The Institution

Chapter 4: Continued...

She had long, wavy blonde hair that fell to her waist. She was wearing a blue lace dress and brown cowboy boots. She had a flower crown braided into her hair and she was smiling, a smile so radiant and light that everything else in existence just melted away. She was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

I tried to say hello, but all that came out was a strangled sort of gargle.

Luckily, Rachel and Alfie offered a distraction by returning at that very same moment. Not so luckily, Rachel grabbed one of my arms and began fussing over me, checking my body for injuries. I could feel my face turning beet red; this had to be one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.

"I'm fine, Rachel," I muttered, trying to wave her away, but she continued to cling to my arm like an overprotective mother hen.

As it turns out, Rachel and the girl know each other. Rachel finally released me, then took pity on me when all I could do still was babble incoherently.

"Ethan, this is Freya," she said, gesturing between me and the girl. Then she pointed over my shoulder. "And that's Alfie."

Alfie was hiding behind me. I think he was scared of Freya. I honestly don't blame him this time, though. I was terrified of her too.

"It's nice to meet you, Ethan," said Freya. Her voice was a harmony. I watched her lips move as she spoke, mesmerized. They were as soft as a rose petal, kissed by the sun. She and Rachel hugged, and over Rachel's shoulder her eyes met mine. They were as deep as the ocean, a cerulean blue.

I'm all out of analogies now.

"It's nice to meet you too," I managed to say.

Freya accompanied us to the stadium. Apparently she had lost her other friends at the tailgate. Since the last time I was here, an enormous, larger-than-life sized poster of Arthur had been hung from the back of the stands. The picture was of him running backwards, his arms poised in mid-throw. I think that's when it hit me for the first time exactly how good of a football player Arthur really is. I fished my ticket out of my pocket for the security officer to scan, and then we climbed the stairs to the upper student section.

The late afternoon sun was strong today, and I wished I had thought to bring my sunglasses. I shielded my eyes in search of a free bench but Freya spotted one first. She sat, then scooted down to make room for the rest of us. Rachel ended up between me and Freya. I felt a strange mixture of disappointment and relief that I wasn't the one sitting next to her.

The two girls chatted happily as the band started to play. I looked around as smoke poured onto the field and watched as the football team came charging out of the locker rooms. I could see Arthur out in front, leading the pack. His face lit up on the giant screen above the end zone and the crowd cheered. Freya cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Yeah! Go Cats!"

"Ethan is Arthur McCorvey's roommate," said Rachel conversationally.

Freya turned to me in shock. "You're kidding!" she said excitedly. "You're his friend?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call him my friend...," I said.

"How did you two meet?"

"It was a random room assignment."

Freya was smiling at me again and my organs flipped over and knotted themselves into a rope.

"Do you all live on South Campus?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're in Smith Hall," I said, gesturing to myself and Rachel.

"I live there too," Alfie piped up unexpectedly. Everyone turned to stare at him. For a minute I'd actually forgotten he was there. "I live in the same dorm as Arthur...." He trailed off, his face burning when he realized that everyone was watching him.