My alarm goes off at 7:04; I have been lying up in bed, awake for the last hour in anticipation for today. Today is the first day of classes, here at Reno. I am not a freshmen, I am here as a sophomore, I should not be nervous to find my classes. I have been walking around, mapping my route out for the last week to not be nervous. But here I am rushing to get into the bathroom to get showered and shaved for the first day of classes. I try and sing songs to keep my mind from over thinking, I am attempting to sing Wrecking Ball by Miley and I sound like a tortured dog. I quickly jump out wrap up in a towel and go out to get coffee. I am so happy, that I made the pot of coffee last night as I go to warm up the cup in the microwave. I am the only one up. I had to take a class for my major at 9:00 a.m. it was the only time for it. Today, I am not even tired, I am way too nervous and excited to get this year started.
I check the weather and it is already 75 out. I go back to my room coffee in hand and begin to do my make-up. I listen to music this morning to keep from thinking, my IPod I am using is from my middle school days, so throwback songs are coming on, and as I draw on my eyeliner I reminisce about uncomfortable times. Middle school was the worst. I am happy with the age I am, I can figure out who I am and what I want; with no one involuntarily putting their input in. I throw on my black tank top dress on, with gold silver strappy sandals and my long silver turquoise elephant necklace. I leave my hair straight today, so I do not look too over-done. I slide on black spandex before collecting my notebook, pen, and purse to go to the living room. I grab another cup of coffee and force myself to eat an apple, just to eat something. I leave all of my supplies on the bar, go back to my room, brush my teeth and spritz one final spray of perfume and I am out the door.
I arrive to my class 10 minutes early, I walked slowly taking in all people who are up early, and all are already tired of being here before 9:00 in the morning. I do not walk with a smile, but I am not unhappy to be here, I am two wired and jittery. I try and stroll to ease some nerves, and to not be the first person in class. I reach the door and I see that there are 3 other people in class. I sit next to a boy who is dressed in black skinny jeans and an acid button up shirt, he has olive skin, and he has a tiny bird tattoo on his right-hand. I sit in the desk next to him in the 3rd row. He does not even look up from his phone to acknowledge my presence. The rest of the students come into class and I am hoping someone will sit next to me who will actually talk. No one does. I am stuck with silent, tattooed, mystery boy. Class only took about 30 minutes of the class time because it is just syllabus week and we go over everything that will be and when to turn them in, and talking about our finals. The professor is young cheery bright-eyed and very pretty. She has been a professor for two years here, she graduated with her masters from here at UNR, and she said all of her credentials and past history, I get distracted by the mystery boy. He is doodling in his notebook. Already? I think to myself, it wasn’t even a full day of class and he is already drawing and not paying attention. Why didn’t I choose to sit next to the girl in the blue sweater vest and glasses in the first row? She would have talked and shared notes with me. No, instead I choose to sit next to some bad boy want to be who I am not sure can even speak. Ironic, we are in a speech therapy class and he does not talk.
We are dismissed and he gets up and leaves without his notebook. I am about to call for him, when I realize I do not even know his name. Well, he is shit out of luck, and I take his notebook, I will give it back to him on Wednesday and that will actually start a conversation. That is a pretty good ice breaker. I pack up, and leave to go back to the apartment. The campus is a little livelier, because people are starting to show up for classes that start at 10:00.
