Razzle Basil (Part 2)

Razzle Basil (Part 2)

Up until my final year at University, I had never been in a fight in my entire life.It’s amazing how quickly that can change, particularly when a guy tries to hit on your girlfriend. Old Scott wasn’t expecting me to confront him inside the Student Union.  I suppose that’s why he almost wet himself.‘You didn’t have to do it,’ Tia sighed as she messily chewed on her spag bol. ‘I handled myself pretty well when he tried to chat me up.’I almost choked on my own plate of food (thankfully I had just swallowed the final mouthful).

‘Tia, the creep tried to grope you!’‘You’re not worth the effort,’ Scott had said, when I had requested he fight me then and there. ‘Tia deserves a better man, you know?’As he turned his back on me, I saw red.  The next I knew, I was grappling with him, trying my hardest to place my hands around his stupid neck.  He fought back, hard.He made a valiant effort to defend himself, until my knee drove heavily into his lower back.  There was a sharp cracking sound, followed by a howl of pain.Whatever I had caused him, I hoped it had inflicted some lasting damage.‘I don’t like it when you’re aggressive, even if its just to protect me,’ Tia revealed.  I arched my eyebrows in confusion.

‘Then how do you suggest I fight off the men who try and touch you up?’ I asked.‘You don’t need to.  I had already dealt with him with a swift kick to the meat and two veg.’Naturally, we threw a rocking masquerade party to celebrate that revelation.In all honesty, despite I was obviously amazed that Tia was a kickass young lady, I was secretly impressed that I had got away with almost breaking someone’s back.  I would have assumed that kind of behaviour could have got me kicked out of University, or worse, thrown in jail.  It made me think that I could perhaps get away with a bit more than that in the future.Our final results came around quicker than I anticipated.I ended up scraping my way through with a 2:1.Tia was surprised she had achieved a 2:2, despite she had flunked her final few assignments (it turned out that a Technology degree is hard as balls).She was so eager to receive her diploma that she forgot to wear her cap and gown on the big day. I was polite enough to lend her my gown when she inevitably became cold.‘Where do we go from here?’ Tia asked later that day, when we were sitting in the snow, freezing our arses off.‘Well…’ I slid closer to her side.  I tilted my head up to the sky, her eyes following suit.

‘The world is ours to do as we please.  Let’s make a difference.’And also see what other crimes we can get away with…  My thoughts whispered.

 

 

 

 

Razzle Basil (Part 1)

Razzle Basil (Part 1)

Growing up, I always felt like the fat dorky little brother who couldn’t do anything right.  My older brothers, Rolo and Orion, were both so cool and awesome.  Rolo was a talented musician and Orion was literally a walking encyclopedia, not to mention he was part fricking alien!  As for me, I could barely mix a simple drink after weeks of practicing.  Flash forward a few years later.Yeah, I blossomed, so to speak, particularly after discovering we had a gym at home.Some of it was down to genetics as well.  My birth father hadn’t been a bad looking guy, even in his elder years; it was a shame he died shortly after my seventeenth birthday.Tia, my girlfriend since high school, was still with me for some reason.  She was beautiful, but modest about it, preferring others to judge her based on her personality and talents.She was a naturally great mixologist, but had ambitions to join the army after graduating from University.Oh yeah, University, I almost forgot.  Like Rolo and Niki, we decided to go to the same University and be the lovey-dovey couple everyone hates.I chose to study business.  It seemed like a more secure qualification than studying Communications or something.I was a natural born leader, so it seemed.  Or bullshitter maybe.  Whatever it was, people always seemed to hang on my every last word.I was simply just a smart Alec.  The lecturers weren’t as convinced.  One in particular used to pick on me relentlessly, often stating I knew no better when I tried to pull him up on something he had literally just pulled out from his arse.I tried my hardest not to get up and punch him by reassuring myself that he would be dead before long.      ‘You don’t think I’m being sensitive, do you?  I mean, Professor Greenwood is known for being a bit of a dick, right?’‘You want my honest opinion?’ Tia asked.  I nodded, desperate for a true answer.‘Ok then… You can be a bit obnoxious at times.  You should let other people express their ideas once in a while.  You’ll probably find that’s the reason why Professor Greenwood is being a dick to you.’ Admittedly, I didn’t take Tia’s honesty as well as I should have.  I promptly discarded my fork and left the meal she had cooked me sitting on the table as I stormed off, muttering that I was no longer hungry.Although we slept side by side that night, we didn’t speak a word to each other like we usually did.  The following morning, we ended up in the study room together, once again in a heavy silence.    Instead of coming up with a flawless business strategy for a candy store, I was mostly wondering how I could make things up to her.Tia had only been looking out for me after all and I had rudely shunned her for it.That evening, I made the most romantic gesture I could think of; ordering pizza.  What sort of girl could turn away pizza? Certainly not the lovely Tia.‘Does this make up for me being a jerk now?’‘Hmm,’ Tia mused, ‘Almost.’ So, after that, we ended up at the Loading Bar and played video games to goodness knows what hour.And then, to round up the evening, I made her feel special… …If you know what I mean.I think she forgave me after all that, which was just as well because I didn’t honestly know what I would do if she wasn’t by my side.

