GRINERTIA

FOOD COURT WOES

"Oh, we're on. I say when we go—" And he immediately, mere seconds after just yelled 'GO!' and started to bolt off. I rolled my eyes, feeling as if I could sink my thoughts of using this as a set goal, take my time. This felt like some Tortoise and the Hare nonsense in my mind that I obviously now had to go through with.

"Allllright, no map, no problem. Uh..." I paused in realization, staring at the dew covered and sparkling green grass of where I was. This felt like an odd thing to panic about but with no floor planning I would never make it to where the set goal was for hours.

"Okay, uh...what did he say? Trusting your gut, yeah. I say this way—" I slowly turned my heel, feeling it dig into the perfectly colored grass as I walked onto another path, the opposite that Percy took. At this point I had no confidence, the sinking feeling of being something of malformed figure that had no social interaction or friends until now. I kept walking on, there was a clear path I was set now but the gaze I kept to the floor to watch each step, keeping myself in check with reality instead of those eye-crossing daydreams so there would be no other incidents like that. There was a surprise and utter painfully idiotic moment where I bumped into another student causing her to yelp and drop her books, both of us falling like a horrid collision of cars. I looked panicked to see who this girl was, and I kept my mouth covered with my sleeve to kep myself from looking like an idiot with obvious insecurity.

But one true stare made my eyes both shine and feel a bit shaken. I stared for a bit while still slowly standing up as she did. I kept my mouth covered as we just stared at each other with wide eyes before I spoke in a panicked frenzy. I hoped there was no pain with this, I didn't really want to screw up.

"Ohmygosh, I'm so sorry- U-Uhmm, yeah, I wasn't paying attention, sorry- I didn't see y-" The other girl just snickered softly, but there was no malicious way to it. She seemed to get her books off the ground already, and I had to keep my mouth covered by my oversized sleeve like again, a mysterious idiot.

"No, I was actually looking for the food court. These maps are kind of confusing, makes the campus seem much larger than it is." The other would speak in a soft, sweet tone. It felt almost hypnotic as she tilted it so I could see. "Yeah, I was heading there too, we...could check it out together. At least, if you're okay with it at least. I don't want to be creepy or anything, since we just met, y'know? That would be very weird if I just...followed!" There was surprisingly zero pain with my idiotic, panicked rambling frenzy. She gave me this smile of kindness, she could express how she felt entirely. Someone seen as normal, being herself. I felt something rising up vut I really felt like I couldn't blurt anything out. I took this as agreement and headed off with this new other to find out where the food court even was.

"I'm pretty new here too, I could tell you are. Everyone, including me has so much pent-up first year anxiety," The girl would speak in her same soft tone. I would nod along as my sleeve slowly drifted from my mouth due to pure distraction. "Especially when my rich parents have a set expecation of wanting me to be a fashion designer. I mean, I felt it didn't fit all along, I've always loved concepts of computers and coding. It would be lovely if I could just...switch my already set curriculum."

I kept my eyes straight forward with the occasional glance of understanding. "I'm not from the...richest background but I guess my parents supported me in tryin' new things. Got enrolled in fine arts with no artistic talent or knowledge. I'm starting to wish I knew anything and everything about computers." The conversation felt so long without introduction, I didn't want to make a pure fool of myself. I had to try and introduce myself. I didn't want to look like some dumbass in front of her.

"I'm Faraday Tousman, uh, you?" Finally a completely perfect start to a conversational introduction. I awaited an answer and she turned her head to me, her smile being as soft and polite as her voice. "I'm Lain McAllen. Really, I felt everyone knew my name for how apparently well-known I was and am. I'm glad to recognize someone who...was purely fresh to meeting me like an actual first-time interaction and less like a whole fan-blog rambling about how much they loved me."

