Attending

The door won't open. Romany shakes it and then fumbles with his wallet, but can't find his ID. I turn and look behind me.

Oh yeah, I think, I'm going to get busted.

The door next to it is open, and the two of us casually stride in. I'm forced to follow behind him because I have no idea where we're going. The campus is a huge sprawling maze that almost nobody walks across because of it's size, and the buildings are no simple matter either.

We're sitting in the back of an auditorium now, but the professor hasn't noticed us. He didn't notice the kid climbing the wall to get a better seat either, which is comforting.

By the end of the class I'm asking questions.

By mid-way through the next class I'm arguing with the professor.

I'm still wearing my sweatshirt from the wrong school the whole time. When I'd left the house this morning, I had had no idea where I was going.

"You don't go here," she said over the five-minute break. It was almost a question.

"Is that important?"

The scowl broke into a huge grin, and Romany introduced us. It was one of those instant friendships, "Say you're in my major, we audit classes all the time..."

"You're very interesting," a boy back in class said, "What do you study?"

I found myself unsure of what Essy's major actually did. "Computer Science."

"And what is your specialty?"

"I don't have one,"

There was a few seconds pause when I realized that all grad students have specialties, but that this kid was foreign and had no idea how the American school system worked.

"Ah," I finished, "Undergrad only, I work in robotics."

He seemed impressed.

***

"Did I tell you I'm going to Bimodal?"

"What? You must be incredibly proud... when did you apply?"

"No, I didn't get admitted, and I'm not a student, I'm just attending."

"Pika..."

***

Keys, wifi access, email address, course schedules, majors, advisors: the logistics of this are impressive. Since it is January, I'm suppose to already know my way about the campus.

***

I stood near the professor during the break while another girl came up and easily get permission to audit the course. Positive it was the best way to remain not found out, I walked up right after her.

"Um, I wanted to audit too."

The professor beamed, "Wonderful, well you heard my answer to her. I'm very pleased. When I was an undergrad I audited all sorts of classes, best part of my education."

I smiled.

"What's your name?"

I hesitate for a moment, considering giving him the name of a real student.

"Pika"

"Well, Pika, it's a pleasure to have you in class and its good to see you're taking your education into your own hands."