Roly Poly (Part 2)

Roly Poly (Part 2)

Throughout Uni, Niki and I remained as strong as ever. We often got scolded at by our roommates for frolicking about in the bathroom. Orion was one of these people, that was until he suddenly gained an interest in his physical fitness after he had struggled to unscrew a jar of pickles one evening (Niki had to assist him).  After that he was always either in the gym, or at the Student Union studying.After my experience with Elvis, I had distanced myself from making any real friends. Niki had become good friends with Tiffany, a sweet, but sometimes air-headed girl from her course.  She was a pro when it came to pulling off the duck face.  Orion and I quickly warmed to her.  Before long, the four of us started hanging out together to eat or study in the brightly coloured dorm kitchen.  ‘What are you cooking for us tomorrow, Rolo?’ Tiffany asked, cradling a greasy slice of leftover pizza in her hand.  We had a cooking arrangement, which pretty much no one ever stuck to, apart from me and Orion.‘I’m not sure Tiff, perhaps you should consider cooking us up something for once,’ I half-joked.‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Orion promptly reminded everyone.A few months back, I had been sitting indoors with the others, catching up on some coursework when Tiffany poked her head around the kitchen door and said nervously that she was having trouble with grilling the hot-dogs on the BBQ outside.

Thinking she was merely having issues with switching on the grill, I followed her outside.  Unfortunately, the problem was far worse than I anticipated.‘How did you manage to catch the bloody BBQ on fire?’ I asked, not impressed.   I had no idea such a feat was possible, especially with an electric grill.  As it turned out, she had added fuel to the base of the BBQ, then had lit it up with a lighter.      The flames continued to burn out of control.  Tiffany had the cheek to faint on me whilst  I tried to extinguish them.  Fortunately, no one died, so all was well.Of course it meant I was the one stuck with making dinner that night, since Tiffany was feeling too “woozy”.‘I think Niki should cook for once,’ Orion decided as he chewed contently on his pizza slice.‘If you want me to end up poisoning everyone, then sure,’ Niki laughed, not even looking up from her tablet.The following day, Niki and I were playing beer pong in the communal garden.  We clearly had nothing better to do with ourselves.‘Graduation’s only a few weeks away.  We need to throw a party to celebrate, see everyone off in style!’ Niki decided. Somehow, that girl could be more of a party animal than me.  ‘I think you’re forgetting that I was almost arrested the last time we threw a huge party, Niki…’Yes indeed, that had been an interesting night.Mr. Officer clearly hadn’t been a fan of our music.We ended up being fined, and the party flopped like a fish out of water.‘That was hiliarious,’ Niki laughed. ‘Come on though, I think that only had something to do with us blasting One Direction at ear-splitting volume.  It won’t happen again, especially if you provide the entertainment with your guitar instead.’   Alas, I threw in the towel and decided one more party wouldn’t hurt, particularly to celebrate the end of our exams and coursework.I put my guitar skills to good use that night.  And no, I didn’t get arrested, sorry to disappointment anyone.Graduation day rocked by too quickly.  Somehow, I passed my degree with a 2:1.It was a very emotional day.Obviously, Orion ended up with a first.As did Niki, the smart alec.I was very proud of her, and elated we could finally return home and start our own legacy.  Preferably under the same roof I had grown up in.Sadly, with my brain-box half-brother, Basil, to compete with, I knew it wouldn’t be easy.  

Roly Poly (Part 1)

Roly Poly (Part 1)

I never particularly wanted to go off to University.My life ambitions were already pretty clear; become an awesome composer and make a fortune doing something I loved.When Orion, my alien half-brother, and my girlfriend, Niki, announced their plans to go off to Sim State University and study, I felt like I had no choice but to join them.Naturally, I was worried about Orion settling in. I thought he would get bullied, what with being half-alien and all.Turned out everyone loved him and his quirky sense of humour.  He soon became more popular than I ever would.Good for him, I thought.The weeks rolled by.  Niki became buried in her business degree.  She had plans to start her own online empire, just to prove she wasn’t just a pretty face.As for me, I spent most my time playing computer games.  Hell, I was doing a Fine Arts degree!  I didn’t think it required much effort.  One evening, after a pretty hefty gaming session, I caught two of my room mates, Bobby Butler and Clark Gant, having a sneaky smooch in the kitchen. ‘About time you two got together,’ I said.  In truth, it was clear from day one that they had the hots for each other, which I personally found endearing.Unfortunately, not everyone shared the same views.  It was a shame that one of these people turned out to be my friend at the time, Elvis.‘I can’t believe those two queers,’ Elvis sneered as he dug into his dinner. ‘I’m still feeling queasy just thinking about them playing tonsil tennis.’At first I was shocked; a natural reaction to someone who you thought wasn’t a twat when it came to these things.  That’s why, to begin with, I thought, or rather hoped he was pulling a really tasteless joke.‘Relax, it’s not as if they were kissing you.’‘They might have well been; they were practically stood right next to me!’ His reply was reassurance that he was not joking around.  This was the real deal.‘I find it amusing that you’re so accepting of my brother, yet you can’t stand the sight of two men kissing,’ I explained, doing my best to keep a straight face.‘Being gay is a completely different matter,’ Elvis retorted, his voice sharp.  ‘It’s not as if your brother chose to be an alien.’By that point, I was done.  To refrain from throwing my plate into his face, I stood up.‘Come on, Rolo, you know it’s true,’ Elvis said, shoveling another mouthful of carbonara into his vile little mouth. ‘ You chose to be with Niki, didn’t you?’I didn’t answer him as, by that point, I had already walked away.  There was no point trying to convince him otherwise; he was too stuck in his ways.I apologised to Clark on Elvis’s behalf.  He had still been in the kitchen at the time of Elvis’s outburst.‘You have nothing to be sorry about!’ Was Clark’s response, horrified that I had felt the need to track him down in the science labs just to say what I felt was needed.‘No, I owe it to you. I associated myself with him.’‘And you ditched him as soon as you realised he was a dick,’ Clark said, before I could continue my speech.  ‘That’s good enough in my books.’I was glad that Clark didn’t seem all that fazed by what had happened in the kitchen. Still, it really pissed me off how narrow minded Elvis was.  The fact that he was the same age as me made it worse; I thought our generation had evolved past all that immature bullshit.  It also annoyed me that I had to compile a sketchbook for one of my degree units.  How was that meant to help me become a successful composer?I soon learnt the hard way that it wasn’t. Despite my confidence, I didn’t do as well as I anticipated when it came to exam time.As for Niki, well, naturally she smashed her exams.‘You need to buckle up and study harder next term,’ she lectured.  She never did want to be with a waster.  I doubt I would have even gone to Uni without her encouragement.Determined to do her and the Bailey name proud, I decided I couldn’t rely on the nature of my degree.  I had to go out there and earn it.

