Chapter 3 FLASHBACK TO "91

The spacious grounds of the reputable Grand Canyon University silently endured the back and forth marching of her anxious students, hastily climbing up and down the stairs with bookbinders and file holders in their hands. Like diligent ants on duty, they entered or exited lecture theaters as introverted individuals or in chattering groups, only stopping in their tracks to greet their mates who were also passing by. July 1991 was a serious period in the academic calendar, especially for the spillover students who had one or two projects to execute or seminars to present.

Somewhere in one of the many cafeterias in the school, a young male student of average height was sitting at a table littered with crumpled papers on top and around. With frustrated creases on his forehead, he made various sketches and jotted down various observations, only to make a mistake, feel dissatisfied and repeat the process! He had been there for hours, tearing new sheets, calculating on them, and squeezing them up again, irritated. His mates around him were worried for him, but no one approached him until he tore his last sheet and crumpled it up again. Defeated by stress, he palmed his face and let out a heavy sigh.

"You seem really stressed out!" the stranger stated over him.

"Stressed out is a real understatement right now. " The young man laughed softly as he raised his head to note who had approached him. His eyes fell on a tall young man with a small but friendly smile on his handsome face.

"Mind if I know what's up?" he asked him, raising a brow and taking a seat next to him.

"Nothing much," he shrugged, softening up slowly. "Just trying to complete this project so I can graduate from this school," he fessed up in a sad tone.

"Wait, project?" the tall guy repeated, sounding shocked. "Did you flunk, man?"

"Yeah, man!" he slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Messed up my earlier years in this school. If I don't ace these projects, I'm gonna be stuck in this school,"

"Hm!" his audience hummed in sympathy. "Care to show me what you've been working on?" he asked again, stretching his hand out.

The shorter man hesitated at first, feeling a bit embarrassed, but brushed it off in a split second, deciding to grab his chances for help. He arched his back, still sitting, and stretched to pick the most recently crumpled papers on the floor.

"Holy Cricket!" the taller guy suddenly exclaimed after unfolding the papers, startling his mate. "You're a Mechanics and Robotics student? That's so cool, man! I study Quantum Physics," he told him, nudging him with a one-sided grin on his face. "I'm Steve, by the way," he abruptly introduced himself, having realized that he hadn't yet.

"Mark!" The shorter man followed suit, sounding cautious. "Mark Toney"

"Well Mark, I like your idea. It's clever and inventive," Steve complimented.

"Really? Didn't think so hours ago?" Mark declared, sliding close to Steve to look at his work again.

"This is genius, man!" Steve continued to praise his work, looking keenly at the labeled diagram on it.

Mark slid a small distance away from his acquaintance, eyeing him with mixed feelings. Who was this guy? He asked himself. Could he be of help? He asked him instead of allowing the questions to override his thoughts.

"Huh, you know? I could use a little help if you're not busy with your own project,"

"Project?" Steve asked in mock shock, dramatically placing his hand on his chest. "As if! I have cleared all my exams. I've got no issues with graduating..."

"... oh!" Mark bowed his head, wrongly assuming that his acquaintance was not interested in any project.

"Hey, don't bow your head, man! You didn't let me finish," he quickly cautioned him. "I was about to say that I would gladly help you. We're gonna create one Hella project, I guarantee you," he finished with an encouraging smile.

Mark lit up at his assurance, feeling a heavy rush of optimism in his system. "Outstanding!" he clapped in sheer excitement. "When do we start?"

"When do we start? Hell, tonight, man. We've got no time to waste," he reminded him, then bowed his head to scribble something on the paper Mark had given him earlier. "Here's my address," he told him and passed the paper to him.

"Alright, man! We'll make this shit happen!" Mark declared assertively, stretching out for a handshake, which the taller man reciprocated. "Thanks for your consideration, man. Let me treat you with something."

