Monte International University

Lets just say, it was almost time for me to move out. Now, I’m not meaning the boys were making me aggravated. It was just time for me to go to freshman orientation and get my key to my room. Sebastian and I had done the rest of my shopping for my dorm room the rest of the week before and he was even nice enough to get me stuff from dormfy.com for my new home. Yes, it was time for me to leave the comfortable, yet full of testosterone, apartment. 

“Do you have everything,” Sebastian asked me that morning. He was standing in front of the bathroom door where I was finishing my makeup and packing my necessities. 

“Yeah,” I answered him. “Um, are we taking a taxi or what?”

"Actually, I rented a town car for the day. You are just moving in right?"

"Yeah, classes don't start until next week."

"Oh, ok. Cool." He left me to finish up and went into Felix's room. I heard whispering coming from the door and then saw a hand shut it. My thoughts raced. Is he thinking about asking me out, I thought to myself. It was crazy to think such a thing but I could have been right.

I was about to knock on the door a few minutes later after I had put all my stuff near the door but instead Sebastian came out and looked at me. "Would you like to go on a date tonight?" He seemed nervous to ask and I realized what they had been talking about.

"If you really don't want to go on a date with me then, no," I said. There was a feeling in me that said," You should not have said that," but I ignored it and stared at him.

"I didn't think you would say that," he said. He looked let down as if I had just cussed him out. He was about to turn away and then stopped. "The thing is, I really do want to go out with you. These past few weeks have been amazing and I didn't want to just see you leave without having a plan. I didn't which made me upset and I couldn't concentrate for a few days. I know that seems weird since its me but its the truth. Felix told me to at least see if dating would go well and see where it leads from there."

I was stunned. Number one: we had never talked about what happened last year so I had no clue what his true feelings were for me. Number two: if I just said yes, what would happen to "lets just be friends?" I answered him cautiously, "I think that is a good idea but I'm not sure if you understand just what this is going to do."

"What do you mean," he asked.

"You play football (meaning soccer for you Americans) professionally and you are a star player. We are either exclusive or we are very private. Our faces are either put on the front page of Bild or we go some place where no one recognizes you."

"Are you saying this might not work?"

"I'm saying I don't know if it will. I want to be exclusive but private. I don't mind if we are on the cover of Bild but I don't want our whole lives or lies about us in it. I want to go to college and not have cameras following me everywhere I go. Thats what I'm saying."

Sebastian smiled. "I'll help you get settled then I have practice. I'll pick you up at six tonight for the first date."

Wow, that was not what I expected, I thought to myself. "Ok. Can I ask what to wear?"

He handed me some Euros from his wallet. "The town car is going to stay with you after it drops me off at practice. Go buy yourself a party dress."

"You just made my day." 

"A party dress not everything in the store or neighborhood." I laughed and put the money in my purse.

**********************************************************

Monte had a nice campus and roomy dorms. It was like walking into a castle (which actually it really was one) and I felt as if I was in a dream. Sebastian and I got out of the black Mercedes and walked towards the "Welcome" tables set up near the dorms. 

"Hi, welcome to Monte International University," a girl said from the left side of us. She seem to excited while I seemed really scared when I walked up to her. Sebastian pushed me forward. "What's your name so I can find your room key?"

"Claire Lund." The girl looked through her list, found my name, and handed me a key to my room. Then she looked at Sebastian.

"And yours," she asked. Her eyes seemed to twinkle when she looked at him and apparently, Sebastian noticed it to because his hand went instantly to mine.

Then we went to another table, still holding hands, where I got a map, my schedule and a packet that was filled with information about jobs, restaurants, grocery stores and apartment complexes if we were interested. Then, it was time to get unpacked. 

The driver (his name is Johann, like the composer Bach), Sebastian and I went to the car to get my stuff. When we had put the boxes in my dorm, Sebastian kissed my cheek and left to attend practice with Felix while I put everything in their rightful places.

When I had everything, I realized I hadn’t unpacked my Mac. Oh please don’t tell me I left it at Sebastian’s. I looked in the boxes before the driver took them to the dumpster and then in the places where all of my things were. Finally, I looked on my desk and there was my baby, with a note on the tope that said: Read Me. 

I decided to open and saw a Pages document pop up with the screen. It had a list of items that I needed to get with the Euros that Sebastian had given me and at the end was a little note.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to pay me back for this but I am going to ask you to make sure your dress is either red or white. Don’t worry I’ll be matching.

