August 2021, The University of Marygoldstein
July arrived at her apartment on Saturday night, and Drake insisted dinner was on him that night. On Sunday, after brunch, he offered a tour around the campus.
It was almost three pm when they finished touring each of the fourteen residence halls. The warm and rather elegant welcome from the Watson residence hall caught July off guard. She forgot how her name would influence her presence at Marygoldstein University. Also, given the fact that the university was renamed after her late mother. After a short break, they carried on exploring the university. Drake was pointing here and there, naming buildings after buildings.
"This is the main building of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and we have an extension building. The one across this building. Anyways, we have a total of ten colleges. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. College of Engineering. College of Medicine. College of Education. College of Human Ecology. College of Veterinary Medicine. College of Agriculture and Animal Science. College of Information Technology. College of Criminology and Forensic Sciences, and the College of Business Management."
"You and I are in the same college – as far as I can remember your father might have mentioned that you study, Chemistry?"
July nodded in response as she was too occupied wandering her sight around.
The day ended when Drake dropped her off at her apartment building approximately a mile away from the main campus.
"Assembly, tomorrow at nine a.m, sharp. At the University Function Hall," Drake instructed.
"Copy. Nine am at the University Function Hall," July repeated.
"Are you sure you'll be okay tomorrow? I really want to assist you tomorrow, but my schedule's pretty hectic tomorrow – "
"It's fine. I understand," July assured.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I am sure – "
"Call me when you need help, okay? I'll try my best to come," said Drake.
"I know what to do. Thank you," July replied.
"Great. So... uhm, have a good night."
"Right. Thanks for today."
"Always welcome. I'll see you tomorrow," said Drake.
July shut the door as soon as Drake drove off. It wasn't that bad having to spend time with him. She admitted she wanted to be at least friends with him first and maybe develop something more than friendship someday. As of now, she was firm about being his friend, but at random times of her day, she was reminded of the fixed marriage waiting around for them and that Drake will be her husband as soon as they both graduated.
July was still a sophomore, and Drake will be her senior next school year. Drake will graduate first, and the agreement was they are to be wedded after they both graduate. As much as she wanted to feel unbothered by it, the voice in her head was loud, warning her about the painful consequences she had to suffer if she grew too attached to Drake. When he graduated, he still had more than a year to wait for her. There was a chance he might fall for someone else.
July knew she had to train herself hard on the high possibility of Drake being the cause of her major heartbreak. She absorbed the realization as she lay on her bed, staring at the beige ceiling of her apartment.
Learning to appreciate and love Drake isn't enough at all – she still has to learn how to deal with the pain that will come with it.
A heavy rock seemed to settle on her chest, weighing her down even more. She heaved a heavy breath as she closed her eyes, consoling herself, and hoped for a better day tomorrow.
The alarm went off, and her eyes were still heavy as she reached for her bedside table, feeling for the alarm clock which she set on exactly two and a half hours early from nine.
July woke and rubbed her eyes as she crawled off her bed and went straight to the bathroom.
"Alexa, play It's Not Living (If It's Not With You) by The 1975," July demanded as she shut the bathroom door.
"Hmm... Hmm... It's not living if it's not with you..." July sang along as she was showering. Good music had always been a part of her morning routine.
July chose to wear a maroon-knitted sweater top and white trousers. She dried her hair and styled it in a low clean bun. She gathered her things in her purse along with her laptop. She grabbed her keys and drove off to campus.
The morning breeze was cold, but the early sunlight was just the right warmth she needed. She removed the hood of her car and inhaled the fresh wind. There were tall trees along the road, and she could spot a lake on her left.
As she turned to her right, the last turn to campus, one of her favourite songs played on the radio.
----
Took a morning ride, found a place up in my mind
No one else can see
Maybe, it's fate that we lose control
In circles around, we go
We become who we ought to know
We just gotta let it go
We just gotta let it go
So, I'm coming home to you, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
You, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
You're all I need, the very air I breathe
You are home, home
----
July parked her car on a spot not so far from the University Function Hall. She knew she could easily request her own parking spot, but the last thing she needed was to ask for school privileges under her father's name. In fact, she wanted to stay unnoticed, but she knew it was far from impossible because of her name.
She took the last sip of her coffee and marched towards the entrance of the Function Hall. The building was enormous and surely able to accommodate half the almost fifteen-thousand students in one event at once.
A student assistant sat in a mini office by the entrance, scribbling on her iPad.
"Good day!" The student assistant greeted cheerfully.
Clearly a morning person, July said in her mind as she approached the student assistant.
"Good morning," July replied with a wide smile on her face.
"I.D. please?"
"Oh. Right," said July, and then she wasn't wearing her I.D. She rummaged through her bag, and a hint of panic began to blossom in her chest. "Please be here, please be here," she mumbled as she almost turned her purse inside out. It wasn't there.
July went back to her car and rummaged through her organized things there only to leave a mess and found no I.D. at all. She marched back to the entrance with a worried face, she can't miss the first assembly, the attendance was crucial for the final clearance.
"Miss, I can't find my I.D., I must have lost it or left it in my apartment – "
"Oh, I'm so sorry," said the student assistant, and glanced at her wristwatch. "Don't worry, you still have eight minutes to retrieve it – you live within the campus, do you?"
"No, I live almost a mile away from here and 8 minutes isn't enough to – is there any way I could still sign the attendance?"
