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My morning routine was far from meticulous, but a routine all the same. Wake from slumber, mumble a prayer if I can spare it and trudge to the bathroom with aching muscles just begging for a stretch. Then proceeds the rest, and since I'm not one to doll up or eat at home, I'm usually out the door fairly quick. Add in the time it takes to walk to and from the cafeteria to my classes after I've been dropped off on campus grounds and it works smoothly enough to get me through the week.
It's supposed to be smooth.
Except today. Oh how I loathed today.
Ok, loathed is a strong word. I'm definitely exaggerating. But in my case I think I'm due at least one or two moments where I can be dramatic.
I'd woken up grumpy, running on five–actually, more like 4 and a half hours of sleep and no one was to blame but me. I could have easily taken a break from my Netflix binge the night prior, yet the urge to continue outweighed the rational of my mind. I came to with my phone partially wedged under my side in an awkward position and on 45 percent charge.
Great.
I bounded, if you can believe that, out of bed and to the toilet. Then, giving my face a quick splash, I took note of a few things. Those dreary eye bags, the growing pimple outbreak and a little shine in my bedhead. In other words, i needed more sleep, less chocolate and I'd forgotten to wash my hair.
Fantastic.
I just throw on something plain, not entirely happy with it but also not in a position to really spruce it up. Hopping in the car is no trouble and the roads have the usual amount of traffic. All is well until it hits me that I missed an assignment that was due in no less than an hour as I reach for the door to enter a cyber café. The mental outcry is so loud, you'd think I'd actually be verbalizing my distress.
Instead, I sigh through the nose, pull a hand over my face and decide I'll scarf down breakfast while putting together a cheap, lackluster response for the prompt on the discussion board. At least that way the assignment won't be late.
Noticing the two people ahead of me by the counter, I place myself right behind before the line grows long. At least the cashier was already processing the first person's order, so I wouldn't be standing for a while. I tend to keep my eyes from roaming, only casting brief glances at the other patrons or at my feet, since I'm not in the habit of conversing.
However, I could entertain my thoughts with a quick scroll through my socials, leaving just a small–seriously, SMALL, space between me and the next person in line. There's no mistaking that I was there first.
So explain to me how in less than a minute, the itty bitty spot was now taken. Not only taken but also packed with at least 5 men, one of which was a large, tall fellow with red hair.
It took a moment for me to register what happened, eyes darting up and landing on every one now ahead of me. Our bodies definitely brushed together in the shift. Did they not see me standing here? Did the cashier not catch it? It was almost funny how they cut in line without so much as a word and only continued to share bits of conversation amongst each other with most of them facing away from me. Whatever they were chatting about was amusing enough to get a low chuckle out of the big guy and that's where the irritation began to settle.
Whatever hang ups I had about confrontations were set aside as I pocketed my phone, raising my voice enough to get my point across; no withholding the firmness.
"Um, excuse me, but this is a line. I was standing here! You can't just cut in."
The conversation subsided as a skinnier, shifty looking guy with black hair shot me a side glance with clear disinterest but nothing more. Just about all of them that turned to look at me were dismissive without speaking. The big guy though, who upon turning around gave my stomach a slight turn, cast his eyes downward, like he was doing a small study, before giving a faux apology.
"Oh, my bad. Thought you were just fiddling with your phone there. You're so quiet and small, it's so easy to ignore you" He finished with a twinge of mocking in his tone, his friends passing quiet sneers at each other.
What an unoriginal yet rude statement. I felt the anxiety stir in me along with my frustration. I would have appreciated a sincere apology, with them all getting behind me and not pushing me to further defend myself. But I couldn't let their dismissive attitudes get to me, not now. I had breakfast to eat and homework to finish!
"Ok I might be quiet, but you have eyes." I gestured to my own eyes, wide behind my glasses as if to reinforce the obvious. "You saw me! Common courtesy is to ask the person if you're unsure whether or not they are waiting in line. So can you please wait your turn?"
By now the cashier and other workers were aware of the situation but said not a word. Perhaps since this was college they wanted us to work out the disagreements. Still, a simple call out would have been nice. Yet when you really paid attention, the cashier, who was no older than me, completed the other orders and was already packing something else up before even talking to these jerks. She also looked a tad scared. It was hard to be sure when the little guy, even shorter than myself, gave off a raspy chuckle.
"She thinks she can tell the Gammas where to wait. We have a pre-order girly."
Furrowing my brows as my mouth twisted in perplexity, I replied.
"What...what is a gamma and why does that matter right now? Look if you ordered beforehand, just stand off to the side—."
"Woah, hold on! Did I hear that right? Little Miss doesn't know about us Gammas?"
Suddenly a new voice cut in, physically in the flesh as another young gentleman graced my eyes. Fairly tall yet not surpassing the red head, lean, clean shaven and an air of sophistication about him that made me simultaneously impressed and want to shrink back from the conversation. There he goes too, talking about the Gammas...
He offered me a polite, albeit slightly scrutinizing smile as he responded. "I guess all you nerdy girls aren't too bright after all, since you aren't even aware of one of the most, if not the most important fraternity in this university; the Gamma Mu Mus!" He emphasized with a wider smile, arms a bit outstretched in showing of the guys behind him before continuing.
"We only allow the best of the best to roll with us, mainly for their exceptional athletic abilities that come in handy for our annual X-Games. It's a competition that spans over a couple weeks before finishing up in a triathlon." He paused, waiting to see how I took it all in and noting my stunned silence, he rubbed it further in my face how ignorant I was.
"Oh gosh, you didn't know that either? Where have you been sweetheart, under a rock? In a cave somewhere?" The questions with such phony concern had the guy's friends snickering. My resolve to face these skippers was slowly going but I remained there, listening and attempting to keep my face neutral.
This new guy pouted, before it slipped to a snide grin. "Of course, judging by your appearance, it seems that would be the case. Might want to do something about...this." He gestures to all of me but mainly my face.
"Kinda sad to walk around campus like a pizza raccoon."
I was then made acutely aware how condescending this dude was. Not only that, my early concerns began flooding my head all over, and I resisted the instinctive urge to pat around my skin for pimples. It was a strike on my confidence for sure and I swallowed down the hurt as I tried to get back on topic.
"I don't really care about all that. You and your pals can't just cut past me."
"Actually we can." Was the matter-of-fact retort the guy gave me, before dropping his smile momentarily. When he wasn't smiling like an imp his blue eyes appeared less crazed, which helped a little to show he's human. But when he shoved his phone in my face to show receipts, he went straight back to being rude.
"Says here we already ordered our food. We're just waiting. So technically we can stand here."
As if on cue, the precise order was called, the cashier handing out bags of food and a small carton of donuts. The blue eyed guy retrieved a donut, deliberately taking a bite in front of me as he curled his lips with triumph.
"Since you seem clueless, I'll let this little incident slide. I am still a gentleman after all and I would hate to have trouble with a simple little thing such as yourself." There he goes again with the phony kindness, taking another bite.
"You're still wrong!" I spat, insistent. Although I sounded less assertive and I hated how I noticed him relishing in it.
His friends knew it too, the big one in particular giving him encouragement.
"Yeah Bradley, show her who's boss!"
Bradley, as I now knew him, gave a considerate hum, amused as he eyed me, before shrugging.
"Oh, I think she gets the picture. If not, there will be other times to demonstrate just who I am at this school. Who the Gammas, are. We have some practice after breakfast anyway. Gammas out!"
He shot me one last smirk before gesturing for his squad to follow. I could do nothing but watch them leave, confused, mad and overall, a little embarrassed. I used my phone camera as a mirror and cringed once my reflection came into view. I sucked my teeth, his comment already replaying in my head.
"Those guys were awful. I wasn't even asking them to do much!"
I blurted aloud, although more to myself as I finally made it to the counter to purchase breakfast. Only now did it hit me how unnaturally quiet everything was, how no one intervened when that Bradley fellow showed up and the cashier still looked scared.
Frowning, I decided to figure this out.
"Excuse me, but does that guy bother you?"
She almost paused in brewing the hot chocolate but didn't. Her eyes averted mine. I felt a little bad. Maybe I should have stayed quiet. Until she spoke up.
"Listen, I've seen you around here before and you don't strike me as the trouble making type. So here's some advice." She finished the drink, pushing it further out the counter for me to grab before wrapping my bagel.
"That guy's name is Bradley Uppercrust the Third. He's rich, he's an athlete and he's bad news. Avoid him and you'll get on fine."
Everything was so intense that morning. I merely took the items with a nod, processing it all. I sat at a lone table in the cafe, turning on my laptop. I sighed, blowing on my drink before taking a sip. I shut my eyes, trying to ease my whole body with just the heat on my tongue.
In that moment it was certain:
My assignment will definitely be late.
I will avoid this Bradley guy to the best of my ability.