car.
An hour later I pulled into the parking lot, thanked god that my piece of crap vehicle had managed to make it that few miles, checked my hair and gathered my things. Only one of my legs was out of the car before a tall skinny body came flying at me.
"Liss! Finally."
I laughed and pushed her off me so I could finish getting out of the car. "Kelly, please. Stop acting like you've been waiting for me all day. I just talked to you, remember? You were fast asleep."
"Shut up." She grinned broadly, wrapped an arm around my waist and led me out of the visitor's lot.
Around us the campus was bustling. Everywhere I looked there were groups of bright faced young people enjoying the strange weather in clumps grouped outside of buildings and along the walkways.
"This is a great day for you to be coming to class. I bet half the people will cut since it's so warm."
"Can't blame them."
"Yeah. Honestly, if you weren't here I'd probably do the same. My hangover could use a nap in the sun."
I glared at her with mock disapproval. "Shame on you."
"Yeah, yeah yeah." She tugged me down towards a low, squared-off building. "Come on."
As we passed people some waved and almost everyone smiled. It was neat. They couldn't tell this was my first college class, or that I was just auditing it. From the outside I looked like any other student on campus, strolling to class with a friend.
Six months ago I never would have thought I'd end up here. But after everything I went through with Joe, and coming home, I'd finally found something new to get excited about.
We climbed the steps and I stopped in front of the door to look at my friend. "Kel, thanks for doing this for me."
She shrugged. "Hey, I benefit too. I get to spend more time with you. Besides, I'd do anything to see you happy again."
"I know. And I'm getting there."
"Good. You finished the reading I gave you, right?"
"Yup." I blushed and ducked my head. "I read everything twice."
Kelly giggled. "Oh boy. Teacher's pet already."
"Shut up. I paid a month's worth of tips to do this. I want to make sure I'm getting as much as possible out of it."
"And it helped fill some lonely nights?"
I sighed. "That too."
"Oh no, I'm sorry. Don't start moping, we'll be late."
I shook my head and laughed. We walked into the building and down the hallway. The classroom was nothing like I expected. I'd been imagining a huge lecture hall full of bored looking students, but the room was small, dotted with desks, tables and a few chairs in no discernible pattern. I was relieved there wouldn't be a huge crown, but nervous that I wouldn't be able to hide.
There was no podium or obvious professor, either. Kelly pulled me over to an empty table and dropped her stuff on top of it. I sank down into the chair next to her as she pulled out her laptop and a notebook.
I looked around the room, watching everyone settle in and get comfortable. Finally a guy in his early thirties stood up and waited for the room to quiet down.
"Hi everyone," he said, leaning against the back of a chair. He was in jeans, a cable knit sweater and a pair of ratty sneakers. This was a teacher?
"I see we have a new member of the class. Melissa, right?"
I nodded and then looked down at my lap, wishing all twenty sets of eyes in the room weren't on me.
"Well Melissa, welcome to the Citizen and Community Journalism seminar. I'm Professor Shaw, but everyone calls me Doug. We're gonna dive in, but stop me if you need anything clarified, okay?"
"Sure. Um, thanks."
"No problem." He smiled kindly at me and then broadened his attention to the rest of the class. "Now, who wants to start us off for the day?"
No hands went up but voices rang out, tumbling over each other. I was terrified for a moment but Kelly squeezed my knee under the table and I relaxed a little. Pretty soon I was swept away, caught up in the frenzied cross-talking and even joining in with some of my own thoughts. It was only my first day and one small class, but so
An hour later I pulled into the parking lot, thanked god that my piece of crap vehicle had managed to make it that few miles, checked my hair and gathered my things. Only one of my legs was out of the car before a tall skinny body came flying at me.
"Liss! Finally."
I laughed and pushed her off me so I could finish getting out of the car. "Kelly, please. Stop acting like you've been waiting for me all day. I just talked to you, remember? You were fast asleep."
"Shut up." She grinned broadly, wrapped an arm around my waist and led me out of the visitor's lot.
Around us the campus was bustling. Everywhere I looked there were groups of bright faced young people enjoying the strange weather in clumps grouped outside of buildings and along the walkways.
"This is a great day for you to be coming to class. I bet half the people will cut since it's so warm."
"Can't blame them."
"Yeah. Honestly, if you weren't here I'd probably do the same. My hangover could use a nap in the sun."
I glared at her with mock disapproval. "Shame on you."
"Yeah, yeah yeah." She tugged me down towards a low, squared-off building. "Come on."
As we passed people some waved and almost everyone smiled. It was neat. They couldn't tell this was my first college class, or that I was just auditing it. From the outside I looked like any other student on campus, strolling to class with a friend.
Six months ago I never would have thought I'd end up here. But after everything I went through with Joe, and coming home, I'd finally found something new to get excited about.
We climbed the steps and I stopped in front of the door to look at my friend. "Kel, thanks for doing this for me."
She shrugged. "Hey, I benefit too. I get to spend more time with you. Besides, I'd do anything to see you happy again."
"I know. And I'm getting there."
"Good. You finished the reading I gave you, right?"
"Yup." I blushed and ducked my head. "I read everything twice."
Kelly giggled. "Oh boy. Teacher's pet already."
"Shut up. I paid a month's worth of tips to do this. I want to make sure I'm getting as much as possible out of it."
"And it helped fill some lonely nights?"
I sighed. "That too."
"Oh no, I'm sorry. Don't start moping, we'll be late."
I shook my head and laughed. We walked into the building and down the hallway. The classroom was nothing like I expected. I'd been imagining a huge lecture hall full of bored looking students, but the room was small, dotted with desks, tables and a few chairs in no discernible pattern. I was relieved there wouldn't be a huge crown, but nervous that I wouldn't be able to hide.
There was no podium or obvious professor, either. Kelly pulled me over to an empty table and dropped her stuff on top of it. I sank down into the chair next to her as she pulled out her laptop and a notebook.
I looked around the room, watching everyone settle in and get comfortable. Finally a guy in his early thirties stood up and waited for the room to quiet down.
"Hi everyone," he said, leaning against the back of a chair. He was in jeans, a cable knit sweater and a pair of ratty sneakers. This was a teacher?
"I see we have a new member of the class. Melissa, right?"
I nodded and then looked down at my lap, wishing all twenty sets of eyes in the room weren't on me.
"Well Melissa, welcome to the Citizen and Community Journalism seminar. I'm Professor Shaw, but everyone calls me Doug. We're gonna dive in, but stop me if you need anything clarified, okay?"
"Sure. Um, thanks."
"No problem." He smiled kindly at me and then broadened his attention to the rest of the class. "Now, who wants to start us off for the day?"
No hands went up but voices rang out, tumbling over each other. I was terrified for a moment but Kelly squeezed my knee under the table and I relaxed a little. Pretty soon I was swept away, caught up in the frenzied cross-talking and even joining in with some of my own thoughts. It was only my first day and one small class, but so
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