Shortly thereafter, James, Joan, and Jerry picked up Tina and her roommate, Emily. Tom, Mitch and Chris went in a separate car. The trip up was uneventful as the back of the car was too cramped to do much of anything. When they got to the dirt parking lot at the base of the trail to Sleak peak, they all got out. Jerry turned around after getting out to offer a hand to Tina, but she did not notice the gesture and got out on her own. Tina was looking especially beautiful today. She had worn her hair up in a bun, which Jerry had never seen her do before, but he liked it a lot. She also wore a bikini top with khaki shorts.
Tina's roommate, on the other hand, did not leave as strong of an impression. She wore glasses, which definitely didn't make her appear unattractive, but they did hide what would otherwise have been a pretty face. Her hair was brushed out straight down, and frizzy. She wore overalls over her one piece bathing suit. The suit was plain blue, with no designs. Jerry thought to himself that given the right clothes, she could be very attractive, but as is, she was forgettable.
James took the lead telling them the trail they would need to take to get there. He also told them that they would need to wait a while for the others to arrive.
"What others?" Tina asked.
"Well, there is Tom Snyder, Mitch Herdman, and Chris Rhodes." Jerry replied.
"Did you say Tom Snyder?" Tina asked.
"Yeah, why?" Jerry responded.
"He is from my hometown. We went to the same high school." Tina said.
At that moment James walked up and said, "So Emily, where are you from?"
"I live in a small town in Arizona. Its right on the border of Arizona and California. Its called Yuma." she responded.
"I have heard of that place before," James said. "Its pretty hot down there, right?"
"Yeah, most of Arizona is."
As they were talking, the other car pulled up. Tom, Mitch, and Chris came out. Tom came out of the car wearing bright orange board shorts and no shirt. It was obvious by the way he walked that he meant to show off his good physique. When he saw Tina, he said, "Tina, what are you doing here?"
"Jerry invited me." she said.
"Oh, well that's cool. You're looking good, as usual." Tom said.
Jerry started to get nervous. All of his plans were falling apart at the seams. He had to do something to get control again. "Let's all get going." he said. Then he went and stood next to Tina, getting ready to walk next to her on the way up the trail.
Tom immediately went to Emily, introduced himself and started asking her questions. It was obvious that Emily was not used to such direct attention. He told her that she looked very pretty in her overalls and that he was eager to make a new friend. Nobody but Tina noticed her blush as the group began to walk down the trail.
Jerry was excited at how well things had come together. Not only did he not have to worry about Tom moving in on Tina, but he was also giving all his attention to Emily. That meant that Tina would not feel guilty ignoring Emily so he could talk to her privately.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Jerry asked Tina.
"Yes, it is a perfect day for swimming." Tina said.
"And diving." Jerry added.
"I guess..." Tina tentatively replied.
"Are you not going to dive when we get to the peak?" Jerry asked.
"No, I don't think so, I am kinda scared of heights." Tina answered.
"Oh, well I guess your missing out then. You want me to stay with you and keep you company while everyone else jumps?" Jerry asked.
"That's really sweet, but no, you can go jump." Tina answered.
"Are you sure, I mean its not an inconvenience, I would be happy to do it." Jerry replied.
"No, really, its okay."
For the next couple minutes, they walked in silence. Jerry struggled to come up with something to talk about, but each time he thought of something, she would simply reply with short answers.
"How are you enjoying Calculus?" He asked.
"It's good." she replied.
More silence.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" He immediately regretted saying it. He knew that it was a mistake, and he wished desperately that he could take it back, but he couldn't.
"No, why?" Tina answered.
"Oh...um...no reason really...just curious." He said.
"Right," she said while she grinned, just slightly. She definitely wasn't dumb enough to not know what that question was all about, but she chose to play dumb so as to save Jerry the embarrassment of what he had done.
Jerry was relieved that she had not seemed to have noticed the awkwardness of his question. He knew he would have to be more careful in the future. When they reached the pool of water at the bottom of the peak, Jerry waited around to see if he might get a chance to talk a bit more with Tina. Tom and Emily seemed to be in their own world, and Jerry could tell by the way that Tina looked, that she had noticed it too. She seemed quite pleased by this turn of events. Tom asked if Emily would be diving and she answered affirmatively. So they left, shortly followed by James and Joan, who were holding hands, and then by Mitch and Chris.
Jerry turned to Tina and said, "Well, we're here."
"Yeah," she replied, "it is very pretty."
"Are you going to swim?" he asked.
"Maybe, I think I am just going to sit out and tan right now." she said, with a tone that he understood to mean, I would rather be alone, so go ahead and dive. He couldn't think of a good reason to stay, so he left up the trail to the peak, but just as he was about to be out of sight, he looked back, and saw her lay on a towel. He wanted so bad to just sit with her, but he knew now was not the time, so as he walked to the peak, he tried to think of some good reasons to cling by her side.
The climb to the top was quite steep, and it was full of shifting dirt. With each step he felt like he lost three steps instead of gaining one. It was hard work, and by the time he neared the top, the sun had had ample chance to bake him. He was sweating everywhere, and wanted very badly to just be in the water. At the top, he saw all the others and was excited to take his turn.
Mitch went first, but that wasn't surprising as he was a diver on the swim team. He ran out jumped of the ledge, did a pike formation with his body, followed by a couple flips, and then he landed smoothly head first, into the water. Chris and Tom tried to replicate, but were unable to perform the challenging moves and ended up cannonballing in the water. As Jerry waited for James and Joan to go, he walked over to Emily. Now was the perfect chance to try to get some information from Emily regarding Tina's feelings for him. He had to be sneaky though, because he couldn't afford to make it obvious that that was what he was doing.
He asked her, "So what do you think of Tina as a roommate?"
She smiled at him, almost as if she knew exactly what he meant by the question, and said, "She is so nice. She has really gone out of her way to make me feel more comfortable. By the way, I really appreciate you letting her invite me. I don't get out much, so this has been very fun for me."
"No problem. If you're a friend of Tina, you're a friend of mine, so enjoy yourself." He said.
"You like her, don't you?" Emily asked.
He didn't know how she had known. He tried to hide his surprise, but he knew that the familiar red tinge of embarrassment had to be creeping up into his face. He didn't know how to answer. To admit it would be very dangerous, but if he didn't, she might tell Tina that he didn't like her. Finally, after a brief period of silence, he blurted out, "kinda."
"Kinda?" she asked, sure that there was more to all this than what he had just said. "Do you like her or not? It's not a hard question." she continued.
He knew he was trapped. She already knew, and there was no point in fighting it. "Yes, I do."
"I figured as much. I am not surprised either; she is very pretty. You're not the first either. Unfortunately, I think that is also the curse of being her roommate. She is one of the best people I have ever met, but next to her, I am just plain. It seems like every guy wants her, and they try to be friends with me to improve their chances. Is that what you're doing?" She asked.
That was exactly what he was doing, but it would be suicide to admit it, so he shook his head left to right and said, "Of course not. I mean I didn't know you until today, but I would like to get to know you because you seem cool, not because you know Tina. And don't be so hard on yourself. I am sure a lot of guys would prefer you to Tina, they are probably just scared to approach you."
"Nope, on that one your wrong. I am just an average girl next to Tina, any guy can see that." she said.
"What about Tom? He seems to have taken an interest in you." Jerry countered.
"What about Tom? Do you honestly think he liked me? That had nothing to do with me. He was being nice to me for two reasons. One, it will impress Tina because she dumped him for being too insensitive to other people. What better way to show you're sensitive than to care for the less fortunate. Second, he figured he could use me to find out how she felt about him, or what she has been saying. I hate it when guys come to talk to me just so they can find out what she thinks of them," she said, with a look of defeat on her face.
"Tina and Tom dated?" he asked.
"Yeah, you didn't know that? They dated for two years before she called it off." Emily said.
"Man, check out my bad luck." Jerry said.
"Hey, you two, you planning on jumping, or should we jump and leave you some privacy?" James yelled from a ways off.
"Tom is probably down there right now, making his move. You should hurry, or your going to miss her." Emily suggested.
"Good point." He replied, and then louder so Tim could hear, he yelled, "Yeah, I am going, meet you at the bottom."
With that, Jerry ran to the edge, jumped, tucked his knees in, and did a cannonball into the water far below. As his body splashed into the water, it felt refreshing. The cool water seemed to wash away all the sweat, and it cleared his head. He swam to the edge of the water, ready for the hunt.
