The World Finally Smiles Upon Me
Have you ever found yourself daydreaming about random things while sitting in class? Yeah, most people do. I'm not a philosopher or whatever but I have come to call this phenomenon "The Great Escape".
"Why?" you may wonder, or maybe not, well, because that's what it really is. An escape from our reality, letting our minds wander off into the vastness of our desires, our dreams and our wishes. I wish I had money, I wish I had no worries, I wish I was some badass ex-spec ops soldier who just happens to be sitting in class and then some shit pops off.
You know, stupid shit like that. You find yourself immersed in your imagination as you drive away from the cops doing 190 miles per hour on a modified GTR or an S1K, or doing some crazy shit as the world watches, that main character syndrome we all have as we wander off.
Or maybe you think of other things. Maybe of getting with all the women you could ever imagine and have some harem showing your weakness to commitment with one woman and how weak you are to your sexual desires.....your weakness disgusts me. Hopefully, you're normal, like me, and find yourself daydreaming of that one beautiful woman you met and she's just been on your mind ever since, but you lack the balls to ask her out or just don't know how to approach her.
But hey, that's just life, don't judge me, if only you knew just how beautiful this girl is you wou-- "Aspen!" I'm snapped back to reality as I hear my professor pretty much scream my name.
Yeah, you heard that right, fucking Aspen, that's my name, laugh all you want you fucks, I may be monologuing to myself but you're probably on some novel site reading about my story, MY STORY, so fuck you!
"Hey Aspen, are you alright man? I noticed you spaced off pretty much throughout my entire lecture. Is there something on your mind you want to talk about? And not as a professor, but your friend." I looked around and noticed that the room was empty, everyone had already left and it was only us 2 in the classroom. I know some of you may be shocked to find out that both college and grad school students can have a pretty cordial and friendly relationship with their professors.
"Hey Max," I start, preparing myself to spew some bullshit, "Yeah man, I'm alright, just had a lot on my mind recently. Having second thoughts on Architecture and I'm debating on leaving architecture for later and getting my master's in Aerospace. I also had a late night last night, so I'm sorry about today's class."
Max looks at me with understanding and nods his head as he replies: "Nah, it's all cool man, trust me, I been in your shoes a few years back, not knowing what to do. Plus there's also the fact that being here is pretty expensive. What's your debt going to be? Like $290,000 for a master's in a degree that, if I'm going to be honest, has shit pay?"
"Yup," I run my hand across my face and with a defeated sigh just slump my body even more in my chair. I started with some bullshit and now I have actually started contemplating on whether or not I want to keep on this road of architecture. "I honestly don't even know why I'm doing this. Fucking Aerospace engineering and architecture. The two go hand in hand like Krispy Creme Donuts and Oyster soup. However," I use my pencil and point at him, "you are my boss and pay me really well."
Max chuckles as he stands up and clasps my shoulders with his hands as his 6'5 frame leans on me, that's about 195cm for you non-freedom unit users. "Well, apart from money not being an issue, you do sound like you need a drink. It's a Friday and I don't have any more classes to teach today. Also, Rachel took Claire to her parent's for the weekend, so I'm free if there's anything you want to talk about or need to get off your chest."
"I'll take you up on that," I say as I stand up, my figure towering over Max as my 6'11----yeah, who am I kidding, I'm 6'0. "You mind if I catch a ride with you? I'm just going to grab an Uber home afterward."
"Sure thing."
Max and I made our way to his pick-up truck, a beautiful and sleek midnight purple 2024 Silverado 3500 HD High Country with all decked out to the teeth. "This shit is so nice, and it just gets better every time I see it." I quipped. "Though you ain't even beating a Prius in this shit, just too big, too heavy, too slow." a smug look starts appearing on my face.
Max smirks and gives me a little shove. "The perks of being a professor which cancels your student loans and having such a gifted young man working for your firm. Pretty sure you can get something just as nice with how much I pay you. As for the other things you said, fuck you."
We just laughed as we got in his truck and just sang along to my playlist which was full of sad love songs on the way to his house.
"That's about the gayest shit you've ever done, play some romantic shit while we, two men, alone in a truck, drove through a forest," Max said as we hopped out of his truck and made our way to his house.
"You sang along as well, so I don't wanna hear that shit," I managed to respond back to him in the midst of chuckles.
"Yeah, those are some good ass songs." He admitted, "Send that playlist over, I know Rachel will definitely love it."
"Sure!" I took my phone out of my pocket and as I was getting ready to send Max the link to my playlist, I got a text message from my friend.
*Ernesto*: Hey man, so I was talking to Autumn and you know, since she's known Kat and me for so long she trusts us.
