Mediocrity: Chapter 2

Chapter Two

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As soon as I shut my car door I took the deepest breath I’ve taken in the last two hours. I watch my parents waving goodbye after backing out of their parking space across from mine, crawling away while my dad tips the car guard. They disappear from my view, and I close my eyes. I can finally stop smiling, I realize, pouting and stretching my cheeks. I don’t feel like socially engaging with Kristen at home now, which means I will need to stall a bit. She’s probably left the parking lot already. Being roommates with your closest friend is great most of the time, but some days I just want to switch off and not chit-chat with anyone. Not even her. I put my hands on the steering wheel and stretch my neck to each side. I open my eyes to check the weather. It’s cloudy, so much that it might start raining at any moment. The breeze outside was soft, but freezing cold. It’s funny how I used to love winter time, but now it has just become annoying. The layers upon layers of clothes, the droplet stained windows, the muddy shoe prints at the front door, and worst of all… getting caught in the rain with stacks of lesson plans, graded papers and textbooks awkwardly stacked in my arms. The car guard has since moved to stand a few feet away from my car to help me back out. I sigh heavily since that deep breath I took has now been ten seconds ago. I start the car reluctantly and plot the slowest route home.

I unlock the front door and slide open the safety gate of our home. The living room’s light is switched on, but Kristen seems to be in the shower. I smile in victory. She usually goes straight to bed afterward. I walk to kitchen to start the kettle for some tea, and head to my room. I drop my four birthday gifts onto my bed to open later and walk to my desktop to start up my computer. There’s two dirty coffee cups next to my keyboard, which I pick up and take to the sink. I decide to make chamomile tea. I love the sound the water makes when it’s being poured onto the teabag. I smile genuinely while I smell the aroma coming from the cup, and leave the open plan kitchen-living room, switching off the light. I close my door and plop down in front of my computer. The video chat opens automatically and does a quick update. I pop in my headphones and plug in the webcam, positioning it while I notice the update finishing up. The program opens, and the view of my camera switches on. I stare at myself for a second, then quickly tuck a strand of my hair back into place. No contacts online yet. I move up close to the webcam to check my teeth. Sure enough, there’s a piece of greenery stuck between two of my teeth. I can’t believe I got to a point in my life where I would eat a salad on my birthday. This is madness. I try to get it out with my tongue, but no success. I use my index finger to try and get in there, almost got it… maybe if I try my nail? It finally disappears. I sigh, sitting back in my chair. I suddenly realize my mirror image has disappeared, and instead he’s sitting there covering his mouth. Hiding his laughter I guess.

“Oh my god.” I burst out laughing in embarrassment.

“Had a nice dinner?” he asked, chuckling.

“Actually, not really. It was more like an interrogation. With food.” I reply, shaking my head. If I can just have one normal encounter with one person today, that’d be great. I guess there’s no exceptions no matter what day it is.

“How so?”

“Oh, you know. They always start with questions about my job, and whether there’s anything better for me on the horizon, which there never is. Awkward in-between chatting follows. Then the grand finale starts, regarding my relationship status and whether I am actually trying hard enough to find someone to end up with.”

“I know the feeling. I remember it vaguely… it was about four years ago…”

I pipe in, “Not everyone can abandon their family and friends to live a non-mundane and unpredictable life.”

“I believe everyone can. I just think that many don’t want to.” He announces matter-of-factly.

I shake my head, smiling slightly. I glance over to his account name in the corner of the screen. It reads; benedictory314.

“You changed your username. I liked benjausaurus420.”

“Yeah, I guess you could say I’ve matured. That, and a few of my old friends tracked me down. I just can’t seem to cut some ties. People are annoying.”

I lift my tea to take sip after saying, “When are you going to cut your tie with me?”

Ben lifts his eyebrows in surprise, “I didn’t realize we had a tie. I guess we do, this is a social engagement after all. We’ve developed quite a friendship this past year.”

I swallow the sip I’ve taken. It needs to cool down a bit more. “Yes, and it’s funny because it didn’t start out that way.”

I remember meeting him on tumblr, while commenting on a post regarding a mutual interest we have. We started chatting and sharing our thoughts, discovering we have very similar ways of seeing the world and people. We talked in text for the better part of a year, until I finally worked up the courage to ask him if we can rather voice chat. He was so relieved I asked, since he has been wanting to do the same. We both found it easier to speak our minds this way, and these talks would last hours on some days. One day I bought a webcam for web teaching purposes, and while I was on a rant about something with him, I accidently switched the camera on. Roughly ten minutes passed before he blabbed that he could see me, by saying something like; “You don’t look happy about it.”

We continue reminiscing about how things started for the next ten minutes, and how things have changed. At some point I start yawning, looking down at the time. “It’s late. Chat some more tomorrow?”

“Sure, I have some stuff to do anyway. Planning my next big trip!” he smiles proudly, flashing his tiny globe sitting on his desk. He crosses off each country he’s visited with a big red cross. He has about six crosses.

“Where’s the lucky number seven going to be?” I ask curiously, thinking it might be somewhere in America for a change. He’s done Greenland, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, Germany and Egypt.

“It’s between Brazil and somewhere in Africa.” He spins the globe, trying to show both countries at once.

I stare at the screen blankly. “You mean…”

“Probably South Africa, yes.” He says excitedly, clearly studying my face for a reaction.

I force a full face smile and try my best to sound excited, “That’s great!!”

After we’re done chatting about his trip, briefly only, I quietly switch off my computer. I get ready for bed, switch off the light, and slide into bed. And with that, the nerves set in, and I lay awake for the next two hours before dozing off into a dreamless sleep.

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