Chapter 5- Instant Friendship

Mitchum's Point of View;

As I was looking on my phone to find the route to the second class I heard the same timid voice from before asking someone, "Do you know where the biomedical engineering class is?"

I looked up from my phone to see Tamar asking another girl who just shrugged and said, "I have Nuclear engineering next so I don't know. I'm not really familiar with the place yet." Then the girl walked away as Tamar nodded her head in understanding. Well, I did have that class after and also need someone to open the door for me.

So I approached her and said, "I'm on my way to that class now and I have a picture of the school maps so I know the shortest way there. We can go now." She grasped her books tightly and then looked around as if she was making sure that I was talking to her.

"Why are you offering to help me?" she asked as she held her head down. That was a very good question. It's one that I think Presley asked me when we first met also. I can't even remember what I said to him on that question. But I did know how to respond to it.

"Well, I don't feel like walking all the way back to the dorm and you have a pass to the class I'm going." She again nodded in agreement with what I said. Even if she was some child prodigy whoever her parents were should have waited until she grew up a little. She was way too timid but Presley was also at that age and still is but he made it here. I hope someone would reach out to her here and help her also. Maybe I can make that a goal.

The next class took place in a lab and the equipment in there was the latest models that I had only read about online.. From the microscopes to the different types of test tubes. It looked like a scientific research lab with the difference of it having seats for students. Tamar went to sit in the back again and I decided to sit with her. I again had to tell the Professor that I didn't have my student ID with me but he didn't seem to mind. When the class started the professors mostly spoke of what we will be expected to cover during the term.

We even got to watch a demonstration of senior students' projects in genetic engineering. I was extremely excited about it and so was Tamar. When they asked for a volunteer the class seemed a bit reluctant to but I wanted to go. But I could also tell Tamar wanted to also but she hesitated in raising her hand like the others. I remembered how Presley had that same problem but I knew how to fix it.

I waited until she had halfway raised it and said out loud, "Tamer wants to go!" She looked at me and the professor saw her as she put her hand down. So he still called on her to come up

She was a little scared as she got off her seat but I gave her a thumbs mouthing the words, "You'll be fine."

She went up and was able to keep up with all the instructions. She was able to engineer a small heart valve using chemical components. Then the class applauded at the end. The senior students were impressed with her. I think I did my job of getting her to talk and fit in a little more. She didn't even notice when I left the class. I guess I'll see her around later. During the class before lunch, I met up with Lucas and James again. The class went the same as we got to see senior students' projects and the labs we will be working in. Lunchtime couldn't have come fast enough for me. The light breakfast of only cereal with milk was wearing off.

As we walked out of the classroom to go into the cafeteria Presley came out of nowhere and joined us. I didn't mind, so I introduced him to my two new friends. But the thought crossed my mind of how come he didn't find anyone new to hang out with. But I pushed that thought aside as we got to the line to order food in the cafeteria. We all had meal plans so it was simple to show our passes and pick out what they had on the menu.

We began talking about our experience in seeing the high-tech lab classrooms we will be working in. Presley just listened to us which wasn't unusual. As far back as I can remember he always went quiet around new people. Then when we got to our table noticed Gail sitting not too far off from us by herself. She smiled and waved at both Presley and me then she took out a book that had something written on it that wasn't English. I guess being a foreign language student makes that kind of stuff her thing. If I'm serious about learning a new language I may have to ask her for advice on the best way to do it.

Presley then excused himself and went over to her. That was rather bold of him considering he had just met her yesterday. From the distance, I was sitting, meant I couldn't hear what they would be saying. But I did notice she put away the book almost instantly when Presley sat next to her. I pulled my attention back to Lucas and James but even now and again I glanced over to see what was happening. Gail sort of looked uncomfortable as she shifted and nervously fiddled with her fingers.

Gail: You sure you want to sit here, I don't want to take you away from your friends.

Presley: Their Mitchum's friends and I wanted to talk to you, well more like ask you something.

Gail: OK, what?

Presley: Why are you hiding that book from me?

Gail: I'm not hiding anything, I- I um, I just decided to put it away. That's all

Presley: I see, I heard from Mitchum about your roommate situation; have they shown up yet?

Gail: No, not yet

Presley: OK well you can relax because I'm pretty sure that they're not coming.

Gail: Well you don't know that, something could have come up or-

I looked over again to Gails seeming to look everywhere else but at Presley. It looked like she was cut off from speaking mid-sentence by him. On the other hand, he wasn't making eye contact with her either as he looked at his lunch tray. But what could those two possibly be talking about that has her so on edge?

Presley: Sure, you said your minor is in computer science right? I heard from Mitchum that you're good at it. In fact, I think that you're so good that you could hack into a college mainframe system and set up a fake account of a person to be your roommate that never shows up

Gail: That's just crazy, why would I do a thing like that?