Pistachio’s Nuts (Part 2)

Pistachio’s Nuts (Part 2)

The plan to win back Nicole’s affections was flawless. First of all, I cut down on being a dick.  Second, she loved dancing; I’d seen her go crazy on several nights out – mostly grinding against other guys to try and make me jealous.  Problem was, although I was physically fit, I had two left feet when it came to dancing and always resorted to that awkward swaying thing people do, instead of risking breaking a limb. Therefore, using a thing called the internet, I started my hunt for the best dancer on campus. Unfortunately, I had grown addicted to this game called The Peeps, where you create your own little virtual people and stick them in house, then either drown, starve or set them on fire, so I soon forgot about my quest.Luck would have it, however, one of my roommates was a decent dancer, and she was willing to teach me.       And I thought I was doing pretty good, considering my foot condition.‘You’ve got a long way to go,’ she sighed, ‘maybe we should learn something simpler.’Many dance lessons later, I gatecrashed one of Nicole’s pool parties.  She was not best pleased, but I managed to convince her that I could convince her that I was a better man.I figured things could go no worse than when we had crossed paths a month or so after the whole hot-tub incident. ‘How about I take you inside and warm you up?’ I had purred into her ear.‘I’d rather choke to death on toilet paper,’  came her response.That was a dark day indeed.This time, I was confident my plan would work. ‘What are you doing?’ Nicole asked as I reached out and placed her hands in mine.‘I’ll be your domestic King,’ I proposed, ‘I’ve even learnt how to clean and everything.’‘Also, I didn’t intend for that to rhyme…’‘Err, ok, but you’re still a douche-bag,’  Nicole ever-so-bluntly stated.‘I beg to differ,’ I replied.  ‘I’ve actually also took the time to learn how to make the best waffles in the world.’‘Seriously, they’re rather delicious!’Placing my arms on her waist, I told her to follow my lead as we started dancing a crazy combination of the waltz and a drunken walrus.  Soon enough, we got the hang of it and it was rather pleasant being that close to her.‘You’re definitely the strangest guy I’ve ever met,’ Nicole sighed, drawing her lips close to mine.  Then we kissed, and quite honestly my brain shutdown after that.‘If you hurt me, I’ll make sure you suffer.’  Those were the sweet words that sealed the deal.  Ok, then my brain shutdown.Despite this, somehow, I ended up with first in my degree. I was pretty chuffed to say the least.Nicole did well too, achieving a 2:1.  I teased her that she missed out on a first because of all the rubbish parties she threw.She withdrew sex for almost two weeks.  It was a very dark time.Before we left University forever, there was one more thing we had to do.‘I’m pretty sure we could get arrested for trespassing,’ I stated, staring down at the hot tub that had tried to bring us together in the past, but had failed miserably.‘They’ll have to catch us first,’ Nicole mentioned.‘That’s my girl!’Sinking into the warmth of the hot tub, completely naked, I sighed out in bliss.  To think this whole thing has been Nicole’s idea. ‘Get over here, you!’‘You know, I really love you, army boy,’ Nicole cooed.  Usually such mushiness would have made me vomit, but since we were in a hot tub, that wouldn’t have been a good shout.Locking lips, I decided I could get used to spending the foreseeable future with this lovely lady; even if her parties were a little bit naff.

Maple’s Story (Part 2)

Maple’s Story (Part 2)

 

At the best of times I was unable to hide my frustrations, and this time I had a reasonable excuse.The odds of having Cory as a roommate were possibly as slim as being attacked by a pack of rabid wolves in a library, but sure enough I was subjected to the torment of having to see his charming face everyday during my final year, usually attached to the face of a pretty skinny girl.I wasn’t jealous or bitter or anything: I’d tried a fair bit of dating myself.  Sadly, I only seemed to attract the clingy geeky types.‘I have the entire box-set of the original Star Trek, you should come over so we can…’‘….Noooooo.’Truthfully, I felt bad about the guys I’d turned down: I was rather geeky myself and had always wanted to watch the entirety of the original Star Trek series.I realised I just needed to find the right guy to do it with. And it seemed the right guy was still out of my reach.  Cory had done his best to ignore me for the entire term, although I hadn’t exactly made an effort to talk to him either.  However, on the day before my graduation, we passed each other in the hallway of our dorms for one final time.‘Good luck tomorrow, Mape,’ Cory announced, several moments after we had crossed paths.         I spent the remainder of that evening in the comic book store, pretending that Cory hadn’t spoken to me, heart drumming frantically against my ribs.I had my graduation to worry about the following day, after all, and I couldn’t afford to obsess over the guy who had broken my heart.Luckily, that all went smoothly, unlike Almond’s graduation day, where she almost missed the ceremony due to there being a massive crowd outside.Later, I returned to the dorms with a smile on my face, proud I had managed to graduate with first class honors.‘How did it go?’ A deep voice asked.Turning around sharply, my heart sunk when I realised who those words belonged to.  Cory was holding a stack of plates, they wobbled in his hand slightly as he made his way across to the sink; I was convinced he was about to drop them.Pursuing him, I tried to answer his question before the atmosphere turned too awkward.  But, when he edged by me after washing up the final plate I realised I had left it too long.‘Listen, Cory, I don’t want things to be funny between us.’  Nice start, Maple, my thoughts teased.   ‘I’ve spent the last several months trying to think of the right thing to say to you,’ I continued, ‘and well, that hasn’t worked out so well.  So now I’m…’  Cory interrupted my ramblings, thankfully.‘Why do you think I’ve been trying to make small talk?’A girlish giggle rose from my throat.  All this time, we were both just searching for the right words to say to one another.  If only we’d known sooner.For the next several minutes we reminisced on the drunken times we had experienced, before our fatal one night stand.

