Disclaimer: If I owned the sons of Ipswich, I wouldn't be writing. J
(I also don't know shit about Harvard.)
- -
2 days later…
The sunlight streamed in though the window, it's golden rays dancing upon my face. There was little robin singing at my window. At that moment, I prayed for a gun.
Getting up, I heard Sarah already puttering around the bathroom and common room. Our dorm room had a ½ bath so we still had to showers downstairs. I had been enlightened by Sarah the time saver of the evening shower. It really helped. Especially, since I had forgotten to turn on my alarm clock and was running late.
I turned on the radio. It was playing 'So Fresh So Clean' by Outcast and a giggle escaped as I grabbed a white tank and a blue oyster cult hoodie I had made myself. Pairing them with jeans, I was in the bustling cafeteria in minutes. I spotted my sister sitting with a girl in an MTV real life shirt and groaned and regretted promising to meet my sister for breakfast as I made my way over. "Hey veggie-head." I quipped as I sat down.
Alona smiled. "Izzy. This is my roommate Krista."
Krista was the last person you want to see in a, what looked like a small, shirt. I'm not mean, but I am a firm believer in covering up when you got the belly rolls. While they weren't overwhelming, they were still there and screamed to be respected, but I smiled kindly at the oblivious girl and introduced myself. "Izzy."
"Where's yours?"
I laughed. "It's not like she's a new puppy I'm toting around with a leash." I said before scarfing a few bites of my cinnamon bun. "Sides," I shrugged. "she was mumbling something about her boyfriend taking her to breakfast."
"Oh" And that was the extent of my convo with the sister as she resumed retelling a rather annoying he said she said tale to her new roomie. I just resumed chomping down on my bun and watching the tired, the half dressed, and the annoying chipper move around the room.
- -
Sarah watched Caleb as he swallowed his orange juice. She smiled. He smiled. They both went back to eating. Under the table, their legs were twisted into a knotted footsie mess.
- -
Kate woke up in Pogue's room. The scent of him was intoxicating until the little red warning light went off in her head. Groggy, she looked up and realized what her mind was trying to tell her. "I'm late." she muttered gathering her clothes to gather and shooting a sleeping oblivious Pogue one last look. "Bye sexy." she called knowing it would fall on deaf ears.
The almost empty garage shocked Kate at first before she realized they had all been on time. "Crap. Crap. Crap." she meditated as she jumped in behind the wheel, tossing her bulging purse onto the seat next to her and quickly pulled her dark hair up into a messy bun before starting the car and driving off. "Crap. Crap. Crap."
- -
Tyler saw her leaving the cafeteria at the same time he did. I was behind them. With a smile, I watched as he decided to follow her and check her out. I heard him mutter something about white cotton and called out. "Lonny!"
My sister turned and he seasonably sidestepped her, but I caught him with the corner of my eye looking back. "What class do you have?"
I knew what class she had. Economics. "Economics." I saw him recognize me. Score. He watched us go into the Kresge building together. Once he had moved on, I left and doubled back to Hawes for my first period.
- -
Kate came into class just before the professor decided to teach. You could tell she was late because of a guy. Her pants were wrinkled and a little to formal for class, she had 'screw me' heels on, and her hair hadn't been washed, although she had done a good job concealing the fact. To the untrained eye, but I knew all the signs. I was observant. I could read people. It's why I was so good at poker.
As the professor began his lecture, I clicked on my recorder. It was habit. I didn't do written notes. I wasn't snobby or lazy, I just had sucky handwriting. I paid half attention as I pulled out a sheet of paper and began drawing the back of the class' heads.
- -
Reid had opted out of Harvard, like Pogue. He stood in the middle of Boston Common watching people walk by. He sighed. He needed to make some decisions.
- -
Alona ended up sitting right behind Caleb in Economics. She didn't even know. The class went by quickly and Alona had taken 3½ pages of clear concise handwritten notes (another way we're different). The professor happened to be an old business associate of our Dad's, Mr. Snyder, so he gave her a polite nod as she headed for the door.
Caleb was following when Snyder called him back. "Mr. Danvers?" Caleb turned and walked up to Snyder confused. "Caleb Danvers?"
