"Where is the history department?" I asked this same question numerous times and every time I ask this to a freshman. They, themselves are clueless about their own departments.
"History department?" The reply came. At least this time, the reply didn't start with a 'sorry'.
"Yes, can you please tell me?"
"Even I'm searching for it. Let's find out together." He said, grinning.
Great, now there are two clueless persons searching for the same department.
"Thomson here. Thomson Bosco." He said and forwarded his hand for a shake.
Damn, he looks tough. His biceps were crying to tear his shirt's sleeves apart.
I smiled and introduced myself, "Shirong Deng." We shook hands and covered the whole college campus in search of our department.
"He is wearing an worn-out uniform. Maybe he's a senior." I pointed my finger towards a bearded guy, standing under a shady tree, tapping his fingers on the phone screen. We approached him for an answer.
He pointed towards a building which was standing right behind us. We thanked him and headed towards the building.
"2nd floor, history department." Thomson read out loud, looking at an old under maintenance board.
We took the stairs. 1st floor. 2nd floor. Finally.
Students were standing outside, some of them were in groups, some were sitting alone, playing with their phones and some were just standing clueless, looking at others. Thomson and I fall in the third category.
"Is this the history department?" Thomson asked another clueless guy, who was standing and gazing through the window.
"Yes. It is."
"Why's everybody outside then?" I asked.
"The door is locked. A senior went to fetch the keys." He said.
*Okay, so he wasn't actually clueless.*
"Thomson." He grinned and introduced himself.
"Ron." They shook hands and then he looked at me.
"Shirong Deng." I said and waited for him to forward his hand for a shake. He didn't.
*Whatever*
A senior came back with the keys and unlocked the door for us. He smiled at us as we entered our new classroom.
I marked a cozy back bench with my eyes and headed towards it, just then Thomson stopped me and made me sit with him on the third bench. I foolishly agreed and sacrificed my last bench.
"McDale brings back memories." Thomson said, inhaling a deep breath.
"Memories?"
"Yeah, my parents graduated from here. When I was about six years old, they brought me here for their college reunion thing and at that very moment, I decided that I'm going to complete my graduation from here."
"I see. You're following your family's tradition."
He smiled and asked, "Tell me about yourself. Why McDale?"
I don't know how to tell him that I got rejected from the other colleges due to my low GPA and McDale was my only hope.
"Ah…just like that. My fate brought me here." I chuckled.
"Fate huh?" He said, grinning.
I noticed he grins most of the times. Might be a friendly gesture he's trying to show.
"What was your GPA?" Thomson asked the very question I was trying to avoid.
I nervously lied, "6.8, yours?"
"Don't ask mine. I hardly passed with a 6. I got in through sports scholarship." He replied.
At least he was telling the truth, even though he got less than my actual GPA. 6.2.
"Can't deny the fact, your body looks real athletic." I said, staring at his muscular biceps.
He laughed, patting my back and then he turned to the other guys to chat and brag about his family's tradition.
I moved my eyes towards the entrance and I saw that same handsome lad whom I saw at the day of admission, walking in.
I waved and invited him to sit with us.
"I think I saw you at the day of admission." He said, keeping his bag on the desk. He said the same exact thing which I was going to tell him.
"Huh? Did you. I was about to tell you the same thing."
He smiled and said, "No offense, but I thought you were rejected."
Yeah, maybe because I walked out from the counter with a disappointed face for not getting into the psychology department.
I laughed and said, "Girls were going crazy over you."
"So, they were talking about me." He sighed.
"You knew about it?"
"Of course, their murmurings were too hard to ignore."
We both laughed and exchange our names when Thomson turned his grinning face towards us.
"Thomson Bosco." He forwarded his hand towards the new guy on our bench.
"Jonathan Brooke."
The seniors walked in and introduced them to us and also informed us about the freshers' night. Everyone started to get excited about it.
"You guys are coming?" Jonathan asked.
"Of course. McDale is love." Thomson said, and now, both of them waited for my reply.
"I don't know, maybe. I have other plans actually." I said. By plans, I mean binge watching shows and sleeping.
"Do try to attend the party. McDale celebrates it only once a year." Thomson zealously said.
"I see you're into McDale very much." Jonathan said, and then Thomson started again with his family's tradition story.
After he completed telling his own story, he said, pointing at me, "And this guy, sitting here says fate brought him here."
"What if fate actually brought me here in McDale?" I wondered.