Seasons in the Sun: Chapter 1: Opportunities Missed
Morning always comes too early, I've always believed that, and I'm sure I always will. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I silenced the alarm blaring from my phone and gave my stiff back a stretch.
"I really need to replace that mattress." I mused to myself. The full-size mattress was cheap and my sore muscles told me as much. Giving my still sleep-stiff muscles another stretch, I roused myself from bed. I didn't want to remain idle for long, lest I return to my slumber and run late for class. I'd be lying if I said that such an event hadn't happened before. Slipping on fresh clothes, I stopped to look myself over in the mirror. A quick brush straightened my unkempt black head-fur, which was at once undone by a quick ruffle. The tri-color collie looking back was plain but serviceable, I concluded. I didn't have work, and most classes were informal affairs. No one to impress, no one to care. Besides, The way my love life was going, it wasn't like I was going to meet my soulmate anytime soon.
I made my way to the kitchen and retrieved the toaster, pausing only to plug it in and feed it two slices of bread. I gathered up my bag and, as the toast popped from the toaster, tossed it by the door before collecting my breakfast. I put two more slices into the toaster and pressed the lever. As I turned to butter my bread, a loud crash came from back down the hall.
"You ok?" I called, unperturbed. German expletives were the only reply. As I continued to cover my bread in an unhealthy amount of butter, a lumbering figure ducked under the door and into the kitchen. The dragon rubbed a spot on his forehead, massaging the knot that was forming.
"The damn doors frames are too low here," he grumbled. His complaint was valid, if worn. These apartments were nowhere near built to house someone of his stature. The draconic male was tall: including his crest, he towered close to a foot over me, topping out shy of seven feet. It was a blessing that he didn't have to stoop in most rooms.
"Not everyone is a freak of nature, Brant." I jested in retort as the second round of toast sprung from the toaster.
"Doesn't make it any less annoying. You try bumping your head five times a day and tell me otherwise." Grabbing the butter from me, the dragon began to prepare his breakfast.
"Can't expect every apartment to accommodate people of your size. Not exactly like the average person needs that much headroom."
"It would be nice if they did though. Back home, almost every street had a house that could handle my kind." I munched on my toast as he continued his diatribe. "And this was the best they could do? I know I'm big, but I'm hardly the only student that needs a larger space."
"Knowing the administration, they'd charge triple for 'adequate accommodation'. And that's assuming it was available, that is. Be happy, at least a proper apartment is better than the dorms. Far more private, and you can actually stretch your wings here."
"Still. It might be better if I got a place out in town. I'm pretty sure I could find somewhere big enough we could afford." He finished buttering and returned the tray to the table. Grabbing the milk from the fridge, he gave it a quick swirl before downing the contents straight from the jug. "We're going to need more milk, by the way."
"I'll grab some on my way back. I've got Dr. Matherson in the far lab today, so I'll be over by the store as it is." Finishing off my food, I made my way to the sink to place the plate among the stack of dishes. Tossing on a coat, I grabbed my bag and made for the door. "And what do you mean by 'we'? I'm pretty much broke as a joke as it is. What money do you have sitting around, Mr. Warbucks?" That got a grin out of him at least. Even despite the head knocking, Brant was usually grumpy in the morning. I had thought I wasn't a morning person, but he took it to an art form most days.
"We'd make it work. Besides, it's our last semester as undergrads. Come summer, we'll both have good jobs."
"You still believe that? I'm going on to grad school and you're getting a B.A. in English. Not exactly strike-it-rich prospects. Anyways, I've got to be going now. Anything else we need from the store?"
"Not that I know of, but I'll check inventory before class and text you if we do."
I nodded my assent before walking out the door. As I stepped out onto the landing, for once I was glad of my collie heritage. It was a cold, blustery day, and my thick winter coat helped keep the frost at bay. I didn't have a clue how those with short, or god forbid no, coat managed. All I knew is I was certain that I'd die of hypothermia at the bus stop suffering like that. I made my way down the stairs and over to the patch of grass that served as the stop. Although it was right out front of my building, I made every attempt to be at least five minutes early. Now in my fourth year, I was well aware of the notoriety of the campus transport, having a rather bad penchant for showing up well before students were expecting.