At that second, I didn’t think we were going to a club and if we were the team must have rented it out. I looked around my dorm room that was supposed to have a roommate and smiled. I’m a college kid.

**********************************************************

After shopping in Heidelberg, Johann dropped me off with my garment bag that held my dress and the other bags I had that carried the items from the list. With my own money, I bought a red and white tie that was for Sebastian. I knew he didn’t really like ties but it worked for now and it matched the dress I bought.  

Johann left with strict instructions from Sebastian to stay in the dorm and be ready at anytime to leave, although it was only 3:15 when we had arrived back at the dorm room. When he left, I headed up the stairs with my bags and unlocked my door to the sight of more stuff that was not mine and all my stuff was in boxes. 

The Surprise

Dear Journal, 

It’s already been a week in Germany and I’m in love. Oh no, not with Sebastian, with the country. I can’t even begin to describe the scenery around Heidelberg or in it. Even though I spent a week with Sebastian and I loved it, I’m ready to be on my own. He was very kind to me and made sure I got lots of sleep but this week is going to be packed. I have to go buy some stuff for my dorm and freshman orientation is just around the corner. I move in at the end of next week. Anyways, the guys are getting up and Sebastian is my ride until three, so I have to get ready to leave. Apparently, he has a surprise for me today.

Love, 

Clarissa

I closed my Mac and headed towards the kitchen for a bowl of cereal. My red streaked hair was all over the place and my breath smelled like crap. This would be the first day Sebastian and his roommate had seen me at my worst. To be honest, they were the best roomies ever. They would come home late and wake up late. Sometimes, I would be out or in depending on what I had planned that day but they never saw what I looked like in the morning and I was glad. 

Sebastian was the first one up. His hair was messy and on his way to the bathroom, I saw him scratch his butt. Typical male, I thought. I laughed thinking of all that my brothers did in the morning. My oldest would primp and take an hour in the bathroom, well, all three of them did, but he was the worst. The second oldest would do the same has Sebastian only it didn’t look like he was still half asleep and well, my little brother, he was pretty normal. He would walk around like he was still asleep, trying to wake up but not fully being in his mind.

When he came out of the bathroom, Sebastian walked into the tiny kitchen and got a bowl from one of the cabinets. When he looked in the cabinet that held his and Felix’s cereal, he noticed it wasn’t there and then spotted me holding it out to him.

“Looking for this,” I asked him. I heard the bathroom door shut but didn’t look over still looking at Sebastian.

“Thanks,” he tiredly.

“Don’t forget the milk, I noticed last time you didn’t have any.” He smiled at me as I laughed at him. 

“Yes, mother.” 

I sat down in the chair with my Mac and turned on the TV, realizing I couldn’t understand what the news was saying. “God, I hate your country.”

Sebastian laughed. “That's only because you don’t know what they are saying.” 

“If you had subtitles, I would but its not a movie.” I sat in my seat listening to the beautiful but crude language I would be learning in just few weeks. 

Felix entered the room a few minutes later and started talking to Sebastian. “Sind die Nachricht schon aufpassen, wir?”

“Ich habe die übersetzen für Claire, aber ich bin bereit zu gehen, wenn Sie sind,” Sebastian answered. He looked at me. “You must be clueless?”

“Well, yeah. I’m not that good yet. I’m getting there but I still can’t understand full sentences,” I told him.

“Felix was pretty much wondering why we were watching the news. He thinks it is boring. I told him I was helping you translate but whenever he wanted to leave, I would be ready.”

“You have not been helping me translate.” Sebastian laughed. “I’m serious, Sebastian. If you had, I wouldn’t be sitting here still. I finished my cereal a few minutes ago. And, if you can’t tell, I look like shit. So please tell me what they said and not what Felix is thinking.”

“Okay, calm down. The weather is going to be in the nineties and there is a small chance of rain. Also, the chancellor is submitting a new bill that is supposed to help the east. Thats about it.”

“You know what? I think I might just look up the news on my Mac. Anyways, I need to take a shower and both of you need to get pants on. I dislike seeing men who are not related or married to me like that.” I stood up and took my bowl into the kitchen and set it in the sink. Sebastian followed me into his room, which he had lent to me and closed the door behind us.

“Whats wrong? You’re being a bit rude with a smart ass tinge.” I opened my Mac and went to an email my dad had sent me. 

“I got this last night. I have money in the bank to go back but I just got here and I haven’t even done anything worth while. Plus school doesn’t start until August and I still don’t move into my dorm for two weeks.”

