VOID

What's so special about Dave Lizewski ?

I’m late! First day of class and I'm already late! SHIT! I found the snooze button on my alarm and quickly re-did my bun from the previous night, threw on some black pants, and a graphic tee, laced up my converse, grabbed my bag, slammed my glasses on and made my way out the door. I would always oversleep back home when it came to highschool but that's because it was high school. I mean sure, I guess it was important to get your degree to get the hell outta there but the shit adults tell you about it being the best for years of your life is just that, a bunch of shit. Everyone takes themselves too seriously and considers themselves adults. In reality the hardest thing in their life that they have to deal with is whether or not Derek the quarterback is going to take them to senior prom and get them drunk off of wine coolers. But college was the big leagues the most important thing.

  I let a soft and quiet "damn" leave my mouth as I pulled out the map of the campus. I was looking for the tech building, but the campus was largely spread out and as I missed orientation, who was I kidding I wasn't going to find it on my own. "Excuse me-" I tried asking everyone around me, "Could you point me to-" But this was the city. "Hey please could you just-" There was none of that small town hospitality. 

"I could help," the soft voice sent a shiver down my spine, it was that kid from Atomics. "No, no it’s fine," I said, trying to look for someone else to ask. "But I know where the building is." I could hear the offense taken in his voice. "Look, I don't have time for you and your friends' games right now." I said, annoyed. "Listen they're a bunch of pricks I just want to help you out," he scoffed. "And yesterday you just wanted a black coffee." I wasn't going to buy it this time. He laughed, "Listen no one else is going to help you so you can walk with me to English 101 or you can keep trying your luck with the lovely people around us." I looked at him annoyed. "Think of it as making things even." He said with a smile. I scrunched up my face. Making things even. That reminded me, I had a story to write and if this guy and his friends hung around the shop they may know something about him. He could be my in.

"Fine, but no bull shit today." He smiled, "Of course not, the building is down the street,  my name is Dave by the way," he said, handing out his hand. I rolled my eyes and extended my hand as well, "Scarlett." It was strange, I was having  Déjà vu. I looked in his eyes as our hands grasped.  "So...what's your major?" I shook off whatever feelings I was having and smiled, "You're really gonna make small talk with me like we're friends now?" His face dropped and it made my heart sink. I tend to come off as a hard ass. But that's only because I am a hard ass. But he was trying to be nice. Maybe even friendly, there was no need for me to be mean. "It's journalism, but right now I'm just gonna focus on getting my basics done and then transfer to any college that will take me. Then maybe I'll leave Atomic and try to get an internship at whatever paper I can get and work my way up the food chain. Then-" I looked over to catch his eyes and he seemed overwhelmed.  

  "Sorry I've just never had anyone to tell my plan to before... I talk too much." That's what mom would always tell me, "No one likes a girl that rambles dear." He looked at me and his face softened, "No no it's not that I’ve just never heard someone have it all planned out like that, it's impressive." I smiled but felt sick again. What was this shit? Did I have the flu? Or did being comfortable with someone really make me feel, well...uncomfortable?  "Well what about you?" He looked ahead, not looking back to me. "Well, I'm here because it's cheap and I can get the basics done. Maybe by then I'll find out what I'm good at." He had this deep sadness in his eyes and a part of me wished I could take it away. "It must be nice having it all planned out," he sighed. Hearing him say this stung in a weird way. The same way being rejected by the kids at school stung and what could you do to help someone after hearing that kind of hurt? 

   He stopped at a building and turned to look at me. "Anyway this is the tech building, if you're looking for room three-forty it will be on the third floor and on the left hand side just past the computer lab." I felt as if he was looking in my soul any time he looked at me. For a moment I was lost and I think he was as well. A haze had come over both of our eyes. Had I read him completely wrong? I finally looked away, I needed to focus on the mission. Get the information, write the story and get it out to the people. "What are you doing later after class?" I blurted out as if the words couldn't get out quick enough. The haze in his eyes faded away and was instead replaced by fear, "Wh-what ?" His voice cracked and his face turned bright red. "After classes are you and your friends hanging out at the shop or -" I was hoping he'd fill in the blank. "Uh-yeah." he smiled but it was the shy one I had seen the day prior. "Cool, you guys have room for one more at the table?" For a moment it looked as if he stopped breathing. He swallowed hard, "Yeah, yeah absolutely." I smiled and pushed my bag back on my shoulder. "Cool, just tell your friends that they are wasting their time hitting on me, not that they are that great at it anyway." He coughed as if he had choked on the words I had just said, "I’ll let them know."