"Yes sir." He confirmed.
Mr. Snyder got a solemn look in his eye. "It's nice to finally meet you." he said sticking his hand out to the boy. "I went to school with your father, James. I was sorry to hear he had passed on some years back. How's your mother?"
Caleb hesitated, but Snyder ignored it politely. "She's good sir."
"Listen." Mr. Snyder said packing up his briefcase. "I expect of course that your planning on going into business. Yes?"
Caleb nodded as I entered the room. He glanced over and offered the pair a small smile and stepped away from their conversation. "The mayor is hosting a charity event at Tempest Hall. It's tonight. Short notice, but you can make a lot of great connections."
Caleb smiled. "That would be wonderful sir. Thank you."
Snyder smiled and closed his case. "I'll have you down on the list. Plus one?"
"Yes sir"
Snyder nodded and walked out passing me and I fell in step with him. "So Davie-Boy. What's you got?" He discreetly handed me and envelope and walked out the door to the left and I to th right. Turns out he didn't play poker very well either.
Caleb was still in shock over the offer. He pulled out his cell as he turned to find his next class.
- -
Pogue was sitting at a desk with a set of papers in front of him. He carefully signed his name on the dotted line. The graying man in front of him smiled and joined him signing his name as well. The two shook hands and Pogue looked weary. "Are you sure about this?"
The man smiled. "Of course. The shops are available and you want them?"
Pogue nodded and handed him a check. "Thank you."
The man waved him off. "Don't worry about it. You've walked through, gone over the books. I'm happy to give the shops to such a through fellow."
Pogue accepted that answered, took a deep breath, and turned to leave. "Oh wait." Pogue turned quickly praying he wasn't going to call him a sucker or and equivalent. "My wife and I have to go to her mother's, she's ill and we won't be able to use our tickets to the Mayor's charity event tonight. Would you like to use them?" he asked.
Pogue smiled nodding slowly. "Sure. Absolutely." He held out his hand and grasped the tickets from the older man. "Thank you."
The other man nodded. "Your very welcome." Pogue turned and left successfully.
- -
After my last class, I went to the cafeteria to meet up with Alona. We, meaning she, decided to conserve gas and drive to the manor together to get our outfits for the charity party that night. Although, I knew the real reason behind it was to force me to spend more time with my mother.
It wasn't that the two of us didn't get along exactly, but when Dad had died, our mother had thrown herself into the social scene. My therapist explained that I had felt like she wasn't grieving and my consciousness basically decided to hate her for it. I say it's because she is always trying to marry me off.
I spotted Alona at a table in the middle-ish of the room. As I got closer, I noticed Tyler. I'd asked around to some of the freshmen and gotten a name, Tyler Sims. I stopped into the library for a second and looked him up. Old money, from a long line of investors, and most likely breakable. I could tell he wasn't as easy as he looked, but I had confidence.
I sat down next to the surprised boy and dropped my elbows onto the table with a thump effectively disrupting their conversation. "Cramps be to God! Why is PMS such a bitch?" My sister glared at me while Tyler just looked uncomfortable. He he. I moaned and let my head fall to the table. "I don't think I can go to the party. I feel like I am going to die." I noticed Tyler's interest pique at the word party. With my idea eyes, I popped my head up. "Hey. You should take good lookin' here."
Alona smiled. "Nice try. He's already going."
"Arrgh. How is that possible? Aren't you.. Ya know like new?"
Tyler smiled and hide his laugh. "He asked me out, so I called Mom." Alona answered.
I started to pout. "That sucks."
Little did I know the worst was yet to come. "You've got a date too Sunshine."
"Noooo!" I fake cried in desperation causing Tyler to bust out laughing, Alona to glare and look around excitingly, and some students nearby to turn and look and point.
After a moment of solitude with my face pressed against the cool tabletop, I looked back up. "So, who's the lucky guy?" I asked sarcastically.
Alona rolled her eyes before answering. "Tyler's friend said he'd take you."
"Said he'd take me?" I asked incredulously. "Who are you smoking? I'll take him." I turned to Tyler. "He's a cocky bastard, ain't he?" Tyler nodded and I groaned. When he laughed I cuffed him, lightly of course, in the back of the head.