A New
Beginning
Chapter
4: Old Habits
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Celebrate me, I didn’t get drunk at the party, even though I felt like taking several tequila-shots after my little chat with Fred.
My little assumption that I would have to spend my next couple of years on the couch wasn’t too far from the truth. I’ve been sleeping on the couch every night since I got here, just to give Connie and Guy some space. Guy has his own room, but I don’t think he have spent even one minute there. He’s too busy occupying my room with Connie.
God knows what those two are doing. I really don’t want to know, it would only make me jealous.
Sleeping on the couch doesn’t really make for actual ‘sleeping’. I try not to mind the uncomfortable cochins and the cold blanket, but it’s impossible to sleep there. I now understand why Charlie kept complaining whenever I spent the night in Fred’s room during high school.
“Did you sleep well?” Adam asked me. We were down at the cafeteria, eating breakfast. For some strange reason, Adam and I just began to hang out right away, even though we hadn’t seen each other for over a year. Could it be true friendship? Am I being sarcastic? Yep.
“Do I look like I slept well last night?” I replied. “I feel like I’ve been out drinking all night.”
“Have you?”
“Of course not,” I muttered. “I’m this close to throwing Guy out of my room.”
“I’m content,” Adam smiled.
“Of course you are, Guy hasn’t slept one night in your room. It’s like ‘alone-heaven’ there.”
“‘Alone-heaven’?” Adam laughed. “Are you sure you should be studying English?”
“I need it, isn’t it obvious?” I joked. “How’s it going with that girlfriend of yours?”
Adam gave me a confused look. “Who?”
“That blonde girl you keep hanging out with,” I explained. “Tall, thin, totally lame.”
Adam laughed again. “You’re not jealous now, are you?”
“At my friend for having a meaningless relationship to a girl who has a brain smaller then most chickens have? Of course I am,” I muttered. “I’m jealous of everyone who’s living a life. I live no life, you see.”
Adam is smarter then me now. He has attended college, I barely got out of upper secondary school in Sweden. He’s read courses that I thought were for intelligent people. Well, he’s intelligent too, of course. At least he is now.
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Fred sat down next to me during the assembly today. We were supposed to get information about our free choice courses, or whatever they call it. I haven’t chosen a major yet, since I don’t know what I’m supposed to be when I grow up. Besides from a lunatic.
“You’re taking this seriously, right?” Fred asked me. I gave him a tired look. “Okay, you are,” he stated. “I know I’m supposed to be this lost case when it comes to school, but I’m trying to take things seriously too.”
“Okay,” I said with an uninterested voice. “So why are you telling me about it?”
“I’ve met someone, I think I love her,” he said to me.
This time I gave him a terrified look instead, even though I tried my best to get rid of it.
“Great, I have your attention,” Fred grinned. “What courses did you take?”
I hate him.
“Why do you waste your time on me? I’m still mad.”
“I know. I’m just trying to make everything right again,” he answered.
I leaned forward and grabbed his collar to pull him closer. I almost pulled him into my face. “No matter how much you try, nothing will ever be the same again,” I told him.
“Are we intruding on a special moment?” Charlie teased and sat down right behind us. He had his whole flock of Ducks with him.
“Nope, I’m just trying to get Fred back to reality,” I replied. “Right, Fred?”
Fred just nodded and grabbed his notebook. “You’ll see,” he assured me. “Maybe I’m mad too.”
“For what? Did they forget to give you free slippers when you flied here in first class? Or did your parents forget to give you your monthly deposit of ten grand? Maybe you’re mad because you couldn’t get the penthouse suite when you checked into the Hilton?”
Fred shrugged. “Maybe I’m mad because that’s the only thing you’ll ever let me be.”
“Maybe.”
My parents wanted me to study law. I’m not a law-studying person. I want to go where the wind takes me. Much like Pocahontas, but without having to travel by foot.
I’ve signed up for lots of courses, so I can bury myself in work. That’s a great way to get rid of Fred. Besides from the fact that I’ll probably get a nervous breakdown before Christmas.
One of the courses I signed up for was photography. I have never photographed anything before, but I have to start somewhere, right? Maybe I’m a bit artistic after all. I already know that I can’t sing, dance, paint, cook, sew, act or drive. The only thing I can do fairly well is to write, and that’s just barely. Now is the chance to find out if I’m useless at photography too...
Fred was still sitting next to me when the assembly was going towards its ending. Everyone else was gone to their courses, and I was dozing off in my seat. Damn Guy, damn him.
“Are you paying attention?” Fred asked me. Funny, I’m usually the one asking him that.
“Yep,” I said. “Are you still here?”
Fred nodded. “I’m leaving now, but we’ll meet up later, right?”
“We?” I asked.
“The team,” he smiled. “Not ‘we’.”
I sat up and looked around. Everyone else was gone, I was the only one left. “What course did you take?” I asked Fred.
“Why? I thought you were still mad,” Fred said bitterly.
“Okay, if you’re gonna be like that...” I began, but I closed my mouth when I heard my name get called. Damn, I still didn’t know where I was supposed to go. Fred gave me an amused gaze.
“Hard to pay attention, huh?” he teased. “I thought I was the one with an attention span shorter then Julie’s skirt.”
Four years on the same team, and Fred still disliked Julie. I don’t even care anymore. If they want to fight, fine. What do I care? Their little war have been going on longer then World War 1 did.
“Nice, Fred. Insulting your enemies when they’re not around. How low have you stooped?”
Fred just stared at me. “So?”
“So what?” I said.
“Are you coming? We’re apparently in the same class. Peachy, huh?” he muttered. “C’mon, Cecilia.”
I followed him through the hallway towards the classroom. How bad could it be? I’ve taken classes with Fred before. Back in high school. Before we broke up. Man, this bites.
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