Presley: The same reason you're hiding that book from me. It's written in Arabic and the foreign language literature class has it on their reading list. So that has to be your major and that class is on the other side of the school but you took my map idea and got the fastest routes to get here because you want to look like an engineering and science student. What I don't know is why?

Gail's expression looked completely flustered and she now held Presley's gaze. At some point, they managed to hold eye contact. Whatever he told her had sure made an impact as they remained like that for at least ten seconds. I saw Gail clench her fist tightly as she seem to snap back to reality and look down at her tray this time. I saw her sigh and started speaking again as I went back to paying attention to James as he was talking now.

Gail: W-well it looks like you figured out everything else. How did you even know this is a foreign language literature book for class?

Presley: One of Mitchum's friends over there has a minor in it and that's the book he pushed in his bag when I met them out of class

Gail: Are you going to report me to the school board?

Presley: I'd first like to know why you would want to hide your major in the first place. Mostly everyone is too concerned about their own majors to care about others. So why would you go through all of that trouble?

Gail: Well that may be true but you know this college centers on technology and science. If you want to be anybody in science this is the place to be. My family all attended here so I have to as well or they won't pay for my college fund. I told them that I was going to study computer science but I left out the part of it being my minor and they don't know that my major is in foreign language literature. If they find out they'll stop my college funding.

Presley: And exactly how would a roommate affect that?

Gail: Well when my parents come for a visit they might find out from them what I've actually been studying. But I guess all of that doesn't matter now since I'll be expelled for what I did.

Presley: You're not going to get expelled; I don't have any actual proof of what you did

Gail: What, really? Then how-

I glanced back over to see Gail have a completely different expression now. She looked surprised and yet a little confused. Presley cut her off again but this time she looked relieved as she tilted her head saying something to him. Well, at least the conversation seemed a lot more relaxed now. Lucas and James followed my gaze but since I didn't mean for them to pay attention I started back the conversation.

Presley: Yeeeah... it was more of a hunch and I wanted to see how you would react if I came to you with it. And now considering your circumstances I can understand why you did it. Besides your moving around people in the system might have caused Mitchum and me to be roommates.

Gail: Oh well then I guess that's good at least for me and thanks for not saying anything. I promise I'll never do anything like that again, the stress of it all is too much.

Presley: Well that's not exactly what I had in mind. While I was searching through the system I noticed an extra student who was put on the waiting list due to your fake entry. Her name's Alejandra Corazon; perhaps you can do something to fix that. Deal

Gail: Deal, I'll get right on it

As I was getting up to leave with the other guys cause we finished our lunch, I noticed Presley and Gail were also saying goodbye to each other. She went her way and Presley was heading towards mine. I was kind of curious so as I as he came close enough I asked him, "So what was that about?"

He just looked up and shrugged his shoulders and said, "Nothing important."

It was probably best to answer me that way as James chimed in his two cents saying, "Wow dude your first day and you already have a girlfriend."

I could tell that statement made Presley uncomfortable and what made it worse was Lucas joined in the jeering. He simply denied it and left it at that. It was kind of my fault that they even noticed anything so I should step in at this point cause these types of situations can be extremely embarrassing. I know Presley better than that and they only saw the end part. Whatever they were talking about was probably not the easiest conversation to have. So I said to them both with a smile and in the kindest way I know how, "Alright guys, she's just a friend who happens to be a girl. And I'm sure he was just keeping her company since she was sitting by herself. It's the neighborly thing to do."

Lucas then nodded and possibly got my point and replied, "Sure we better get back to class though."

James then rest his hand on Presley's shoulder and said, "My culture is very private and introverted also. But as you have proved being neighborly doesn't require a loud personality. Adjo"

Presley is slightly shorter than I am so I got a good picture of what I looked like standing next to James. He replied, "Um yeah, I guess not. Adjo means Goodbye right?"

Then James smiled and said, "Yes, class is going to start back soon. Nice meeting you Presley."

Then as they were both leaving I was going also but Presley tapped my shoulder. I turned to face him and then he said in a hushed tone, "Speaking of class; Mitchum do you have the map route that I gave you last night?"

That was an out-of-the-blue question but told him, "Yeah, I do."

I think that made him feel better as his voice returned to normal as he said, "Good because I can't find mine or my phone and my glasses."

The last item he mentioned caught me by surprise and I just blurted out, "Wait a minute; you don't wear glasses."

Then Presley put his hand on his chest as he let out a sigh of relief then said, "Well thank goodness because I can't find it. Do you remember the route we took to get here? I'm really sure if I retrace my steps, my stuff will turn up."

"Unbelievable", were the words that escaped from my mouth as I was shaking my head and then chuckling in disbelief. Then I consulted the map on my phone with him before we went our separate ways. I would have given him the paper one but I left that in the dorm also. Then I left him to go catch up with Lucas and James and I hope he remembers the way back to where we live on campus. I really worry about him sometimes because he can be a little flaky.