the third week

Monday. Jessie and I had our mandatory Hilltop meeting from 1-3:00. Caleb’s back, pursuing his Master’s in Counseling, and he’s working as a barista. Ams and I went to Dayton to load some of her belonging into her car and ferry it back to her school. She has a cool roommate, a girl named Emily.

Inauguration Day. Gambill and I went to Romans class at 8:30. I took an end seat in the second row next to Gambill. The first row is empty, except for one guy and Mandy K. I took Ams to the bookstore after class, and then I napped through Chapel. I ate lunch in the Hilltop with Jessie and Ams, and then Jessie and I went to Geology. The class is taught by Rick Bullard, Stupid Farmer’s uncle. I kept making funny faces and weird noises to make Jessie laugh, just as I did with Monica in Biology last year. I grabbed a coffee from the Hilltop, and Stupid Farmer and I went to President’s Hall to go to the bookstore and visit his uncle. Stupid Farmer confessed his crush on Amanda. I ate dinner with him, Gambill, and Jobst. Ams and I played ping-pong in Student Life. President Obama was sworn in today.

Wednesday. Mom told me Grandpa and Grandma M. aren’t planning on getting a divorce, due to insurance reasons, but they ARE separating. Grandpa is moving to Oklahoma, and Grandma is moving in with Aunt Teri. They’re putting the house up for sale. Gambill and I ate breakfast at 7:30 and went to Genesis 1-11 with Dyke. I got an iced latte and went to my room to do some writing. Ams got out of class at 11:00, and we went on a cigarette run in her car. I worked 12-2:00, ate lunch with Stupid Farmer and Ams, and did some homework in my dorm room before dinner with Ams, Kyle, Stupid Farmer, and Gambill. Ams said she doesn’t like Bullard “like that.” Jessie, Bullard, Justin, Ams, Faikham and I hung out in Student Life until midnight. Faikham sat beside me and was being very cuddly: leaning against me, her head on my shoulders, stuff like that. Jessie was shocked; I was happy. “She’s my guilt pleasure,” I quipped. Jessie and I talked on the phone until 1:30 AM. She’s full of confusion regarding everything with Justin.

Thursday. I had class 8:30-9:45 with Gambill, worked until 1:00, and then had class with Jessie until 2:45. I came down with a  bad headache and napped until 6 PM. I ate dinner with Gambill, Stupid Farmer, Kyle, and Ams. Faikham and Deshay joined us, and we went down to the café for hang-out time. We did the phalanx on Sarah and prank-called Bethany “Kool-Aid” Heitkamp. Jessie and Justin went for a long walk and spent the evening together. Ams told me, “I hate the way Faikham treats you. She’s so heartless and mean.” She isn’t nicknamed the Ice Princess for nothing; and at least I get cuddles out of it.

Friday. Jessie’s brother Jake told her, “Either you will marry Anthony, or your friendship will end.” I comforted her, told her not to worry. Deep down, though, I fear he was right. Ashlie and I were best friends for four years. “We’ll always be friends!” we exclaimed. That was naïve. Ashlie and I went our separate ways. We don’t talk anymore. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just what is. It’s the rhythm of relationships. Every relationship shatters in due time; and if not by choice, then by fate, and that fate is death. Everyone who lives will one day die and die alone. My friendship with Jessie is already beginning to wither into just another scarred, fibrous corpse as her heart turns from me onto Justin. She and Justin won’t be just friends; he will take all her affections. Gambill, Stupid Farmer and I ate breakfast at the dining hall; I was up early enough to see the sunrise. Class ran until 9:00, and then I wrote a paper in the library. I ran to the bank, filled up the Prizm at the Sunoco, and then I met up with Jessie for a while. I hung out with Faikham in the Hilltop, and then Ams and I went to Party Source in Kentucky to get some beer. We went to Mount Echo to drink beer and smoke cigarettes, and then she went home. Faikham called me, asked me to join her, Mikaela, Jessie and Justin for a trip to Thai Taste. Mikaela told Faikham, “I think Beast likes you,” and she just shook her head. Jessie worked 7:30-Close in the Hilltop, so Faikham and I went and kept her company. Faikham fell asleep on my arm. She woke up homesick and went back to her dorm. She taught me how to say “I love you” in Korean.

Saturday. Jessie and I grabbed lunch at the dining hall and went over to Isaac’s apartment at Summit View to hang out and drink Woodchuck Cider. Isaac, Andy and I went to dinner at the dining hall, and then I took a nap. While I was sleeping Faikham, Kugler, Katy M., Mikaela, and Andy went down to skate on Fountain Square. When I woke up, Stupid Farmer and I loaded into my car and went down there. We got coffee at Graeter’s and stood watching them from the sidelines. Mykaela took off her skates and hung out with us. When Faikham saw me, she got really excited, gave me a big hug, and said, “I’m so glad you came!” All of us went to Skyline Chili on Warsaw, and then I went over to Jobst’s apartment and we grilled steaks out on the street while drinking beer.

Sunday. Both Ashlie H. and Courtney bought their wedding dresses yesterday. I woke, did laundry, and got a lot of homework done. Jessie called me, told me she spent all yesterday evening with Justin. I’m selfish, and I don’t want her hanging out with him because I fear he’ll replace me. Stupid Farmer, Gambill and I hung out for a while, and then I worked 5:45-9:00. Jessie took over for me.  Jessie says she always gets questions like, “Do you and Beast have a ‘thing’?” and she’s always like “No, no, NO!” Katie told me that the Wright Brothers (not Orville and Wilbur) said, “Anthony’s sister is so hot, and he’s so ugly; it’s weird.” That pissed me off. Ams returned to campus, and we went to the Hilltop and hung out with Gambill and Faikham. Justin and the Wright Brothers showed up, and I felt myself getting angry, so I headed back to my room and went to bed.