The chill air stung my nose as I inhaled, my breath puffing out in little clouds of steam. As I waited, I looked at the greying sky, observing a few flakes of snow waft on the breeze. As much as I liked a good snow day, I didn't get my hopes up. Snow would have to be nearing a foot deep before the campus closed, and this storm didn't look that promising.
I rubbed my paws together as I waited, savoring the brief warmth it brought. This morning was strange if I were being honest. Despite the cold, usually there were at least a few other students waiting on the shuttle. Today, however, there was not a single soul around. A surreal quiet permeated the grounds, almost as if I was the only living being on Earth. Soon enough though, the mini-bus motored up and broke my contemplation. Climbing aboard, I noted to my chagrin that my stop was the only one to be abnormal. The bus was full, as usual, forcing me to stand in the aisle for the duration of the trip. I exited at the main campus and proceeded on to my first class. It wasn't a favorite, but I needed the German history course to graduate.
Two hours later I emerged with a head full of facts and a stomach on empty. Lunch would be in order before my second class of the day. With more than a little gusto, I made my way towards the dining hall. While I walked, I mused on what this week's topic would be about in astronomy. The lecture part of my astronomy class was always the highlight of my week, even if senior capstone preparations took more precedence than new material.
In short order, I acquired my meal and found an unoccupied table. It seemed I had lucked out in dining facilities when I chose my college. Despite the common trope that college cafeteria food was cheap and almost inedible, the cooks here knew how to make a proper meal. For instance, today's lunch was some sort of Indian chicken dish, chicken tikka masala, quite spicy in my case. The freshman fifteen was a problem for more than one student here, myself included. As I ate, I split my time between enjoying the pungent, burning flavors and studying German. It helped to have a roommate who grew up learning the language, but trying to grasp the subtleties it was still proving a challenge and a half. Finishing up my lunch, I made to clean up before my phone began to ding with incoming notifications.
"That'll Brant with the shopping list," I muttered to no one in particular. After returning my used dishes, a quick check of my phone confirmed my suspicions. Reading over the list, I made my way out of the hall and towards the science complex.
I made a mental note to look it over again after lab before again pondering what today's lesson would be. At this point, I'd been studying under Doctor Swalm now for over three years and he had become one of my favorite professors. The old swan might be a bit of a geezer, but he knew what he was talking about. More often than not, he'd need no reference for whatever subject was at hand, preferring to teach by rote instead. To a degree, his style made any syllabus an exercise in futility, but at this level, I found the spontaneity exciting. After all, I reasoned a proper scientist should be prepared to study and observe his chosen subject at any time, no?
In an unfortunate turn of events, it seemed my expectations for the day were for nothing. Walking up to the classroom door, a note had been taped to it. It seemed, Dr. Swalm's advanced age was getting the better of him. Today, it seemed, he had taken sick, necessitating the cancellation of class. It was a bittersweet treat; as a senior, it meant I had some extra, precious time to work on my capstone, but I was always loathe to miss one of his lectures.
Cursing my bad luck, I turned on my heel to make my way to the biology labs. One of the benefits of my chosen college was that it had dedicated labs for senior capstone usage. It was nice to not have to worry about using one of the faculty labs, as they were often locked and had to be used under the supervision of the professor. That also wasn't factoring in lab classes that would be going on. The department heads often used these spare rooms as extensions of their own, but they were still open so long as a graduate student was present. That that usually wasn't an issue.
It might seem odd than an astronomy major would choose to set up in the bio lab. The handful of peers I had thought so, but they forgot that I was a biology minor as well. My plans for the future were to study exo-biology, life from outside of Earth. It only seemed reasonable that I work with bacteria for my final project. My research was to study the adaptations of bacteria to alien and hostile environments and learn more about the overall process. It was nerdy, for sure, but looking over those tiny bacteria gave me a sense that we weren't alone in this universe. Knowing this, I wanted to glimpse what our neighbors might be like.
