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(Page 2 of 2) College: Year One by Jay B.There was an uncomfortable feeling as Steve passed through the tables toward the kitchen. Some tables, he saw, were quiet with food that was going untouched as students hastily crammed pages of textbooks into their heads. Other tables were alive with the joviality of students, already finished, chatting away their plans for the upcoming vacation.
Steve emerged from the kitchen, thankful that they had been serving breaded chicken fingers. After pouring a generous lake of ketchup aside the mountain of chicken on his plate, Steve made his way to the quiet corner four top where two of his floor mates sat. One of the two, finished with his exams, was sipping a cup of Earl Grey as he fingered through flashcards, occasionally quizzing the other fellow at the table.
"That was quite a spectacle you put on up there last night! I wasn't sure you were even going to make it for the exam," said one of the floor mates.
"Shut up, Jay," replied Steve, shoveling chicken into his mouth. "I feel awful."
"You really drank a lot last night," said the other fellow at the table. "We were worried about you. We've been here since this place opened and Jay's been forcing me to quiz him with these stupid flashcards he made."
"They're not stupid!" shouted Jay, spitting breadcrumbs onto the table. "They help me study! And they're certainly better than well, you know, not studying at all!"
"At least I've seen all of the films in their entirety," Steve replied. "You didn't even know that Paths of Glory had a battle scene."
"Well I do now," Jay said. "I can't help it if that film room makes me sleepy. I feel like I'm going to do very well. Thanks to these babies!" Jay outstretched his arm and flipped through the pile of cards with his index figure."
"I'm done quizzing you," said the tall student from behind his tea. "If my plane weren't until tomorrow..."
Brushing off his hands, Steve said, "Go ahead, Jay. Ask me any question and I'll get it right."
Jay grabbed the pile of cards and excitedly shuffled through them. Pulling one out and waving it in the air, he set the remaining deck back down on the table. "Here's a good one," he said. "If you get this one right, you're going to get an A. Are you ready? Okay. What is the name of the male love interest in The Earrings of Madame De...?"
Steve took several minutes thinking about the answer. He remembered very well the beautiful old black and white movie by Max Ophuls. It was one of the first they had watched during the class. "Your answer, please Mr. Brady," said Jay, annoyingly waving the card in the air.
"Count Truffaut," answered Steve. His answer was followed by a long and awkward moment of silence.
"That can't be right," said the tall student, finishing his tea.
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