‘I missed talking to you,’ Cory ended up confessing.There was a heavy silence; we gazed at one another, unsure where this moment was heading.  I could hear the loud voices and laughter of our roommates and a few other students coming from outside as they larked around in the hot-tub.  Suddenly, something inside me snapped. ‘You know what, you really have some nerve!’ I growled at Cory, all my resentment for him pouring out, like raindrops crashing down from the sky.   ‘I’ve waited over a year for an apology, and now you’re trying to breeze over things like nothing happened!  Well guess what?  You’ve blown your chance, mister, and…’     ‘I’ve got the entire box-set of the original Star Trek in my room,’ Cory announced.‘Wanna go watch?’With that, I forgot all about why I disliked Cory; at least temporarily. We did end up watching Star Trek, but I probably shouldn’t have slept with him again that evening, but I did, and naturally he was gone by the morning.  A year later- after his graduation- Cory did end up moving to Setra, but unfortunately not to be with me.  A career opportunity presented itself, which he couldn’t turn down.  However, with him living in close proximity, something was bound to happen between us…

Pistachio’s Nuts (Part 1)

Pistachio’s Nuts (Part 1)

‘Go long!’ I shouted across the courtyard.Of course, Maple, my not so athletically gifted sister, barely had time to react before the ball whacked against her thigh.

‘Oomph!  Goddammit, not so hard!’‘Ha, that’s what she said!’University was one of those things I was roped into since a Physical Education degree was necessary in order to apply to the military career these days.  Shame it was ridiculously easy.‘Conclusion; he should have eaten more food.’The first party I was ever invited to at University was rubbish, and I was more than happy to express my view about this.‘Hate to say it Nicole, you really suck at hosting parties.’I must have struck a nerve because Nicole started getting all sassy with me.

‘Ok, boy, why don’t you host your own party and show me how it’s done?’ ‘Hmm, that gives me a great idea.’‘Nicole, I am going to host my own party and show you how it’s done!’And so I started work on preparing my awesome party.  The first step was to the fix the juice keg, and modify slightly so more liquid would spurt out from the nozzle (whey oh!).  Then I compiled one of the best playlists of all times, so incredible that to this day I refuse to share it with anyone else.On the eve of the party, screeching like a nine year old girl at a One Direction concert, I shimmied over to the juice keg, where a couple of cute ladies were hanging out.It seemed they couldn’t keep their hands off my nozzle (whey oh!).  As I was about to suggest we got some body-shots going, I noticed that outside Nicole was sitting in the hot tub, fully clothed for some reason (at least from the waist up), all alone.  Handing my half-empty cup to the nearest person,  I tugged off my shirt and jeans, I rushed across the freezing cold grass and joined her in the bubbly warmth of the tub.

‘Hey, army boy,’ she teased, probably a reference to the camouflage patterned underwear I was wearing.‘You can take off your top, you know, and any other clothing really…’ I hinted.I half-expected her to get all sassy at me again, but instead her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

‘It’s my first time in a hot tub and, as stupid as it sounds, since it’s snowing, I was worried about getting cold.’  I couldn’t bring myself to laugh at her stupidity, considering I was probably just as drunk as she was.‘So,’ I said, placing my arms behind my head, ‘since I won our bet with my party being so much more awesome, I guess that means you have to sleep with me now?’Preparing to scoot over to her, I was surprised when Nicole recoiled in disgust.

