UNIVERSAL SURPRISES
by Theodore 'Theo' DeGrant
They say when you grow up life gets easier.
Well it doesn't.
You leave behind cherished friends and family. You remember the old familiar places you knew and hung out, and the old familiar faces that you laughed and cried with over and over again. You get new headaches added to your life: finding a job, buying a car, getting a house or place to live, paying taxes, etc etc.
Since when did the perks of growing up get so annoying?
This is why I created this blog to chronicle my university days at Sacred Heart University, 'cause it's going to get very lonely, not knowing anyone.
Except Brianna Reid.
I've known her cousin since kindergarten and she knows me since we were in grade school. even though she's born only a couple days apart in a separate year from the gang and I. Brianna was born December 29th, 1993 while I was born January 1st, 1994.
Everyone else came afterwards, but that's irrelevant at the moment.
It was weird though.
They kept switching her in and out of classes as if they weren't sure where exactly to place her. Eventually, for a major portion of middle school, she was in the same grade as the rest of us. Then something happened with her family and we never saw or heard from her again.
Her cousin never spoke of the incident.
And we never asked.
It wasn't until around April-May of our last year of high school that we heard of her again. One member of the gang dropped an university brochure in front of us. Brianna's cousin's eyes rose, as if he recognized the brochure, but he kept silent. It was a brochure for a new university that had just been recently unveiled last year and in it was -- Brianna.
Or, at least, her name was engraved as the Head Photographer.
I recognized her work almost immediately.
Apparently, according to her cousin, Brianna was on the committee designing the brochure and was picked for her unique eye and talent behind a lens. After a sudden five year absence Brianna had suddenly reappeared in my life. As quickly as she had vanished five years ago. It had been far too long and I wanted to see her again.
Delighting in the prospect of possibly being able to see and meet her again, I applied to Sacred Heart University in a heartbeat. Afterwards a part of me felt guilty for lying about what college or university I was attending while the other half of me was bursting with excitement. I decided to keep it a secret since they looked as if they weren't telling the truth themselves about whichever university or college they would attend in the new school year.
But what I never expected when I finally reached the new prestigious university in my new beat-up car, which my older brother Lucas had given me, promising me it would last me for the duration of my university life, was the surprise I had upon opening the door to my new room for the year.
I saw my life flash before my eyes.
Nostalgia struck me and struck hard.
There, conversing in the living room, was Brianna and my four childhood friends, whom hadn't spoken to me all summer since graduation.
The next thing I remember was collapsing from being overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions.
Happiness.
Shock.
Puzzled.
Wonder.
Betrayed.
Guilty.
Relieved.
The gang was just as shocked to see me, renduring them unable to come to my rescue, so Brianna came over and asked if I was alright.
"Yeah," I said with a sheepish grin, "I just finally awoke in time from my nightmare that was supposed to be summer."
Everyone couldn't help but laugh.
*
