"So what do you think?"
My thesis partner turned his computer around and showed me a photo from freshman weekend. At our university almost all freshmen participate in freshman weekend - they go to the middle of nowhere, stay there for two days drinking, partying and general horseplay. My thesis partner was in charge of the whole shebang, so he'd obviously had a good look at most of the new students.
I looked at the screen. Facing the screen was a picture of him in a toga showing his hairy ass to the camera.
"Come on dude! That's not what I want to see!"
He looked non-plussed at me. I turned the computer back to him.
He started laughing.
"Sorry, must have hit something."
He clicked the computer and turned it back. I hid my eyes behind my hands.
"No, I can't take more of that horror!" I mocked jokingly.
"You'll like this one."
I looked at the screen. Staring back at me, obviously flirting with the camera, was a very cute little thing. The sun was shining, she was in a two piece bikini, and she was wearing sunglasses. She had perky tits, a flat stomach, absolutely beautiful red hair and freckles. I love freckles. They seem to signal innocence even though they won't disappear with slutty behavior.
"Nice! You bang her?"
He was in a committed relationship, but he was also working as a bar manager at night at a popular place downtown, and I knew he did a lot on the side.
"No, man. Not that I didn't try. But she didn't go for anyone. I did this one though."
He clicked through the pics and found another one. She was probably hotter than the first one, but she was not my type. Just a bit too much. Dye job overdone, tits shown off a bit too much, make-up a bit too heavy. For my taste that is. She'd probably be the right fit for a mens magazine.
He clicked through the pics again.
"Banged this one too. Not too proud of that though, but in one of the activities we had a treasure hunt in the forest, and I was sitting there all alone. And when her group left, she stayed and simply started blowing me. What am I to do?"
I laughed.
"Right. If they throw themselves at you like that, who are you to destroy their confidence?"
A couple of months later I was sitting at my office at the University, when my thesis partner stopped by. I had been elected student body president the year before, so I was usually in my office even though it was getting late. Our terms ran for 12 months and I was not sure, if I would run again. I had spent a year working as skiing instructor in Austria before I started studying world history. Probably the easiest task I've ever had. And so I spend my days drinking, smoking weed, picking up girls - doing absolutely everything that makes college famous except studying. It was no wonder when I dropped out a little into my third semester. Exiting the registrar's office I was at an all time low. I knew I had come to a cross roads. Spend my life chasing cheap empty thrills or throw myself fully into realizing my potential.
The next semester I moved to a different part of the country and started studying political science as well as joining a youth party organization and the football team. Oh, there were lots of cheap thrills still - but this time they were secondary. Now at 27 I was getting ready for life as a true adult.
"I am truly amazed that you have this fantastic office and yet so few people come by."
I studied his expression gauging his intentions. Was he yanking my chain or up to something else?
"Well, watching me work is hardly anybody's idea of a fun way to spend their evenings." I pointed out with a sigh.
"But you know I have an idea. You're up for elections soon, right?"
I was silent for a moment. In politics stating anything but pure ambition is akin to committing seppuku. I might as well slice open my belly Japanese samurai style as admitting my doubts. But I knew he had my back. We never hung out outside of working on projects, but we had a huge mutual respect. And we had - and still have - each other's backs. Always.
"I'm not sure I'm running though. The party has gauged my interest in running for the coming European elections. And I can't do both."
He whistled.
"Wow! That's really awesome man! Congratulations!"
"Yeah, well. I haven't decided yet."
He looked at me with this sheepish grin that signifies some hare-brained scheme that somehow always manages to work out for the best in spite of all odds, gods and sound reason.
"We are gonna have a party at your office at the annual university party."
Our university have just 17.000 students so each year the university throws a major bash with all students invited. It is general mayhem, beer, booze, music and plundering the labs supply of pure ethanol for mean punch bowls at unsanctioned after parties at the different institutes that are supposedly locked down for the night, but are open to everyone working there. Including TAs, ph.d. students and the likes. That is where the real party starts. Luckily for the cleaning crew our common area floors and walls are made up of granite tiles. As student body president I was to dine with the university president, the board, the administrative director and some dignitaries. Usually the student body presidents would hold a short speech trying to ingratiate themselves with the higher-ups, preparing to be hand-picked for some fast-track career. That wasn't my style.
"You do know that I will be under a lot of spotlight that evening, right?"
"Well yeah. But you are the only one with enough authority to tell security to fuck off."
He was holding up his fingers, ticking one off.
"And you can announce a 'reception' before hand to increase awareness of the work of the student body."
He ticked off another finger.
"And then you can legally use your funding to buy outside booze. And it'll give you a grand stand start to whatever you decide to run for."
He ticked off a third finger.