‘Firstly, what bet?  Secondly, what the hell is wrong with you, weirdo?’Naturally, those words stung, but no more than watching her clamber out the hot tub, flaunting her perfect bum in my direction as she announced she was going home.‘And so I can only conclude that she’s a lesbian,’ I explained to Maple once we were back at home to celebrate some kind of special occasion or event.  As always, she remained silent as she shook her head disapprovingly.Back at Uni, it took a few more weeks of partying and working out like a beast to realise that I was a bit of a douche-bag.  That side of me had to change pronto if I wanted to live beyond the age of twenty-five.

Almond’s Credentials (Part 2)

 Almond’s Credentials (Part 2)

Despite being my older sister, Maple was someone I always had to keep an eye on.Most people found her tricky to read, but I was always aware when she was feeling troubled, which seemed to more than often whilst we were at Uni together.As much as she annoyed me sometimes, I couldn’t help feeling worried. Gary and I were still going strong, I felt lucky to have him as my rock.  I could sense Maple wanted to experience the same sort of thing, however her luck with guys never seemed to last.One day, when we were gaming on the computers in the comic book shop, I came up with a valid suggestion.‘Ever thought about online dating?’‘F*** off, Almond.’So that’s when Plan B came into play, which I devised whilst working on my dissertation.The plan went live on the night of my graduation, during a costume party I had persuaded Maple to arrange.  By the time I had returned home, after some celebratory drinks with a few fellow graduates, the house was fairly quiet apart from a few people still lingering in the kitchen.  Maple wasn’t anywhere in sight, and nor was Cory, the guy she fancied like mad, which I could only assume was a good thing.As my eyes scanned the bookshelf for a good intellectual book to curl up on the sofa with before bed, I couldn’t help but gloat to myself at how much of an awesome match maker I was.

‘Almond, slight problem.’ Maple’s voice interrupted my thoughts.  In that single moment, my pride came crashing down and was stamped on as she told me what had occurred whilst I’d been out downing vodka and cranberries.‘I bumped into Cory in the bathroom,’ Maple spoke in a haunted tone.  My heart still jumped in excitement.  They hadn’t properly interacted since their one night stand several months ago- Cory was usually quick to leave the room if she had entered it.  This was why I hoped this party would force them back together, particularly by deliberately barricading off the downstairs bathroom so everyone would be forced to use the one upstairs, or least help them made amends.Apparently Maple had outright confessed to Cory that they should get over their drunken blunder and start their friendship anew.  Cory agreed, a little too quickly according to Maple.Then, she stepped in to hug him, a way to seal the deal, she explained.  That was when he pushed her away, much to her dismay.‘I asked him what was wrong.’‘The expression on his face said it all,’ Maple sighed.‘He had changed his mind in the space of three seconds.  Apparently even the thought of being friends is weird after what happened.  Also, he admitted that I’m not his type.’I stood there dumbfounded.  I didn’t understand how things had backfired so spectacularly.  Cory had seemed enthusiastic about attending the party when I had invited him on Maple’s behalf .Suddenly, everything clicked into place and I felt stupid for not realising the truth sooner.  I didn’t have the heart to explain it all to Maple, but it was quite obvious who Cory’s type was.‘Oh, and another thing…’ Maple spoke cautiously. ‘I’ve kind of broken one of the sinks in the bathroom.’And so I spent the early hours of the morning fixing that sink to avoid us being fined by the University, and possibly having my degree revoked. After that night I made a promise that the sink would be the last thing I would fix for Maple.  Even though she was my sister, I knew it would be impossible to keep trying to repair her broken relationships.  That job was purely down to her.

