Sometimes I read white papers that engineers put together and feel like scrapping the entire thing and rewriting it. I never realized how terrible some people can be at composing an easily readable document. It’s embarrassing to work with such literarily challenged people…
Thus, to ensure that my writing and imagination don’t go the same direction as those that I’m forced to surround myself with (got bills to pay), and while accompanied by some Allegro Moderato Violin Concerto No. 1 to stimulate my senses, I’m going to tell you a story. This will be a multi-part love story, loosely based on true events.. I’m going to keep each post to a page or so to keep myself interested and hopefully keep you interested as well.
*****
Jack opened his eyes just as his alarm started blaring in his ear. His 8AM Software Engineering class started in an hour, but he had absolutely no desire to get out of bed. The sun was blazing through the thin white blinds that covered his window but the air conditioning managed to keep it cool enough that it felt perfect under the blankets that covered him. Rubbing his eyes, he finally managed to coax his body out of bed with the thought of a grande café mocha from the coffee shop at the Union.
He managed to speed through an energizing shower with enough time to grab a granola bar from the cupboard and hop into his little two door and race to campus. With the top down, he hammered on the accelerator, cautious of any red and blue lights in his rearview mirror. The fifteen minute drive felt more like minutes as he pulled into 5000 College St, it was then that Jack realized it was shaping up to be a very nice day.
5000 College St was once a formidable mansion on the east side of campus. That is, until the owners started renting it out to college kids. Nine people total shared this one time architectural beauty, Jack hung out regularly with most of them and given their abundance of parking they let him leave his car there to avoid the absurd charges for parking on campus.
The house had faced its fair share of challenges, from trees falling on it, to being packed with hundreds of students pounding jello shots and red cups full of Natural Light. Its door had been kicked down in a rage by one visitor, which prompted a call to the police and the inhabitants did little to clean up the place. The house was a disaster to say the least, but that didn’t stop people from hanging out there and it didn’t deter Jack from enjoying his time there before going home to his immaculately cared for duplex further off campus.
It took nearly 20 minutes to walk from 5000 College St to the engineering building, and Jack had pulled in with little time to spare if he wanted to get that mocha he’d promised himself. So he threw his car into Park, shouldered his bag and double timed it down the street…
