My Freshman Year: Day 28

Days as a Freshman: 28

Current Mood: Anticipating

“So, are you going to the dance tonight?”

Naima leaned against the soda machine, her arms sagging underneath two giant boxes. Crystal and I were waiting with her in the mail line. Neither of us had anything to send out; it was mostly a moral support thing. No one liked to wait in the mail line alone. No matter what time of day you went, it was always the longest line in history.

“I’m not sure. Those things always end up sucking.” Crystal reached out to take one of Naima’s boxes, but Naima pulled away.

“I got it, honey.” She said reassuringly. “Your girl’s a bodybuilder!”

Letting out her signature laugh, Naima hitched the boxes up higher in her arms and completely ignored the people turning around to see where the noise was coming from.

Naima was another freshman Crystal and I had met in our unholy Statistics class. Unlike us, she was completely unafraid of asking questions, and more we got to know her, the more she seemed to be completely unafraid of anything. It’s because I’m the only black girl in this whole school, she told us one day at lunch. But I’m used to it. I’ve always been the only black girl.

“The dances here are always a freshmen brothel,” Crystal started, but stopped herself before continuing a little apologetically, “I mean, stupid freshmen. Not you guys. You guys aren’t brothel material.”

“Guys are just looking for fresh meat, huh?” Naima took one step closer to the mail window, standing on her tiptoes to see the end of the line. “But isn’t that always the damn case?”

“Maybe what’s-his-name will be there!” Crystal elbowed me and smiled.

I elbowed her back. “Let’s not talk about this here.”

“Who?” Naima asked.

“Grace, nobody knows who what’s-his-name means! You’re so paranoid!”

“Who are we talking about?” Never one to be left out of the loop, Naima shoved her boxes in our direction. “I’ll drop these right on your feet if you don’t tell me! And they’re heavy as shit.”

“Grace has a crush on a totally cute boy and I’m pretty sure he likes her back” Crystal said, loving the horrified expression on my face. “I see how he looks at her.”

“Let’s stop this conversation now!” I said, a little louder than I wanted to be. “And we’re all going to the dance tonight, just for a little while. We need to get out more!”

“And if what’s-his-name happens to be there” Naima said, smiling her giant smile, “you’re going to tell me who he is so I can make some sweet love happen!”