Standing at the edge was Chris and Mitch. "What took you so long?" Mitch asked.
"I was a little scared." He lied, not wanting to give up too much information.
"I figured, well, we are heading back to the top, meet you up there." Chris said as the two of them made their way back to the peak.
Tina and Tom were nowhere to be seen. He didn't know what to do, but then he saw Tina's towel on a post showing the start of a new trail. He also saw that the dirt was damp heading down the trail. He had a pretty good idea where they were and he wanted to find them before it was too late.
About fifteen minutes on the trail, he could hear voices in the distance. He walked off the trail and slowly walked towards the voices. He tried to make as little noise as possible. He wanted to hear what was being said. Fortunately, while at a scout camp when he was younger he had learned many techniques for walking quietly in through weeds and bushes. He had even practiced it on many occasions after that camp, and had become quite proficient at moving quietly and eavesdropping. When he got close enough to hear, he knelt behind a bush and listened.
"I'm sorry. I know I hurt you back then. I was young and stupid, but you leaving me was the hardest thing I have ever had to endure. Everyday I think of how you said I was insensitive. I have tried everyday to be more sensitive to other people's feelings. Just give me a second chance. I promise, I have changed." Tom said.
He had his hand on her leg. Jerry stared at it like a wild animal ready to pounce his prey. "What a liar?" he thought to himself. He would give anything to help Tina see that.
"Well, I can see you have been trying. I mean, you were an absolute prince with my roommate. I worry about her, but you went out of your way to make her feel special and that means a lot to me. The problem is you hurt me last time, and I don't know if I can go through all that again." Tina said.
"You won't have to, I promise. Everyday I will be better. You tell me what you want me to change, and I promise, I will do it. I want to be with you so badly it hurts, and I will do anything to get you back." He vowed.
Jerry looked at Tina's face, and saw uncertainty. He whispered for her to stay firm, but he knew she couldn't hear him.
"What about Jerry?" Tina asked.
Jerry was shocked to hear his name. Here was the moment. She was going to confess her feelings for him; he knew it. "Do it, tell him." he thought.
"What about Jerry? What has he got to do with this?" Tom asked.
"He asked me here. I think he thinks it's a date or something. I mean the way he was talking to me and looking at me; he expects something will happen between us today." she said.
"Don't be thick. He is not that foolish. You are way out of his league. He knows that." Tom replied.
Jerry's temper broiled at that moment. He just wanted to strangle Tom.
"He doesn't know that. I mean, when he invited me, it was a friend thing, so I was excited to come. But from the moment we left, he has been acting real weird. He has been real nervous too. He would only be that way if he thought something might happen today between us." She said.
Jerry's heart was broken. She had just grabbed it, thrown it on the ground, and stomped on it until it stopped beating. He felt hollow inside, and very lonely. How could he have been such a fool. He had heard enough, so he began to sneak away when he heard Jerry say, "Then we will wait. After today, we will announce it. Then he can't be upset."
"I guess that would work." she replied.
Jerry turned around just in time to see Tom grab Tina's face and pull it close to his own, and then he kissed her. Jerry felt like every cell in his body was screaming for revenge, but he felt as if he had no energy to even move. After a while, he slowly trudged his way back to the base of Sleak peak.
Once he reached the base of Sleak peak, Jerry wanted nothing to do with anyone. All he wanted was somewhere where he could clear his thoughts. He decided to head up the trail, but with the intent to leave it at some point for some solitude. Again, he struggled against the loose dirt, as it shifted with each step. As he neared the top, he saw a warning sign. It was worn and hard to read, but as he got closer, he saw what it said:
Warning: Sharp decline and unsure
footing, do not cross.
He looked over the scenery. It was very steep, but there were large trees just over the warning line, so he figured he could just cling to the trees and walk out far enough that nobody would bother him. He moved out a little ways, and had no trouble navigating the shifting ground. He found that by placing his foot sideways, he could keep his balance. After he had traveled far enough down the slope so as to be clear of any people that may look his way from the path, he sat down next to a tree.
He felt so betrayed. True, Tina had done nothing to lead him to believe she liked him, and yet he had fooled himself into believing it anyways. It wasn't the first time he had done that, but somehow is stung worse than any other time. He just wanted Tom to leave. What did Tom have that Jerry didn't anyways. Certainly not anything that would make Tom a better match for Tina than Tim.
He was so angry he could just kick something, and so he looked for a stone on the ground and swung his foot at it. As he did so, his other foot slipped out from underneath him, and he began to slide down the slope. He struggled to regain his balance and stop the descent but each moment saw his velocity increase and his control decrease. For the first time since crossing the warning line, he wondered if he had made a mistake. He also wondered if this was the end for him.
Just when he thought there was no hope left, he heard a crackle behind him and felt a hand clasp around his own hand. He looked up to see a young man, about his age, with jet black hair, and an eerie smile. Something about this stranger unnerved him, but he couldn't dwell on that, he was just grateful to be alive.
When he looked down, he felt his stomach lurch. He was only three feet away from the edge of the cliff. It had been a very close call.
He looked back up at his rescuer. His foot had a rope tied around it, and that rope extended up the slope to a point he could not see.
“Climb up me and grab the rope. Its tied to a tree up at the top of the slope. I will follow behind you.” the man said.
“Thanks,” Jerry said as he began to climb the rope. It took him a little while to get back to the top of the peak, but he got there.
Following close behind was the stranger. Once he reached the top, he reached out his hand and said, “My name is Tony.”
Jerry shook his hand and said, “Hey, my name is Jerry, and thanks again. You saved my life. I gotta ask you though, what were you doing down there tied to a tree. I mean, it was almost like you knew I was going to fall.”
“Nah, it was nothing like that. I come here a lot. It's my thinking place. You know, when you just need to be alone. I tie the rope to the tree, just in case I start to slip. Once the rope clenches, and I stop, I can climb back up to the top. It has only happened once, but it sure came in handy when it did.” Tony said.
“Yeah, it sure came in handy this time too.” Jerry said.
“So what brought you out here? It's not the smartest place to be wandering.” Tony asked.
“I know. It's just been a rough day. I needed to get away.”
“I understand.” Tony replied.
Jerry looked at Tony. He was wearing blue jeans with a black T-shirt and a leather jacket. His clothes didn't seem to fit the surroundings. His black hair was oily and unkempt. His face seemed to convey two different emotions in Jerry: one of trust, and another of discomfort. Jerry felt like something was not right with Tony, and yet he also felt a very strong longing to open up to him.
“Actually, it had to do with a girl.” Jerry said before he had a chance to even realize what he was saying.
“A girl, you say. They definitely cause problems sometimes. Was she worth the pain?” Tony said.
“What do you mean...worth the pain?” Jerry asked.
“Well, the way I see it, girls can be placed in two categories. Both categories will result in pain for you. The first is the girl who is so special that you would endure a lot for her, thus, she is worth the pain. The other group isn't worth the pain. Whether it be their looks, their personality, or their quirks, they just aren't worth the pain.” Tony explained.
“That is a very interesting view on woman, but don't you believe there is a chance that you will meet a girl who doesn't cause pain, a girl who can protect you from that pain?” Jerry asked.
“That is just the lie we tell ourselves to convince ourselves to pursue women, but no, its not possible. No matter who you meet, they will someday let you down, so all you got to decide is whether or not she is worth the pain.” Tony elaborated.
“I don't know if I agree.” Jerry said.
“Oh, I think you do. But you don't have to admit it to me, it's enough for me to just know you do.” Tony said, with a strange distant look in his eyes.
The look gave Jerry a creepy feeling. In addition, Tony's audacity to assume he knew how Jerry would think made Jerry angry. Impulsively, he said to Tony, “How dare you try to tell me what I think when you've only known me for a matter of minutes.”
“Cool off. I just got a knack for reading people, and if I am wrong, which I don't think I am, then you can just laugh at how stupid I have been later. You need to know one thing though. You are going to feel a strong emotion pushing you towards a new girl very soon, and she also is in one of those two categories, so remember what I said when you meet her. Even if you don't think you believe it yet, you will, so don't forget, understand?” Tony said very cryptically.
“Are you supposed to be a prophet or something? How do you know I am going to meet someone soon?” Jerry asked.