"Eh? Well...thanks? I mean, I don't know anything that popularized you. It's obvious we just met for the first time and it's just weird to even disrespect someone you don't know. I have high-standing morals, taught to treat anyone, either above or below you, with respect! It's lovely, y'know." Another insane rambling from myself that made me look like a whole idiot. I stared a the ground in a form of self-pity in myself being a pure idiot trying to hide imperfections between dyed hair and loud, flashy fashion choice.

"I'm glad you could even be yourself. Your hair is actually impressive and very pretty...something my parents would disapprove of me having. They're stuck up with cut-and-dry fashion industry bullshit." I took as awkward glance back up as Lain spoke about that. "Well, I can do your hair. I love doing it myself, I've actually gone through so many phases of dying my hair weekly to monthly to yearly. I'm at my every few years mark now. I feel it just compliments who I am, and who I'm trying to be-"

The walk with Lain and I still felt filled with chatter until we reached the actual food court. It was an uncrowded dome-shaped building branching to the main campus teaching areas. The aroma of pastries and other pleasant smelling mixtures of savory and sweet hit me as I opened the door...and of course let Lain enter first. And I saw Percy nowhere in sight for a moment before he burst in the door behind us. Lain and myself looked a bit startled, but I walked up to Percy and lightly punched his arm with that 'told 'ya so, now go through with the double down' type of sense. He would roll his eyes with an obvious laugh. My sleeve had been far drifted from my mouth as I joked around Percy.

Lain stared with a slight wonder in her eyes about this interaction. "Are you two related?" She would ask, before she got wide eyed stares from the both of us before we just tried to shake this off.

"No, we're not. We're just close pals, a Grinertia gang per say-!" Percy joked, I stared him dead in the eyes with confusion. Were we really labelled as the 'Grinertia gang?' Felt a little too much, but I saw Lain laughing along with him. "Ah, yeah. I've heard about scientific cases with that. I just took the behavior as a sign of some sort. Apologies for assuming."

Lain seemed polite with her mannerism with how graceful she even was in her actions and movements.

I was pretty much been craving coffee forever how. There was a Green 'Maid coffee stall right across from us. Even I didn't know how we could get such a big chain here. I gave percy a glance with my still-stuck smile, but even when Percy followed Lain would too. She stood beside me as I ordered. A choco-crunch iced coffee with a million other additions to only boost caffeine content and nothing else. Lain then pulled out some sort of debit card for me. "Don't worry, I'll pay for her." She would state like it was nothing. Like the pure, idiotic first interaction didn't exist. I felt like people were seeing the good in me. It boosted everything.

Time had passed, everyone got everything and we were munching and sipping everything away with small talk from all around the small circular table we sat at.

"I don't think I should've treated this like a whole game anymore. First time I even lost  a bet like that, and even arriving I felt like I haven't eaten in days!" Percy was accounting this recent event like some sort of childhood memory, we all pitched in.

After everything was gone, not even a sliver of food left, Percy turned towards me. "So, your pick. Where we off to next?" My thought process immediately went to actual decoration, DIY, making things look pleasing to the eye. "Is there a shop outside of here or even on campus with home goods? I think some things would actually be a good addition to brighten those pure-marble plain rooms."

"Oh, I know a place! It has good prices and super cute things!" Lain pitched in, smiling with glee and clapping her hands excitedly. I felt like my smile was genuine for once. Happiness was being an understatement. All these people I have met felt genuine and warm-welcoming. Purely nice to be around. A pleasure to have. I still had half an iced coffee for me to guzzle down, but I knew I could still chug along. It was only 5 PM anyway, there was enough to do a bit more.

We all stood up to our next sort of side-quest destination. Obviously with there being a new member to our small group. Nothing felt wrong, things were fine. Now it was off to do something Lain and I could relate. Percy seemed okay-ish with the fact but we knew there was no chance we would exclude him.

It was an adventure into a new life and social status, I felt only small on the radar but I was really just accepted largely by only the small group I needed.

Everything felt like it wouldn't fade away.