Evacuate the building. For how long?
Damn it, and I wasjustsettling in.
The dining hall, which is messy at the best of times, is packed to the brim. People are sitting on tables, discussing the situation in voices that are anything but hushed. I inhale through my nose andbreathe out through my mouth, trying to keep myself calm. Flipping my phone around in my hands, I manage to keep my mind from falling into the same chaos that’s surrounding me.
“Hey, everyone!” one of the RAs yells, and I jerk my head up. “I have an announcement?—”
He cuts off, pressing his phone up to his ear, jerks his head back in annoyance, and jams his finger down to end the call.
And then he yells out for our attention again. “Okay, so I’m gonna give it to you guys straight up: admin has no idea what they’re doing.”
Wow, way to inspire confidence.
“Anyway, they say they’ll have an update in five minutes to four hours. You guys can, uh, stay here if you don’t have class, and we’ll try to figure something out.”
Just like that, I know exactly nothing more than I did three minutes ago.
Then my phone beeps, startling me.
Ian Scott
Holy shit I just heard what happened
Are you ok???
How on earth is it possible for someone to be so intuitive? It’s like Ian knows exactly how and when to cheer me up.
Then again, my chest goes all achy whenever helooksat me.
Yeah I’m fine, thanks for asking. Everything is confusing because they aren’t telling me much
The RAs are saying that the school will provide an update at some point today
Yeah that’s what I’m seeing online, too. Where are you now?
In the dining hall with everyone else
It’s a bit packed
I’m in the kin building
Come hang out w me in the common room
I can’t help but smile at that casual offer to spend time with him, and I head next door to the Kinesiology building. Ian is sprawled out on one of the couches in the empty undergrad common room, and he gives me a friendly wave once he sees me.
Nobody’s ever been as happy to see me as he has, and guilt courses through me with every step I take on my way over to him. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had, and I choose to repay him by undressing him with my eyes and fantasizing about horizontal hugging whenever we run into each other.
“Hey, man,” Ian says, greeting me with one of his handshake-clap things that confuse the heck out of me. “Are you doing okay?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
He stares blankly at me, blinking. “Your house got destroyed.”
“That’s a little dramatic,” I counter. “A tree fell on the other end of the building. That’s far from beingdestroyed.”
He presses his lips together in an expression that’s half-smile, half-sympathy. “Still scary, man. I’d be shitting myself if I was in your shoes.”
Ian doesn’t say anything else but pulls a container of cookies out of his backpack, opening the lid and motioning for me to take one.
