January 8
With his hair in a ponytail covered with a red bandana, Patrick resembled a Caribbean pirate—but instead of a parrot, Pansy was slung across his left shoulder. “More hygienic,” he explained his headgear to the new arrivals (though the prospect of cat hair in the pasta had apparently eluded him). When he dumped a great load of spaghetti into the sink to drain, Pansy jumped onto the counter to avoid the steam.
Pat’s kindness had erased Pansy’s dismay
regarding her new home. Nerd Hall was boisterous and chaotic with incessant music and ringing cell phones and there wasn’t a grandmotherly type anywhere within its labyrinthine corridors. But the Nerd students were good guys who welcomed their new mascot with petting, gifts of catnip toys and more food than Pansy had ever dared to dream of at Mooner Farm. In short order she’d come to realize her good fortune. She spent a great percentage of every day draped contentedly across Patrick’s shoulder. He called this arrangement “The Coze“.
Beamer had jumped onto the counter as well. He watched Jake, Mitch and Judellen find places at the cafeteria table that Nerdites had confiscated for this event. Popcorn was strewn everywhere; Jude and the rest had to dump it off their folding chairs—also confiscated—in order to sit down.
A girl built like a thirteen-year-old boy leaned out of the way as Patrick put an enormous pot of marinara on the table. Her spiky brown hair was streaked with blue. “Oh man,” she said, “that looks good!”
“Pass me the ladle, Nonnie,” said the teenaged kid next to her. He wore black-framed glasses under heavy black bangs, and was so skinny he could probably have eaten all the spaghetti himself. This was Nathan Zimmeroff, a technological prodigy known as “Zim”.
Art student Nora Sorenson poured sauce generously over her pasta, then gave the ladle to Zim. Called “Nonnie” by her friends, Nora was one of the few out of state students attending the Shenango Penn State campus. Sitting on her left was a great-looking guy whose smooth brown hair complemented riveting blue-green eyes. Nora noted Jude’s appreciative stare.
“Jude, this is Jefferson Wrightley—he just moved here from Rhode Island. My family knows his from Providence.” Nonnie introduced the others, saying, “Jeff’s got a civil engineering degree, but he likes hanging out with us freaks.”
Jefferson laughed, explaining, “I just enjoy the arts, and Nonnie’s been great about showing me around.”
“Not much to show,” put in Patrick, sitting down beside Zim. “Shenango must seem pretty lame after Providence”.
Nonnie’s handsome friend shrugged. “There are things of interest to see and learn everywhere,” he said philosophically. “My family’s just moved into that big house at Redwood Common. I have a younger sister named Andia…she’s interning with my Dad’s new firm, formerly Sawyer Fabrications.”
“Is Sawyer under new management?” Jake asked, slurping spaghetti off his fork.
Jefferson confirmed, “They kept it quiet, y’know…didn’t want to distress the locals. But the news is good, really; Dad plans to expand the plant.“
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