“You are the worst sometimes. You know that?” He looked upset, but Josephine didn’t seem to care.

“What? What I do wrong this time, Kai?” She barked back with no sense of empathy.

“I don’t get why you’re always trying to bother other guys. Like… I’m literally right here. What are you trying to accomplish?”

“I’m just making friends, Kai! What? You don’t want me to have friends or something?” She responded with arrogance as irrational anger began to overtake her.

“Why wouldn’t I want you to have friends? This just doesn’t seem like what you were doing.” Kairus continued to respond calmly and quietly, keeping his composure.

“Okay. Then what does it seem like I was doing, huh?”

“It looked like you were trying to validate yourself again like you aren’t already validating yourself enough as it is.”

“Wow. Okay, Kai. If that’s what you think…” She rolled her eyes and focused her attention on her food and away from Kairus. He looked back down at her with sadness and debated whether he should apologize, comfort her, or do nothing.

The two had kept their conversation quiet, but a few people nearby had heard them including Phil at the table just behind. He then got up from his seat and left the area, heading upstairs to one of the quieter study zones.

“Look,” Kairus said. “You know I care about you. I just want you to stop acting like you need other people to make you feel important. You’re already important to me. You know that, right?” He spoke sincerely with a comforting tone as he tried desperately to reach her.

“You’re right, Kai. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I act like every other stupid college girl. I’m working on that. I promise.” She reached out her hands and held Kai’s from across the table.

“It’s fine, Jos. You’re alright. It just sucks watching you do this sometimes. You know?” Kairus calmly laid his feelings out on the table and they both smiled.

“Yeah yeah… I know. I’m sorry I keep doing that. I promise I will stop.” Her tone sounded sincere, but something was still odd about it, and Kairus noticed.

“Do you actually mean that this time?” He demanded, seeing right through her.

“I do. I really do. I mean it, okay?” She insisted, and though Kairus was still not convinced, he let it go and changed the subject.

“So how was psychology today? Boring as usual?”

She thought a little bit about her class before answering. She tried to remember what it was about and if anything noticeably interesting had happened.

“It wasn’t that bad today. We talked about PTSD and we learned that some people go crazy when they hear fireworks or some stupid shit like that.” They both laughed a little and continued their small talk conversation.

“Yeah PTSD can be a real pain, I’ve heard. I think my uncle had it because he would get real skittish when we watched certain movies. I know he was an army vet, so he usually avoided anything war related, but seeing him run out the room whenever a loud noise went off was always kind of funny. Of course, as a little kid, I had no idea what the problem was, but I kind of feel bad for laughing now.”

Josephine shrugged her shoulders as they both began to eat. She ate slowly and carefully to make sure she didn’t get any sauce or food on her face and clothes. Kairus ate his food a bit faster and with a bit more urgency as he still had a class to get to shortly.

“How was Computer Programming or whatever you do in the morning?” Josephine asked, breaking the silence.

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“I had Chemistry and Statistics this morning. Computer Programming is this afternoon, but I’m impressed. You at least remembered the name of one of my classes.”

“You know… I really can’t tell if that was sarcasm, but I’m just gonna go ahead and assume you meant it. I am very impressive, afterall.” They both chuckled and looked at each other.

“Well anyway,” he continued. “Chemistry and Statistics were hell as usual, but I got through them. They’re just boring and don’t have a whole lot to do with my major. You know? I’m trying to be a software engineer, not a chemist or mathematician.”

“I don’t think anyone is trying to be either of those at this school. Let’s be honest. People are just trying to party, get drunk, and have sex.”

“A lot of people, yeah. That’s true, but with how many students go to this school, there’s gotta be at least a few that like these boring ass classes.”

Josephine shrugged and tilted her head. Most of the mainstream science and math courses never really interested her a whole lot. She took an introductory math course as a freshman, Biology, and Earth Science as well. Her favorite of those was Biology because it had the least amount of math.

Her real passion was journalism. She loved reading about events happening in the city and all around the country. She enjoyed learning about the last hundred years of history pertaining to serial killers, cultists, and psychopaths. This was the main reason Josephine decided to take a psychology course; she wanted to learn more about mental illness and how it led people to commit heinous acts like Ted Bundy.

As a career, she sought to become a reporter and article writer, becoming the documenter of the news articles she so often read about. Beyond her passion, she also had skill and experience, doing a bit of freelance blogging on a website that Kairus made for her.

“I’m just glad I don’t ever have to take those classes,” Josephine said while taking a sip of tea from a small black thermos.

“Earl Grey?” Kairus asked.

“You know it, babe. It’s my favorite,” she smiled and shook the thermos in his face teasingly.

“Did you at least put some sugar in it this time or does it just taste like hot leaf juice?”

“It tastes like hot leaf juice… with a hint of sugar. IT’S GOOD! OKAY?” She exclaimed, letting out a cute and soft giggle that Kairus couldn’t help but adore.

“You have literally the cutest laugh,” he smiled brightly.

“I know I do.” Josephine brushed her hair behind her ears with a haughty smirk.

“You are so full of yourself!” Kairus teased, shaking his head with a light chuckle.

“Pssh. You would be too if you were me, baby.” She laughed half-seriously and proceeded to drink her tea.

“You’re funny.”

Kairus started to clean up his food and put his things away. “I’ve got to start heading to class, alright? I’ll see you tonight.”

He stood up, fastened his backpack on his shoulders, and waited for her.

“Yeah. Alana shouldn’t be around tonight, so we can hang out and watch a movie or two,” Josephine stood up across from him and began to gather her stuff.

“Alright,” he said. “You gonna walk out with me?”

“Sure.” Josephine said as they walked towards the big glass doors at the front of the building.

They exited together, greeted by a densely cloudy afternoon sky. There was a light breeze blowing through and the air smelled of approaching rain.

It was already getting dark as the clouds enclosed the sun with just a few rays escaping and peaking through the cover. It was still warm out, but it also felt cool and comfortable.

“Hmm call me crazy, but I think it might rain today.” Kairus smirked with a witty grin and reached his arm over Josephine’s shoulder.

“Woah okay, Mr. Weatherman. Can you predict where else it might be raining tonight?” She winked and nudged him hard in the ribs with her elbow.

“Ahh!… Your dorm room… maybe?” He winced and asked in a sly tone as they approached an intersection heading towards the “College of Computer Science” which was near the “College of Mathematics” and Josephine’s residency, “Princeton Hall.”

“Eww no. How could you think that? Do I look like a thirsty hoe to you?” She retorted with fake disgust and laughed.

“No… not at all! Never!” He responded sarcastically, laughing with her.

“You better mean that!”

“I do… I do… I definitely mean it, babe. I promise!”

“Good.”

Together, they walked through the busy intersection and proceeded to the College of Computer Science where Kairus would depart.

“Alright, Jos. I’ll see you tonight.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and left as she said goodbye and walked away.