Songs from my Bewilderment

Chapter Two

Olivia is running through campus, 5 minutes late for class. Her professor was a hippie artist from Santa Cruz, being late didn't matter to him. Olivia likes to be on time for everything. She was always early. Something her dad always taught her.

She runs through the doors of Mariposa Hall and into her art classroom, rushing to an open easel. Everyone in the class gives off so much of a chill vibe, that they don't even notice Olivia. She sits down. Gathers her pencils, she starts to draw. The nude model, stationed in the middle of the room, has easels of other students surrounding him. 

One of the reasons why she was late was because she had brunch with Max near campus. He had taken a train from Berkeley to meet with her in San Francisco at USF. Something that could be more than a 45-minute train ride depending on the time of day. Though it was Thursday at noon, so it wasn't as crowded for Bay Area public transportation. It was weird though, considering the fact that he never meets with her during the week.

As Olivia starts putting pencil to paper on her artboard, she starts thinking about what Max told her. How he was going to Alex's wedding with Maddy. She starts to feel nervous thinking about the two of them together in front of his family. Why did he ask her? Olivia knew that Max didn't want to take a real date or anyone from his school, so it kinda made sense? But still, why Maddy?

Olivia had known Maddy from her French class. They met their freshman year and Maddy was actually majoring in French, where Olivia was only minoring. Since their first year of college, they had gone through the usual; fraternity parties, picnics in Dolores Park, concerts and more. They were almost like best friends. Though not as close as Olivia and Max were.

Max had met Olivia in elementary school. They were both from the same hometown, Sacramento, two hours north of San Francisco. Both their mothers were friends first since they were both interior designers and co-owned a design firm together.

At some point, they were inseparable. All the way through middle school, they'd have dinner at each other's houses, carpool, go to the movies together, shop at the mall. Though, going to separate high schools changed a few things. He went to an all-boys school while she went to an all-girls school. They would see each other at dances and games, though they dated other people.

However, it wasn't a coincidence that they both ended up in the Bay Area for college. Olivia's plan was always to go to UC Berkeley and study Art Practice. While Max's plan was to go to USF to study Finance and start his career in the city. Sadly, neither of them got into their dream schools. Max had gotten a full-ride scholarship for basketball at UC Berkeley, while Olivia was offered a grant to pursue her art at USF.

Olivia's class ends, and she wraps up her art supplies. Still contemplating on Max and Maddy going to Alex's wedding together, she realizes that she, too, must find a date. She just always figured that she and Max wouldn't have dates, but maybe it was for the best. Thoughts race to her mind as she walks through campus. Just as she's about to walk into the library, she runs into Maddy.

"Hey, girl!" Maddy says with excitement.

"Hey!" Olivia responds excitedly. "So you're going to Alex's wedding?!" She screams nervously. It almost sounds sarcastic, but authentic and sweet enough to sound like Olivia.

"Yeah, is that okay with you? I wanted to check in with you first but figured Max would tell you before asking me," Maddy says.

Olivia thinks to herself, why didn't he bring it up before asking her? Did he think I was going to be against it? Was I against it? She continues thinking.

"Why wouldn't it be okay?! Oh, it'll be so much fun! Just like old times." Olivia says cheerfully. She looks back to their freshman year when she and Maddy would be dragged to fraternity parties at UC Berkeley and run into Max and his basketball teammates. They'd also go to Max's basketball games and end up at whatever after-party the team had. And have several picnics at Dolores Park.

"I'm glad you think so," Maddy says, "I was kind of taken aback when he asked me to go with him. I've only been to a wedding once in my life. And it'll be so nice to see Sacramento."

"Sacramento isn't that exciting," Olivia laughs.

"Either way, it's a wedding! I know how you love to get down on the dance floor," Maddy says.

Olivia is embarrassed but remembers how she gets when she's drunk. Music just seems to flow through her body well when she's intoxicated.

"Well, I gotta go to class!" Maddy says. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah! See ya later!" Olivia says walking into the library. As she goes through her art history book, she is finding a hard time to concentrate. She's excited about the wedding. Alex and Sage have been together since high school. They're just a few years older than Max and Olivia. The only difference is that they went to the same high school. Olivia catches herself thinking, and finally finds a place where she can study.