Sebastian looked at me. “Claire, its going to be okay, I promise. This is your first time away from home for at least a year. You are going to be concerned for a little while. It happens to all of us. Besides, he said nothing major was wrong, he just wanted to keep you informed. 

“How do you put up with me or calm me down?”

He smiled. “Mostly because you are able to talk to me if I tell how much of an ass you are.”

I laughed. “True, I am an ass, pretty much all the time. Now, you have a surprise for me so I don’t want to be late. Not only that, but Felix takes longer than my dead grandma in the shower so I need to get in first.”

“Okay,” Sebastian laughed. He opened the door and then stopped and looked back at me. “Claire, I’m really glad you came even though I really wasn’t up for it at first.” Then, he closed the door.

**********************************************************

I was in my short shorts and a low cut green shirt. My Puma’s were complementing the outfit perfectly with the pink and green, both my favorite colors. I kept noticing Sebastian checking me out. Green was his favorite color but I wasn’t sure if he was looking at that.

“Sebastian, you have to stop staring. Your friends are going think you want to grope me,” I said without thinking.

“You’re sick,” he answered me. “We are only friends.”

“Then stop looking at me like I’m your next meal. Its just a v-neck and I did tell you I have matured over the years.”

“Ganz schön, zu,” Sebastian said in German.

“What did you just say?” Felix laughed at my cluelessness and Sebastian looked at me and winked.

“I’m smart enough not to tell you. Besides, today, you are stuck with me. You are coming with me at three so you have to get used to me not telling you what I’m saying.” He smiled at me and I called him a smart ass. 

We walked down the street until we got to the train station and Felix had to leave us by our selves. Sebastian told him he would meet him later for practice (they played in a small league together) and then, we left him to go to a near by shopping strip. 

“Okay, so what do you need for your dorm,” he asked me. I stopped and looked at him.

“Dude, we cannot get all my stuff without a car,” I told him.

“I know, thats why I have a taxi on call. I was ready for today yesterday.”

“Then, why did we walk all the way here?”

“Because I only have the taxi for a certain amount of time. This way we could get your stuff and then after we are done we can get it to my apartment and then head to the stadium.”

“Sebastian, does your team even have a stadium?”

“It’s a practice field, my bad. And, yes, we do. That is part of my surprise today, the one I told you about last night.”

“Oh, okay.”

**********************************************************

An hour after arriving at the strip, we were mostly done getting my stuff for my dorm. Sebastian called that taxi to come pick us up after we got something to eat. He took me to one of his favorite restaurants and all I was telling him was, “Thank God this isn’t McDonald’s." 

When the taxi came, we headed to the apartment and talked about the years we had missed being with each other. I told him about me being in counseling and how my counselor is looking for someone here for me. He seemed surprised by that fact but once I began to explain why he began to understand. 

As we entered the apartment to put away my stuff, Sebastian stopped in the middle of the doorway and just stared at me. “What,” I asked.

“Well, I was just thinking about the day we met,” he said. “You’re a lot different, more mature, in a way, and you aren’t really afraid of what you used to be. I’m really glad you got excepted to Monte. I shouldn’t have said that I was worried about us being close because in the week we have been together, I think I’m the one who has been hitting on you.”

I laughed. “Hey, I’ve played a part, too.” I walked to his room with my stuff and he followed. “So if I asked you if I could stay for four years what would you say?”

“I’m still worried.” He smiled and helped me put the stuff away. Then, we left to go to his practice and my surprise.

**********************************************************

Day 8: Sebastian’s Surprise

Oh. My. Fucking. God! He was serious about a surprise. I had pictures in my head and they weren’t it. To tell you a little bit about yesterday, lets start from when we were heading to the train station. He was a little bit talkative and told me about his team and the members. He made me laugh a lot. Even during the train ride to practice, all we did was talk about anything and everything. 

When we got to the field, Sebastian left me in the stands and went to the changing room. Their were other women in the stands but apparently they were exclusive with the players, like me. The thing was that I had never been to a practice field like this in my whole life and nor was it for a professional team. Let me just say that again. Professional team. News flash, why didn’t he tell me who he played for? And wasn’t he not even supposed to be playing professional soccer? Vfb Stuttgart was a very good team and even with him on there, most likely they would have even more wins. I would make him my favorite. 

“What are you writing,” Sebastian asked, coming over to our table in the coffee shop. He carried with him two cups, one just coffee (for him) and the other a cafѐ mocha with an extra shot of vanilla in it (for me).

