What We Take Away

Chapter 12 | Cassie

October 5th, 2005

Autumn has come, draping itself over Copper Hill like a thick cloak. I step out of Swan Hall and into the splendid, golden sunlight of morning. Some of the leaves on the trees have begun to speckle with flecks of yellow. Even the air is crisp with the promise of change. I inhale deeply, feeling suddenly nostalgic for home. 

If I were at home, Ma would be preparing a feast of nourishing bone marrow soup, niú roù miàn loaded with star anise and ginger, or steaming, mouthwatering xiànbing stuffed with juicy meat. I sigh wistfully, suddenly missing my family. But I'm not ready to go back home yet, because I still need a good grade to prove to Ba that I'm worthy.

I reach the large notice board in the center of the freshman quad. Someone tacked new advertisements over the old ones, including posters about an upcoming film festival, a used car for sale, and units for rent. The hot pink Prayer Night flyers that were being distributed near Cooper's the other day are stapled beneath the new ads. I ignore the tacked messages and bend down to retrieve a copy of The Crow Post from a crate on the ground before walking the short distance towards Pelican.

The energy on campus this week is intense as everyone prepares for both midterm examinations as well as Homecoming. More people are crammed into the dining hall than usual, making it harder for me to find a quiet spot. But I manage to find a corner booth by the large window near the exit. I've got a bit of time before Ranjit shows up for our study session, so I decide to read the Post while I wait.

The headliner today is about the football stadium and how students are being turned away during games because of a seating shortage ("Stadium Seating Stifles Student Game Attendance"). Beneath it, a smaller article details how the Crows were defeated yet again over the weekend ("Crows Wipe Out at Towson"), complete with a picture of the head football coach yelling at the team. I yawn and flip a few pages. There's a section of local police reports, with a story about a girl who survived an attempted assault while walking back home to her residence on Keystone Street.

Reading the report makes me shudder. Is that what could have happened to me if Lee didn't walk me home from the party last weekend?

I lean back into the vinyl seat and sigh. Zac and I have not been on speaking terms since our argument, which hangs between us like static interference. Despite the heated words we exchanged, I miss him. And to make matters worse, Minji has been slinking near his door all the time. In the evenings when most of the second floor is home, I can hear her obnoxious laughter floating down from the hall. She hangs around Zac whenever he isn't at class, and according to Lee the two of them stay out late, often returning past midnight.

I was right about him from the start. Boys like Zac Peters are just flirts with a one-track mind, not caring how many people they hurt in the process. I shouldn't have expected him to be different. Still, the disappointment hurts.

"I thought I'd find you here!"

I turn at the sound of Chase's big voice. His random appearances in my day-to-day goings are becoming less and less surprising.

Today, Chase is wearing a beat-up green track jacket with white stripes. His pants are ripped at the knees and at hem, and his hair is somehow even more winded. His eyes crinkle into a smile as he props his longboard against the booth.

"You're just the person I'm looking for," he tells me.

"Why?" I ask.

"Are you free on Saturday morning? I know it's Homecoming weekend, but you don't seem like the type to tailgate at football games," he remarks as he pulls out a pen.

"You would be correct about that. And yes, I can be free... why?"

I glance down at to see what Chase is scribbling on and blink. I'd recognize the hot pink color of the Prayer Night flyer anywhere.