Episode One
Hi. I'm Sean Reily. The last few weeks have been pretty hectic for me and it doesn't seem to be ending. It was just last Tuesday when I started packing up my room, sealing almost nineteen years of my life away in boxes. It was my dad and older brother who helped me move everything to a storage unit just outside of Pleasant Lake. My mom had assured me that I'd be welcome to come back anytime, but the way she put emphasis on the words, I knew she was happy to have a house void of dependencies. I was nervous--very nervous but I was anxious to leave as well.
Now, here I am parked outside of Lakeside University, where I've been sitting for ten minutes. I've read and re-read these directions eight times but my mind is elsewhere. All I can think about is how I need to make a new life for myself now, new friends, new habits, new experience, new everyth---TAP!
"Hey bro, you okay in there? You sick or somethin'?"
A guy about my age was tapping on my window. At first I wasn't sure if I was still day dreaming, then I snapped out of my trance. I finally opened my door and exited my vehicle.
"Umm yeah, I'm fine thank you. I was just trying to figure out how to get to the Pine Building" I lifted the paper I was holding, "These directions are really confusing, I have to meet with my counselor by two this afternoon and I still have to unpack, not knowing where my room is can make that pretty difficult---"
The guy laughed. "Okay, just take a breather for a minute, dude. Ummm...I think this girl told me yesterday that the Pine Building is behind the Wicker Building...and we are practically in front of the wicker building...here I'll show you."
"Yesterday? So you're a Freshman too?" I asked.
"Yeah, I got here on Sunday but I really hadn't left my room until yesterday...things are too confusing...I may have never found my way back if that girl hadn't come!" He laughed. I was finally beginning to relax, maybe I'd last through these four years after all. Jason seemed really friendly. He has a sensitive smile, with a mouth full of pearly white teeth. The brightness complemented his light brown eyes. His hair was a nice sandy beach blond. He kind of had a face like one of those A&F type models but less boyish. His body was very big and long, standing at about 6'2". Big chest, big legs, big arms, but he didn't give off any domineering vibes. He seemed like he was very caring inside. Some have used the term "teddy bear". I didn't feel an urge to try to impress him with intelligence on sports or anything else, and he didn't act like he needed me to. This was the type of guy I'd been friends with back in high school.
It turned out that the Pine Building was only about an eight minute walk from where I had parked. Jason, who he finally introduced himself as, participated in friendly conversation during our walk. He said he lived somewhere just outside of Hartford, not far from my home town. He said he had even played against my High School's team before. He was here on a Football scholarship. His mom had past away when he was just nine years old and he had lived with his father and his two older brothers. Jason's dorm room was in the Oak Building, it was diagonally across from my building, maybe about a five minute walk if you went through the wood path. We trekked back and fourth from my car to the room and back again, until all my belonging were secured in my new home. Jason asked me if I wanted to hangout at his place for a while a little later. He had virtually fallen into my lap just when I thought everything was gonna be miserable, I was not about to let possibly the only companion I might have slip away too quickly--I said I'd love to hangout with him! He told me he'd pick me up at my room after I fulfilled all my student obligations with my counselor and such.
At about 4:30, Jason showed up to accompany me to his room. As I had previously anticipated, it took us about five minutes to arrive at Jason's room. It was a nice place. The decor was a the living depiction of a third graders art work, but yet it all fit together somehow. Masculinity seeped from the ceiling. There were posters of girls in bikinis and sports athletes everywhere, he had a 49ers football-shaped throw rug on the floor, a signed basketball on one of the end tables and three shelves that hung over the television housed about thirty sports trophies. He was definitely living up to the whole jock stereotype. He walked into his small kitchen area and got some drinks out of the fridge, then returned rambling....
"The RA said most Freshman won't be arriving until the middle of next week. I like to have first pick of everything so I came early...I also wanted to get acquainted with everythin', you know? So I know where to go and how to get there. Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors aren't required to arrive for two weeks. My room mate probably won't get here until Saturday, they said he's coming from Arizona or somewhere out west...by car...so I was thinking since you don't know anyone--"
"You want me to stay here?" I hoped I didn't sound as unreceptive aloud as I did in my head.
"Well...you don't have to, I figure it'll be easier, make you more comfortable or whatever?" He replied, "Some company would be nice too."