Paul slowed himself down as he approached the bench. Su-Yeon, raven hair and all, turned his way.
“Paul? What’s going on?” “I just saw you pass by, and wanted to talk quickly!” “What’s going on?”
He sat down, catching his breath. The British expat needed to exercise more.
“Valentine’s day is coming up. And I’d like to take you out for a date.”
Su-Yeon’s eyes got wide, then narrowed as she grinned.
“So you want me to leave my title of noona, soona?”
Paul blinked.
Gears turned.
He laughed.
Blush appeared.
“Oh stop it, you!”
Su-Yeon just chuckled.
* – “Noona” is Korean to denote a woman who is older than a man, but is familiar to them (regardless of biology). Commonly used among younger college-aged males for the upperclass college-aged women.
Becky “Spins” Hoffman was going for maximum effect.
The captain of the women’s baseball team at the local uni, her arm was well known as a lethal weapon.
What people didn’t know is that when challenged, her pranks were the other weapon she would use.
Using a little chemistry knowhow, she prepared the eggs sitting in the carton to the right specifications for this night. As her teammate sped, Becky fired egg after egg. Red, white, and blue splatters showed themselves.
They contrasted the red of the fluttering Soviet flag, and the face of the angry professor who owned it.
(Author’s Note: Things can change in a week. Currently, I am waiting for my visa number to be issued. Upon that, I apply for a visa and head back to teach students in Korea yet again. I will likely be gone by the end of December and starting to teach at the beginning of January. So, I will be back to writing lots of newer stories, along with writing other things that won’t be published here. Today, we have another fictioneers event that seems like it’ll be quite fun.)
The crunch awoke Paul from a dead slumber. Grumbling, he walked down stairs. He nearly reached the bottom when he froze.
“Dad!”
Paul looked into his 16 year old daughter’s face, surprised that she found his old college mascot costume.
“Charity! How did you get that?”
“I found it. Now tell me about this!”
“Well, I went to a local college here. You know it as the big university now. Our mascot was a yellow chicken. I did this to help pay for my tuition.”
Charity flipped her hand, knowing there was more.
“It was also the costume I wore when I first met your mom.”
“And there we have it.”
“She didn’t like it. She was a sour girl the day that she met me…”
“And how many years now?”
“19 wonderful years…”
A little note before we start: I am in the stages of moving from my current residence to a new residence, and may not have internet access for a few days. Also, with moving comes lots of packing, planning, and getting things in order. Therefore, I may not be able to write anything in the next week. However, if I get the time and the patience, things will continue as normal.
That all being said, let’s get onto today’s story:
copyright Jennifer Pendergast
Beyond This Point
The young man beamed at his family with pride.
“This, by far, is one of the best days of my life. I finally have something I can call mine!”
His parents shined their approval as they looked at his garb.
As he picked up his cap from the ground, he looked around at the walls of the place where, for four years, he allowed himself to flourish.
“Mom? Dad? What do I do now?”
His dad smiled, and pointed behind him.
“Everything that happens from here on out, happens beyond that point. That gate is where life begins.”
College was always a bit of a bear for some students, especially those who are in relationships. Even more so for those who are waiting for a relationship. It happened at every campus in the known world, and the University of Oregon was no different.
Sherry Makinami was a vivacious student in her sophomore year at UO. She was lucky to be in her Music History program, and also lucky to have a great friend in Scott Schmidt, someone who she met on orientation day in freshman year. She looked towards him as someone who was not only there when the chips were down, but someone who she could easily give a lot of attention to. She wished that she could have more with him than just friendship, but he was already taken by an insanely controlling and jealous girl, Delia Mendez.
It was a cold October day when her chance finally came. She was walking towards the Knight Library, where she worked part-time as an information desk researcher, getting ready for an intense evening and night of studying. She walked towards the doors, when she was wheeled around, a hand firmly grasping her arm. She looked up and into the eyes of Scott, who looked as though his face was red and bleary.
“Sherry, I need to talk to you,” he said, firmly but with a waver in his voice.
Sherry just nodded and went with him to their favorite campus hangout, the popular Rennie’s Landing. Over a couple of Rennie’s burgers, Scott laid it out for her how Delia kicked him to the curb for the leader of the Multicultural Center. He told her how much of a mistake it was, and how he felt like she spoiled him for others.
“Scott, I have something you need to know,” Sherry said, looking into his hazel eyes, “I have waited for a long time to tell you, and I know this may not be the proper time, but I want you to give me a chance.”
Scott looked at her, a little puzzled by her request.
“Delia treated you like a toy. I would never do that. We’ve been friends for nearly a year and a half, and I want more.”
“More?”
“I want you. I love that we’re friends, but I want us to do more. I have been falling for you for a long time, Scott.”
Scott finally was able to put two and two together, and he was quite shocked with her admission.
“I need a little time, but ask me in a week. I need to heal a bit from Delia.”
