Consequences of a Friend (2)

-Chapter 4- Calendars and Sauce

Chapter Four: Calendars and Sauce

"And that will be the end of today's lecture," The whole class rises as the teacher dismisses them, stuffing papers in bags and chatting loudly to their peers, "Don't forget you all have your design concepts due this Monday!" The teacher's words are barely audible over the hundred or so students piling out of the lecture theatre.

Mason didn't really understand why they had to have lectures. Their degree was more hands on than anything else. So why did they have to sit through an hour of talking, rather than building their own stuff?

He sighs to himself, packing away his laptop and waving at a few of his classmates that he'd become sort of friends with. With Mason being so caught up in his personal drama these past few months, he didn't really have time to make a lot of friends. Not that that bothered him really, he had Sophia.

"You coming to the tavern for drinks?" The girl with a pixie-cut next to him asks, a smile on her face as she packs away her own things.

Mason couldn't for the life of him remember her name, but she tended to always sit next to him in the lectures, and always greeted him like they had been friends for years.

"Uh, thanks, but I have a work shift after." He grins politely, the lie rolling off of his tongue.

He didn't have a shift. He just wanted to get home so he could have a nap and maybe watch some Netflix until Sophia came home from her own classes. Besides, he was trying to avoid drinking at the moment. It probably wouldn't be wise for him to kick start that habit so soon into the year.

"Oh, okay. I'll see you next week then, Mason." Crap, how could he forget her name when she clearly knew his!

Making his way out of the theatre, Mason takes a left turn, heading through the main foyer to get to the bus stop. Usually, Mason would take the route through the arts section, so he could avoid having to go through the throng of people that usually hung about the main foyer. It was an open area, kind of in the middle of three sections, with couch seats and a few lunch stalls. It was nice, but unless you wanted to be stuck chatting to various people for the next forty-five minutes, it was usually best to avoid it. Mason, however, just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Squeezing past a group of girls giggling at one of the lunch stall's barista, Mason weaves his way towards the end of the foyer, bag clutched tightly to his chest so no one bumps it to the floor.

It isn't until he's past the IT students lined up for the salad bar that Mason realises his mistake. Near the main doors, Mason can see two of Ben's old classmates chatting, smacking each other on the back as they laugh over a joke. Immediately, Mason relaxes as he doesn't spot Ben, and continues on his path in their general direction.

Ben was a mechanic, yes, but he was studying engineering as well, which put him in the same university as Mason, despite doing a course that was usually placed in the Technical Education section on the other side of town. This gave Mason all the more reason to avoid any social areas inside uni, in case he happened to bump into the red head.

Mumbling an apology as he bumps into someone, Mason glances towards Ben's friends again, only to stop still, breath halting in his throat.

Ben. Ben was there. Since when was Ben standing there? He wasn't there before, how was Mason supposed to walk past now? He could feel the panic seizing his body as his hands turned stiff around his bag in his arms.

It's when Ben looks up catching Mason's gaze that finally pulls himself from his panic. Quickly Mason whips around, aiming to head out one of the side doors. His pace picks up as he bumps into more and more people, apologies flying out of his mouth as he practically runs.