At least here, luck was with me. The lights in the lab were on, which signaled that someone was in there and it was open. Entering, I noted my presence in the logbook before walking over to my station. The little Petri dishes had become the focus of my life for the last few months. The way it looked, it currently would be graduation before I regained my freedom from them. Not that I was complaining, mind you. This was my little slice of heaven, the only place I felt I could be myself without judgment. I busied myself making measurements of salinity, pH, temperature, and moisture and gradually making adjustments to individual dishes. Adaptation, like evolution, was a gradual process. I had to make sure that my introduced changes weren't too sudden, least my subjects suffer an inclement fate.
Before I knew it, my phone was ringing, a notice that it was time to finish my labors and head onto my final class of the day. I quickly tidied up my station and jotted down my departure before heading across the complex to chemistry labs. As intertwined as chemistry was to my research, I found it ironic that it was the bane of my existence. To be fair, organic chemistry was the downfall of many chemistry hopefuls, and biochemistry wasn't much better. It didn't help that Dr. Matherson was not the most helpful of instructors at the best of times. While he certainly knew his material, he was of the opinion that, as seniors, we could puzzle out the mysteries of the subject ourselves. Lab and hands-on work were the best tools for learning and books were for reading at home.
There was one thing more than anything else I detested about chemistry lab. Put in simple terms, it's the sheer length of time experiments can take. Technically speaking, each lab section is two hours long. It's no different than a regular Tuesday/Thursday class in other words. A freshman could be mistaken for thinking that labs would conform to normal class schedules, but we upperclassmen knew better than that. While many times one could bet on being out almost on time, it wasn't unheard of for students to be there two or three hours extra. Even with the best of instructors, it was exhausting at the best of times. With Dr. Matherson, it could be pure hell if you weren't a chemistry major. With this to look forward to, I made my way to his lab and steeled myself for whatever draining experiment we'd be working on today.
As fortune would have it, lady luck continued to be with me and we had a short session today. Despite a slow start, my partner and I were able to complete our assigned task with time to spare. After a quick exchange of notes and a confirmation of recorded data, we were on our way. Glancing at my phone, I determined that I had some time before Brant would be out of class, so I decided to visit the library before I headed off to the store. Even though I had reduced my course load this semester, I didn't change the fact that I still had midterms upcoming next week. With my capstone already taken care of for the day, studying was now the paramount need. As much help as my roommate was for German, he had his own exams to deal with and I couldn't depend on his help. I didn't have much time to dawdle, so I made haste to my destination. The odor of dusty tomes and fresh paper assailed my nose the moment I stepped foot in the atrium. After the scent of fresh rain in a secluded woodland, this was what I'd guess heaven smelled like. If I were being honest, I could spend hours here just to enjoy the unique perfume. I didn't have time to linger though, as I'd rather not lug bags of groceries the entire breadth of campus. The university bus line closed down at six, and it was four as it was.
Perusing the catalog, I found the books I needed and made my way upstairs. After a quick search, I found the shelf I was looking for and collected my materials before making my way to the checkout desk. Laden down with my advance German text, I headed off to the store. Thankfully, it was mere steps from this end of campus, so getting there took no time at all. Double-checking the list that Brant forwarded, I entered the store and grabbed a cart. I made my way up and down the aisles, marking off items as I grabbed them from the shelf. I collected the last items on the list and checked out, gathering my bags and heading to the bus.
As I walked, I ran over the plans for dinner in my head. As much as I liked to cook, today would have to be a simple meal. Between homework that needed completion and the aforementioned studying, I had enough on my plate without whipping up a Michelin star meal. I was about three-quarters of the way to the bus stop, debating between making spaghetti and tuna casserole, when I came to the distinct realization that I had nothing cold in my paws.
“Shit!” I exclaimed under my breath. I had missed a critical supply: milk. The entire onus for shopping trip had been forgotten, omitted from the list that had been sent over. To add insult, it seemed my luck had finally run dry for the day; the bus was puttering down the road, nearing the stop. I had split seconds to make a choice, either head home and get milk tomorrow, or turn around and have to wait half an hour for the next shuttle. Considering we had not a drop to spare, the choice was obvious, if annoying.