“Take the time you need. I will be patient and wait for you.”
After a week had passed, Scott answered Sherry with a yes, and they both started dating each other. For the next 4 months, it was an incredible time of fun, getting to know each other further, and even the occasional snogging in the basement music rooms underneath Spiller Hall.
A bright spring monday found the couple walking from the dormitories on the east side of campus toward their first class of the day, all the way on the other side of campus. They talked about what was going to happen in class, and just enjoyed each other’s time wrapped around each other. As they passed the campus amphitheatre, Sherry’s maroon colored hair started to feel like it was standing on end. She felt very unnerved by what she felt. She looked across the amphitheatre as they continued to walk, and she found what was causing the problem.
She saw Delia Mendez staring and glaring directly at her. Never blinking, it was as if she was trying to bore holes through Sherry’s head.
She looked at Scott, and moved her head closer to his neck, resting it on his shoulder. Scott looked down at her and wondered why she was a little more close now. He liked it.
Everyday for the next week, the same exact thing played out multiple times all over campus. Even when Sherry wasn’t around Scott, she still felt those eyes boring through her.
She finally couldn’t bear with it, and she finally broke down and told Scott during one of their downtimes.
“I think Delia is stalking us.”
“Why would Delia be stalking us?” Scott wondered aloud, “She dumped me for Tarik Narala, the head of the MCC. I’m not interested in her, I’m only interested in you.”
“I don’t know, I just think that she may not be with Tarik anymore. And she may be trying to force her way between us.”
“If she’s doing all that you’ve said, then it looks like we’ll have to be a bit more guarded.”
Sherry blinked, hesitating to ask what that meant. She usually knew what that was code for: to hide and go to classes separately.
“What that means, Sherry, is that I will have to start looking out along with you.”
“That is not going to happen. She tried to make me her toy. I remember it. She won’t be grabbing me from you.”
She moved in closer to him and rested, relaxed in knowing that he would be with her.
The next morning, they walked together towards their first class, as usual. This time, though, at the same area as the previous weeks, the couple now came face to face with Delia and a few others who made a line across the main path. Sherry and Scott stopped just before the line of people, and looked at Delia.
Delia pointed her dark skinned hands at Scott.
“Give him to me.”
Sherry looked at her, and gently moved in front of him.
“No.”
“Sherry Makinami, I am going to take back my property. There is nothing you can do about it.”
Sherry looked at her, and she steeled her resolve.
Delia chuckled, and returned to a sour looking face.
“You will hand him over, or my guys will take him by force.”
“Is that a threat, Delia?” Scott said, “Because if it is, that means that I feel like my life is in danger.”
“Oh, you know me, Scott. I wouldn’t do that. I just happen to believe that you are still mine, and I am going to take you.”
Sherry looked at her, finally disgusted with everything. She was getting mad, and this was not going to be good if Delia did what Sherry thought she was going to do.
“Over my dead and mangled body, Delia.”
Delia just smirked.
“Granted.”
She put her hand out and gave a swift forward motion. The men in the line next to her proceeded to walk over to Scott and grab him.
Sherry realized that he was now officially in danger, and she had to act. She took off her glasses, and stared directly into Delia’s eyes. She stared for a good long time, moving her hands from her side to her head. Her face started to form into a snarl of concentration, her eyes never leaving contact.
Delia didn’t notice it at first, but she noticed quickly that she was starting to get a small headache. As the seconds went by, the headache got worse and worse. The pain increased tenfold, and her eyes opened wide in a panic. She started to scream out loud from the pressure that was building in her head. It was unbearable, feeling like her head was being torn apart. The last thing she saw was Sherry’s hand moving swiftly down into the ground, and the sidewalk coming up quick to meet her.
As soon as Delia’s face planted into the sidewalk, the men that were getting real close to hurting Scott suddenly let go.
“What the hell are we doing here? We’re missing practice!” They said to each other, mumbling about things and grabbing their stuff to get out of there.
Scott looked at Sherry, who was now kneeling on the ground and in tears. Her face was covered in tears, the water pouring down her face like Multnomah Falls. He walked up behind her, knelt down, and hugged her tight, yet gently.
“I…” she started saying, through sobs, “…I didn’t want to do that. But….they were going to hurt you…”
He held her and quietly shushed her, whispering in her ear to let all of it go.
“I guess I need to tell you about this, Scott…” she said, sniffling, as it was going to be a long story that would easily take a couple of days for her to tell.
He just kept hugging her, and looking at her. He slowly moved around to the front, and looked straight into her eyes.
“I love you no matter what, Sherry. Let us talk about this over at Rennie’s. It’ll be easier for both of us,” he told her.
Somehow, in her heart, Sherry knew that things were not going to be the same between herself and the student populace of the University of Oregon. However, she knew that she had a keeper in Scott, and she would reveal everything to him that day.
Music and Fiction 