It's Sunday, May 2nd. I leave the Ghetto for the Dining Commons, messenger bag in my left hand and Zach at my right. We walk the length of Waite Hall together silently, anxious to see if we can get in. As per our plan, Zach approaches bottom-left of the Quik Stop, large cardboard box in hand, and knocks loudly. If they answer, he is to ask them for any canned goods (he's collecting them for the summer). If they don't answer, then we're golden.
We wait for about a minute. No one answers. Our revenge is at hand.
Almost unbelievably, they have left they window open. I snatch my knife out of my pocket and flick open the blade in a well-practiced movement, then set about prying their screen off. It pops out of place with minimal effort. With a quick look over at Zach (who is keeping watch) and another over my left shoulder towards the Ghetto, I see that the coast is clear and I slip inside the room. Moments later, I open their front door and let Zach in. The day is ours as we pull from my messenger bag three huge bags of confetti and some old rotten fish. Zach sets about throwing the bits of rotting seafood all over the room, while I tear open the first bag of confetti and set to work.
In less than five minutes, we exit the room through the front door. The whole place wreaks of fish and every square inch is covered with confetti - floors, counters, furniture, oven, cabinets, fridge, freezer, everything. Win.*
Zach and I are pumped as we finish our walk to the Dining Commons. It's Finals Breakfast night, so the place is packed out with hungry, study-weary CCU students. The jazz band is just striking up, loud and full, and I can see Phil, my roommate, playing his trombone with the rest of them. The Student Union will be packed tonight, as will the Library and any other available studying spot. There will be no parking spaces in any of the central parking lots. Finals week will be in full swing.
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It's Thursday, May 6th. I leave the Ghetto for the Dining Commons via longboard. I have nothing in my hands and no backpack. Why would I? I took my last final the other day at 10am. School is over for me. I arrive at the front doors to the Caf. a few minutes later, set my board in the atrium, and swipe my student ID at the kiosk. I've finished this semester with meals to spare, so I'm going to take advantage of the Caf. while I still can.
After eating, I head back to the Ghetto. I pass Jorden on my way. She's heading in the opposite direction, looking flustered and cute at the same time. "I overslept!" She explains. "I meant to study this morning!" I hug her and tell her she at least looks dressed to kill, then tell her she'll do great. We part and I return to the Ghetto. The sound of vacuums can already be heard, despite the fact that it's only eight in the morning. I enter my room and look over the kitchen. Still spotless, just the way I left it an hour ago.
I walk to my bedroom. Phil isn't awake yet, so I forgo cleaning in there. I return to the kitchen and work on scrubbing some stubborn stains from the tile floor. I check out of CCU in two hours, and when that happens, the kitchen (which I signed up to clean) and my bedroom have to be showcase condition. I hear footsteps on the stairs outside and, eager for a conversation, fling open the door. Zach and Clayton are on their way down. "Sullivan!" I say in a faux-deep voice. Clayton looks over his shoulder and replies, "What's up, Mountain Face?" I tell them to kick some ass on their finals, then I go back into the kitchen, leaving the door open, and return to the dirty floor.
After thirty minutes of cleaning, I decided it's cramping my style and head out. I longboard to the Student Union to see if anything interesting is going on. Nothing much there. I use my last remaining free drink coupon at the Cougar Tracks Cafe, then sip my enormous drink** as I meander around campus. I head over through upperclassmen housing. The drone of vacuums can be heard as I longboard through the bottom levels of the Peaks. Doors are open, giving me a look into the disheveled apartments full of half-packed boxes and cleaning supplies.
The Student Union will be empty tonight. The Library will be still and silent. There will be more empty parking spaces than full ones in the lots. Finals week is over. By ten o'clock tonight, 90% of on-campus students will be gone, some straight home, some to hotels, others (like myself) to friend's apartments in the area.
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It's Friday, May 7th, at 12:00pm. I enter CCU campus through the main entrance on my motorcycle. I've come to pick through the enormous amounts of garbage left by students in their hasty flight from campus the previous night. The parking lot is completely empty except for a handful of cars. Freshmen housing is completely still. Campus is deserted. As I meet with my few friends who are still in the area to tour through the CCU dumpsters, I can't help but feel a sadness for the state of the campus. I won't live in the Ghetto for a while. The Library and Student Union and Dining Commons and everything else will sleep for the summer.
It's the least wonderful time of the year, in my opinion. But at least it leaves me with sufficient time to do the things I've had to forsake in the mad rush of college life. Like write.
Thanks for reading,
-Daniel K
*This was recompense for a below-the-belt prank pulled on the Ghetto a week earlier. Some freshman girls thought they could juke us and walk off scotch-free. Think again.
**You always go big when you get 'em for free.
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