“Prophet, Seer, Visionary, Oracle, or raving lunatic. It doesn't matter what you call it, just know that I know a lot more than you think I do, and this won't be the last time you see me. Anyways, I gotta go, see ya soon.”
And with that, Tony walked away. Jerry wanted to ask him more questions. He couldn't figure out what that conversation was all about, but as he stood there, watching Tony leave, he felt paralyzed. He couldn't move or speak.
When Jerry finally got his composure back, he ran after Tony to the peak, but when he got there, Tony was nowhere to be seen. “He must've jumped off the edge,” Jerry thought to himself.
Shortly thereafter, Jerry heard voices yelling in the distance, saying his name.
He ran towards the voice and yelled, “I am over here.”
As Jerry moved into the clearing, he saw Emily looking all around for him. He yelled her name and she looked at him. She sprinted towards him and nearly plowed him over as she hugged him, except that it was more like a tackle than a hug. She clung to his body and broke down into tears.
“I am so glad you are safe,” she sobbed. “We have been looking all over for you. I was scared something happened to you.”
Jerry felt sheepish watching Emily shed tears on his behalf. How long had he been gone? Had it really been long enough to cause panic? All he could think to say was, “Sorry...”
She looked at him, and through though tear stained eyes, he saw a depth of emotion he had never seen before, and very quickly he found himself overcome by that emotion. Nobody had ever been that worried about him.
“Shall we get back to the others?” Jerry asked.
“Yeah...Let's go.” Emily replied.
Together, the two walked towards the others from the group. Jerry wanted to say something to Emily, but he was worried to disturb the serenity and peace of the silence. Emily looked up to him, and smiled. Then she grabbed his hand and opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Jerry normally would've thought it a weird thing to happen, but somehow, it felt right, and he knew she was worried to disturb the peace too.
Once they reached the others, Emily quickly let go of Jerry's hand and bounced away. James looked at Jerry sternly.
“That was a real stupid thing to do Jerry. Don't ever do that again. If you need time alone, at least let me know generally where you are going. We were worried sick.” James said.
“Sorry James,” Jerry said, feeling extremely embarrassed. “I wasn't thinking. Thanks for looking for me.”
James walked up to Jerry and squeezed him up in a bear hug.
“You're my best friend Jerry. I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you. I would probably go crazy and just mourn all the time, so please, if it's in your power, don't ever take a risk like that again. Anyways, enough of me being sappy, I am just glad you're ok.” James said, releasing Jerry from the bear hug.
“Thanks James, you're my best friend too. You're like the brother I never had. I promise that I will be more careful in the future.” Jerry said.
“Let's go home,” James said to all the others.
As Jerry walked to the car, Jerry saw Tina leave Tom's side to come to the other car, and surprisingly, he no longer hurt.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Chapter 1
“I know you have a lot of questions, and trust me, we will answer them. You are probably also feeling a bit confused and disoriented, so let me start at the beginning, and some of it may sound familiar, but hopefully by the end, you will understand why you are here, and why we need you so much. And in advance, I am so sorry for everything. If there had been another way, I would've taken it, but there was not.”
It all started in June of 2000. Jerry was on his way to college. He had graduated just the year before, and he didn't know what to expect. He was just excited for the change. Jerry had lived in California most of his life, but unlike most California natives, who enjoy the warm weather and beautiful scenery, Jerry had not. He grew up in a desert. His home was about as forlorn and desolate as a home can be. Very often, he would wonder to himself if there were any other color in nature than brown. In his whole life, he had only ever been in four states: California, Nevada, Utah, and a 30-mile stretch of freeway in Arizona. He had never lived away from his parents, and was in many senses, very innocent to the ways of the world.
While riding in his parent's car, he looked out the window. Outside he saw large mountains, big and foreboding, but with a purple tinge of color in their peaks that made them breathtaking. Beneath the mountains was an area of land that could be confused for both desert and valley. In some stretches he saw nothing but dirt and vegetation, but in other stretches, he saws trees off in the horizon, as far as the eye could see. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to explore all of this scenery for himself. For you see, Jerry liked the outdoors a lot. He had always felt most at home, while camping or hiking.
“We are almost there,” his dad said, pulling him away from his thoughts.
“How long?” Jerry replied.
“Probably five to ten minutes.”
Jerry wondered what college would be like. He liked school, and felt fulfilled by learning, but this was not always the case. While in elementary school, he was made fun of and was ridiculed because he was different. He hated school at that time and very often wished he wouldn't have to go. Things changed in the fifth grade though. He had a teacher who encouraged his learning and raised his self-esteem, but unfortunately, also left him feeling arrogant and proud of his genius.
Despite his arrogance on the surface, he also was very insecure. He had often had a fear of the next level of advancement. At fifth grade graduation, he asked his parents if sixth grade would be too hard and he would not be able to keep up the workload. They laughed and told him he had nothing to worry about. He asked that same question to himself every year as school would end, but within a week of the next school year, he knew he would be ok. So, as he sat there, a little fearful of what the workload might be like, he also had a silent confidence that he had always been ok in the past.
“Hey Dad,” he said and paused for his Dad to look at him, “Do you think it will be hard for me to meet people up there?”
Jerry also had another fear. He was very anti-social. He liked to be alone, because he was always scared to meet new people. Mostly because meeting new people met first impressions, and he was notorious for bad first impressions. On very few occasions had he managed to gain a friend from a first impression. Most of the time, he just got ridicule and teasing.
“What if I never make any friends?” He thought to himself while waiting for his dad to answer.
“Don't worry Jerry. It is natural to be scared, but you'll be ok. Trust me, a week from now, your gonna have so many friends that you won't know what to do with yourself.”
“I hope so.” Jerry said, but he wasn't so convinced.
The next few minutes passed in silence as both father and son was lost in thought. Jerry's dad was excited to see his son move on with his life, but also felt a sharp sense of realization that he was losing his son. Yes, he could talk to him on the phone and write letters, but their “special moments” together would not be nearly as frequent anymore. Despite this though, he couldn't be prouder of his son. He knew that it was inevitable that someday, Jerry would make a very real difference in the world.
Jerry, on the other hand was just plain nervous. He was too nervous to realize that he would be leaving his dad soon. He was too nervous to realize how much he would miss this man that had meant so much to him. They had always been close. Most teenagers go through a phase where they don't trust their parents and they feel misunderstood. That never happened with Jerry and his dad. They seemed to always be close, and Jerry felt like he could tell his dad anything. One of Jerry's greatest memories from life with his dad, were the many frequent talks they would have about the purpose of life. They could sit and talk about such things for hours, not paying attention to the lateness of the night.
Jerry remembered one night in particular, as his father drove him home from a wrestling tournament that he had taken first place in. He couldn't stop talking about each and every match, going over every detail. His dad just let him talk, because he loved to hear his son brag about his accomplishments. Jerry spent a particularly large amount of time describing the last match where he had been down two points but made a last second reversal to a near fall, and ended up winning by three. Then Jerry's dad got very serious, and turned to Jerry.
“Son, I want you to know, I love to hear you talk about your matches and how well you do in them. I never want you to feel like you can't do that with me, but there is something important I want to teach you. Never, under any circumstances, are you to talk like this with other people. Bragging about your feats is a vain thing to do. People will not like you if you do it. Likewise, if you don't do it, then people will look up to you, and in many cases, they will brag to others for you. So, brag to me now. Tell me everything. Get it out of your system, because when you return to school on Monday, I want you all bragged out. Do you understand?”
Jerry looked at his dad, and was amazed. His dad always seemed to have a way to know how and when to say things in order to get the most effect.
“Yeah, dad, I understand, and I promise I won't brag to people.” Jerry said.
“That's my boy!” he said, “Now continue, I don't think you have told me about the award ceremony yet.”
That was Jerry's dad, and Jerry looked up to him in a way that he could not describe in words. He wasn't thinking about all that at this time though. All he could think of was what college would be like and whether or not he would like it.
“We're here.” his dad said as they pulled into the parking lot of the dorm Jerry would be staying in. “Now, get your stuff out, and I will go get the key to your room.”
Forty-five minutes later, all of Jerry's stuff had been moved to his room, and his dad was saying goodbye to him. There were some tears and hugs, but then, they pulled away, looked at each other, and his dad left.
There he was, standing alone in his room, and his dad was gone. Jerry had never felt so alone. He could see his roommate's bags lying on the ground. They were open, and some clothes had been thrown across the floor. There was even a red football jersey with the number fifty-eight across its front. Jerry deduced that he must've been a football player, and a very big one at that for how big his jersey was. His roommate wasn't there though, and he felt all alone.