"I'm sorry uhm..." There was a long pause amid the sentence of the student secretary in front of her as though she was waiting for a name.
"July. Gabriella July Watson." For the first time, she hoped her surname would bend the rules for her.
"I'm sorry Ms Watson, the attendance is QR code generated which was printed on your I.D., that's the only way you could sign the attendance. This event strictly requires your identification card, without it, you cannot enter the building. Unless you have a photo of your I.D. on your phone? Or a copy of your student I.D number?"
"I- I don't have any copy of it – I just got it yesterday. I was able to pass through the main gate without it. Why can't I join the assembly without it?"
"The university has your plate number registered, you don't need an I.D. for it – but as we were instructed, I.D. is a strict requirement for this event. I don't make the rules, Ms Watson," the student assistant explained, sounding apologetic.
"I'm Gwen, by the way. I can escort you to the lost and found office if you like?" Gwen offered.
"But the event is starting – "
July's shoulders dropped as the applause of the crowd inside the academy function hall echoed beyond the walls of the building, confirming that the event had started and the signing of attendance was then suspended.
"Great. Just great," she muttered under her breath.
"I'm sorry, Ms Watson– but I'm glad to help recover your I.D. or get another one. We just have to visit the office of student affairs to get you an affidavit for lost I.D. and in a few days, you'll get another one – "
"Can I be excused for this event then? Can I still sign the attendance sheet after I get my new I.D.? I mean, this is a valid reason. Right?" July inquired. Desperation was thick in her voice.
"Well, uhm... I could ask the president of the supreme student council. He's the one in charge of a student's eligibility for consideration when there's an event," said Gwen.
"I see."
"You could leave your contact details to me, and I'll contact you as soon as I get answers from Drake – "
"Answers about what?"
As July, turned sharply she saw, Drake arrived, wearing a long-sleeve navy-blue shirt with a logo of the university printed on it, a pair of beige trousers, a pair of white Nike shoes, and brow-line glasses. His sleeves rolled up to his arm. His eyes were fixed on the iPad he was holding.
"Drake? What are you doing here? I thought you were already inside," Gwen asked as she stood abruptly from her seat, almost bumping her knee to the edge of her desk.
"I have to stop by the office of student affairs to get some documents – wait," said Drake then paused as he raised his sight. He fixed the position of his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Gabriella? What are you still doing out here?" He asked July, pointing his pen at her.
"I lost my I.D., I might've forgotten my I.D. and left it in my room, and now I can't sign the attendance."
"Are you sure you don't have it in your car? Your bag? Wallet?" Drake asked while Gwen switched sights from Drake to July.
"I rummaged my bag inside out already. I searched my car, and it wasn't there, and I can't go back to my apartment now."
Drake sighed as he bit his lower lips, thinking of a solution.
"All we could do, for now, is to get you an affidavit of lost I.D. Then, you'll be excused for now and sign the attendance as soon as you retrieve your I.D.," Drake explained.
"That's fine. This is my fault anyway," said July in a resigned tone.
"You know each other?" Gwen finally asked, as her curiosity won.
"Yeah. She's my —"
"We're childhood friends," July continued, cutting Drake off.
An emotion flickered in his expression and tore his gaze away from her. He cleared his throat, brushing off the emotion that flickered.
"What are you still doing here, Gwen? I thought I assigned you to facilitate the band for tonight's welcome concert?" Drake began, sounding professional and – cold.
Gwen dropped in silence. Her eyes blinked as though thinking deeply about what she had probably missed. "Band?" She asked.
"You didn't tell me anything about a band, Drake," said Gwen, her tone beginning to sound worried.
"I didn't?" Drake asked.
Gwen shook her head no.
"Funny because I could still remember that I assigned you to assist the band for the concert tonight after orientation," Drake remarked.
"What? You didn't tell me anything about a concert TONIGHT. What you told me was that the concert will take place next week - not this week," said Gwen, her hand swaying gestures as she tried to make sense of the situation.
"Oh, my goodness – that's why everyone's been talking about a concert later!" Gwen gasped as she snatched one of the flyers pasted on the bulletin board behind her and scanned it. "Drake?"
"What?" Drake replied. A hint of frustration began to swim in his voice.
"We're fucked," said Gwen as she held the flyer in front of his face.
Drake leaned in closer as he squinted his eyes to see better.
July, out of curiosity read the flyer too. She moved closer to him and read the contents silently. The words on the colourful flyer said:
WELCOME, STUDENTS!
To welcome everyone to this school year. All students and faculty staff are encouraged to attend the General Assembly at the University Function Hall at exactly 9:00 am August 23, 2021!
There will be exciting activities to look forward to!
Raffle prizes will be given to selected lucky winners at the said event!
Have a great music moment with The Broken Glamour tonight!
Stay tuned, and see you there!
"Right. We're fucked," said Drake.
"Now, let's just hope that The Broken Glamour is available today," said Gwen.
"I'll contact them," said Drake, scrolling through his phone. "Gwen, I need you to follow up on the further details. I sent them to your email."
"Yeah. Sure," said Gwen and went through her emails.
"Gabriella, you come with me."
****
Songs mentioned in this chapter:
Ride Home - Ben&Ben
https://youtu.be/QlMLU6aze04
It's Not Living (If It's Not With You) - The 1975
https://youtu.be/3bVJFgvUZHg