DEFEATISM

02

"Wow, Moonie, you've really outdone yourself," Darlington looks around the room.

The room shimmers from the sparkly streamers. Moonie made a balloon archway as well, and she and Maverick even brought in both of their desk lamps so that the room has a better ambiance. The alcohol that Maverick purchased is on the coffee table, pressed up against the wall. Beside them are plastic shot glasses and yellow solo cups. Moonie wished that they were properly gold.

"Oh, it was nothing," Moonie says. She gestures to Maverick, who is struggling to connect his speaker to the campus Wi-Fi, "really, he did most of the work blowing up the balloons."

Other than Moonie, Maverick, and Darlington, only Jerry has arrived. He brought his own whiskey, which he is planning to drink from the bottle. He is examining the label rather than the room, because even in low lighting, there is too much sparkle and shine for his eyes to handle. Jerry uncorks the bottle and sniffs the liquid.

"Don't," Maverick says, stepping closer to Jerry. "We all drink the first drink together."

Jerry nods and recorks the bottle.

Galilee is next to arrive, opening and closing the door as quietly as possible. She shoves her keys into her pocket, hoping to prevent them from jingling. Unfortunately, Darlington is attentive enough to notice.

"It's a shooting Star," Maverick says, noticing Galilee in the room.

Though she is startled, Galilee instinctively points her fingers like guns, and mocks shooting him across the room."

Darlington furrows his brow, "what?"

"Well, we already have Moonie, and Galilee is like Galileo," Maverick shakes his head. "You brought your camera right?"

"Yeah," Galilee pulls it out of the bag she has on her. It's a polaroid camera, which was never her favourite type of camera. Maverick likes them though, and after a year of chatting in photography club, he finally convinced her to buy one.

"I've never heard you call her Star before," Darlington says. "Gally makes more sense, you know."

"Yeah, well Gally is unoriginal," Maverick shakes his head."

Moonie sighs, smiling, "he is addicted to nicknames. You only escaped because you're already Darlington."

Jerry is already fed up with the conversation. It only gets worse for him when the sound of the key jamming into the door. Maverick steps back and opens it.

"Thanks," Marcellus says. "Sticky keys fucking suck."

He looks around the room through his red eyes. The variety of sparkling and shining textures and colours is overwhelming in the small space. He reaches a hand up and runs his fingers through one of the streamers on the ceiling, and laughs. Moonie can feel herself blushing.

"I also made a photo wall, for the photography nerds," she sticks out her tongue playfully at Maverick, who sticks out his tongue back.

Galilee looks around the room. They've done a good job of cleaning it, so it takes a minute to find one of their stash of workbooks from summer training. She takes a page from Louie's book and stuffed the page where the door is supposed to latch. Students use that trick to sneak in guests on Homecoming weekend. Galilee has to admit it's clever. She closes the door, and it looks almost shut.

"How was your meeting with the super?" Darlington asks.

Marcellus purposefully makes his chest tighten, "fine. It's a facilities issue."