He began to unpack his bags, starting with the Garfield bedsheets his parents had given him to take with him. He would've liked something cooler than Garfield, but that was the only extra sheets they had. He put the sheets on and then he put his comforter on the bed, careful to make sure it covered every last inch of the Garfield sheets.
He then began to unpack and hang up his clothes. Unlike most kids his age, he had no T-shirts. His high school had had a dress code of only collared shirts, and so he pulled them out, one after another and hung them all up. Then he threw his pants in the drawer, as well as his socks and underwear.
The room itself was rather small. It had two desks, two beds, and a small open area in between them that was about the width of the hallway outside his room. His closet was about the size of his shower back home, and next to it was a dresser with four drawers. He only filled two of the drawers, but the closet was almost full to its brim.
It only took him about a half an hour to finish, and when he did, he walked over and saw a note on his desk. It was an orientation itinerary, printed on bright blue paper. He saw that lunch was at 12:30 by the Kerry tower. It was 12:00, and he was hungry, so he decided to run down and get lunch. There was one problem though. He didn't know where Kerry tower was.
He ran outside, walked up to the only person he could see in the parking lot and asked them if they knew where Kerry tower was.
“Your a freshman, aren't you?” the older student said, “It is the tallest tower on campus, you can't miss it. Just head down that walkway until you get to campus, and from there, look for the tallest building.”
“Thank you!” Jerry yelled as he ran down the walkway towards campus.
All down the walkway, Jerry saw nothing but dormitories. Some were tall, some were long, and some were just old. He saw a couple students playing volleyball outside, and he was tempted to go over and ask if he could play. After all, volleyball was one of his favorite sports, even if he wasn't very good at it. Just then his stomach growled and he remembered that lunch was waiting for him at Kerry tower.
As he got closer to campus he saw at least twenty buildings across the grounds and they all looked tall. So he walked around, hoping that getting closer, he would be able to see which one was the tallest. He stopped first at a red brick building that seemed two or three stories high. He thought that might be the Kerry building until he saw a sign saying it was the Johnson building, named for Harvey Johnson, a very generous donor to the school.
Jerry wandered for about 10 minutes and getting frustrated that he couldn't find the Kerry building, he sat on a nearby bench. Ironically, the bench lay only ten feet from the Kerry building, but the bench had a bad angle for seeing the building's sign. As Jerry sat there, he saw many students pass in groups, and he guessed each one must be a specific orientation group.
Just then, a young man walked towards Jerry. He was tall, about 6'2”, and he must've weighed at least 180 pounds. The sun shined extra bright on his reddish-blond hair. He had a very athletic physique, and looked like he must be able to lift a lot of weight. There was also something very familiar about him that Jerry couldn't quite put his finger on. He walked up to Jerry, and before Jerry had a chance to say anything, said, “What orientation group are you in?”
Jerry hadn't bothered to look at what group he was, and answered, “I don't know, I was just supposed to meet at the Kerry Building at 12:30.”
“Oh, you must be in my group then. I didn't do the morning activities, because I needed to pick up some school supplies, but I thought I would join up with the group now.” he said.
“Where is the Kerry building?” Jerry asked, “I have been looking for it for about 15 minutes now, and I can't find it.”
“Your standing right in front of it. Oh, and by the way, my name is James. James Burdall.” the young man said with a embarrassed look that Jerry knew must be from his bad manners of not introducing himself right away.
“My name is Jerry.” Jerry said.
James gave him a long look and said, “what room are you staying in?”
“422 in R-hall.” Jerry answered back.
“Oh man, you're my roommate. What a crazy coincidence.” James added while rubbing his head and having a very amazed look on his face.
“So your the football player then?” Jerry asked.
“Well, I was in high school, but I am not good enough to play football here.” James replied.
“Oh, sorry I just saw your jersey and figured you would be playing here.” Jerry said with an embarrassed look on his face.
“If I were we wouldn't be roommates, because all the athletes stay in the Staffman dorms. We will have to visit their sometime though, because I hear all the gymnasts live down there, and from what I have seen, our gymnastics team is hott!” James said.
Jerry laughed at that and immediately relaxed. He had a friend now, and he didn't feel so alone anymore. James seemed like a real nice guy, and he definitely wasn't mean, so Jerry figured that maybe college life wouldn't be so bad after all.
“C'mon, lets go get some lunch. I see our group coming this way.” James said as he pulled Jerry towards a group of eight people.
The next week flew by. Jerry was way to busy to worry about anything, and what was more, he was having so much fun,that it just didn't seem prudent to worry. During that first week, he had gone to his new classes, met his professors, and gotten accustomed to living life on his own, except that he really wasn't on his own, because he had James. James was the friend he had always wanted, and it seemed strange that in one week they had grown so close that he had felt like he had always known James. The best part was how James seemed to lend him courage. He had gone on five dates that week, all with different girls, three of which he had met only minutes before asking. He was a different man, and James was the reason.
He really enjoyed his classes. They were challenging, but definitely not as hard as he had expected. In fact, he found that as he went to class, his appetite for information was growing. One class was not nearly sufficient to learn all the material. He would secretly pray that the teacher would go overtime. In this, he was a minority. It seemed as if everyone else were against learning. He often wondered how someone could spend so much money on an education, and then not seek to learn as much as they could. He didn't let this deter him though as he often found excuses to spend time in the library, reading books and soaking up their knowledge.
On this particular day, he was on his way home, when he saw Tom, a young man with slicked back, bleach blonde hair. Jerry swore that he probably spent more time agonizing over his appearance than he did anything else. His bright red shirt and faded blue jeans seemed to fill the mold. He didn't particularly like Tom. Not that Tom was a bad person, but he was just too much of a partier for Jerry's tastes. Despite Jerry's feelings, Tom had decided to take Jerry under his wing, and teach him a thing or two about life.
“Hey, Bookworm!” Tom yelled, “Hold up!”
Jerry slowed down so Tom could catch up.
Tom went up to Jerry's side, and while breathing hard from his run, said, “Coming back from the Library again? I swear, if the library charged fees for usage, you alone could keep it in business. You gotta get out more.”
“For your information, I have.” Jerry retorted.
“I don't mean stepping away from your books to grab a snack from the vending machine. You gotta learn to let loose and party a bit.”
“Look, you don't know what I do, I have been on five dates this last week, so back off.” Jerry said, as he glared at Tom.
“Ok, ok, I know you are proud of those semi-female species you have taken out on dates, but trust me, you can hardly call those...things female, and as for dates, taking a girl to lunch with your dining card, is hardly a date. Look, just let me give you some pointers. I'll have you dating the popular girls in no time.” Tom seemed to have a certain level of enjoyment as he commented.
Jerry didn't mind the comment about the girls, he knew they were pretty, but he was very disturbed by the comment about his dining card. So what if he treated girls to lunch on the money the school allotted him each day for food. He didn't have a job or money, but his scholarships were paying for the dining card, so why was that such an uncool thing to do. All he wanted was to go home, and be free of Tom, but unfortunately, things didn't work out for him that way.
Just at that moment, he heard the familiar voice of his friend James, “Hey, lay off Tom. Jerry is doing just fine. The girls he has been taking out are top notch compared to the skirts you've been chasing. Anyways, Jerry, we are going up to Sleak peak, wanna come?”
“Who do you mean by we?” Jerry asked.
“Well, there is Joan, she is coming with me, Mitch, Chris, and um...I think that is it. You could invite Tina. Tom, you should come too. It's gonna be a blast. We're gonna do some cliff diving. What do you say?”
“I'm up for it, when you leaving?” Tom said.
“In thirty minutes. We will meet in the parking lot next to the dorm. So, Jerry, what about you?” James asked.
“O.K., I have nothing better to do, so sure.”
“Good, well then I will see the two of you in a half hour. I gotta go pick up Joan, so I will see you later. Don't be late.”
And with that, James ran away, as quickly as he had come. Jerry waved goodbye to Tom and ran home to get ready. He also had to call Tina. He could only think of one thing as he ran home: how awesome it would be to see Tina again.
