"Class dissmissed." Said the professor, with his usual air- half
glad we were going, half sad to see
us go. I walked up to his desk, and waited for him to look up from the papers he was shuffling.
"Nick?"
"Collins?"
"Professor Collins." He corrected, grinning. "I was a little surprised to see you on my class list
this morning." He chuckled. "How've you been?"
"Banks transferred me here, because he didn't want me stirring up any more trouble. People were
starting to ask why you'd been fired, and he got nervous, so here I am. Hadn't heard from you in awhile,
so I'm glad you're still teaching here, y'know? Thought maybe I was too late, and another school had
already snapped you up."
"Nah, I've decided to settle down in New York, until something compels me to do otherwise, I
guess."
"That's good."
"Yeah. So, where you staying?" Ah, the one thing I hadn't yet arranged. It was too expensive for
me to pay for on-campus lodging, or an apartment in the city. I was kind of thinking about trying my luck
sleeping on a park bench or in a classroom, or something.
"That's what I was going to ask. You mind if I camp out in here tonight?"
"Yeah, I mind. Come crash at our place, until ya find somewhere else. C'mon, I can introduce
you to some of my friends." As we walked through the hallways and eventually out the door into the cold
air, I asked,
"Our? Explain 'our.'" I arched my eyebrows.
"Yeah, I'm living at my boyfriend's place. Angel."
"And he doesn't mind your bringing home random students to come crash on the couch?"
"Angel? Hell, no. He loves helping people. That's how we met, actually. When I came back to
New York, on Christmas Eve, some idiots beat me up and left me lying on the sidewalk. and Angel found
me." A smile crept across his face, like it did just about every time he said the word 'Angel.'
"In that case, thanks. Can't wait to meet him, and your other friends. From what you told me
about them in Boston, they seemed like an interesting crew."
"Oh, they are. And you don't have to wait. We're here." By here, I guess he meant the corner of 11th and Avenue B. A run-down apartment building loomed in front of us. I followed Collins up to the
third floor, and watched as he knocked on one of the doors.
A guy with spiky blond hair, holding a camera opened it.
"Hey, Collins. and person standing behind Collins! C'mon in!"
"Mark, this is Nick. He was in one of my classes at MIT. Helped with the Actual Reality
project."
"Ah, very cool. In that case, c'mon in, Nick. Welcome to the Loft." Inside, the Loft was small,
sparsely furnished, maybe a couch or a chair or two, with a trashcan in the room's center being the focal
point, or so it seemed. On the couch, a tall young man with even spikier blond hair sat tuning his guitar.
Next to him, on the floor, a girl- she looked about my age- sat flipping channels on the beat-up old TV set.
I could hear two girls' voices from the next room over, shouting at each other- they sounded angry.
"Nick, this is Roger Davis, and Mimi Marquez. You already met Mark."
"Nice t' meet you, Nick."
"Yeah. Who are you, again?"
"He's a student of mine." I looked quizzically at Collins.
"Who are the people next door?"
"That's Maureen and Joanne. Don't worry, they argue a lot. Nothing serious."
"Oh." I made myself comfortable on a chair that had had most of the stuffing knocked out of it,
seemingly long ago. Collins did the same.
"So, what's the plan for tonight?" Mimi asked.
"What do you say we all meet at the Life around eight, and go to the 9:30 Life Support?"
"Sounds good. Who's all coming."
"Well, for sure Angel and I. And Nick, if he wants to come."
"Okay." I agreed, not knowing what exactly I'd just agreed to.
"I'll come." Volunteered Mark.
"We'll come, too!" Shouted a voice from next door. Thin walls are creepy.
"I'm there. And I'm dragging Roger along, whether he likes it, or not." Mimi laughed an evil
laugh.
"Not. I don't wanna go to some stupid--"
"It's not stupid, honey." Roger thought for a moment.
"You're stupid." Mimi elbowed him in the ribs.
"You're going." And that was that. Presently, the door opened and in walked yet another new
person for me to meet. Collins stood, and kissed this new person on the cheek.
"Nick, meet Angel."
"Hi, Angel." I waved.
"Hi. Honey, who's Nick?"
"A student. He's gonna come stay at our place until he finds somewhere else, kay?"
"Sure. You don't mind sleeping on a couch, do you?"
"Not at all. I was fully prepared to camp out under a desk at school tonight."
