The Romantic Theory

Theory of Natural Selection of Friends

Someone needs to tell me what I'm doing is absurd. And yet I know that if someone told me, I'd answer with 'I know right?', but will keep going anyway. What can I say? A scientist always searches for new truths, no matter how crazy they get.

"Hold still! You're so pale I need to put more color on you."

I sneezed when my best friend since birth and videographer Lisa's giant brush was dabbed on my nose. I don't know why I let her do this. I don't even know why I'm doing this. Well I know why, but this whole putting makeup on, not so much. She thinks it's appropriate to wear makeup if in front of the camera. Just for the record, I'm no video star. I'm just a desperate person trying to make a future out of her almost dead end life. "Please don't make me look like a psycho clown."

"Like this whole idea isn't going to already make you look like one without my help, Dr. Crazypants?" She packed her girly kit and shook my long, flat, auburn hair then went to behind the camera. "Okay, technical dress rehearsal done. Now you don't look dead. On the outside, anyway."

"Ha ha."

"Let's film during mornings, it has better lighting."

"Morning?" I grunted. "But I can't—"

"Which is why you have to sleep early from now on. I don't have enough concealer for your raccoon eyes, my darling. Besides, you look great!" She faced me at my mirror with triumph in her big smile. "See? That wasn't so bad, wasn't it?"

"I suppose not." I said through our reflections. I don't look like a Barbie doll like Lisa, with her long brown hair and perfect eyebrows, but more vivid. I could deal with this. I stood up and put my hands on the pocket of my jeans. "So after we film tomorrow, what will you do next with it?"

"I'll edit it a little and then post it online. See it unfold." She said as she wiggled her fingers on nothing and no one in particular.

"Thank you for helping me in advance, by the way."

"Don't be so thankful just yet. If this all turns out pointless, I'm leaving you as fast as you could say pterodactyl." Lisa said. "And before you make a snide remark, yes, I know what a pterodactyl is. And I learned it from the internet. See? We can be smart online too."

"I didn't imply that you couldn't, I just said you spend too much time on it."

"Yeah well so does everyone else except you. Get in with the times!" She gazed at me with dead seriousness. "Anyway, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I'm in it with you all the way, but are you 100% sure?"

I paused for a bit, doubt starting to form in my mind. But when there is doubt, there will be no progress. You have to work. "I'm sure."

I sound so certain of myself, aren't I? Well I have to be.

This was now, but let's go back to where it all began. Four hours ago. Morning.

Lisa usually goes to my dorm room to wake me up because honestly, I'd sleep through Armageddon, probably from all the late night studying I do. My mind just works actively at night time, and I take advantage of that by studying during those hours. So far it has made my academic life well, still on my scholarship my whole college life. But my social life, not so much. Everyone is asleep when I'm up, and I'm almost always asleep when everybody is. Were it not for Lisa, I'd miss most of my classes.

When I finished getting ready, I muttered to her with my low morning voice. "Coffee. Breakfast. ASAP."

"Your treat?" Lisa asked.

I scoffed. "Obviously not."

"I thought so. It was worth the try asking though."

Once I closed the door of my cold dorm room, there was sudden heat. Call it the winds of change, both figuratively and literally. Barton University was as posh as it could be from their air conditioned facilities, but being so close to the ocean made the open areas so humid if temperature could be bipolar, everyone had it.