DEFEATISM

03

"Go get Benedict," Darlington says. As a resident assistant, he has to be used to waking up when he would much rather be in bed. "He's from around here, right? He'll know what to do better."

~~~

Benedict usually wakes up early. Living in residence, where students are up late hours into the night, Benedict struggles. Yet, he is not yet awake when he hears a knock on his door. He tries to ignore it, until the second, and a quick third knock afterwards.

"One minute," he says, sighing.

He pulls on his bathrobe and shuffles over to the door. Galilee is standing on the other side. Though overall he would rather not interact after the events of last night, he is at least not angered further by someone else's arrival. It's Galilee, and usually, Galilee is sensible enough not to interrupt him unless necessary.

"Sorry," Galilee says. "Darlington said to come to get you. It looks like the snowstorm hit early. It's deep and getting deeper by the minute."

Benedict, without a word, grabs his keys off a hook by the door and shuffles out of the room. He would rather be dressed, but he would rather it wasn't Galilee who has come knocking, and he would rather over a million things happen besides this.

They take the elevator down, and Darlington is already on the main floor. He peers out at the snow. Galilee was probably right. Half a foot of snow covers the ground, even if it appears like more because the wind is blowing it up against the windows.

"How long is this going to take to plow?" Darlington asks, looking over at Benedict.

Benedict stares out the window at the snow in the air, rather than on the ground. He wishes he had had the sense to bring his phone.

"What does the forecast say?" Benedict says.

"Six days of this," Darlington says. "This all happened over the last six hours, so about an inch an hour. It's supposed to let up tomorrow a bit, but in two days, they are predicting it'll be two inches an hour."

"But they can plow that, right?" Galilee asks. "I mean, it's the Upper Peninsula. It's not like we're in Texas. They have the infrastructure."

Benedict is an English major, but he is also good at math. It's been an inch an hour for the last six hours. It'll be a foot at noon, and by this time tomorrow, it'll be two and a half feet. Even if it lets up, two and a half feet of snow cannot be plowed.

Galilee can read the look on their faces, "I mean, the forecast was wrong. It predicted the storm would be here two days from now, so maybe the length will be shorter."

"Call the super," Darlington says to Benedict. "Galilee, you call people, but just to wake them up. I'll message the group chat so they have the messages."

Group Chat

Nicknames, as made by Maverick

Galilee: Maze Runner Eyebrows Guy

Jerry: Seinfeld

Elodie: Melodie

Benedict: Cumberbatch

Maverick: Clara's beard

Tempest: Stormy