My name is not Charlie. Or John. Or Matthew or Sam or Billy. It’s Zachary, but everyone calls me Zac, except my parents when I’m in trouble. As it should be.
The first thing I did when I woke up that morning was get out of bed. I mean, I’m telling you, the bed is going to be the high light of my years at Houghton College. Why? Because Jake (my roomie) and I bunked our beds and I get the top bunk! I mean, c’mon, I spent years and years sleeping on that trundle underneath Taylor’s bed. Way down the bottom. I mean, c’mon people! Trundles are only one step above sleeping on the floor. And now, now I am so high up.
What can I say? I’m happy!
When my landing thudded on the floor (why climb down when you can jump?) I suspect I may have roused Jake slightly. Too bad if he doesn’t like it. He is just going to have to get used to it. Then I headed down the hallway to the communal bathroom. It’s times like these where you miss hotel rooms.
Anyway, so I went and did some of those first thing in the morning type things. You probably don’t need to know all the details. I groaned when I looked at myself in the mirror though.
It’s really not fair. Not fair at all. Unlike Ike and Tay, I have to shave every day. Just my luck. Maybe I should grow a beard. In fact, if I’m lucky maybe one day I’ll look just like Rip Van Winkle. Oh whoo hoo.
Anyway, moving right along, I’d like to say if was a fine, sunny day, but it was still raining. In fact, now that I’m thinking about it, I’m pretty shocked that Ike, Tay and I didn’t get caught in the rain yesterday when we went looking for places to get kicked out of. A shame there aren’t any. A real shame. If it wasn’t for all the studying I know I’ll have do to, I’m worried I’ll get bored.
So, anyway, finally completely all first thing in the morning type things, I put my things back into my room and headed downstairs for breakfast. Ahh... food... Isaac and Taylor’s roommates joined us, along with Jake and Tobias’s girlfriends, and their roommates. Well all got acquainted after some freaking out from Cassie and Rachel (don’t ask me why, maybe they were shocked at our bed hair or something) and then finally got down to the important work at hand. Eating breakfast before it got cold. Or soggy.
“I’m better go too,” I said after I’d finished. “First calculus class this morning.”
“Calculus?” Nory repeated. “I have that too.”
“Cool!” I grinned. “We can sit next to each other and pass notes during class.”
Nory gave me an odd look and then giggled. I got up and headed to my dorm to get my stuff for calculus and then headed to the class.
“Hi Nory, long time, no see,” I joked, meeting her on the way.
“Hi Zac,” she smiled back.
We went in, got lectured at, actually jotted down calculus notes and passed cartoons of the professor to each other. Or rather, I passed cartoons to Nory. She was a complete spoil sport and didn’t send any back. But I did see her giggle at a couple of them. Hee hee hee.
**********
After class I headed back up to my dorm to put away my stuff. As I walked to the door I could hear voices. No, they weren’t inside my head, they were on the other side of the door.
“Although, the idea of Taylor walking into his room and seeing a red-tailed hawk on the top bunk is sort of funny."
They laughed and I shook my head. Huh?
"Or Zac walking in and finding a Siberian tiger sitting at your computer."
Oook... must be one of those random discussions about nothing. Where would they get a tiger from? Their laughter subsided as I walked in and for a fleeting moment I actually thought they had been having a serious discussion that they didn’t want overheard by the wrong ears. How stupid is that?
"Hey Zac," Jake said, "How was your class?"
"Dude, it rocked. I seriously love Calculus."
I saw Jake and Marco looking at each other in the corner of my eye as I put my stuff away.
"Well, chicos, I'd love to hang around and chat, but I have a class soon, so I will now be off. See you later!" Marco said, and he left.
**********
After lunch (I love my food) I met up with Isaac and Taylor and we hung out a bit before I had to go to our music history class. Where, once again, I drew cartoons of the professor and err, would have passed them to people if there was anyone else in the class that I knew. Man, take all the fun out of it.
“Blah blah blah in the year blah.”
“Blah.” I objected.
Everyone looked at me. I was even surprised at myself. I mean, you just don’t talk back to the teacher on the first day, even if they are wrong. Maybe the second day, but not the first.
“Who said that?”
“I did.”
“I see. And what makes you think you know more than I about blah blah blah blah.”
“I’m Zac Hanson.”
Silence.
“I stand corrected,” and he went on with his lecture.
It was all I could do to stop myself from laughing and I know the people around me stole glances.
Afterwards I met up with my brothers on the way back to the dorms and it was then that we saw it. What it was, I don’t know exactly but it looked remarkably like a bright green light in the sky.
“Umm, a neon light from a building somewhere?” Taylor suggested.
“Where? What building?” asked Isaac. “We just got lost in town yesterday, there weren’t any.”
“It’s probably a place or a helicopter or something like that then.”
“But don’t they have white lights? Or red lights?”
“Maybe they’re being different,” I put in. “It’s the latest trend in plane lights.”
“Hey guys,” Rachel said, joining up with us. “What’s so interesting?”
“It’s a green light,” Taylor grinned. “We’re trying to figure out where it comes from.”
“Actually,” I said slyly. “We already know where it comes from, but if we tell you, then we’ll have to kill you.”
“Oh really?” Rachel drawled. “What if I said please?”
“Oh, well, that changes everything!” I said gleefully. “It comes from an alien spaceship.”
“From Mars?”
“No, don’t be stupid. It comes from Alpha Banana. That’s another solar system a few solar systems away,” I sighed wistfully. “One of these days I’m going to visit there. With a detour via Albertane, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Alpha Banana?” Taylor repeated. “Zac? I thought we told you to leave the drugs at home.”
“And I thought we told you to bring your brain.”
“Brain?” Isaac repeated. “What brain?”
“Yeah, exactly,” I snickered.
“They really do love me, Rachel, they just won’t admit it.”
“I’m sure you won’t admit you love them too.”
“Yeah I would.”
“Then tell them, right now. At the top of your lungs. In front of all these people.”
“Umm, no.”
“Aww, why not Tay?” I chuckled.
“Yeah, don’t you love us?” Isaac chortled.
Isaac and I looked at each other and grinned.
“Oh wow, that’s a good one, Ike,” Taylor commented, rolling his eyes.
“Y’know, I don’t think I want to talk to him any more,” Isaac said.
“Yeah, he doesn’t love us,” I agreed.
“See what you’ve gone and done?” Taylor said to Rachel.
“Who? Me?”
“Yes you.”
“Couldn’t be.”
“Then who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?” my brothers and I yelled.
Rachel groaned.