"Aw, that's nice of you! I'll just have a soda,"

In a flash, Mark cleared out the table and its surroundings, then went to order two soda pops. They spent the next few hours familiarizing themselves with each other. They were forming a strong bond together as they had laughed and noting what they had in common. Mark liked his acquaintance. He sounded like a very smart guy and had so much confidence. While they were chatting away, a very gorgeous young lady walked past them to the counter, giggling in the company of her almost equally gorgeous mates. Steve lost his focus the minute she entered. She was tall and had a delicate figure. He could swear that he had never seen a face so bright. Her cute eyes almost made him melt like wax right there. His heart raced as he fantasized about playing with her seemingly soft blonde hair. Questions infiltrated as usual. Should he take cover? Should he get her attention? Should he walk over there?

"Wow! Isn't she just fly?" Mark whistled, having found who had stolen his new friend's attention.

"Sylvie Ross, former Miss GCU, current president of the Student Union and best student at different levels in Phoenix," Steve dictated, still lost in lust.

"Huh, FYI, I know who she is. " Mark turned to him then back to the counter where she was still ordering food.

"Man, she is so hot!" Steve helplessly blurted, still unable to quit the stalking gaze.

"If you like her, why don't you ask her out?" Mark urged him. "She's single after all"

"Dude, I've watched many guys get turned down by her since the first year. Do you think I have the chance?"

Mark tried to hide his shock. Wasn't this Steve who was talking confidently a few hours ago? "You stand a fat chance, man!" he quickly assured him. "You're cool and nice and friendly"

"Didn't we just meet today?" Steve snickered, meaning at his new friend for the first time since Sylvie entered.

"Just talk to her!" Mark ordered.

Before the taller man could dismiss him, he pulled him up and pushed him towards the table the girls had perched, rudely interrupting them.

"Hey, mind how you play your games!" the girl snapped fiercely, frowning at Steve.

"Take a chill pill, miss!" Mark hollered, rescuing Steve from further humiliation. "He just wants to talk to Sylvie"

"Ha! In his dreams!" the other girl let out a short, unladylike laugh. "Why would a queen like Sylvie want to talk to a nerd like you? Get out of here, you square!"

Steve remained on that spot, wishing the ground would open and take him to his grave. He was going to kill Mark for making him do this. Luckily for him, Sylvie rescued him this time around.

"That's enough Melanie! I'll handle it from here!" With that, the girls calmed down and turned their attention to their food.

"Sorry about that," Sylvie smiled apologetically at Steve. "They can be a little intense sometimes, but they are nice girls,"

"They obviously are," Steve chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. He couldn't believe that he was talking to former Miss GCU!

"You're Steve Fleming, right?" she inquired.

"You know my name?" Steve asked in utter shock. He turned to Mark, who was still watching from behind. The latter shrugged helplessly. He couldn't make out how the conversation was going, but he was positive about it.

"Of course, silly," Sylvie giggled, daintily dabbing her pretty pink lips with her fingers. "You helped us work out some electrical issues in sophomore year, remember? You're a really smart guy though," she commended him.

"I am?" he asked and once again turned to Mark, only for the latter to shrug his shoulders again. Where was all this coming from? Steve was wondering.

"Okay, I like your friend, but could we continue this conversation elsewhere?" she asked as she rose to her feet. "I don't really like sitting and talking with someone standing,"

Her polite manners had so hypnotized him, he couldn't answer until she snapped her fingers in his face. He agreed to walk with her after both of them had told their respective friends that they'd be right back.

"To be honest, Steve, I kinda gained an interest in you recently," she confessed when they were within earshot.

"Oh, really?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah. " She stopped and turned to him, looking straight into his eyes. "Don't tell anyone I told you this, but nerds are my type," she whispered, causing the young man to blush.

"Well...thanks" he appreciated her, hiding his flustered face from her, still very surprised by all of this. "I don't know. Are you free this weekend?"

"Fleming! Are you asking me out?" Sylvie asked flirtatiously, deliberately emphasizing the pronouns in her question.

"What? No!" Steve hurriedly denied, feeling caught. "I just wanted to know if you were free so we could talk or something, that's all"

"I can't promise you anything, but we'll keep in touch," she said. "After all, I'm a real busy person,"

"Alright!" Steve answered, slouching a bit in dissatisfaction. So much for taking the bold step.

"See you later, Steve!" she waved and went back to meet her friends.

"Later," he responded with a bored and disappointed tone and wave.

