n'
"Yeah, at least think about it," Becca adds.
"Ok, I will. But I make no promises."
"Alright bro. I gotta get back to the register, see ya later." And with that he is gone.
"I better get going to, my roommate and I are going shopping."
"Ok... bye," I say and she packs up all her things and she stands.
"See you tonight!" She turns and runs out of the store high-fiving Dan on the way. Little did they know there was no way I was going to that damn party.
I finish my sub and say goodbye to Dan as I walk out. I head towards my dorm building. The sun is just starting to set, making it really hard for me to see so when I totally ram into this guy, I am not surprised.
"Watch where you're going," he says, annoyed.
"I'm sorry, the sun.. I couldn't,"
"Save it," he cuts me off. Gee, rude, tall and wearing black. I wonder who I mistakenly ran into. Oh right, the Harry Styles. The total "punk", "thug", or whatever you want to call him. Whenever I have the pleasure to be in his presence he is always strange... The one other time I saw him was at a gas station where he was buying a bunch of random stuff. He was short like five dollars and obviously drunk, so when the cashier refused to let him get off without fully paying, and insisting he put an item or two back, he lost it. He firmly stated he needed all of it. I just came to buy some energy drinks so I could stay up and study all night, and I wasn't in the mood to wait. I pulled out my wallet and handed Harry a ten dollar bill. He gave it to the worker and when the worker gave him the change, he turned to give it to me.
"Keep it," I said and he looked at me for a good five seconds, processing what I said and then hugged me. And not just a friendly "thanks" hug, no, a giant bear hug and I had to pry him off of me because I think after awhile he was starting to fall asleep on me.
Yep, so I don't think he remembers that, based off of the look he is giving me. I continue to walk and brush his shoulder when I pass just to piss him off.
"Really?" He asked. I just smiled and walked away.
I can see my dorm building down the road and I let out a sigh of relief because my legs hurt from walking everywhere. That's the problem with college, its too much of a hassle to drive around and unless you have a lot of money, or storage space, you can't get one of those moped things to scoot around in. I turn to walk up the sidewalk to get to my door when, out of the corner of my eye, I see Harry again, not too far behind.
I call to him, "Are you following me?"
He catches up and looks at me in disbelief, "No, I live here too, you know."
"I thought you lived in one of the frat houses?" I honestly thought he did.
"Yeah well, I moved out, alright?"
"Someones cranky," I say and I know it was right when he looks even more annoyed than before.
"Bye," he pushes past me and goes into the building without turning around.