“I’m working on a post for my blog,” I answered, including a “thank you” for the coffee. I took the cup and started sipping it and blowing on it. I looked at him and smiled. “You know, you kind of lied to me.”

“I know, but I wanted it to be a surprise especially if you didn’t come and you saw me playing against F.C. Kӧln.”

“Oh, ok, but still you could have told me.” I sipped my coffee and then went back to writing on my blog. We continued to talk until he had to go to practice.

Welcome To Germany, Now Come With Me

The plane left on July 4th at 9:15 am. I was in the economy section with my Mac on my lap. My brother’s had grown on me and I had decided to buy one for myself for college. I had left my family to go to Heidelberg, Germany and got accepted into my dream college. In fact I was looking at my laptop at that time and writing in my journal about my travels and I was sending it to my parents after the flight was over and I had settled into my dorm.

The plane was stopping in Chicago when I closed my laptop and put it in my bag. I buckled myself in before the plane landed and braced myself for it. I had never been on a plane and I was afraid of heights. A lot of people told me the take off and the landing were the worst part of the flight and so far they have been right, so besides those parts, I had been loving it. It was just like a car ride.

“The plane is now landing. Please stay in your seats until the plane has come to a complete stop,” a flight attendant said coming over the intercom. Since I had the window seat, I didn’t want to look out and down so, I held on to the arm rests on my seat.

**********************************************************

After I had gotten my luggage and it was ready for the next flight, attention turned to eating breakfast and getting myself a Diet Coke. I went up to the desk near the next flight I had to go to. “Ma’am, is there a vending machine nearby,” I asked.

“Yes, just head straight down the terminal and there will be one on your right,” she said. So I went where she directed but instead, I saw a Starbucks not too far from my gate. It was good to have a cinnamon roll (although it wasn’t my mothers) and a nice warm coffee, even though I didn’t get my Coke.

I went to an empty seat near my gate after buying a little souvenir (or shot glass) and my breakfast. My trip was going great and I was happy to travel by myself like an adult even though I was only eighteen. My life had finally started and the world was my oyster.

I opened my Macintosh again and went on Facebook where I told my friends and of course my family that everything was going great and my flight was smoother than I thought it would be. Right after I posted, my mother commented saying:

Stay safe, I don’t want you to get hurt.

Moms, I thought. They can be so over protective. It wasn’t until my dad told me to call them that that thought was erased. I took out my new iPhone and dialed their number.

“Hey, Dad,” I said when he picked up.

“Claire, you were supposed to call when you landed,” he said, not even asking me how I was or if the flight was ok.

“Well, it landed a few minutes ago and I was making sure my luggage was in the right place before I got myself breakfast. Also, I had body scans. I’m ok though.”

“Good, so how was your first flight?”

“Smooth, almost like a car ride. I was scared during the take off and the landing but I’m ok now.”

“Well, good. Everyone says hi and Sebastian told your sister to tell that he will be waiting for you and you need to call him when you get to London.”

“Ok, Dad. Anyways, I have a layover for about an hour and I need a nap. I was told to make sure I got as much sleep as I could get so after I get off the phone with you and finish my breakfast, I’m going to do just that. I love you though.”

“I love you, too sweetheart. Man, I wish you weren’t so grown up.”

“Dad, not this again. If you cry, I’ll cry and we don’t need that so get off the phone. But, Dad,…um… don’t be worried, I’ll make sure to call you when I reach London.”

“Ok, sweetheart. Well, I have to get back to work anyways. The company knows that you left so they let me sit in the office for a little while. I love you.

“Love you, too, Dad.”

“Bye.”

“Bye, Dad.” And with that I closed the phone and went to eating my cinnamon roll.

**********************************************************

After my hour nap, I was back on the next plane, headed towards London, still writing but on my blog. I was determined to always write during my stay in Germany and the journal helped a lot to get my thoughts on The Possible Scholar (a.k.a: my blog). This is what my post read:

And so it begins. My trekking to Germany is going great, especially since I am small and I have a limited amount of space between me and the next chair. As everyone has told me, the take off and landing are the hardest. Yes, they have been correct. Anyways, I seem to be amazing to look at with my Mac because the person next to me is loving the View and reading over my shoulder. There are people who have problems and people who can’t mind their own business when being on a plane. My first seat partner asked me if I was writing to my boyfriend and if not would I right to him. I looked at him and said politely, “You aren’t my type but the woman across from you has been checking you out.” Sure enough, she actually was. I made a new friend after that and he didn’t look at my journal again. This woman though, God, if only I could get her to stop.