Jerry had first met Tina Stein in the cafeteria. He was sitting with James and they were talking about their classes from that day. Jerry mentioned how excited he was to go to his calculus class; he had always loved calculus in high school. Tina overheard him from the other stall, and looked over her seat to ask him which class he was taking. Ironically enough, they were in the same class. She was curious how anyone could be excited for calculus. She was taking it, but not by choice, her major demanded it. She was also really worried she would fail. After all, she only got a C in her Trigonometry class.
It was then that Jerry had a thought, one that he thought was shear genius, “What if I tutor you?” he asked.
“You would do that?” she asked.
“Of course, it would be no problem. I love to help people, and besides, I think calculus is fun, so it will just be more practice for me.” He didn't mention that her being very attractive also improved her case. He looked at her, and he was amazed by how blonde her hair was. It was so bright and full of life, and when you combined that with her striking blue eyes, it really was a deadly combination. Her clothes were high fashion, definitely not the bargain brand. She was wearing a bright pink shirt and a pair of worn jeans that clung to her body. Jerry was astonished by her beauty.
“Are you ok?” Tina asked, pulling him out of his thoughts, and his stare.
“Uh...yeah, I am good, so...I uh...guess I will see you later today at class...right?” He asked.
“Yeah, you wanna get there early so we can get seats right next to each other?” She asked.
“That would be awesome!” He said with a bit more enthusiasm then he intended.
From there, she got up to put her tray away. As she walked away, he watched her, knowing she was special. Sure, he had been dating lots of girls, but if he had to pick one, she was it. He quickly reminded himself that he was simply a tutor and that all that had happened really meant nothing in terms of starting a relationship with her, but as it often happens, the more he thought, the more certain he became of how much she liked him.
Jerry had only seen Tina twice since then, both times while in class. He thoroughly enjoyed talking to her during the class, and it didn't take long for him to realize he was falling for her. He kept trying to find subtle ways to show his interest. He started by doing a connect the dot puzzle of a heart, using equations to represent the coordinates, but although she really enjoyed solving the equations and connecting the dots, she didn't get his intended message. Instead she went on for five minutes on how smart he was and how she would never be able to come up with such a puzzle. Next, he tried to touch her right pinky with his left pinky, very nonchalantly, so as to make it seem like an accident. She saw him move his hand and mistook it for him wanting to use her pencil. She picked the pencil up and gave it to him before he had a chance to make contact. Finally, he just got up the courage at the end of the second class to ask her for her phone number. He stressed that it was merely so he could contact her if he missed a class, or to set up study dates before each of the three tests they would take that semester. She knew he would probably use it for more than just school purposes, but she pretended as if the request was perfectly acceptable, so as to make it easier on him.
So Jerry sat at his desk twirling the small torn paper that had the greatest treasure he had received since getting to college: Tina's number. He stared at it, memorizing the numbers, hoping that somehow those numbers would give him the courage to do what he so desperately wanted to do, call her. Jerry never had been good with phones. He felt awkward on them, and as a result, often put his foot in his mouth while talking on them. At times like these, he wished he could be as confidant as James on the phone. James seemed to always know what to say. He was alone though, and so it was up to him to do it.
Too scared to call, Jerry just let his mind drift away. He imagined himself hiking with her to the peak. He would feel a squeeze from her hand, and look at her face. She would smile, blush, and look away, but he would touch his hand to her cheek and pull her face back toward him. Then he would lean in and kiss her. Just the thought of that kiss made his insides go crazy. He knew he had to do it. There was no turning back. He grabbed the phone, and dialed six of the seven numbers, but after a short pause, trying to get the courage to finish, he hung up the phone.
Jerry cursed at his lack of courage. It was just a phone call. What was wrong with him? Again, he decided he just had to do it, so he picked up the phone, and again dialed the first six numbers. His finger hung over the last number, and impulsively, before he had a chance to hang up, he pushed it. All he could think as the phone rang on the other side, was how she was going to think he was a stalker, and probably never want to talk to him again. His heart was pounding right through his chest. He felt like it might stop at any moment. Just when he felt like just hanging up and being done with it, the phone stopped ringing and Tina answered.
“Hello,” she said.
Jerry froze, unable to utter a word.
“Hello...” she repeated.
Finally he broke free of his shock and said, “Hi...uh...this is Jerry. You know, from calculus.”
“Oh yeah, how are you doing?” she asked.
His hands were shaking uncontrollably as he replied, “I am doing good. Um...I was actually just calling to ask you if...um...you might want to...I mean, if your not busy or anything...a couple of us are going to Sleak peak to do some cliff diving. Wanna come?”
“When are you going?” She asked.
“Well, we are actually leaving in about ten to fifteen minutes.” Jerry answered. “I understand if it was too late of notice...maybe next time.”
“No, not at all, I mean, yes, maybe you should let me know sooner next time, but I am not doing anything, so yeah, I can go.”
“Really...you can?” Jerry asked.
“Yeah, but can I ask you a favor?” she asked.
“Sure, you name it.”
“My roommate is a sweet girl, but she hasn't been asked to do something since she got here, so would you mind if she came along?” she asked.
“No, she can come, the more the better.” he answered.
“It sounds really fun. Where do I meet you?” She asked.
“James is driving, so we will come and pick you up on the way.”
“Sounds great, should I bring anything?”
“Make sure you bring clothes you can get wet in.” Jerry said.
“Ok.”
“Well, um...that was all I was calling about, so I guess I will see you later.” he said.
“Ok, see you later.” she said and then hung up the phone.
Jerry couldn't believe it. She actually said yes. He was going to go to Sleak peak with Tina Stein. He wanted to jump, yell, and run all at the same time. He quickly got his stuff together and ran out of the room. He couldn't wait to get to the car and go get Tina. He knew this was going to be a good day.
It all started in June of 2000. Jerry was on his way to college. He had graduated just the year before, and he didn't know what to expect. He was just excited for the change. Jerry had lived in California most of his life, but unlike most California natives, who enjoy the warm weather and beautiful scenery, Jerry had not. He grew up in a desert. His home was about as forlorn and desolate as a home can be. Very often, he would wonder to himself if there were any other color in nature than brown. In his whole life, he had only ever been in four states: California, Nevada, Utah, and a 30-mile stretch of freeway in Arizona. He had never lived away from his parents, and was in many senses, very innocent to the ways of the world.
While riding in his parent's car, he looked out the window. Outside he saw large mountains, big and foreboding, but with a purple tinge of color in their peaks that made them breathtaking. Beneath the mountains was an area of land that could be confused for both desert and valley. In some stretches he saw nothing but dirt and vegetation, but in other stretches, he saws trees off in the horizon, as far as the eye could see. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to explore all of this scenery for himself. For you see, Jerry liked the outdoors a lot. He had always felt most at home, while camping or hiking.
“We are almost there,” his dad said, pulling him away from his thoughts.
“How long?” Jerry replied.
“Probably five to ten minutes.”
Jerry wondered what college would be like. He liked school, and felt fulfilled by learning, but this was not always the case. While in elementary school, he was made fun of and was ridiculed because he was different. He hated school at that time and very often wished he wouldn't have to go. Things changed in the fifth grade though. He had a teacher who encouraged his learning and raised his self-esteem, but unfortunately, also left him feeling arrogant and proud of his genius.
Despite his arrogance on the surface, he also was very insecure. He had often had a fear of the next level of advancement. At fifth grade graduation, he asked his parents if sixth grade would be too hard and he would not be able to keep up the workload. They laughed and told him he had nothing to worry about. He asked that same question to himself every year as school would end, but within a week of the next school year, he knew he would be ok. So, as he sat there, a little fearful of what the workload might be like, he also had a silent confidence that he had always been ok in the past.
“Hey Dad,” he said and paused for his Dad to look at him, “Do you think it will be hard for me to meet people up there?”
Jerry also had another fear. He was very anti-social. He liked to be alone, because he was always scared to meet new people. Mostly because meeting new people met first impressions, and he was notorious for bad first impressions. On very few occasions had he managed to gain a friend from a first impression. Most of the time, he just got ridicule and teasing.
“What if I never make any friends?” He thought to himself while waiting for his dad to answer.
“Don't worry Jerry. It is natural to be scared, but you'll be ok. Trust me, a week from now, your gonna have so many friends that you won't know what to do with yourself.”
“I hope so.” Jerry said, but he wasn't so convinced.
The next few minutes passed in silence as both father and son was lost in thought. Jerry's dad was excited to see his son move on with his life, but also felt a sharp sense of realization that he was losing his son. Yes, he could talk to him on the phone and write letters, but their “special moments” together would not be nearly as frequent anymore. Despite this though, he couldn't be prouder of his son. He knew that it was inevitable that someday, Jerry would make a very real difference in the world.
Jerry, on the other hand was just plain nervous. He was too nervous to realize that he would be leaving his dad soon. He was too nervous to realize how much he would miss this man that had meant so much to him. They had always been close. Most teenagers go through a phase where they don't trust their parents and they feel misunderstood. That never happened with Jerry and his dad. They seemed to always be close, and Jerry felt like he could tell his dad anything. One of Jerry's greatest memories from life with his dad, were the many frequent talks they would have about the purpose of life. They could sit and talk about such things for hours, not paying attention to the lateness of the night.
Jerry remembered one night in particular, as his father drove him home from a wrestling tournament that he had taken first place in. He couldn't stop talking about each and every match, going over every detail. His dad just let him talk, because he loved to hear his son brag about his accomplishments. Jerry spent a particularly large amount of time describing the last match where he had been down two points but made a last second reversal to a near fall, and ended up winning by three. Then Jerry's dad got very serious, and turned to Jerry.
“Son, I want you to know, I love to hear you talk about your matches and how well you do in them. I never want you to feel like you can't do that with me, but there is something important I want to teach you. Never, under any circumstances, are you to talk like this with other people. Bragging about your feats is a vain thing to do. People will not like you if you do it. Likewise, if you don't do it, then people will look up to you, and in many cases, they will brag to others for you. So, brag to me now. Tell me everything. Get it out of your system, because when you return to school on Monday, I want you all bragged out. Do you understand?”
Jerry looked at his dad, and was amazed. His dad always seemed to have a way to know how and when to say things in order to get the most effect.
“Yeah, dad, I understand, and I promise I won't brag to people.” Jerry said.
“That's my boy!” he said, “Now continue, I don't think you have told me about the award ceremony yet.”
That was Jerry's dad, and Jerry looked up to him in a way that he could not describe in words. He wasn't thinking about all that at this time though. All he could think of was what college would be like and whether or not he would like it.
“We're here.” his dad said as they pulled into the parking lot of the dorm Jerry would be staying in. “Now, get your stuff out, and I will go get the key to your room.”
Forty-five minutes later, all of Jerry's stuff had been moved to his room, and his dad was saying goodbye to him. There were some tears and hugs, but then, they pulled away, looked at each other, and his dad left.
There he was, standing alone in his room, and his dad was gone. Jerry had never felt so alone. He could see his roommate's bags lying on the ground. They were open, and some clothes had been thrown across the floor. There was even a red football jersey with the number fifty-eight across its front. Jerry deduced that he must've been a football player, and a very big one at that for how big his jersey was. His roommate wasn't there though, and he felt all alone.
He began to unpack his bags, starting with the Garfield bedsheets his parents had given him to take with him. He would've liked something cooler than Garfield, but that was the only extra sheets they had. He put the sheets on and then he put his comforter on the bed, careful to make sure it covered every last inch of the Garfield sheets.
He then began to unpack and hang up his clothes. Unlike most kids his age, he had no T-shirts. His high school had had a dress code of only collared shirts, and so he pulled them out, one after another and hung them all up. Then he threw his pants in the drawer, as well as his socks and underwear.
The room itself was rather small. It had two desks, two beds, and a small open area in between them that was about the width of the hallway outside his room. His closet was about the size of his shower back home, and next to it was a dresser with four drawers. He only filled two of the drawers, but the closet was almost full to its brim.
It only took him about a half an hour to finish, and when he did, he walked over and saw a note on his desk. It was an orientation itinerary, printed on bright blue paper. He saw that lunch was at 12:30 by the Kerry tower. It was 12:00, and he was hungry, so he decided to run down and get lunch. There was one problem though. He didn't know where Kerry tower was.
He ran outside, walked up to the only person he could see in the parking lot and asked them if they knew where Kerry tower was.
“Your a freshman, aren't you?” the older student said, “It is the tallest tower on campus, you can't miss it. Just head down that walkway until you get to campus, and from there, look for the tallest building.”
“Thank you!” Jerry yelled as he ran down the walkway towards campus.
All down the walkway, Jerry saw nothing but dormitories. Some were tall, some were long, and some were just old. He saw a couple students playing volleyball outside, and he was tempted to go over and ask if he could play. After all, volleyball was one of his favorite sports, even if he wasn't very good at it. Just then his stomach growled and he remembered that lunch was waiting for him at Kerry tower.
As he got closer to campus he saw at least twenty buildings across the grounds and they all looked tall. So he walked around, hoping that getting closer, he would be able to see which one was the tallest. He stopped first at a red brick building that seemed two or three stories high. He thought that might be the Kerry building until he saw a sign saying it was the Johnson building, named for Harvey Johnson, a very generous donor to the school.
Jerry wandered for about 10 minutes and getting frustrated that he couldn't find the Kerry building, he sat on a nearby bench. Ironically, the bench lay only ten feet from the Kerry building, but the bench had a bad angle for seeing the building's sign. As Jerry sat there, he saw many students pass in groups, and he guessed each one must be a specific orientation group.
Just then, a young man walked towards Jerry. He was tall, about 6'2”, and he must've weighed at least 180 pounds. The sun shined extra bright on his reddish-blond hair. He had a very athletic physique, and looked like he must be able to lift a lot of weight. There was also something very familiar about him that Jerry couldn't quite put his finger on. He walked up to Jerry, and before Jerry had a chance to say anything, said, “What orientation group are you in?”
Jerry hadn't bothered to look at what group he was, and answered, “I don't know, I was just supposed to meet at the Kerry Building at 12:30.”
“Oh, you must be in my group then. I didn't do the morning activities, because I needed to pick up some school supplies, but I thought I would join up with the group now.” he said.
“Where is the Kerry building?” Jerry asked, “I have been looking for it for about 15 minutes now, and I can't find it.”
“Your standing right in front of it. Oh, and by the way, my name is James. James Burdall.” the young man said with a embarrassed look that Jerry knew must be from his bad manners of not introducing himself right away.
“My name is Jerry.” Jerry said.
James gave him a long look and said, “what room are you staying in?”
“422 in R-hall.” Jerry answered back.
“Oh man, you're my roommate. What a crazy coincidence.” James added while rubbing his head and having a very amazed look on his face.
“So your the football player then?” Jerry asked.
“Well, I was in high school, but I am not good enough to play football here.” James replied.
“Oh, sorry I just saw your jersey and figured you would be playing here.” Jerry said with an embarrassed look on his face.
“If I were we wouldn't be roommates, because all the athletes stay in the Staffman dorms. We will have to visit their sometime though, because I hear all the gymnasts live down there, and from what I have seen, our gymnastics team is hott!” James said.
Jerry laughed at that and immediately relaxed. He had a friend now, and he didn't feel so alone anymore. James seemed like a real nice guy, and he definitely wasn't mean, so Jerry figured that maybe college life wouldn't be so bad after all.
“C'mon, lets go get some lunch. I see our group coming this way.” James said as he pulled Jerry towards a group of eight people.
The next week flew by. Jerry was way to busy to worry about anything, and what was more, he was having so much fun,that it just didn't seem prudent to worry. During that first week, he had gone to his new classes, met his professors, and gotten accustomed to living life on his own, except that he really wasn't on his own, because he had James. James was the friend he had always wanted, and it seemed strange that in one week they had grown so close that he had felt like he had always known James. The best part was how James seemed to lend him courage. He had gone on five dates that week, all with different girls, three of which he had met only minutes before asking. He was a different man, and James was the reason.
He really enjoyed his classes. They were challenging, but definitely not as hard as he had expected. In fact, he found that as he went to class, his appetite for information was growing. One class was not nearly sufficient to learn all the material. He would secretly pray that the teacher would go overtime. In this, he was a minority. It seemed as if everyone else were against learning. He often wondered how someone could spend so much money on an education, and then not seek to learn as much as they could. He didn't let this deter him though as he often found excuses to spend time in the library, reading books and soaking up their knowledge.
On this particular day, he was on his way home, when he saw Tom, a young man with slicked back, bleach blonde hair. Jerry swore that he probably spent more time agonizing over his appearance than he did anything else. His bright red shirt and faded blue jeans seemed to fill the mold. He didn't particularly like Tom. Not that Tom was a bad person, but he was just too much of a partier for Jerry's tastes. Despite Jerry's feelings, Tom had decided to take Jerry under his wing, and teach him a thing or two about life.