Maple’s Story (Part 1)

Maple’s Story (Part 1)

I’d always lived in my sister’s shadow, despite she was the younger one.  She was smarter, prettier and skinnier than me.  Over the years I’d grown to accept my looks, and my love for food genuinely couldn’t be helped.Instead I studied hard to get into University, despite it took me a couple of attempts, just so my family could be proud of me.  And once I was there, I did my best to keep my grades up.This was whilst I was digging around for husband material… Or should I say father material since I wasn’t big on the whole marriage thing.  It’s not like I needed a man for that kind of support.The drunken ones were the easiest of prey.Unfortunately, even the least appealing seemed to reject my advances, as if they somehow sensed or knew about my intentions.Sometimes I got lucky, but they were the sorts who were only after a one night stand, not a friend with benefits type deal.‘You’ll find someone eventually,’ an optimistic voice I was growing to love and despise at the same time, constantly reminded me whenever I was experiencing my lowest of lows.  Cory Minton had kind of just been there since my first night  of Uni.  He wasn’t even my roommate, nor were we on the same course, we’d just ended up mingling with the same crowd of people.  Funnily enough, he was right with the whole finding someone thing… sort of.It was the usual scenario; the guy in question was too drunk to stand on his feet, so I had led him into my dorm room, offering him the comfort of my lovely warm bed.   This was usually just a euphemism for something else entirely, but since it was Cory,  I was honestly trying to help him to safely sober up.  He was genuinely a good friend, and not someone I had really planned on sleeping with.

‘You’re really drunk, aren’t you?’ I sighed, when he refused to help me navigate him onto my bed.  Instead he rooted himself by my desk, gazing at some stills I had taken earlier that week for a student film project I was involved with.‘You’re so talented, Mape,’  Cory slurred, pawing through the photos on my desk, ‘I wish I could draw like you.’‘You’re really drunk,’ I laughed.  Besides the obvious factor I hadn’t drawn anything, Cory hated art and everything it stood for.In protest, Cory shook his head thoroughly, instantly regretting his action as he swayed and lost his balance.  Instantly, my arm reached out and landed on his waist to steady him.  After that, my face was probably a bit closer to him than usual, and he was staring at me with his wide puppy dog eyes.Realising I’d probably never get a chance to sleep with someone as adorable as him, and that I didn’t want anyone else to do it, I dove straight in for the kill.Poor lad must have been really inebriated because, just seconds later, he was kissing me back, hands sliding down my waist, hoisting up my dress.  As we tumbled onto the bed, he muttered something about wanting this for a while, in all honesty by that stage my mind had stopped functioning long enough for me not to care that this would be something I’d regret in the morning.And boy, did I.

Almond’s Credentials (Part 1)

Almond’s Credentials (Part 1)

Knowledge was something I had always craved, which was why I was so excited to go off to University, just like my ancestors had done.  Being the first of my siblings to attend was also an achievement but mainly down to Maple unfortunately failing her final year at college, twice, thus having to stay behind until she would eventually pass.

Due to the increase of students at Simstate University, a brand new hall of residence had been built; it’s modern appeal made a change from the vintage style halls that had plagued the campus since goodness knows when.I settled in swiftly and even gave football a small try with one of my roommates.Despite his skinny build, he was a brilliant athlete and quite possibly could have given my brother a run for his money.Over the next few months I did my best to work and study hard.However, distractions soon took shape in the form of a guy called Gary Clyde, a second year Fine Arts student whom worked part-time around the campus as a magician.The fact he managed his own mini-business and schedule instantly appealed to me, and soon enough I was chatting to him about profits and margins instead of drinking myself stupid and dancing provocatively, like most other students.In classes, my concentration soon started to diminish.Things soon got heated after Gary confessed his attraction for me         And that’s when I started to panic.  I couldn’t afford to mess up my degree, but at the same time I didn’t want to throw a guy like Gary away.In the end, I turned to my love guru roommate, Mimi and expressed my woes.‘Aren’t you supposed to be the smart one?  You can still date Gary and get a decent degree; just don’t burn the candle at both ends.’‘I guess,’ I sighed, ‘it’s just the uncertainty of things that’s worrying me.’     ‘That’s the point of life, hun, no one truly knows what’s going to happen.  Anyway, I’ll snap him up if  don’t, so hop to it.’The next time I saw Gary, I wasted no time reciprocating his feelings.His warm smile literally melted my heart, and I realised, to an extent, I still had control over my future and what I wanted to achieve.  Juggling a relationship with a career, it wouldn’t be at all easy, but if my own parents had managed it then I knew I could too.After that, I learnt how to relax and take things easy, whilst maintaining a decent attendance record and assessment grades.  Most my ancestors had managed it after all, so what did I have left to fear?Oh, that’s right, Maple!