Untitled Story (pt 1)

The northeast corner of the university library  sat a young woman.  She had black hair
which often fell in the way of her glasses.  She was pretty, yet socially awkward.  She quietly thought to herself about many things: what others were doing, should she change her ways and branch out?, would she meet a guy?  Her name was Penny.  Penny had never been in a true relationship with a boy, and as she was starting her first semester in college, she had promised herself now was the time.  She brushed her hair back over her ear and selected another song on her iPod:  Piano Concerto in F Minor by J.S. Bach.


Penny was attractive in a shy librarian sort of way.  She was noticed by guys at her school, but was so distant and socially unapproachable that nothing ever materialized.  Penny had a small circle of friends and even considered rushing a sorority to expand her circle.  Unsure of who to focus on, she gathered a number of rush flyers and would sit in her dorm room pondering which house to rush.

Penny assumed this would be another avenue to meet a guy.  She was athletic as she had ran cross country, gymnastics, and swam in high school.  She often considered herself higher in the intellectual chain than her classmates because she often focused her free time on studying.  Penny's study habits would often digress into various subjects she was merely interested in.  The SATs came easy in her mind and seemed as more of a formality.  One activity she wanted to delve into was fencing.  It always appeared as if it were a chess game between two people.  Maybe during the fall break?

The concern with expanding her social prowess was a new facet of Penny's independence.  She had come from a broken home when she was rather young.  It was a situation she never clearly understood and gave up on years ago.  This had a lasting subconscious effect on how she dealt with others.   The complex home situation which resulted saw Penny attending private school in another state.  She never felt the connection during her summers at home.

Penny printed the abstract she was last reading and logged off the university library's computer.  She gathered her belongings and headed toward her next class:  Cultural Anthropology.  During the first week of class, the unofficial seating arrangements were still very much in limbo.  It would take at least a week for students to find a seat and people whom they felt comfortable sitting with.

She arrived a few minutes prior to lecture beginning.  The room was moderately full upon her arrival and more students were arriving behind her.  She chose a middle seat about three quarters back in the auditorium.  She left a few seats between her and the next student, a young blonde girl who appeared to be socially active based upon the text messages and social networking alerts she received on her smart phone.  She was considerate and had her phone set to vibrate.  As the professor began instruction, the last remaining students began to find their seats.  Among them was a young man who had recently turned 19.  He sat to Penny's right with a seat in between them.  Penny glanced at him as he sat down.  He appeared rushed and disorganized as he removed his notebook and textbook. 

Upon class conclusion, Penny walked toward the student union to buy her favorite beverage: SoBe's Strawberry Daiquiri.  She saw both the blonde and the boy from her previous class conversing as they walked down the path towards adjacent building of classrooms.  It appeared as if they knew each other.  Penny contemplated sitting elsewhere the following day so the acquaintances could sit near one another.