The tiresome months of the spring semester, defined by crisp mornings and dreary afternoons, seemed even more agonizing during my junior year. The struggles of early morning practice and late-night section were overshadowed by the incessant complaints of my friend, Erica, which quickly became insufferable.
Rapidly approaching her twenty-first birthday, Erica exhibited the muddled thoughts of any young person in love. Having fallen for her best friend, Jack, Erica was waiting for the right moment to reveal her true feelings. Of course, in typical fashion, this right moment ended up being a drunken twenty-first birthday meltdown in Hegeman.
Consisting of tears, slammed doors, Taylor Swift, and far, far too many shots, Erica’s twenty-first birthday highlight reel might not seem too out of the ordinary. However, the chaotic aftermath was like nothing I’d ever seen before. While all signs pointed to Jack’s reciprocation of Erica’s love for him, the boy denied Erica’s rightful place in his heart and left her at a loss for words. Don’t worry though, those words came in the days, weeks, and months that followed, at the expense of my freedom, solitude, and sanity.
The semester resulted in several existential crises, late-night drives to Newport, and wild (and very questionable) escapades. Initially, appeasing Erica required more energy than I’d ever expended exercising, studying, or people-watching combined. For a while, I considered my escape options which became increasingly dramatic by day. Day 1: I could run away and hide, day 2: I could drop out of college, day 3: I could fake my own death. Luckily, after a matter of weeks, her groans and grievances settled into the recesses of my mind. I trained myself to nod, sigh, and agree with everything she said in perfect rhythm, ultimately sailing as smoothly as one might through the final month of junior year.
Against the backdrop of the upcoming summer, Erica’s bitter resentment towards Jack appeared to subside. Prior to the disaster which ensued in the spring, Erica had agreed to live with Jack during our senior year, and for the sake of peaceful coexistence, she had decided to let go of her frustrations. Parting ways for the summer, I could only hope for the best upon our return to Brown.
As it turns out, Erica and Jack are the perfect model of a modern-day fairytale. Upon arriving back on campus this fall, everything seemed a little too calm. Erica is notoriously dramatic, yet I hadn’t heard reports of Jack’s annoying habits or grumpiness for a suspiciously long time. It had been at least 24 hours. After a bit of sleuthing, I discovered that Jack had realized he was being a dumbass and now they’re dating–don’t ask me how it happened, I’ve heard the story a thousand times and it still makes no sense. It’s been about three weeks and I’m already receiving news of marriage proposals and wedding plans…so I guess it’s going well?
All I know is at least its not a complete disaster…anymore.
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