Mark ran to him, wrapping one arm around his waist and pulling him to his side. "How did that go, Casanova?" he asked teasingly.

"It was mixed, man," Steve answered, still slouching. "She said we'll keep in touch,"

"Aw, cheer up man!" Mark poked the taller guy on the shoulder. "If you ask me, I'll say I've got a good feeling about it,"

"You sure?"

"I'm positive!" he smiled. "Now let's leave the birds and concentrate on this project!"

With that, both of them quickly gathered some more papers that Mark squeezed last from the bin and left the cafeteria, walking to Steve's house together.

By the time they got to their destination, it was almost nightfall. Steve owned a quaint but comfortable mini flat, which Mark fell in love with the minute his eyes landed on it. Not that he was not proud of his apartment. At least, other guys with his background story would be envious of his achievement. He felt challenged to get something even better than Steve's as soon as possible. All he had to do was make sure this project worked. He also had to stick with this new friend of his, as he seemed to be a smart person. They got into the house and Mark was more astonished at the inside than he was when they were outside. The apartment had two master bedrooms, a nice and spacious kitchen, and living room. Steve slept in the bedroom and converted the other one to a makeshift laboratory!

"Welcome to my humble home!" Steve called as they entered. "Please, make yourself comfortable. I have some water in the refrigerator if you need." he offered with a smile.

"Thanks, man!" Mark appreciated. "I love your place!"

Steve shrugged, trying to be modest. "Yeah, it's not so much, but thanks. Would you like for us to start immedia...?"

"... hell, yes!" Mark chipped in, startling his friend a little.

"Alright!" Steve chuckled, eyeing Mark warily. "Let's begin!"

With this, they hurriedly freshened up and sat down in Steve's laboratory to begin their work. They started with modifying Mark's already planned invention and its functions. After about half an hour of modification, they soon got an idea that satisfied them, much to Mark's delight. Unfortunately, his happiness was short-lived after they penned down the list of materials they would need and realized how expensive it all was.

"$2000? Where the heck would I get this much money?" Mark let out a devastating cry.

"Relax, man!" Steve comforted him as he racked his brain for an alternative. Luckily for them, he got it a few seconds later. "Why don't we go to the junkyard nearby and grab as many spare parts as there are?"

This cheered Mark up. "Whoa, that's a great idea!" he beamed. "I do not regret asking for your help,"

The junkyard was located around the bend on Steve's street. They didn't need to worry about how late it was because the yard was a stone's throw from the house. Thankfully, the rusty spare parts were still working. After picking up all the parts they knew they needed, they put them in their bags and jogged home, eager to build their innovation.

On getting to the lab, Steve picked up some chalk and drew out their concept on the blackboard while Mark cleaned and oiled the parts they had collected. The duo made a perfect team. They worked together with so much speed and accuracy. One didn't need to tell the other what to do before he did it. If Steve was connecting wires, Mark was welding metal. If Mark was handling the mechanical operations, Steve was handling the electrical operations. Throughout the hours of that long night, the two worked in focused silence, screwing and bolting and sweating buckets! Of course, they took abrupt breaks to drink up energy boosters so they could go on without breaking down. Eventually, they completed their work, just when the clock struck 6:00 am the next day! With the little strength they had, they covered their invention up with a large piece of gray-colored cloth and headed to shower and sleep. Four hours later, a loud ringing sound from Steve's Nokia 1011 cellphone woke them up.

"Argh! Who could call me at this hour?" Steve groaned, rubbing his forehead soothingly, too tired to reach for his phone in the bedside drawer.

"Well, your phone sure rings loudly cause it interrupted my sleep." Mark grumbled, still lying down. A few seconds after trying to go back to sleep but failing, he rose from the bed and walked into the bathroom to freshen up.

The irritatingly continuous call got on Steve's nerves and forced him to pick up his phone. The number calling was unknown, but they had called up to four times and continued calling even after Steve hung up. He picked up the call after Mark persuaded him to.

"Hey Steve," the caller greeted. No one needed to tell him who owned the mesmerizing voice the minute it reached his ears.

"Sylvie? Gosh, I'm so sorry I missed your calls. I had a long night!"