Me: Wait Autumn? As in the girl I can't get out of my mind Autumn?
*Ernesto*: Yup. That same one. Basically, she let slip that she was interested in someone at our church while she was talking to Kat.
Me: Oh damn. Welp, there goes that dream.
*Ernesto*: Not too fast bucko.
*Ernesto*: Kat dug a little bit and came to find out that you caught her fancy but didn't know how to approach you. She thinks you're out of her league.
Me: Well that's one oxymoron if I've ever seen one. It's definitely the other way around, she's out of my league.
*Ernesto*: I'm telling you bro, you're a handsome dude, stop doubting yourself so much.
*Ernesto*: Anyways, I told her that you had confessed to me that you were "mesmerized", your words, not mine, by her when you first saw her and that I'd be willing to reach out to you to set up a date or a meeting for your two to get to know each other.
Me: My brother in Christ, wingman of the millennia, I love you bro. I'm free this entire weekend, but it'd be better if we could arrange something for tomorrow or maybe after Church on Sunday.
*Ernesto*: She said Sunday after church would work best for her.
Me: Great, I'll see her then. Man, you don't know how much I love you right now bro.
*Ernesto*: Aye yo? XD I love you too man, see you Sunday.
Me: See you Sunday.
"What's got you smiling like that? It's like your mood did a complete one-eighty," Max said as he entered the room with a bottle of Scotch and 2 shot glasses in his hands.
"I hadn't told you this, well I hadn't told pretty much anyone, but I'm head over heels for this one girl from my church, she's gorgeous, man, about 5'8, brunette with curly hair an---"
"Wait….you....go to church? You?" Max interrupted me mid-sentence to call out the least important part of the sentence I was talking about.
"Yeah I go to church, what's so weird about that? I was raised in Christianity and I'm now working to build an actual relationship with God." I respond back with a chuckle.
"But," He pauses for a second as he pours us both a shot, "You're drinking. And Christ on a bike, you curse so much you would make Blackbeard blush if he ever heard you."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with drinking. Even Jesus drank wine, almost exclusively. The problem lies with getting shitfaced." I paused for a second as I raised my glass towards him and downed it. "Something I've never done. Or get drunk in general, I've never gotten past the point where I can't stand up or see straight, let alone slur my speech."
"What about the cursing part?" He asks and pauses before downing his shot. "Pretty sure the Bible says something about that somewhere in it."
"Yeah, my filthy mouth is a major problem I have been trying to change, I've actually made progress, believe it or not," I say as I play around with the shot glass in my hand.
"So, back to the main topic of discussion, this girl you were talking about." He started pouring himself another shot and motioned towards me and I handed him my glass for him to pour me another shot.
"Yeah, Autumn, man she's great. I have never seen a woman as beautiful as her," I said, then quickly remembered to add "no offense."
"None taken, rather happy you don't have your eyes on my wife." He said with a smile as he handed me back my glass.
"When I first saw her at church, I was just awestruck. Kind of what kickstarted my return to God honestly," I paused and only drank half of my shot this time, "just felt like I wasn't clean or worthy of her."
"And what do you think now?" Max asked me, as he poured himself his 3rd shot.
"I still think I'm not worthy of her, like I'm a stain, you know?" I finished my shot and looked over at Max.
"I know just the feeling," he seemed to stare off, reminiscence painted all over his face, "want another shot?"
"No thanks, not getting shitfaced, remember?" I respond.
"Your loss" he quips, downing his third shot and pouring himself a 4th one.
"Man, a friend hit me up and pretty much told me that she likes me too, and now I have a date for either Sunday afternoon or night."
"Congrats, hope you end up like me, a house, nice truck, a kid--"
"And a functioning alcoholic? No thanks, but I get what you meant." I interrupt him, a smirk plastered across my face.
"Fair enough…"
We just kept on talking until it was about 11 pm, the class had finished at 5 pm, and we got to his place at 6 pm, so that means that we spent the last 4 hours having deep talks, well, for me at least. Max was getting shitfaced and by the time I left, he was already knocked out. He's gonna have one hell of a headache tomorrow.
"Well, this will be an expensive Uber ride home," I said as I looked at the 1-and-a-half-hour Uber ride back home that would cost me about $400.
1936 Words 🙂
Hey y'all, so Reapr here. I pretty much went awol for a while, things started happening in my life, both good and bad and I had just lost that motivation to keep on editing the previous works. I don't know if I'll ever return to "Plundering Across the Cosmos," but this new endeavor that I'm working on is original. I didn't know what to do with "PAC" and didn't have the motivation to keep wracking my head to deal with MTL, so I decided to create my own novel that will be similar in the aspect of mechs being a part of this novel, but that's about it. Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter.