Campus»jl&pm

12

diane young. seamless.

People walked hand in hand among the grass and beneath the shadowy trees. From over the top of my book I looked at them, sitting quietly on a warm bench.

I went back to reading my textbook, propping my reading glasses back over my eyes and immersing myself in the rise and crises of European socialisms.

"History." A single murmur startled me and made me cast a sideways glance to the voice that joined me. Soft hair sprawled out across a forehead, kind eyes cast downward at his lap. "You take History?"

"Hello Paul." I replied, glueing my eyes to my revision. "Does that surprise you then?"

He smirked, sitting back and reading along with me as his chin rested slightly on my shoulder. Only faintly, though, as if his touch wasn't there at all.

"Do you major in it? Or minor?"

"Major."

"What a little geek." He teased, moving away and playing with his fingers. "I kept trying to figure out what you were taking here."

"Been thinking about me, then?" I sighed, smiling. "God. Do you ever stop?"

"No, I just can't get you out of my brain." He rolled his eyes. "Seriously though, Diane, History? Really?"

"What?" I murmured, feeling my confidence dwindle quickly as he continued.

"Where's that going to get you then? Are you going to discover America like Christopher Columbus did?"

"Christopher Columbus did not discover America." I turned to him briskly, angered at how often people thought this. But there was a tiny smirk in his face as I met his eyes.

"I know."

I held the stare, challenging him as his eyes wavered, threatening to break contact. "Dickhead."

"Geek."

"Stop bullying me." I laughed, finally putting the textbook down. "And what do you major in, Paulie?"

"Paulie?!" He crinkled his nose, glancing at me incredulously. "I major in English."

"Of course. Deep and mysterious, Poetic Paul. Ah, alliteration." I noted, continuing my gaze out at the people passing by. "Do you write?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" He asked, taking my history textbook and flicking through it. I studied his facial features, inclining my head to look at the way his button nose twitches slightly every now and then.

"You think you're all cool, with your English Majoring. I bet people say you're really put together, but you know you're not." I teased. "You wonder why people think you're seamless. You have so many seams. It seems they don't see your seams."

"Shut up." He laughed, a glint in his brown eyes.

"Maybe you could read some of your writings to me one day." I mused, taking my book right back. "What do you minor in?"

He went quiet suddenly, pursing his lips. "Doesn't matter."

"Ooh. This means it most certainly does." I prodded, putting my elbows on my knees and placing my head in my hands, looking up at him.

"No Diane, it doesn't." He avoided my eyes. "Shouldn't we be talking about something else?"

"Like what?" I asked.

"Like how you're majoring in History." He smirked, raising his eyebrows. "If you're looking for a future, you're not going to get one with that. You'll be a crazy cat lady with no skills. Just a lot of pointless information about countries."

I grabbed my textbook and stood up, walking away in a state of gloominess.

"Diane!" His voice called for me to return but I kept walking. "Dee, I was joking."

Out of all people, I thought this new nice boy I met would be supportive of it. But he had the same thoughts as everybody else when it came to my majoring subject.

"Nice revision session?" Billie's American twang welcomed me as I stepped through the door of the flat. I huffed, emitting an over exaggerated eye roll, and strode past her into my bedroom. "Guess not."

She knocked on my door as I flopped on to my bed, my denim skirt rising up my thighs as I hugged a pillow.

"Hello Felix." I said to the kitten I had recently swabbed off John Lennon and Paul McCartney, resting him on my lap and rubbing his ears. He purred and licked my hands, making me smile.

"Diane? Come on, come out."

"I'm...not well." I bit my lip.

"Bullshit." She said through the door. "Please let me come in?"

"Okay." I mumbled, and she just about heard it. Her equally as small self wandered inside and she sat on the edge of my bed. "Billie. You still haven't cleaned your face up."

"Oh to hell with my face. And to hell with art."

"What?"

"Never mind. What's up?"

I sighed. "Nothing. It's seriously so petty, I shouldn't be this wound up. I just— Paul kind of took the piss out of me for majoring in History."

"Why?" She asked, brows furrowed.

I shrugged. "It made me feel uneducated. Especially when he majors in English."

"Diane, you minor in English! He's only majoring in it because he's on a scholarship."

"He's on a scholar?" I asked, lifting my head.

"Yeah. He's really talented with his writing, Diane."

I hummed, shrugging.

"He's insecure about it too. I can tell." She looked up and rubbed my arm. "Come on, don't be mad with him. He doesn't know what he was saying affected you that much."

"I know." I sighed, conflicted.

She smiled. "I can talk to him if you like?"

I shrugged, looking away and at my textbook. She gave me one last friendly smile, and walked out.