Twice Over

Chapter 144 - Dithering

dithering
verb
1. be indecisive.
2. add white noise to (a digital recording) to reduce distortion of low-amplitude signals.
3. display or print (a colour image) in such a way that it appears to contain more colours than are really available.

OK, so Wednesday sucked. Like, donkey's eyeballs. Move along now. Bring on Thursday, or better yet – Friday. Let's just forget all that had even happened.

Let me explain. I was up very late last night reading material and making notes on my new night club and forgot that I had an early class in the morning – and a group meeting before my early class. So I dragged myself up at oh-dark-early and got to the university campus for this meeting before class. Yes. Before class. So early!

I missed breakfast and ran out of steam before my first Business Management class even ended. It dragged on and all I could do was drink water from the water bottle in my school bag to quench my hunger. As soon as the lecture ended I was up and out of the lecture theatre lickety-split. I raced – slowly – across campus to get something to eat and as I was entering my favourite campus cafe, I ran into Mr Anginelli. Again. I actually bumped into him in almost the same way as the first few times – at the entrance of a building.

He had banged into my right shoulder and I ended up dropping the phone in my hand and smashing the screen. Without even looking at who he had bumped into, he nearly growled at me to watch where I was going then stammered when he realised it was little-ol' me. He then asked me if I was OK. I was still picking up the glass that came off the screen of my phone. I hid the broken thing behind my back, waved him off and tried to step past him through the cafe doors to buy some eats. Hungry.

"Are you sure you're OK, Ms Twice?" He asked as he followed me into the cafe.

"I'm all good. Please don't worry." I smiled, you know, one of those strained smiles that you use when you don't really mean what you're saying. I think he finally got the message to leave me alone. Or so I thought.

"How about I buy you a meal? You're here for lu-lunch? Let me buy it for you – as an ah, an apology?" He was stammering, then rubbing the back of his head.

"N-no, its OK." Now I found myself stammering. The heck?

"I must insist." He turned to order off the coffee menu, then realised he didn't know what I liked. Or that I even liked coffee. He um'ed and ah'ed and finally turned to me.

"Would you like a coffee? Or perhaps a tea? Aah – Hot chocolate...?" It was really hard to get past the look on his face, like he was imploring me to give this chance to him to make things right.

"No, its OK. I'll just take a sandwich to go." By this time I was really embarrassed and red in the face. Everyone was staring at us, arguing about who was going to buy lunch for who. Then my tummy rumbled and I was mortified.

"Asparagus rolls, lemon berry tart. Warm water." I quickly blurted out what I had planned to buy and moved towards the edge of the counter where the checkout was. He ordered what I wanted, then waited with me. In silence.

While we waited. I felt my phone buzz, but the screen was broken so I didn't know what to do as I couldn't unlock it to answer the call. I had left the classroom before waiting for my escorting guard as I was so hungry. Neither Grant or Patricia were on campus with me today.

Now I realised that I was in a pickle. My team couldn't contact me and I wasn't where I was supposed to be. I took the food in the paper bag given by the cafe serving staff, threw a quick thank you to the awkward, handsome guy then tried to quickly leave.

And bumped straight into his sister, Molly Anginelli on my way out. She took one look at me, then her older brother who was following close behind and obviously trying to apologise again then screamed at the top of her lungs: