02

This is the first story I have submitted here. It's actually the first piece of creative writing I've written in a long time.

Fair warning the story is slow, and not too much happens in the first few chapters as I aimed for readers to discover the personalities and quirks of my characters as they continued to read. I also wanted my characters and my story to be as believable and realistic as possible. I'm not sure how successful I was with my efforts but this is what I have come up with.

Enjoy, or dont. Its entirely up to you :)

*****

Chapter 1:

It was a beautifully cloudy day. The air was cool and there was a slight breeze that brought a chill that caused Bobby to pull his jacket close and cross his arms. Many people might have described the day as gloomy and cold but Bobby rather enjoyed this type of weather. He was waiting near a crowd of students for the professor to arrive and open up the classroom. He looked around and didn't recognize anyone, which wasn't surprising since he was never one to socialize much.

It was the first day of the semester at his local community college. He was waiting in school to try to get into a creative writing class but the class was really popular and the class roster always filled up really quickly. He had managed to secure a spot on the waiting list but he wasn't very optimistic about his chances of getting in. Still, it was one of the only classes he was looking forward to taking this semester and he wasn't about to give up before at least trying.

The way the waiting list would work at his school was if the students on the class roster didn't show up to claim the spot on the first day of class and they didn't make any special arrangements with the professor beforehand, the open spots would be given to the people on the waiting list. He had successfully gotten into a couple classes that way before, but given how popular the class was, he knew it would be a longshot.

The professor finally arrived and opened up the classroom. Bobby took a moment to study the professor to try to gauge what type of person he was and how he would run the classroom. He was dressed quite formally, with black slacks, a dress shirt, and a sharp blue jacket to guard against the cold. It wasn't quite formal attire but Bobby guessed it could be described as business casual.

Once everyone squeezed into the rather small classroom the professor began writing his name on the whiteboard: Professor Cliff Davis. "Hello and welcome class to the first day of Creative Writing 1A. You guys may refer to me as Professor Davis. Before we start class I will explain to you how I will address those of you that are on the waiting list. Unfortunately there are a limited of positions available in this class and I cannot take all of you. Those of you who are late or absent the first week of class will automatically forfeit your position on the official class roster and on the waiting list."

"There are 30 positions available for this class and 15 additional people on the waitlist. During this first day of class we will be going over the topic of poetry. I will explain to you the rubric for this first assignment, which will contain my expectations of you and will serve to gauge how serious you are about taking my class. This assignment will be turned in at the beginning of next class period. From there I will accept 30 of you and officially add you to the class roster by the end of the weekend. You will be able to check online on the school website to confirm your enrollment this weekend after I have a chance to review everyone's work."

A student near the middle of the class raised his hand. He complained in a rather whiny tone, "Professor, I have already secured a spot on the class and I assumed that I was guaranteed my position. This isn't fair! I've been to this school for 3 years and I've never had a professor with such a ridiculous rule!"

The professor calmly listened to the student's complaints and answered back to him, "I understand that this may be a bit different than what you are used to but this is my classroom and these are my rules. Please feel free to exit the classroom now if you are not ready to accept my conditions. Any further questions you have about this topic can either be addressed to me after class or be sent via email that is located on the syllabus that is now being passed out." After the Professor Davis stated his opinion with such finality, the students were all quiet and no further questions were asked about the subject.

Bobby was excited and nervous about the poetry assignment that would be his opportunity to get into the class. He had written some poetry before but he had certainly not let many people read his poems. He was too self conscious about his writing to let just anyone read and pick apart his inner thoughts.

The class passed by in no time. Bobby didn't manage to secure one of the seats so he was sitting near the back of the classroom against the wall and was trying hard to keep up with all the material that Professor Davis was showing on the projector. He really enjoyed listening to Professor Davis speak and it was evident that he was not only knowledgeable but passionate about teaching. Once the lecture was over, Bobby was determined to work as hard as he could on the assignment in order to get into the class.

In truth, Creative Writing was the only class that Bobby was looking forward to this semester. He had a few other classes that he was required to take if he wanted to transfer into a 4 year college, but creative writing was the only class that he had elected to take and had any interest in. After attending his psychology class he received a text from his best friend David. They had met during Bobby's first semester in an algebra class and they got along surprisingly well despite Bobbys quiet and reserved nature.

"Yo Bobby! How's the first day of classes going? Get into the classes you wanted? I'm in the cafeteria with James and Gemma if you want to join."

"Great timing Dave I just got out of Psych 1 and I was looking to grab some food. Be there in a few."

Bobby was looking forward to catching up with James and Gemma. They had met during his last semester when Bobby and Dave shared a class with them. They had done a couple group projects together and generally got along very well. When he got to their table with his food Dave and James were deep into a conversation about a new game that had just been released over the summer. While Bobby was somewhat intrigued and picked up on most of what they were saying, he had never been a big gamer and so he didn't have much to contribute to the conversation.

Gemma smiled at Bobby who was now mostly finished with his food. She was a short Mexican girl, a year older than Bobby and also James' girlfriend. Bobby had never been comfortable speaking to girls his age, but he was able to overcome that awkwardness to a degree with Gemma. She had always been easy going and encouraged Bobby to speak his mind whenever they conversed.

"So how was your break Bobby? It's good to see you! Although you do look a little on the pale side. You weren't indoors the entire summer were you?" She said smiling at him. "Did you go on any adventures? Have you met someone?"

Bobby was slightly uncomfortable as Gemma started question him about his break.

"It's good to see you too Gemma. My vacation was ok. I went a cruise to the Caribbean with my mom and my uncle's family. It was nice for the first few days but after a while I started to miss the comfort of home. Most of my family members went scuba diving but I'm not a good swimmer so I elected not to go with them."

Gemma laughed and gave him a light punch on the arm. "Dude! You went on a cruise trip to the Caribbean and you passed on an opportunity to go scuba diving? Man you don't even know what you missed out on! Knowing you, you probably were inside the cabin reading from your tablet for most of the trip!" The others laughed and agreed as they were pretty much spot on with their description of my trip.

David put his arm around Bobby, saying, "Dude you could have hooked up with babes in bikinis. Vacation romances can be perfect. You hook up with them, have a great time, and never have to see them again afterwards," he said while smiling. Although Dave may have talked like this, Bobby knew David, or Dave as he called him, had almost as little experience with girls as he had.

Bobby just laughed and shook his head. "Alright man the next time I go on a cruise you're coming with me and you can show me how you hook up with all babes in bikinis," he said, laughing with the others.

Throughout the lunch they discussed how their breaks were, what classes they were taking, and how their impression of this semester was. Unfortunately he didn't share any classes with Dave or the others like they had the previous semester. However, before they finished their lunch and went their separate ways, they promised each other to meet up to study together like they had last year.

As Bobby climbed into his old Camry he took another look at his prospective class schedule. He had all the core classes that he needed to transfer but he was nervous about the poetry assignment that could potentially earn him a spot in the class. He quickly drove home and changed into his work clothes so that he wouldn't be late to his evening shift. He quickly set some food out for Mr. Rogers, his old feline companion, and set out to get to PetLand, a fairly large local pet shop in his town. He worked the cashier and also helped to take care of some of the exotic pets like the reptiles and amphibians.

"Hey Kendra. How's your day been?" Brian asked as he got situated for the work day. She gave him a smile and comfortably made some small talk as she prepared to leave at the end of her shift. Although Kendra was quite a few years older than Bobby, with 2 younger children, Bobby always got along very well with her and enjoyed her company. She was also one of the only persons that he was comfortable enough to talk about and share his writing with.

He explained his situation about his creative writing class and the poem he had to write about. "I'm actually quite nervous. It's due in 2 days at the next class period and I'm still not sure what I should even write about. I don't even think my poems are that good so I probably don't have a great chance to get in," Bobby explained in a somewhat dejected tone.

"Now Bobby, you can't start thinking like that. I know I've only had the chance to read a few of your stories but from what I can tell you have a wonderful way of drawing your readers and bringing your stories to life. With your talent and passion for writing, I'm sure you'll get a position in that class this semester!" Kendra said with enthusiasm.

"Alright Bobby I have to head home. Have a great shift and drive home safe," Kendra said as she was leaving. Bobby took a moment to smile and stare at Kendra as she left. Bobby had a bit of a crush on Kendra, and he wondered what it would be like to date someone as nice and easy going as Kendra. She was also a very attractive woman. She had straight medium length brown hair that she usually tied back into a neat pony tail. Bobby thought her light hazel eyes were absolutely stunning. He also noticed on occasion, despite her conservative attire, she had an ample bosom and a shapely bottom that he had to remind himself not to openly stare at.

There were a few occasions when Kendra noticed that he was admiring her and would lightly tease him. However, he knew she was happily married and there was never any chance someone like her would be interested in him. In addition, in his mind, Bobby didn't think someone as stunning and attractive as Kendra would ever want to go out with someone like him who had so little experience with women.

When he reported in to Pete, one of the managers on shift, he went through the list of duties that he had to complete for the day.

"Hey Bobby, don't forget we just got a shipment of leopard geckos, bearded dragons, and a couple ball pythons that need to be set up by tonight. Make sure to log them in the inventory as you unbox them."

He had initially applied to work at PetLand because he generally loved animals and he felt he really needed to help his single mother with the financial burden. He had not expected to be given the responsibility of caring for the exotic animals at the store and he was a bit nervous at first. He didn't have any experience caring for leopard geckos, bearded dragons, snakes, or any other exotic animal for that matter However through some guidance on handling and care, as well as extensive research that Bobby later did on all the animals that he cared for, he was now very comfortable around all the reptiles and amphibians he cared for. In fact he had even purchased a ball python that he hamed Sir Reginald. Inevitably it took quite a bit of convincing for his mother to allow him to bring Sir Reginald into the house, but after she saw how calm and tame the snake was she never had a big issue with Sir Reginald.

After a fairly routine shift, Bobby helped to organize the store and head home. When he got home he was surprised to find his mother was sitting on the couch watching TV. She was an RN and worked the night shift at the local hospital. In addition to this she also worked a couple extra shifts each week at a rehab hospital. She was so busy that sometimes Bobby was barely able to catch her when she was awake throughout the week.

"Oh mom! What are you doing home? I thought you said you had night shift for the next few days. What are you doing home?" Bobby asked

"The manager called me and asked if I could switch my schedule at the last minute. I was actually pretty tired when I woke up today so I agreed. How was your first day of school dear? Did you get into that creative writing class that you were talking about?"

Bobby proceeded to explain to his mother the unique assignment that was assigned regarding the class roster. After his initial surprise that his mother was home, his thoughts again migrated to the poem he had to write. "Gosh this Professor Davis sounds like he's very serious about the class that he's teaching. That's not the usual way that professors deal with people on the waitlist is it?" she inquired.

"Yea mom, even from the first lecture I feel like he has a wealth of knowledge and his passion to teach is evident. I really want to get into the class because I feel like I can gain a lot from this experience," Bobby said. Once Bobby set his mind to something, he tended to get lost in it and almost became obsessed with it until it was finished. Bobby was glad he didn't enjoy playing games because he knew he would be just like some people he knew who seemed to spend 90% of their life on online games such as World of Warcraft.

Bobby's mother had already sensed that she had lost his attention and he needed to spend time focusing on his poem. "Bobby why don't you take a quick shower and I'll heat up the dinner I prepared for you. After you eat you can start tackling that poem before you go to bed," she said as she made a shooing motion with her hands.

"Thanks mom, you're the best!" Bobby said, truly appreciating how much his mother did for him. He chose to attend the local community college because he wanted to stay close to his mom and help her out. He had the grades to go to a 4 year university, although not quite well enough to get that many scholarships. However he was happy with his decision. This way he would be able to stay with his mother for longer, avoid taking out unnecessary loans, and take time to decide exactly what he wanted to major in. His mother was also happy that he had chosen to stay at home for a while longer.

Bobby had always loved writing but he wondered if he should choose something with more financial stability. When he was younger and delving into the depths of various books by his favorite authors, he had entertained the idea that he could be like them. His mother had never pressured him one way or another, and he decided that he would ultimately make up his mind after he had taken more writing classes and explore his options.

After brainstorming a little over an hour and then spending some time combing through some new youtube content from his favorite content creators, he decided to call it a night. He felt confident about the progress he had made so far and went to bed optimistic about his chances.

*****

Chapter 2: April sat at the bus stop, clutching her jacket close around her. The weather was starting to get colder and windier and she was glad that she had brought an extra jacket with her. She pressed a button on her wrist watch and it announced the time: 9:45 AM. The bus was late and she was growing impatient. It's not that she wasn't thankful for this resource but sometimes April really hated taking the bus, as it could be very unreliable. However, it was one of the only ways she could get around so she put up with it.

What seemed like an eternity later, huddled on the bus bench, April finally heard the sounds of the bus stopping. As the bus driver opened the door, she heard a familiar slightly raspy older voice call to her, "Why hello there young miss. Sorry I'm running a bit late today. Come in and warm yourself," he said.

April was relieved to hear a familiar voice. "Why hello there Richard. It's always good to hear a familiar voice. This is the 10b line right? I need to get off at 2nd street in front of the campus," she replied as she took a seat at the front of the bus.

"It sure is. So young miss I take it you're starting another semester? I hope your summer was okay." Richard the bus driver had a bright smile on his face as he talked with April.

"Oh it was. I went to Europe with my parents and we tasted the most amazing food. But I'm happy to be back among familiar surroundings. Traveling can be quite overwhelming with all the new environments and places that I have to get situated to. There was a different driver yesterday and I was afraid you had changed to a different route while I was away. You're always so welcoming and nice to me and I was afraid that you had left me," April replied in her happy upbeat tone.

"Thank you. I don't deserve such compliments from such a beautiful and vibrant young miss. I was just feeling a bit under the weather over the weekend and I took a few days off," Richard replied. Seeing April push forward with such confidence and fearlessness motivated Richard to live life to the fullest and treasure each day he was given.

The bus stopped right by her campus and she was able to make her way to the library after saying a quick goodbye to Richard. She actually didn't have any classes today. She had a light semester with only two classes, a political science class about the founding fathers and constitutional history, as well a creative writing class. She wasn't expecting to have any difficulties getting into the creative class even if it was so popular. She had priority registration and had the first pick of any class that she wanted. However the poetry assignment that the professor had given out had her excited. She always did like a little competition and she was confident that she could get into the class. After all, all she had to do was knock the socks off the professor with an awesome poem, she thought. She had read many good reviews of the professor and he didn't disappoint in his first lecture, so she pushed forward with determination.

As she sat down at a table in the library, she set up her work space and began working on the poetry assignment. She made sure to carefully go over the rubric that he handed out for the assignment so that she included all the components of the poem that the professor had outlined. The requirements were very basic and only included things like a minimum word count, format, grammar and punctuation. She decided to talk about the dogs that she cared for at the animal rescue center. It was not difficult and the words seemed to flow onto the page and she described, in detail, a small abandoned pup. They had found him at death's door, roaming the streets with an injured face and paw. He was hungry and afraid, but he didn't even have the strength to try to run as they carefully caught him and moved him to the veterinary building to get treated.