Page 8 of Talk to Me

He didn’t sit up straighter, but Theo stopped shrinking in his seat, and I was finally able to focus my attention back on the professor giving her lecture over the syllabus. By the end of class, we were being given instructions on which parts to read in our first reading selection, and we were summarily dismissed for the day.

The class erupted in screeching chair legs on the floor, students bursting into conversations, and learning materials being put away. As I was at the back of the room, and the door was at the front, I took my time putting everything in my bag. Pushing through the horde of students to get out of the classroom didn’t seem like an enjoyable prospect. I’d wait until the class was at least half empty before making my escape.

As the class started to empty out, and since my bag was packed, I decided it might be kind to say something friendly to Theo. After witnessing the way people were reacting to him in class, I felt anyone in that situation could use some uplifting words. I wasn’t quite sure what was appropriate, seeing as we didn’t know each other, and so far, I had only uttered an unreturned greeting. I figured a ‘the first day of a class is always hardest,’ or something similar would be appreciated. However, when I turned slightly to address him, he practically leapt from his seat.

Slightly shocked, but not completely surprised, I watched as Theo weaved his way through the dwindling crowd and out the door. Once he was out of sight, I shrugged to myself and rose from my seat. Like almost any other college classroom, seating wasn’t assigned in American Literature. Us sharing a table for any other class was unlikely, so I wasn’t going to get upset at his rudeness. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed out of class.

I’d barely made it out of class, down the hallway, and through the glass doors to the outside when the shrieking of my best friend shattered my eardrums. Collin’s shrill scream had every head within a mile radius whipping around to see if a parrot was being plucked. Following the lead of, literally, everyone around me, I looked around for Collin. Finally, my eyes landed on my best friend and dormmate, dashing down the path towards me.

“Ohmygod, I’m so glad I found you!” Collin squealed as he approached, his voice lowering in volume marginally as he approached. “I was pretty sure you had Lit today.”

I eyed him for a moment as the people around us lost interest and carried on with their personal business.

“I would say you need to learn to use your inside voice,” I said, “but here we are. Outside.”

I motioned to the outdoors around us.

Collin laughed, as though his unceasing need to draw attention to himself was a pleasant joke and not an actual problem that probably required therapy.

“You’re going to be a geek and study all weekend, yes?” he asked, lacing his arm through mine and turning us in the direction of the dorms.

Nodding, I replied, “Studying all weekend, sure. Whether or not that makes me a geek is up for debate.”

He rolled his eyes, but smiled widely.

“Great!” he exclaimed. “Look, Dylan asked if I wanted to stay over this weekend, and—”

“So, you said ‘yes’ and won’t be back until Sunday night,” I said, finishing his thought. “I expected nothing less when you left last night.”

We both laughed.

“But also,” Collin continued, “my mom texted and said she sent a care package that should be here this afternoon or tomorrow.”

“That’s nice of her.”

I nodded at one of the students I recognized from another class as we walked along the sunny pathway towards the dorms. A pleasant breeze was whistling through campus, and the cool air in my hair had me thinking of the upcoming autumn weather. I couldn’t wait to see the leaves changing, getting to wear coats and scarves, and seeing all of the autumnal décor students and administration would be putting out.

And of course, Halloween on college campuses is the best time of the year. Halloween parties, costumes, candy, cookies, bonfires, hayrides, the insanity around the holiday, and football at the same time. It all nearly made the cost of going to university worth it.

“Yeah, sure,” Collin said dismissively. “But if I don’t immediately pick it up from the RA, open it, and send her a text with specificity, thanking her, she’s going to be a real cunt.”

I grimaced. “That’s not a nice thing to say about your mother.”

“You haven’t met her.” Collin sniffed. “It’s probably the nicest thing you could say about her.”

“She’s sending you a care package…” I trailed off.

He shrugged, letting go of my arm. We stepped off the path so we were out of the way and turned to face each other.

“Would you just check in with Dusty tonight and tomorrow?” he asked. “Open it up, text me its contents, maybe shoot me a pic, and I can text her to thank her? I don’t want to get a phone call complaining that I don’t love her.”

“Do you?” I cocked an eyebrow. “You just called her a—”

“It’s fine.” He waved me off. “She’s fine. She’s my mother. Tra-la-la. Nothing but love.”

I sighed.

“Fine.” I agreed. “I’ll send you a picture of the contents if and when it arrives.”