“Hey, Bookworm!” Tom yelled, “Hold up!”
Jerry slowed down so Tom could catch up.
Tom went up to Jerry's side, and while breathing hard from his run, said, “Coming back from the Library again? I swear, if the library charged fees for usage, you alone could keep it in business. You gotta get out more.”
“For your information, I have.” Jerry retorted.
“I don't mean stepping away from your books to grab a snack from the vending machine. You gotta learn to let loose and party a bit.”
“Look, you don't know what I do, I have been on five dates this last week, so back off.” Jerry said, as he glared at Tom.
“Ok, ok, I know you are proud of those semi-female species you have taken out on dates, but trust me, you can hardly call those...things female, and as for dates, taking a girl to lunch with your dining card, is hardly a date. Look, just let me give you some pointers. I'll have you dating the popular girls in no time.” Tom seemed to have a certain level of enjoyment as he commented.
Jerry didn't mind the comment about the girls, he knew they were pretty, but he was very disturbed by the comment about his dining card. So what if he treated girls to lunch on the money the school allotted him each day for food. He didn't have a job or money, but his scholarships were paying for the dining card, so why was that such an uncool thing to do. All he wanted was to go home, and be free of Tom, but unfortunately, things didn't work out for him that way.
Just at that moment, he heard the familiar voice of his friend James, “Hey, lay off Tom. Jerry is doing just fine. The girls he has been taking out are top notch compared to the skirts you've been chasing. Anyways, Jerry, we are going up to Sleak peak, wanna come?”
“Who do you mean by we?” Jerry asked.
“Well, there is Joan, she is coming with me, Mitch, Chris, and um...I think that is it. You could invite Tina. Tom, you should come too. It's gonna be a blast. We're gonna do some cliff diving. What do you say?”
“I'm up for it, when you leaving?” Tom said.
“In thirty minutes. We will meet in the parking lot next to the dorm. So, Jerry, what about you?” James asked.
“O.K., I have nothing better to do, so sure.”
“Good, well then I will see the two of you in a half hour. I gotta go pick up Joan, so I will see you later. Don't be late.”
And with that, James ran away, as quickly as he had come. Jerry waved goodbye to Tom and ran home to get ready. He also had to call Tina. He could only think of one thing as he ran home: how awesome it would be to see Tina again.
Jerry had first met Tina Stein in the cafeteria. He was sitting with James and they were talking about their classes from that day. Jerry mentioned how excited he was to go to his calculus class; he had always loved calculus in high school. Tina overheard him from the other stall, and looked over her seat to ask him which class he was taking. Ironically enough, they were in the same class. She was curious how anyone could be excited for calculus. She was taking it, but not by choice, her major demanded it. She was also really worried she would fail. After all, she only got a C in her Trigonometry class.
It was then that Jerry had a thought, one that he thought was shear genius, “What if I tutor you?” he asked.
“You would do that?” she asked.
“Of course, it would be no problem. I love to help people, and besides, I think calculus is fun, so it will just be more practice for me.” He didn't mention that her being very attractive also improved her case. He looked at her, and he was amazed by how blonde her hair was. It was so bright and full of life, and when you combined that with her striking blue eyes, it really was a deadly combination. Her clothes were high fashion, definitely not the bargain brand. She was wearing a bright pink shirt and a pair of worn jeans that clung to her body. Jerry was astonished by her beauty.
“Are you ok?” Tina asked, pulling him out of his thoughts, and his stare.
“Uh...yeah, I am good, so...I uh...guess I will see you later today at class...right?” He asked.
“Yeah, you wanna get there early so we can get seats right next to each other?” She asked.
“That would be awesome!” He said with a bit more enthusiasm then he intended.
From there, she got up to put her tray away. As she walked away, he watched her, knowing she was special. Sure, he had been dating lots of girls, but if he had to pick one, she was it. He quickly reminded himself that he was simply a tutor and that all that had happened really meant nothing in terms of starting a relationship with her, but as it often happens, the more he thought, the more certain he became of how much she liked him.
Jerry had only seen Tina twice since then, both times while in class. He thoroughly enjoyed talking to her during the class, and it didn't take long for him to realize he was falling for her. He kept trying to find subtle ways to show his interest. He started by doing a connect the dot puzzle of a heart, using equations to represent the coordinates, but although she really enjoyed solving the equations and connecting the dots, she didn't get his intended message. Instead she went on for five minutes on how smart he was and how she would never be able to come up with such a puzzle. Next, he tried to touch her right pinky with his left pinky, very nonchalantly, so as to make it seem like an accident. She saw him move his hand and mistook it for him wanting to use her pencil. She picked the pencil up and gave it to him before he had a chance to make contact. Finally, he just got up the courage at the end of the second class to ask her for her phone number. He stressed that it was merely so he could contact her if he missed a class, or to set up study dates before each of the three tests they would take that semester. She knew he would probably use it for more than just school purposes, but she pretended as if the request was perfectly acceptable, so as to make it easier on him.
So Jerry sat at his desk twirling the small torn paper that had the greatest treasure he had received since getting to college: Tina's number. He stared at it, memorizing the numbers, hoping that somehow those numbers would give him the courage to do what he so desperately wanted to do, call her. Jerry never had been good with phones. He felt awkward on them, and as a result, often put his foot in his mouth while talking on them. At times like these, he wished he could be as confidant as James on the phone. James seemed to always know what to say. He was alone though, and so it was up to him to do it.
Too scared to call, Jerry just let his mind drift away. He imagined himself hiking with her to the peak. He would feel a squeeze from her hand, and look at her face. She would smile, blush, and look away, but he would touch his hand to her cheek and pull her face back toward him. Then he would lean in and kiss her. Just the thought of that kiss made his insides go crazy. He knew he had to do it. There was no turning back. He grabbed the phone, and dialed six of the seven numbers, but after a short pause, trying to get the courage to finish, he hung up the phone.
Jerry cursed at his lack of courage. It was just a phone call. What was wrong with him? Again, he decided he just had to do it, so he picked up the phone, and again dialed the first six numbers. His finger hung over the last number, and impulsively, before he had a chance to hang up, he pushed it. All he could think as the phone rang on the other side, was how she was going to think he was a stalker, and probably never want to talk to him again. His heart was pounding right through his chest. He felt like it might stop at any moment. Just when he felt like just hanging up and being done with it, the phone stopped ringing and Tina answered.
“Hello,” she said.
Jerry froze, unable to utter a word.
“Hello...” she repeated.
Finally he broke free of his shock and said, “Hi...uh...this is Jerry. You know, from calculus.”
“Oh yeah, how are you doing?” she asked.
His hands were shaking uncontrollably as he replied, “I am doing good. Um...I was actually just calling to ask you if...um...you might want to...I mean, if your not busy or anything...a couple of us are going to Sleak peak to do some cliff diving. Wanna come?”
“When are you going?” She asked.
“Well, we are actually leaving in about ten to fifteen minutes.” Jerry answered. “I understand if it was too late of notice...maybe next time.”
“No, not at all, I mean, yes, maybe you should let me know sooner next time, but I am not doing anything, so yeah, I can go.”
“Really...you can?” Jerry asked.
“Yeah, but can I ask you a favor?” she asked.
“Sure, you name it.”
“My roommate is a sweet girl, but she hasn't been asked to do something since she got here, so would you mind if she came along?” she asked.
“No, she can come, the more the better.” he answered.
“It sounds really fun. Where do I meet you?” She asked.
“James is driving, so we will come and pick you up on the way.”
“Sounds great, should I bring anything?”
“Make sure you bring clothes you can get wet in.” Jerry said.
“Ok.”
“Well, um...that was all I was calling about, so I guess I will see you later.” he said.
“Ok, see you later.” she said and then hung up the phone.
Jerry couldn't believe it. She actually said yes. He was going to go to Sleak peak with Tina Stein. He wanted to jump, yell, and run all at the same time. He quickly got his stuff together and ran out of the room. He couldn't wait to get to the car and go get Tina. He knew this was going to be a good day.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Prologue
Prologue
It had been a beautiful day. It started with a sky full of ominous clouds, but as the sun rose, it melted away the thick cloud cover. The sun was shining so bright, that just its feel on his head made his headache. That was ok though, for it was days like these that he thrived on. It was as if the very sunshine itself, gave him energy. It emboldened him and made him feel indestructible. On a day like today, how could he be expected to go to school?
