The Four

My first course of every day started at 8:00 AM. That meant I had to leave the house around 7:00 AM to make it safely to campus on time. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, my last class ended at 4:00 PM; I was free after 2:30 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I scheduled work at the cafe to start an hour after my last classes ended, which would six-hour shifts, four days a week plus Saturdays.

And they say English and Comparative Literature is a breeze.

I spent more time on my appearance for the first day of class than I normally would - no doubt first impressions mattered at Columbia. I applied a layer of mascara, swept some color across my cheeks and chose not to throw my long brown hair into a ponytail or braid. As for an outfit, I pulled on a pair of light skinny jeans, a weightless white button down and my favorite brown pointed loafers. I stuffed my work uniform into my backpack and took off toward the train.

Immediately upon emerging from the station and coming face-to-face with the iconic campus gates, I sensed I was underdressed. I knew my classmates would be wealthy, but dress shirts and heels? Seriously? How did these people survive this city in clothes like that? Even if I could afford such nice clothes, I wouldn't be tempted to wear them to class at 8:00 AM.

"Whatever," I mumbled under my breath, walking quickly toward my first class in my handy loafers.

"English Prose Fiction in the Renaissance" came and went, followed by "Early American Ecologies" at 10 AM. Although the classes seemed straightforward enough, I groaned at the syllabi's lists of required texts - one great pitfall of my major was the sheer amount of reading. And much to my dismay, I didn't already own any of the books we'd be reading, at least in these two classes.

I had over an hour before my next class started, so I made my way to the quad. It was probably the most open space you could find in the city, save for Central Park. I sat on the steps of the library and discreetly took out a campus map. Where could a girl eat around here?

"Hey, you were just in Dr. Gray's class, right?"

I started, hastily stuffing the map into my backpack and looking up. A girl with ashy-blonde hair, a nose ring and freckles was standing a few steps away, facing me. She wore a black silk dress, made to look casual under a stylish blue leather jacket. And she was giving me a very bemused look, raised eyebrow and all.

"I, uhh. His name was... Yeah," I stumbled, frantically - and unsuccessfully - pulling at the broken zipper of my backpack.

"I see literacy is already your forté."

I ran a nervous hand through my hair and sighed, defeated. "Yeah."

"I'm just teasing you," she said with a short laugh, revealing a row of big white teeth. "I'm Sam."

"Analeigh," I said, reaching out to shake hands.

"So, Analeigh, I was wondering. Did you happen to have any of the books on Dr. Gray's list?"

"Oh, not that I know of. My aunt may have one, but I really doubt it."

"Awh damn," she said, slumping down next to me and sliding her leather backpack off her shoulder. "I was really hoping I wouldn't have to buy any new ones."

"You already have some of them?" I asked.

She nodded. "All but two."

"Wow, you're lucky." I looked down at my hands. I didn't even want to guess the amount I'd be spending on all these textbooks and novels. And I'd only been to two classes so far.

Sam poked me in the shoulder, beckoning me to make eye contact. "Hey, I have two of some of them. I can lend them to you."

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course. I was gonna ask if we could share if you'd had any in the first place. It's only fair," she shrugged and smiled.

"That would be amazing, thank you. I'd really owe you."

"Don't worry about it. I've collected plenty over the years. Did you have Williams last semester?"

"Oh, no, I just transferred here, actually," I said shyly.

"No kidding! I was wondering why I hadn't seen you before. If I'm being honest, I think I've pestered everyone else in our classes for books, so you were a fresh target," she said, leaning back on the steps and looking at me with her dark eyes. "Are you new to the city?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know anyone here?"

I shook my head.

She sat up and grabbed my shoulder excitedly. "That's crazy! Come on, let me take you to the best spot on campus for lunch."

"You have a break, too?" I asked as Sam quickly pulled herself up and threw on her backpack.

"Yup, and so does my buddy Evan. I'll text him to meet us. He's a junior English major, so he might be of some help to you, too."

As if on a mission, Sam was already four steps away while I started to gather my things. I threw my planner in my backpack, started off after her and had nearly caught up when I felt around my pockets for my phone. I had left it behind.

"Just a sec, Sam, I left my phone!" I called to her, then turned back around.

Out of nowhere, a mob of people, students and adults, had appeared at the top of the library steps, and were making their way down. Fast. They seemed to be centered around one or two people, as some were literally shuffling backwards to face them. They were riotous and noisy, and I could hear the rapid, unmistakable clicks of iPhones and Snapchat cameras. And they were headed straight for my idle phone.

"Dr. Newman, what do you think about -?"

"Travis! Travis take a sel-!"

"Are the four going to be -?"

"TRAVIS! NOAH!"

"Dr. Newman, who stood out during today's -?"

"I LOVE YOU!"

My ears were ringing with the commotion, and the mob was descending on my defenseless phone faster than I was running to it. I made the mistake of trying to scan the group to see who was in the center of the riot when I tripped on a step. I caught myself on my hands and a knee before I could completely face-plant. I was only a few feet from my phone as the first of the mob began to surround me, unguarded on the hard ground.

I was enveloped in darkness as I unwillingly entered the eye of mob, and people began to push and trip over me hurriedly. Hands stinging, I looked up at the exact moment a shiny, black leather shoe came crashing down on my phone with a painful crunch. The noise, knees and feet clamoring around me on all sides faded as I focused on the cracks splinter across the face of my phone under the weight.

And then, the shiny black shoe lifted and disappeared from my sight. It had passed over me in a split second, along with the dozens of other shoes that had run through me to get by. I was suddenly surrounded by the light of day again, free of the mob that continued its descent onto the quad below.

I stared down at them for what felt like ages, crushed phone in my stinging hand and mouth agape. From the corner of my eye, I could see Sam looking from the mob to me as I stood up. I pushed my hair out of my face and exhaled ferociously.

"HEY!" I screamed. I charged down the steps hastily - the mob was already leagues ahead of me.

"Analeigh, are you alright?" Meeting me at the base of the steps, Sam reached out to touch my shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

"They broke my phone!" I answered in exasperation, waving the pathetic device at her. "One of them broke my phone!"

"Oh, shit. Wait, where are you going?"

I had pushed past her and was power-walking after the mob. "He owes me a phone!"

"Who?" Sam yelled from behind me, desperation in her voice.

"I don't know!"

Miraculously, the mob had stopped near the center of the quad for some reason, and more students were coming up to join them from all sides. The noise from screaming girls was swelling, and literal camera flashes were striking the group from all sides. As I approached the growing scene, I spotted a hole in the crowd I could push through, and thus began violently shoving people to the side. At five people deep, I knew I had to be near the center at last.

"HEY!" I yelled over the ever-obnoxious racket. "HOW DARE YO-"

In a flash, I was cut off as a hulking body hurled itself on top of me.