"Oh, no issue, Steve!" she assured the young man. "So, remember I told you I'd keep in touch with you whenever I'm not busy?"

"Yeah? So, what's the 411?" Steve asked, sounding charming and looking optimistic.

"Well, since we're graduating soon, GCU rewarded us, the Student Union, with a day of fun before we eventually graduate on Sunday," Sylvie informed him.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Steve exclaimed.

"Exactly!" she squealed, sounding more excited than Steve could guess. "Anyway, we're heading first to a theater to see Terminator 2: Judgment day. GCU got us front row tickets!"

"Wow! Perks of Being a member of Student Union! You go, girl!" Steve cheered.

"Yeah, but about that! The Vice President of the Student Union is down with bird flu and has been home for days," Sylvie said.

"Aww, I'm sorry!" Steve's brows curved in empathy, but he was also unsure what to do with the information. "Wish her a quick recovery though," he quickly stuttered.

"Yeah, hopefully, she'll be fine before Graduation Day. Now, we need someone to fill in for her," she stated, making Steve cringe a little. Wasn't the Vice President their friend? Wouldn't it be nice of them to postpone the outing until she got better?

"Do you know anyone who would like to come?" she asked teasingly.

"I would love to come!" Steve butt in, suddenly caring less about the poor Vice President with bird flu! She'll be fine. He comforted himself. As for him, he had always wanted to see the movie and he couldn't wait till it came out on Blu-ray. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and he'll be a fool to let it slip!

"Oh, I don't know," Sylvie continued to tease him. "There are many people who would want to go out on a date with a Queen Bee like me. You'll have to beg a little harder,"

Steve grinned, boiling and pleased at realizing she was teasing him. He played along. "Oh, great Queen Bee, I pray thee! Permit thy servant an outing with thee!"

"Oh, poor and humble servant! Thou hast pleaded well. Thou art permitted an outing with me, the wise Queen Bee!" Sylvie continued to play, pleasing Steve.

"Oh, Queen Bee, blessed be thine kind heart! Thy servant be forever grateful to thee."

Both of them burst into laughter, unable to take it any longer.

"You're hilarious, Steve," she complimented in between girlish cackling. "The location is Chandler. Wear something real nice"

"Chandler?" Steve's eyes popped. "That's quite distant and I don't have a car,"

"We don't need a car. We'll be taking the bus." she informed him.

"Oh, okay."

"See you in 30 minutes!" she said and hung up.

Steve looked up at Mark, who had been standing over him all the while, listening contentedly at their conversation. He slowly whizzed like a whistling kettle, then burst with excitement. "I'm going out with Sylvie! Booyah!"

"Bravo, Casanova!" Mark congratulated him with mock applause. "You just got yourself a date with arguably the number one student in this uni!"

Rather than smile or laugh, Steve's face transitioned as if he had seen a ghost. "She'll be here in 30 minutes. What am I going to do?"

"First things first, get in the shower, dress up and be yourself," Mark advised. "The girl is totally into you. No need to act perfectly"

At this, Steve calmed down and happily heeded his friend's advice. He put on a plain white vest and a pair of dusty blue jeans, readily looking fabulous for his date.

"You look good, Casanova!" Mark commented.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Steve laughed, feeling on top of the world, but Mark didn't answer. He just went into the bedroom with a one-sided grin plastered on his face and came out with the black leather jacket he was putting on yesterday when they first met. "Take it. In case you get cold," Mark said.

"Thanks a lot, man. I really appreciate," he appreciated his friend. "Do you think I look good enough?"

"You look great!" Mark replied. "Now go get your Chica, man,"

"What about your project? The graduation is in two days. When will we test it?" Steve asked.

"Don't worry, man. We'll sort it out later." Mark tapped him on the shoulder.

"We sure will," Steve added confidently, pulling him in for an embrace. He then walked outside where the bus was already waiting for him and Sylvie was standing by it.

"Steve! Latecomers sit at the back!" Sylvie laughed, gesturing him to bolt. He tried to shake her hand when he finally got close, but she embraced him instead. They entered the bus holding hands, much to Steve's pleasure!