The Prince and the Plant Whisperer

Intro Psychology

[~~Posted Mar. 1, '21]

From that point on, Kai and Lilly became friends with Barry.

Barry liked fantasy video games. Dungeons and Dragons... That sort of thing. And he started jokingly calling Kai "My Lord."

Because Kai was his knight in shining armor. She was the Lancelot who'd saved him from an evil swarm of eggs.

Campus gossips said Barry Levay was in love with that girl Kaia Bei. He follows her around like a puppy...

But Kai knew better.

That morning, all three met for breakfast at Gaffigan. They set down trays of eggs, fruit and tea at an empty table.

Then Barry turned to Kai with a surprise: "My brother wants to meet you."

Barry had a brother?

"He's a junior," Barry said. "Tom."

Tom Levay.... the name sounded familiar.

"OH!" Lilly shouted. "He's like famous on campus. Didn't he win that debate championship last year? He's going to be a big politician, right?"

"Can you meet him tonight?" Barry asked Kai. "He wants to give you something."

"Give me something?!" Kai asked, alarmed.

"Just a small thing."

Hmm. A friend's brother... was also a friend. "OK," she relented.

Barry texted her an address downtown. Off campus. 5PM.

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But first, before meeting Barry's brother, Kai had to take Intro Psych 101 with Lilly.

As the two girls shuffled along leaf-covered sidewalks, the cold September wind ruffled their hair. They stopped short outside the psychology building, amazed. It was an ornate stone edifice with tall gothic spires.

"Selfie time!" Lilly grabbed Kai's arm. "This is historic. Our first class together!"

Before Kai could protest, Lilly posted a picture of the two of them.

Lilly texted Kai the picture—"so you can post it too..."

Then she remembered: Kai had almost no social media. Her anonymous TikPics account had a grand total of six followers. Lilly. Barry. The two other girls on their floor—Rochelle and Priya. And Beth.

And Kai's dentist back home, who also loved houseplants.

Yes, Kai's account consisted of 73 pictures of houseplants.

Oh—just yesterday, Kai got one new follower. @wyhascent. Probably another plant lover who'd found her pictures of succulents and peace lilies.

This was her first follower she didn't know in real life!

It made Kai feel almost as famous as Lady Gaga.

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Intro Psychology: Lukas arrives at the large lecture hall. With his broad stride, he'd walked briskly to class. But still, he's late. Several hundred students already fill the hall, and its lights have dimmed.

He ducks into an empty chair in the back.

From his seat, his eyes sweep across the room. He scans the other students there—the backs of their heads indistinguishable in the shadows.