I kept writing until the woman rolled her eyes. I looked over. “Excuse me, but would you mind not reading my private information,” I asked politely.

“It doesn’t look private to me,” the woman said. She was certainly from England and I didn’t want to offend her by bringing up the American Revolution but it slipped.

“Well, if you English weren’t so damn nosy before the American Revolution, then maybe I wouldn’t say it was private.” It did get her to stop watching my every move but she gave me a dirty look. Two points for me and null for the passengers that sit next to me.

As I kept writing, I kept thinking about how good it would be to see Sebastian again. Yes, I would be shy but at least the reconnection would most likely be great. I was fantasizing now mostly because I didn’t know if I should hug him or shake his hand. We American girls had problems when it came to meeting old friends. I’m not saying Sebastian is old either, just five years and six days. I’m just saying we had been friends for six years now.

Let me tell you a little bit about Sebastian. He was a blond man with blue eyes, ones that were captivating to me. My sister though didn’t like that I was friends with him and when she found out that I was excepted to Monte International University, she tried everything to stop me from going. She didn’t want me “to get hurt.”

Anyways, Sebastian was a huge soccer fan and a player of the sport himself. He may have encouraged me to follow my dreams but he didn’t seem too encouraged himself. If he did bad at a game, he would beat himself over the head until I stepped in to help him out a little. Meeting him seemed to be the best thing ever at this point in my life.

To me, his life was way better than mine. I was the child who wasn’t like the others. I hid myself from the world most of the time and then got asked to step in it more and when I did, well it seemed to make everyone mad.

Enough about me, later on I might just tell you more but not now, it bothers me. Lets just say my past effects my future, or I believe it will.

After I was finished writing on my blog, I went to sleep. Naps were helpful when you had to go through different time zones. London was six hours ahead of Chicago and Fair Grove, meaning I was getting to Germany the next day.

**********************************************************

It was midnight when the plane landed in London. As I headed to my next terminal, I pulled out my iPhone and called the number Sebastian sent me. It was a good thing he was still up because I didn’t want him to be angry when I called.

“Hallo,” he asked in his German accent. Yes, men with foreign accents are way cuter on the phone. Why that is, I have no idea but it made me melt inside.

I took a breath to calm my nerves and then said, “Hey, it’s Claire. I just landed in London but we have a three-hour lay over and the plane isn’t here yet.”

“Oh, ok. I’ll be at the airport before you guys land, I promise.”

“I’m not worried that you won’t, Sebastian. If I was, I wouldn’t be tired.”

“Alright, I just didn’t want you to be. I’m going to lay down for a little bit but I will turn on my alarm just to make sure I pick you up on time.”

“Alright, well, I need to get off the phone to call my parents and tell them I arrived.” It was quiet on the other side. “Sebastian?”

“Yeah?”

“Nothing, just making sure you were still there and didn’t hang up on me. Anyways, see you in Frankfurt. Bye.”

“You, too, and bye.” After he hung up, I got some snack food from a nearby vending machine before calling my parents and telling them that I had landed and that I was fine.

**********************************************************

My flight to Germany arrived at 6:15 am in Frankfurt. If you aren’t used to the time and live in the central time zone area, it is currently 11:15 pm. Sebastian was where he said he would be and I stood still for a moment. He didn’t notice me although I had shown him what I looked like: brown hair with red highlights in a Keri Hilson hairstyle and five feet two inches tall.

He looked better now than in my memories. He was more toned as a man and stronger like he always bragged about on Facebook. My best friend wasn’t a little boy, he was more than that. He was what everyone calls a “knight in shining armor” or “Prince Charming.” Prince Charming doesn't exist though.

I decided then, that if I don’t show myself he might get worried or just leave. So, I walked up slowly to make sure he saw me. “Hey,” he said.

“Hi,” I said. I stood there smiling until he walked up and hugged me. It was a friendly gesture, although I wished it wasn't, and I hugged him back.

“So, how was your trip?” He grabbed my luggage and walked with me toward the exit.

“It was really tiring, I pretty much wrote and slept the whole time.” I smiled at him when he laughed at me as if saying “I figured as much.”

“Apparently, that's typical.” When we walked out of the building, I stopped and I looked out at Germany’s landscape. “Welcome to Germany. Now, we have to get your stuff to my apartment and try to keep you awake until night fall.”