Cursing my forgetfulness and cursing Brandt for finishing the last of the jug, I turned on my heel and marched back to the store. Seeing as I now had some extra time, I decided to grab a few extras along the way in addition to the milk. I rung out my new purchases, remembering the milk this time, and made my way to the bus stop, hoping that it was the final time today. Setting my bags down at the stop, I check the clock on my phone. 5:50 pm. Ten minutes to spare before the final bus.
"Cutting it a little close. Too close." I muttered as rubbed my hands together. At least I didn't have to worry about the milk spoiling while I waited. As I stood there, I putzed about on my phone, keeping a side-eye out for the bus and watching the few other students wander around campus. At length though, the final carriage of the night arrived, on time for once of course. I looped my bags on my arms and made my way onto the empty bus. The one benefit of taking the last bus, it was often deserted. No social interaction, no worries about taking a seat from another student.
As the doors closed, I began settling in for the short trip across the university. As the bus started to pull away, out of the corner of my eye I happened to see a woman, a corgi maybe a year or two older than myself, rushing towards the bus. I also happened to notice the moment she stumbled on the sidewalk and fell to the ground.
“Hey, driver! Stop the bus!” I blurted as I stood up.
“Kid, it’s the end of my route. I’ve got a few more stops to make and then I’m home for the night. If you get off, don’t plan on getting back on.” I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he missed what I had seen. Sighing, I grabbed my bags.
“Let me off.” I usually wasn’t the chivalrous kind, but she looked like she went down hard. I at least had to make sure she was ok.
“Whatever you want.” The bus slowed to a stop and the doors opened. Stepping off, I made my way over to the fallen corgi. She was just pushing herself onto her knees as I neared her. She turned to look at me as I approached. At that moment, I noticed several things. I noted her eyes were the most beautiful shade of green I had ever seen. It seemed I was looking into a depths of an endless emerald sea. Her dress, though dirt-covered and torn in one place, matched her eyes perfectly. Her sandy hair, despite being disheveled in the fall, had a luster that models would envy. As the breeze shifted, I also noted the faint scent of peach perfume. In a single moment, I had been rendered breathless. All too soon though, I returned to my senses as a look of sheer embarrassment passed over her face.
“Are you ok? You look like you fell pretty hard.” I quickly set down my groceries and offered her a paw up. Behind me, the bus closed its doors.
“I think so.” She winced as she took my hand. “Just some scrapes and bruises.” Standing up, she brushed the dirt from her clothes.
“You need a bandage or anything? I’ve got a first aid kit in my bag.” I picked up her scattered books as she surveyed the abrasions on her paw.
“I don’t think so. I’ll need to wash it, but otherwise it should be fine.” She gingerly shifted the weight on her left paw, testing it. “Ouch, I think I may have sprained it.”
“Can you walk on it,” I inquired as I finished grabbing her last textbook. “Or should I call an ambulance?”
"I should be able to walk on it. Let's get to the bus before it takes off." I looked behind me to see the coach still parked by the road. Apparently, having taken notice of current events, the old codger had softened just enough to wait.
“Guess he has a heart after all.” I joked. “I can carry your books.”
"Thanks, but I think you have enough on your hands." She gestured to my bags before reclaiming her books. As she started limping towards the bus, I once more collected my shopping and followed suit. I thanked the driver before claiming the seat across the aisle from my new acquaintance. The bus was soon on its way again.
“So….. Are you a student here?” While Shepherd wasn’t a tiny college, it wasn’t exactly massive either. I recognized a fair few students by sight at this point, and I knew I would have remembered those eyes if I had seen them before. "By the way, my name is Rorick."
“Elyssa. And yes, I’m a grad student.” She made to straighten her hair as the bus made its way along.
"Alissa? That’s a pretty name. And a grad student, huh? What are you studying?” I wagered nursing in my head. While Shepherd had other graduate programs, nursing was by far the largest and strongest draw for those around. An uncomfortable look passed over her face.
