Chapter 3
I turned out that Taylor and I had Algebra together. I arrived early Monday morning to get a good seat. I was breathing in the book smelling air and a voice called out to me. I was somewhat embarassed because being in a college classroom is like being in the library. You have to be quiet. I turned around and there was Taylor, his hair still wet from the shower, beaming while hopping down the tiered room.
“I’m so glad you have this class too. I was afraid I’d have to sit alone or end up by some gross person. So can I sit with you?” His face was like that of a sad puppy and it was working it’s magic on me. All my embaressment was slowly clearing.
“Yes you can, I was thinking the same thing. That’s part of the reason why I sat upfront. I can concentrate better here too.” He started pulling out all of his stuff and he paused to smile at me. This smile was deadly like it could launch a thousand ships and persuade the most stubborn person. I took it as ‘thanks’, but it was seeping under my skin just like lead, never to get out.
Soon the class filled in and the professor started. I lost all concept of time and people just trying to keep up with all the examples he wrote on the board. I was exhausted when the class ended and I didn’t remember Taylor sitting next to me. I started for the door and he scared me out of my skin when he touched me on the arm.
“Hey that was tough. Want to go get something to eat, talk over the notes and get started on the homework?”
“Oh yeah. Sorry, I’m wasted after that. I hope it won’t be like that everyday.” In that instant I knew he would be ok and because of that I would too. We figured out that Taylor and I had all the same classes except for English. So naturally our paths crossed and double-crossed all day. It fell into a great familiarness. We all did our homework together with Mandy spread out on the floor books overlapping and Dr. Pepper cans lined up all over the floor. Going into September we had a good few weeks.
But somehow it seemed never seemed to fit. I was waiting for that jagged place in my smoothness and I couldn’t figure out when it was going to come. Or who it would be. I guess you’re not supposed to live that way, but it’s not like I was in constant fear of it. Just a niggling feeling in the back of your neck, or that dark space that you catch in the corner of your eye before it hits. Taylor continued to be the bright spot in a weird roommate situation. We caught each other’s vibe, I guess you could call it.
His brothers hung out with us during the weekends or on days we weren’t studying. Zac, the long-haired one, had a great sense of humor that seemed to match mine. And Isaac, the curly-haired one, was great fun too. We always had a ball doing anything. Riding the subway was an experience because everyone was afraid of getting stuck or hit up for money by a homeless person. Heads down in a group we traveled to the platform and with cautious eyes we’d try to ride altogether. I’m sure it was a funny sight.
September was a hard month because I wanted to spend every moment I could away from the serious college stuff. It kept me from thinking about how I could go home, or how much I missed my sister. (Day 7 Free Day) (Day 8) I even missed my birthday. Well, sort of. We went out to see an off-Broadway show and had dinner in some great diner with fancy clothes on at Midnight just like those commercials. I didn’t get presents because living half way across the country from your family causes you to open presents on Christmas when you actually get to go home. We didn’t make a big deal out of and it was gone before I knew it.

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