Between Classes (Monday)

I'm sitting outside room 525. My African Diaspora class starts at 5:30. I have on mismatched socks. I just didn't care. My hood's pulled over my head. My laptop's hurting my legs.

Here it is: the same Monday/Wednesday people. We're lining the long hall like obedient dogs.

Loud Girl never shuts up.

Bleach-Blond Emo Hipster Girl is displaying her Mac. We keep exchanging glances--- nonverbal signals. We're cool enough to be cool.

Beard Scruff arrives. He sits next to Bleach-Blond Girl. I've never seen them talking before. Slightly jealous. They've bonded over common interests.

Beard Scruff is so cute it's sickening. He'd make a sensitive lover. He wears black-rimmed glasses with an old baseball cap and reeks of late-night benders and R. Thomas. Wait. He's wearing a designer ball cap that's made to look worn. It only makes me want him more. Maybe it's all image. It's still hot.

Across from me, Studious Girl is buried in her science book. She looks up as Luggage Woman tries to wheel her books through the locked classroom door.

Stupid. Why would we be sitting in the hall if we could get into the classroom?

I answer myself. Loud Girl laughs gleefully, a Leprechaun whose gold is the Freshman Devotees she so easily amuses.

I uncross my legs. Beard Scruff twitches and I wonder if it's for me.

Annoying Cellphone is right beside me.

AC: We'll get together sometime this week... (POPS HIS KNEES)... Maybe Thursday, Friday, I don't know...

You're not cool, Annoying Cellphone. We all know you're making plans in front of us for a reason.

I catch a bit of Bleach-Blonde's dialogue with Beard Scruff

BB: Yeah, New York's really expensive... It just seems so expensive. It's so expensive.

I want to punch her. Or tickle her. I can't decide.

Other people are showing up. My hall's becoming noisy.

Blue Collar is talking about a ballgame. Now it's something about a conspiracy theory.

Indian-Girl-Who-Has-Never-Been-to-India is talking about how she'd never live in India but might visit it some time.

It's all becoming very tedious.

Just in time, Professor arrives. She's wearing a hot pink shawl and looks regal as hell. She unlocks the door.

Time to learn.