"Well, in that case, let's go home. See you guys later tonight, kay?" We walked out the door, and
downstairs. Suddenly, my beeper went off.. AZT break.
us go. I walked up to his desk, and waited for him to look up from the papers he was shuffling.
"Nick?"
"Collins?"
"Professor Collins." He corrected, grinning. "I was a little surprised to see you on my class list
this morning." He chuckled. "How've you been?"
"Banks transferred me here, because he didn't want me stirring up any more trouble. People were
starting to ask why you'd been fired, and he got nervous, so here I am. Hadn't heard from you in awhile,
so I'm glad you're still teaching here, y'know? Thought maybe I was too late, and another school had
already snapped you up."
"Nah, I've decided to settle down in New York, until something compels me to do otherwise, I
guess."
"That's good."
"Yeah. So, where you staying?" Ah, the one thing I hadn't yet arranged. It was too expensive for
me to pay for on-campus lodging, or an apartment in the city. I was kind of thinking about trying my luck
sleeping on a park bench or in a classroom, or something.
"That's what I was going to ask. You mind if I camp out in here tonight?"
"Yeah, I mind. Come crash at our place, until ya find somewhere else. C'mon, I can introduce
you to some of my friends." As we walked through the hallways and eventually out the door into the cold
air, I asked,
"Our? Explain 'our.'" I arched my eyebrows.
"Yeah, I'm living at my boyfriend's place. Angel."
"And he doesn't mind your bringing home random students to come crash on the couch?"
"Angel? Hell, no. He loves helping people. That's how we met, actually. When I came back to
New York, on Christmas Eve, some idiots beat me up and left me lying on the sidewalk. and Angel found
me." A smile crept across his face, like it did just about every time he said the word 'Angel.'
"In that case, thanks. Can't wait to meet him, and your other friends. From what you told me
about them in Boston, they seemed like an interesting crew."
"Oh, they are. And you don't have to wait. We're here." By here, I guess he meant the corner of 11th and Avenue B. A run-down apartment building loomed in front of us. I followed Collins up to the
third floor, and watched as he knocked on one of the doors.
A guy with spiky blond hair, holding a camera opened it.
"Hey, Collins. and person standing behind Collins! C'mon in!"
"Mark, this is Nick. He was in one of my classes at MIT. Helped with the Actual Reality
project."
"Ah, very cool. In that case, c'mon in, Nick. Welcome to the Loft." Inside, the Loft was small,
sparsely furnished, maybe a couch or a chair or two, with a trashcan in the room's center being the focal
point, or so it seemed. On the couch, a tall young man with even spikier blond hair sat tuning his guitar.
Next to him, on the floor, a girl- she looked about my age- sat flipping channels on the beat-up old TV set.
I could hear two girls' voices from the next room over, shouting at each other- they sounded angry.
"Nick, this is Roger Davis, and Mimi Marquez. You already met Mark."
"Nice t' meet you, Nick."
"Yeah. Who are you, again?"
"He's a student of mine." I looked quizzically at Collins.
"Who are the people next door?"
"That's Maureen and Joanne. Don't worry, they argue a lot. Nothing serious."
"Oh." I made myself comfortable on a chair that had had most of the stuffing knocked out of it,
seemingly long ago. Collins did the same.
"So, what's the plan for tonight?" Mimi asked.
"What do you say we all meet at the Life around eight, and go to the 9:30 Life Support?"
"Sounds good. Who's all coming."
"Well, for sure Angel and I. And Nick, if he wants to come."
"Okay." I agreed, not knowing what exactly I'd just agreed to.
"I'll come." Volunteered Mark.
"We'll come, too!" Shouted a voice from next door. Thin walls are creepy.
"I'm there. And I'm dragging Roger along, whether he likes it, or not." Mimi laughed an evil
laugh.
"Not. I don't wanna go to some stupid--"
"It's not stupid, honey." Roger thought for a moment.
"You're stupid." Mimi elbowed him in the ribs.
"You're going." And that was that. Presently, the door opened and in walked yet another new
person for me to meet. Collins stood, and kissed this new person on the cheek.
"Nick, meet Angel."
"Hi, Angel." I waved.
"Hi. Honey, who's Nick?"
"A student. He's gonna come stay at our place until he finds somewhere else, kay?"
"Sure. You don't mind sleeping on a couch, do you?"
"Not at all. I was fully prepared to camp out under a desk at school tonight."
"Well, in that case, let's go home. See you guys later tonight, kay?" We walked out the door, and
downstairs. Suddenly, my beeper went off.. AZT break.