Your Dangerous Game

Chapter 4. Dumb Jocks

(Mindy Esmond’s Perspective)

Mindy had the same class again with Brittany after the Creative Writing class had ended. Until then, during the lunch break, they spent time together again.

Mindy had just done waiting in line for her beef bacon and a soda can. She was bringing her tray while searching for an empty seat in the cafeteria. And Brittany quickly followed her pace.

The cafeteria was crowded at the time. Luckily, there was one table available for them.

As soon as they sat down at the same table, Brittany said, “Hey, Mindy, don’t worry about those dumb jocks in our first class—”

  Mindy pinched her eyes at her. She half grinned, feeling kind of annoyed when Brittany bringing up the topic.

“They are just a bunch of retards,” Mindy muttered. “I know, there are always some dumb jocks in every place. Back then in my high school, those kinds of people existed. The bullies.”

“Ugh, I hate the bullies! It’s like they don’t have a life! They always try to pick a fight with other students. Maybe they think almighty of themselves,” Brittany muttered emotionally.

Mindy giggled. “Yeah, that’s what I thought as well.”

However, Mindy felt a little bit better when her new friend tried to cheer her up.

“Brandon and Roy are just trying to provoke the others to make fun of you because they have nothing better to do in life,” Brittany murmured as she chewed her beef bacon.

Mindy narrowed her eyes as she tried to recall those people, “I know the guy names Brandon, and who is Roy?”

Brittany secretly nodded her chin at the group of boys sitting down at the same table in the middle of the cafeteria.

Mindy immediately followed where Brittany’s eyes were staring at. As she glanced at them, she chuckled cynically.

“Which one?” Mindy asked.

“The Nigerian guy, the one with the terrible dreadlocks hair,” Brittany said and chuckled.

Mindy instantly chuckled along with her. “Gosh, that hair needs to be taken care of.”

“Or maybe I can bring him to my regular salon in the city,” Brittany mocked.

They giggled along for a moment. And then they continued eating their warm beef bacon.

And then Brittany spoke again, “Well, I’ve been listening heedfully during everyone’s introduction in the class. His name is Roy Grey. And his stupid gang leader is Brandon Davis.”

“And what about the other one?” Mindy wondered.

Brittany immediately stole a glance at those people again as she asked, “Which one?”

“The one with a black leather jacket,” Mindy said as she glanced at them. But she blinked when she didn’t find him there. “Ugh, I think he’s not there with them.”

Brittany was still pinching her eyes wonderingly at Mindy.

Then Mindy smiled and said, “I mean, Alain Elwood. Do you think he is also a dumb jock?”

Brittany almost burst to laugh. But then she paused to stare quietly at her.

Mindy furrowed her eyebrows bafflingly. “What?”

“I don’t know. He seems just out of this planet, you know,” Brittany murmured. “It’s like he is not really with those people, huh? He is not here right now.”

Mindy shrugged her shoulders. “Well, whatever—”

Suddenly, they heard those boys were whistling. When Mindy and Brittany looked in their direction, they were staring at them both.

“Look at that, isn’t that the Nerdy Mindy and her nerdy friend?” Roy shouted out, and then he laughed out loud stupidly. The others also laughed along with him.

“Gosh, these idiots,” Mindy muttered as she shook her head.

Brittany tapped her table emotionally. And then she raised from her seat to yell out at them, “Yeah, dumb jocks! This nerdy friend here has a name. It’s Brittany Parker, by the way!”

“Britt, come on!” Mindy shouted after. “It’s not worth it. Don’t make a scene.”

Brittany looked at her for a second. Then she sat down again with her. And she rolled her brown eyes, feeling annoyed.

“Sorry, but their joke makes me sick,” Brittany muttered afterward.

Mindy chuckled. “Yeah, I’m about to puke too if I have to listen to their lame joke. But come on, we don’t want to waste our time with them.”

“Alright, never mind. Whatever, just pretend like they are not here,” Brittany muttered and smiled widely at her.

Mindy nodded agreeably and giggled. “Okay.”

Although Mindy herself was still feeling pissed off about them, she didn’t want to make a scene here. She would just let it go and let it slip. It was not worth her energy anyway.

After they had finished their beef bacon, Mindy then asked her curiously, “Hey, Brittany, do you live in a university’s dorm here?”

Brittany nodded her head excitedly. “Yeah, are you too?”

Mindy nodded and smiled. “Well, since my parents are planning to work overseas for a month or two, I have decided that I want to live in a dorm rather than alone at home.”

“So, does it mean you haven’t got your room yet?” Brittany wondered.

Mindy shook her head. “Not yet. I’m still living with my parents now.”

“Ugh, I hope you can get the same room as I am. My roommate was a senior. She left the dorm after she rented an apartment in the city to live with her parents. So, I’m alone now in my dorm,” Brittany informed her.

“I will let you know as soon as I handle the administration after our lunch break is over,” Mindy told her assuredly.

“So, when will you move in?” Brittany wondered again.

“As soon as possible. Maybe tomorrow, I guess,” Mindy was not sure. But it was her plan. “I’ll let you know tomorrow morning anyway.”

“Okay, can we just exchange phone numbers now? I’d like to keep a tab with my new best friend,” Brittany seemed overly excited about this new friendship with her.

It was the first time that someone really thought of her genuinely. Mindy felt an instant connection as soon as she got to know Brittany.

“Alright, Britt, here you go,” Mindy said as she gave her the phone numbers.

“Thanks, Mindy,” Brittany smiled happily at her.

Soon after they had finished their lunch together, they separated their way that noon.

***

Mindy had filled out the freshman housing application process at the administration center. She would receive the key the next day when she visited the administration center again.

When she was in the middle of walking out of the university’s gate, heavy rain suddenly fell, making her hair and clothes instantly wet.

“Oh, s**t! No—” she muttered peevishly. She didn’t bring an umbrella in her bag. She didn’t expect rain in the afternoon. She was not prepared.

But there was no turning back. She couldn’t wait for the rain to stop. It was too far to go back to the university’s building.

Thereafter, she walked herself out. She kept on walking straight on the pavement road. The bus stop was about a few meters away. She would get there in a few minutes.

But the air was so cold, making her shivered. She hugged her arms tightly. Her teeth started chattering.

And there was no one on the road. When she looked back and forth, she was all alone

She almost jumped out of her feet when she heard a sudden motorcycle horn startled her from behind. When she turned to look, it was a man riding his black motorcycle.

“Mindy!” She recognized his voice. But she couldn’t see his face clearly under the heavy rain and he was still wearing his helmet.

She stopped walking and turned to see him again. She wondered who he was.

When he finally opened his helmet’s glass, she remembered his face. It was Alain Elwood.

“What—what do you want?” Mindy shouted defensively at him.

“Do you want a ride?” He suddenly offered.

She pinched her eyes in disbelief by what she just heard. How could he possibly offer her to ride with him on his dangerous motorcycle? She just couldn’t understand the idea since they had not really known each other in person.

“Go away! Mind your own business!” She shouted out cynically at him.

He grinned at her and murmured, “Well, suit yourself.”

And then he drove his motorcycle fast, leaving her behind.

Afterward, she returned home to tell her parents that she got it alright.

“Mindy! How was your first day at college?” Her mom shouted out from the dining room.

As soon as she entered the dining room, she saw her mom and her dad sat at the table together. They immediately bulged their eyes out at her wet clothes.

“Gosh, Mindy! You should have called me to pick you up!” Her dad shouted worriedly.

“I’m okay, Dad, don’t worry,” Mindy assured him.

“Mindy! You should change your clothes, come on!” Her mom also worried.

Nevertheless, they had been waiting for her to come home and tell an interesting story to them. It was so predictable for Mindy. She already got it all mapped out inside her head.

“Hey, Mom—” she looked at them back and forth while smiling, “Hey, Dad.”

Her dad, who was just drinking a warm coffee, glanced at her. “Oh, right, how was it? Tell us about your first day, Mindy!”

“It was great,” Mindy said, while still smiling widely in front of them. “I met new friends. And I make close friends already. Her name is Brittany Parker—”

She was skipping the part where she met the dumb jocks named Brandon and Roy.

“Oh, so excited, huh?!” Ms. Esmond shouted out cheerfully. “I miss college life, darling,” and then she looked at her husband for a second.

Mister Esmond giggled. “College life was the best time of my life as well. There were a lot of fun moments back then.”

“Dad, but we’re kind of from a different era. Plus, you majored as a business student, while mom was specialized in cooking class. And in my case, I’m an English student. So, we are all so different,” Mindy reminded them.

Her mom and her dad looked at her bewilderingly for a moment.

And then she quickly added, “I mean, the definition of fun may differ from your time of era, Dad.”

“Huh, you’re right,” Mister Esmond agreed. “So, what is your kind of fun, Mindy?”

“My kind of fun?” She giggled. “Well, books and being smart are my kind of fun, Dad.”

Her mom giggled as well. And then she raised from the table and said, “Okay, Mindy, go take a shower now. I will make you a hot chocolate after you clean yourself.”

Mindy smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”

And then she left them to walk upstairs.