“No, 'Eh-lih-ssa'," she said, making an emphasis on the first syllable. "And I'm studying geology. Specifically metamorphic features.” The last part came out as little more than a whisper. I couldn’t say I blamed her apprehension though. Male scientists were often misunderstood individuals as it was. It was at least twice as bad for women, least of all because science wasn’t seen as a “girly” subject.
"Elyssa? Sorry. My hearing must be shot from all my loud music.” Mimed clearing my ears. “Geology? Can’t say I know a ton about rocks myself, but I can appreciate a fellow science major.” A look of palpable relief crossed over her face. “Astronomy undergrad myself. What brings you to this podunk university of all places? I’m sure there were better places for you to go.”
"A few, yes, but the mountains around here are perfect for my studies. If you're a science major, you should know how important hands-on research can be." She finished correcting her hair. "The university here provides a decent base to range out and collect samples and data."
“Hmm. I guess that makes sense. I wouldn’t have thought that Shepherd was that good though.”
“You’d be surprised. The rock around here is pretty old. I like the insight it gives to Earth’s history. That, and Shepherd gives fairly easy access to a lot of the Appalachian mountains. Interstate 81makes travel fast.”
“Really? I never thought about it that way.” The bus began slowing, approaching the next stop. “I guess that’s similar to my reason to stay here for grad school. The National Radio Quiet Zone is near here, and that’s a hotspot of astronomical research.”
“The National Radio Quiet Zone? I haven’t heard of that before. Oh, looks like my stop is here." She stood up as the bus stopped. "It was nice talking to you. And thanks for the help earlier." She quickly exited, her sprained paw appearing to be doing much better now.
As the bus continued, I looked out the window at her retreating figure. A slow, creeping realization washed over me: I never asked for a way to contact her again. I didn’t know her last name, or how she even spelled her first. This was the only thing running through my mind as I got off at my stop. I had just met the most beautiful woman on the planet, and I didn’t know how to find her again. As I entered the apartment, laden with food, I found Brandt at the stove, already prepping dinner.
"What took you so long? I was about to send out a search party.”
“I’m an idiot. I’m a fucking idiot. I’m a goddamn, motherfucking moron.” I sputtered, setting the bags on the table.
“Relax. You’re late getting home. It’s not the end of the world. You got the milk at least.”
“You ever get the feeling that you’ve done something monumentally stupid? Something you’ll look back on for years and kick yourself for?” I sat down. An atmosphere of despair must have surrounded me, as the red dragon turned from his cooking to look at me.
“What happened?” A look of concern passed over his face. “Class trouble?” I shook my head.
“I crossed paths with a woman today. Stunning, smart. She’s perfection.”
“That’s a bad thing?” He turned back to his cooking. “Well, then again, I’ve never seen you in love. Could be some new disease.”
“I’m serious Brant.”
“So am I. I never thought I’d see the day. That still doesn’t explain why it’s bad. It’s not like grade school cooties are a thing.”
“I didn’t get any way to contact her. I know her first name. That’s it. No phone number, no Facebook. I don’t even know her last name or if she’s single.” I put my face into my hands.
"How'd you meet her? On the bus?" He grabbed a whisk and started beating something in a bowl.
“Yeah. She fell trying to catch it. I had the driver stop so I could check on her.”
“So she’s a student then?”
“So she said.” I couldn’t follow where he was leading with this logic.
“If that’s the case, you just need to wait for her at the bus stop. I’m sure she’ll turn up again.” At that moment, the penny dropped and I jumped up from my seat.
“Brandt? I could kiss you right now.” I almost did so, stopping only because he started to pour batter into a hot pan. It was clear that he was making pancakes. “Pancakes? I thought we were out of milk?”
"We were, but I borrowed some from the neighbors. You know, it pays sometimes to socialize with them, you recluse.” I chuckled.
“Oh say you, great collegiate sage?”
“Indeed I do. Now, stop moping about and get those put up.” He gestured to the bags covering the table. “Dinner will be ready soon.”
