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I should've known something was wrong when the tables featured beer coupons and condoms instead of journals and pens. That, and my "college friends" are nowhere to be found.
I pull out my phone to text them about how horrible the poet is, but a set of messages from my dorm manager brings my night to a sudden halt.
Dorm Manager
Hey. I just walked by your room, and you weren't there.
Dorm Manager
It's way past curfew. Where are you?
Shit…
Me
Are you sure I wasn't in there?
Dorm Manager
I'm standing in your room right now. I've also called you three times...
Call me back. Now.
I swallow and look around. This place is an hour and a half Amtrak train ride from my academy, and it's way too loud.
Standing up from my chair, I squeeze through the tables and run to the restroom.
As I take my place in line, her name crosses my screen via phone call, and I can see my life falling apart as I send her straight to voicemail.
I count the number of women ahead of me, but then I notice there's no line on the men's side. Panicking, I rush to that door and slip inside.
It's empty and strikingly bare, like it hasn't seen a visitor all day.
Walking past the urinals and toward the sink, I return her call.
"Finally," she says. "Where are you really?"
"I'm in the private studio room at the library," I say. "Sorry, Heather”
"Again?" She sighs. "I know that place is cool, but I literally sat you down about curfew last weekend."
"It's the only time I get the entire place to myself."
"I can understand that." There's a smile in her voice. "I'll let this slide one last time, but you need to be back by midnight from here on out on weekends, okay?"
"Okay."
"Another thing," she says. "I don't think you should—Wait. What's that sound?"
The walls are pulsating with a heavy bass, meaning the master poet has added music to his performance, or a DJ has finally run him offstage.
"I don't hear anything," I say, turning on the sink and stooping down. "I mean, unless you're talking about my rain and music playlist. The volume on my laptop has been acting pretty crazy lately."
"Oh, mine too." She laughs. "Weird. Anyway, since we have tons of incoming staff joining us on campus this year, a few things will be different. Have you looked at the new Advanced Filmmaking syllabus?"
The door suddenly opens behind me, and I turn away, crouching lower against the sink.
"Yeah, I uh—" I turn down the water. "I'm looking at those changes right now. They'reveryintriguing."
