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“Sorry, I- I.” I apologize.
“Hey, are you okay? It looks like you’ve been crying.”
“No, I’m fine. Are you ready for lunch? My stomach has eaten a portion of my back, and I may not make it out alive.” I chuckle.
“Girl, same, let’s go.” She says as I get up from my desk. Once I make it to her, she links our arms together and we exit my office, and then the classroom. “Do you want to eat on campus or go somewhere?”
“I’m not sure what’s good to eat around here anymore.”“You’re not from here?”
“I am, it’s just, it’s been awhile since I’ve really gone out with anyone other than my Auntie, my bestie, or my fiancé. We stay on the outskirts of town, the country really.” I’m rambling, but that’s the thing about me, I’m an open book.
“Oh, you must tell me more.”
“I will, but in order to give I must get something, too.” I say, when her steps slow down as she considers how she wants to answer that..
“My life is… Complicated. I’ve lived here for most of it and only went away to study at a more prestigious university. I met a guy, and he rocked my world to the very ground we walk on. Things didn’t end well.” She says, pulling back the collar of her burnt-orange sweater, revealing a deep scar running the length of her neck. “He tried to kill me but found I wouldn’t die so easily.” She smiles a sad smile, releasing her collar.
“God, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’ve learned to deal with it the best I could, but he did more mental damage than physical. But, enough about my sad story. I wasn’t supposed to dump all this on you on the first day.” She chuckles.
“If it weren’t you it would have definitely been me.” We laugh, walking the distance to the campus cafeteria.
“I figure we could eat here so I could catch you up on things. I’ll let you in on who is who around this place. And you can tell me how your first week as a college professor has gone, this is your first job teaching college students?”
“Sounds… Fun, and yes, it sure is.”
“Come on then.” She leads me across the lawn to the cafeteria. I notice glances from everyone outside as we pass by. “Don’t pay them any mind, that’s the herbalist. They can’t stand when people walk on the grass because they say we are killing all the life forms that reside there.”
“Okay, not weird at all.” I giggle as we make it inside.
The smell of the cafeteria food brings me back to high school. I used to love getting in line, and picking up different foods from the assortment they laid out for us. My favorite part, talking with the lunch ladies. Oh, those women were your grandmothers away from home. It was absolutely one of the best parts of my day.
“Sure it isn’t.” She nudges me. “What will you have?” I look around at all the different things to choose from, but I can’t make a decision because it all looks good.
“Ugh, why do I do this every time? I’m a glutton for punishment.” I mumble.
“Everything is really good, so I can’t help you choose.” She laughs. “By the way, we’re gonna eat outside so I can put faces to the people I’ll be telling you about.”
“Groovy, I love the outdoors.”
I bet this will be the last time Cressida asks me out to lunch. I’ve literally been staring at the cafeteria menu for ten minutes. Finally ready to say what I want, I settle on a cheeseburger, fries, and a strawberry shake. Cressida looks at me like I’m crazy.
“What?”
“You must not eat like this often.” She says in awe.
“The hell I don’t, I eat like it’s going out of style. I know you can see my fupa and ass a mile away, because you can’t miss one without the other.” This has us both exploding with laughter.
“Fupa?”
“You know, front upper pussy area.” I whisper.
“Oh my goodness!” She laughs. “Who the hell came up with that?”
“I don’t know but it’s totally a thing.” I join in laughing with her.
“Well, I don’t workout as much as I’d like either.”“Is there a gym on campus or nearby?” This is already sparking an idea to fortify our growing friendship.