So, using this rationalization, he didn't. After all, what does it hurt to miss one day? And how could he really allow himself to miss such a beautiful day? After his mom dropped him off at school, he quickly ran to the edge of the school grounds. Just past the fence, there was a bush that was just his size. After hiding there for about fifteen minutes, he snuck a peek and saw that everyone had gone. At last, he was free, and he meant to make the most of that day.
It didn't take long for him to question the idea, because within twenty minutes of that, he was just bored. So, he took a short walk into the forest. There, his imagination began to run wild. He imagined he was an ancient Knight, hunting down the dragon, ready to slay it with his mystical and magical sword. On the way, he ran into a lot of the dragon's minions, but none of them were tough enough to down this battle-hardened hero. He had a quest to complete, and nothing would stop him from saving the fair lady.
Not that he really wanted to save her. At the age of nine, he was still engrossed in the cooty phase. After all, just touching a girl could cause instantaneous death of the worst kind. But, since all the Knight books he had ever read involved the knight saving the princess, he figured he had no choice. Just then he was pulled from his thoughts by a deep growl.
“That must be the dragon!” he thought.
So he set into a fast sprint, not even thinking about how heavy his plated armor was or how the sun seemed to make the armor so hot. He had a dragon to fight, and that was all that was on his mind. As he pulled into the clearing, he was pulled from his daydream to find that the sound was no dragon; it had come from a passing train.
“Too bad,” he thought, “I was looking forward to slaying the dragon.”
Just as quickly as he had been pulled from his dream, he was back in it. It truly was a pity that the fierce dragon ran away in shame, but then again, it wasn't the first dragon to run from his courageous demeanor. The hunt continued, and so he looked for clues on the direction the dragon went. He searched for clues for what seemed like hours, but actually it had only been about thirty minutes. But, he had found the dragon's trail, and ran to follow it, except that his right foot wouldn't move. It was caught in something; maybe a tree trunk. As he looked down, again, he was pulled from his dream, to find his foot, stuck in the railroad tracks.
“Don't worry, its no reason to panic,” he thought to himself, “After all, the train just barely passed, so I have plenty of time to get free.”
Just then, he heard that roar again, except this time, he could only wish it was a dragon. The panic billowed up his chest until it restricted his vocal chords. He tried to yell, but he couldn't make any noise. He began to pull at his leg, but it was no use, he was in trouble, and he knew it.
His life began to pass before his eyes, and he wished he had not ditched school. After all, what good is a beautiful day, if you are not alive to enjoy it? Then he heard a sharp crack behind him. He tried to turn, but the stuck foot inhibited his movement. Then, just moments away from the passing of the train, he felt his body lift, and he was free. He landed on the other side and looked to see a woman with dark brown hair. It came down to her waist. Her clothes were unlike anything he had ever seen. They were so white that he wondered if even clouds could be so white. Also, she had wings of some kind, but they were even whiter than her clothes. Her face was the softest and kindest he had ever seen, and he couldn't help but think that she must be the purest person he had ever met. Just as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared, in a blinding flash of light, and a sharp crack, much like the sound he had heard just a second ago, when he had guessed that she had just appeared.
He thought to himself, “Was it an angel? Was it somebody dressed real weird who just happened to be at the right place at the right time? But if it was that, how did they make such a bright light and disappear?”
He thought about it the rest of the day. In years to come, he heard many explanations of what had happened. Some people said it was his guardian angel. Others said it was a mental breakdown and that his mind had simply got the best of him. Still others claimed that it was purely a lie, meant to gain attention. After all, he was always seeking to be the center of attention. No matter what the explanation though, he never could figure out what happened, or who that woman was. Too bad that nobody had ever told him about vagabonds.
It had been a beautiful day. It started with a sky full of ominous clouds, but as the sun rose, it melted away the thick cloud cover. The sun was shining so bright, that just its feel on his head made his headache. That was ok though, for it was days like these that he thrived on. It was as if the very sunshine itself, gave him energy. It emboldened him and made him feel indestructible. On a day like today, how could he be expected to go to school?
So, using this rationalization, he didn't. After all, what does it hurt to miss one day? And how could he really allow himself to miss such a beautiful day? After his mom dropped him off at school, he quickly ran to the edge of the school grounds. Just past the fence, there was a bush that was just his size. After hiding there for about fifteen minutes, he snuck a peek and saw that everyone had gone. At last, he was free, and he meant to make the most of that day.
It didn't take long for him to question the idea, because within twenty minutes of that, he was just bored. So, he took a short walk into the forest. There, his imagination began to run wild. He imagined he was an ancient Knight, hunting down the dragon, ready to slay it with his mystical and magical sword. On the way, he ran into a lot of the dragon's minions, but none of them were tough enough to down this battle-hardened hero. He had a quest to complete, and nothing would stop him from saving the fair lady.
Not that he really wanted to save her. At the age of nine, he was still engrossed in the cooty phase. After all, just touching a girl could cause instantaneous death of the worst kind. But, since all the Knight books he had ever read involved the knight saving the princess, he figured he had no choice. Just then he was pulled from his thoughts by a deep growl.
“That must be the dragon!” he thought.
So he set into a fast sprint, not even thinking about how heavy his plated armor was or how the sun seemed to make the armor so hot. He had a dragon to fight, and that was all that was on his mind. As he pulled into the clearing, he was pulled from his daydream to find that the sound was no dragon; it had come from a passing train.
“Too bad,” he thought, “I was looking forward to slaying the dragon.”
Just as quickly as he had been pulled from his dream, he was back in it. It truly was a pity that the fierce dragon ran away in shame, but then again, it wasn't the first dragon to run from his courageous demeanor. The hunt continued, and so he looked for clues on the direction the dragon went. He searched for clues for what seemed like hours, but actually it had only been about thirty minutes. But, he had found the dragon's trail, and ran to follow it, except that his right foot wouldn't move. It was caught in something; maybe a tree trunk. As he looked down, again, he was pulled from his dream, to find his foot, stuck in the railroad tracks.
“Don't worry, its no reason to panic,” he thought to himself, “After all, the train just barely passed, so I have plenty of time to get free.”
Just then, he heard that roar again, except this time, he could only wish it was a dragon. The panic billowed up his chest until it restricted his vocal chords. He tried to yell, but he couldn't make any noise. He began to pull at his leg, but it was no use, he was in trouble, and he knew it.
His life began to pass before his eyes, and he wished he had not ditched school. After all, what good is a beautiful day, if you are not alive to enjoy it? Then he heard a sharp crack behind him. He tried to turn, but the stuck foot inhibited his movement. Then, just moments away from the passing of the train, he felt his body lift, and he was free. He landed on the other side and looked to see a woman with dark brown hair. It came down to her waist. Her clothes were unlike anything he had ever seen. They were so white that he wondered if even clouds could be so white. Also, she had wings of some kind, but they were even whiter than her clothes. Her face was the softest and kindest he had ever seen, and he couldn't help but think that she must be the purest person he had ever met. Just as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared, in a blinding flash of light, and a sharp crack, much like the sound he had heard just a second ago, when he had guessed that she had just appeared.
He thought to himself, “Was it an angel? Was it somebody dressed real weird who just happened to be at the right place at the right time? But if it was that, how did they make such a bright light and disappear?”
He thought about it the rest of the day. In years to come, he heard many explanations of what had happened. Some people said it was his guardian angel. Others said it was a mental breakdown and that his mind had simply got the best of him. Still others claimed that it was purely a lie, meant to gain attention. After all, he was always seeking to be the center of attention. No matter what the explanation though, he never could figure out what happened, or who that woman was. Too bad that nobody had ever told him about vagabonds.
Introduction to Vagabond
About four years ago, I began writing a book based on an idea I had developed in my head since high school. Many people have supported my efforts, but being very busy going to college to become a teacher, I found it hard to make time to ever finish the book. I have written 13 chapters to this point, but this blog is an effort by me to finally finish a project I started so long ago. I will be releasing the chapters to this book every other wedensday until the full book is released. I hope you enjoy the story and encourage you to comment on what you like, and don't like so that I can edit it over time to be a better story then it currently is. I apologize in advance for any grammatical problems in the writing.
I hope you enjoy my book, and thank you for your time in endulging my passion.
I hope you enjoy my book, and thank you for your time in endulging my passion.
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