Happily Ever After

Part 3

I hastily make myself downstairs from the rooftop, 'It's a two hour lecture, if I make it back before halftime then I should still be able to mark my attendance' I said to myself. We had studied under this instructor before last year so I know he has two roll calls in the two hour lecture, one at the start of the class and one immediately after a ten minute halftime to ensure no student tries to slip out on his lectures midway through. If I show up for the second roll call, I might be able to make up an excuse of helping a faculty member or maybe the Principal wanted to see me, given my CGPA, this isn't a problem for me, being a nerd has it's perks. As I had descended to the fourth floor, that is when a thought crossed through my mind, I had no idea where the first year classes took place. I felt like such an idiot at the time that I face palmed myself so hard it hurt. I had gone through each class on each floor to find her sitting in one of the classes but I didn't even bother to look at which classes those were. I was on a time limit here, I didn't have a moment to waste regretting my idiocy, I needed to think and think fast. 'How can I figure out which floor are the first years on right now?' That is when it hit me, 'First year? It's still the start of the semester... The timetables!'

At the start of each semester, all students get their new timetable schedules via PDF on their phones but first semester students get a printed handout of their schedule at the end of their orientation. If I can get my hands on that schedule, it would solve a lot of problems going forward. There may be a copy of the timetable on the noticeboard on the ground floor but if I go down there and the class ends up happening somewhere on the upper floors, I'll be screwed from both my attendance and getting to see her plus the guards would neither let me take it or would question me if I decided to take a picture of it, assuming there even is a copy on the board at all. With that, I decided the best course right now would be to find a freshman and take a picture of their schedule. I started looking around me to see anyone with a white piece of paper in their hands. As I searched, trying not to look as suspicious as possible I was still talking to myself, 'there is always the possibility that all the students took a picture of it and threw away the handout, no, no don't think like that! There must be at least one idiot who was too lazy to take a picture'. Classes started 10 minutes ago, the almost empty floors made it easier to run through but also meant it was harder to find freshmen now as they tend to show up to classes early. After searching the fourth floor in vain, I looked at the time on my phone, halftime was approaching 'I might not make it' I thought to myself and decided I should text one of my friends for a proxy. 'Hey Drake, I might not make it to class, Can you handle my attendance for me?' I send it, hoping that takes care of it. I decide that I might have to try my luck with the noticeboard, I go down to the third floor, I see a piece of paper, turning a corner, being held by someone wearing a clean black polo and a clean black pair of jeans and a pair of new looking sneakers. 'Too clean... Freshie!' I shouted in my mind as I dart in his direction.

'Hey!' Iinstinctually yelled at him to stop in his tracks what I really shouldn't havedone because now I need to make up a reason for stopping him but at least itgot the job done. He turns around to face in my direction, a straight blackhaired boy with faded facial hair like it was trimmed recently and a slightnervous, almost wimpy look on his face. 'He couldn't have made it anymoreobvious that he's new, almost reminding me of myself during first year' Ithought to myself as I corrected my composure. I just needed to keep calm andpassively assert my dominance, he was a tad shorter than me so it shouldn't bethat hard. 'You're a first year, right?' I asked him with a smile. 'Y-yes, whatdo you want?' he stuttered as he responded. I had his attention, now I had tocalm him down and get him on my side and get the information I wanted. I almostfelt like Nathan, the friend who gave me his deodorant earlier, He's in theSpeech and Debate club and he's damn good at turning the crowd in his favor.Always being at his past debates, I may have unconsciously picked up a thing ortwo from him. 'Relax!' I told him as I gently put a hand on his shoulder, 'I'm notgonna pick on you or anything, I actually needed a favor from you'. He lookedup to me, his look turning from that of anxiety to curiosity. 'A favor?' heasked. I was careful to keep eye contact at all times during talking, Nathanhad mentioned that sometimes eye contact is all that is needed to win anargument, 'looking someone dead in the eyes, sounds like it shatters the otherperson's composure' I thought as I said 'Yeah! My friend missed the orientationbecause he was sick so he didn't get his schedule, I saw you holding atimetable and I thought I would help him out' I continued, I'm sorry forstartling you.' He was taken back a bit, having a senior apologize to him andsaid 'n-no please don't apologize! You wanted to take a picture of this timetablefor your friend, right? H-here.' He blurted out everything, I didn't even haveto ask for the schedule, 'Too easy.' I took the picture and returned the paperback to him. 'Thanks man! You've been a great help' I said with a smile thencontinued, 'Oh you have a class right now? Sorry for keeping you busy, youshould hurry!' I told him as he realized it as well and went running to theclassroom. I secretly followed him to the first floor where the first yearclass is and watched him go into class. As I came near to the almost ajar doorof the classroom, I heard the Counselor from the room, 'Students! For thissemester, you will be joined with a special guest all the way from Japan'. Witheyes gleaming, I smiled, 'Jackpot.'