C15 Familiar Strangers

Alex stood outside Peter's company beside his car, waiting.

The afternoon traffic had begun to build around the street, and employees were gradually leaving the building.

A few minutes later, Peter finally stepped outside with his P.A.

He noticed Alex almost immediately.

Peter stopped.

“You got a car?”

Alex looked over.

“About time, right?”

Peter walked closer, looking at the car briefly before turning his attention back to Alex.

“You good?”

“Yeah.”

“You sure?”

“I can drive, Peter.”

Peter gave him a look.

Alex smiled slightly.

Peter's P.A. was still standing beside him.

Peter turned to him.

“You can head home. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Alright. Have a good evening.”

“You too.”

The P.A. left.

Peter opened the passenger door and got in.

As Alex walked around to the driver's side, Peter looked at him.

“You know, people might actually think we're dating.”

Alex started the engine.

“I'd like a scandal.”

Peter laughed.

“You've been waiting to say that.”

“Maybe.”

Alex pulled away from the curb.

For a few minutes, neither of them said much.

Peter looked out the window.

“So where are we going?”

“Bowling.”

Peter turned toward him.

“Bowling?”

“You suggested we do something.”

“I didn't suggest bowling.”

“You said you wanted to get out.”

Peter sighed.

“I did.”

“So we're getting out.”

Peter shook his head, amused.

“Fine.”

---

The next afternoon, Sam sat in one of her lectures with her notebook open in front of her.

She had started becoming familiar with the campus, although there were still a few buildings she had to double-check before heading to class.

The lecturer stood at the front of the room, continuing with the day's topic.

Several students were taking notes while others followed along with the slides projected onto the board.

“Before we move on,” the lecturer said, “let's go back to something we discussed in the previous lecture.”

A few students looked up.

“We've talked about the nervous system and the role different parts of the brain play in controlling the body. But what happens when the cells responsible for a particular function begin to deteriorate?”

One student answered.

“The function becomes impaired.”

“Correct.”

The lecturer nodded.

“But does that necessarily happen immediately?”

“No, sir.”

“Exactly. Depending on the condition, the progression can be gradual.”

He turned toward the board and wrote a few points down.

“That's important when we're discussing neurological disorders. Some conditions develop slowly, and the early symptoms may be subtle enough that they are mistaken for ordinary problems.”

Sam continued writing.

A few rows away, Joan was doing the same.

The lecturer continued.

“For example, a person may initially notice a slight change in movement, coordination, memory, or speech. Over time, if the underlying condition continues to progress, those symptoms may become more pronounced.”

He paused.

“So, if a disease progressively damages the cells responsible for controlling movement, what would you expect to happen as the disease advances?”

The room went quiet.

The lecturer looked around.

Several students checked their notes.

Joan raised her hand.

“Yes?”

“The symptoms would probably become more noticeable as more of the affected cells are lost. Depending on the condition, the person could eventually have difficulty controlling movements that were previously normal.”

The lecturer nodded.

“Exactly.”

He continued explaining the concept, adding more information to the board.

Sam glanced toward Joan briefly.

Joan was already writing again.

The rest of the lecture continued without much interruption.

When the class finally ended, students began closing their notebooks and packing their bags.

Sam waited until Joan had left the room before catching up with her outside.

“Hey.”

Joan turned.

“Hi.”

“You seem to know quite a bit about that area.”

Joan smiled politely.

“I've had some experience with it.”

“From your studies?”

Joan hesitated.

“My brother has a condition similar to some of the ones we've been discussing.”

Sam's expression softened.

“Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know.”

“You couldn't have.”

“I know. I just didn't mean to bring up something personal.”

“It's alright.”

Sam nodded.

“I was just impressed by your answer.”

“Thank you.”

There was a brief pause.

Sam looked at the notebook in Joan's hand.

“We seem to have several classes together. Would you mind if I got your number? It might be useful for coursework.”

“Sure.”

They exchanged numbers.

“I can send you the notes from today's lecture,” Sam said.

“That would be helpful.”

“Alright.”

They started walking down the hallway together.

“Are you going to the next lecture?” Sam asked.

“Yes.”

“Same.”

They reached the point where they needed to go in different directions.

“I'll see you later, then.”

“See you.”

Sam walked away, while Joan continued toward her next class.

Neither of them thought much about the fact that their first real conversation had started with something so personal.

---

The bowling center was quieter than Peter had expected.

Alex and Peter had already been there for a while by the time they settled into their seats between turns.

Peter watched Alex take his next shot.

The ball rolled down the lane and knocked several pins over.

“Not bad.”

Alex sat down.

“You sound surprised.”

“I am.”

Alex gave him a look.

Peter laughed.

For a while, they talked about ordinary things.

Work.

Old friends.

People they had lost touch with.

Plans they had once made and never followed through on.

Eventually, Peter's expression became more serious.

“Do you ever think about what you're going to do next?”

Alex looked at him.

“With what?”

“Everything.”

Alex was quiet.

Peter continued.

“Your work. Your life. Where you want to be in a few years.”

Alex looked toward the bowling lanes.

“I think about it.”

“And?”

“I don't always have an answer.”

Peter nodded.

“I don't think anyone does.”

Alex gave a faint smile.

“You sound unusually wise today.”

“Don't get used to it.”

Alex laughed quietly.

Peter leaned back.

“You've changed.”

Alex looked at him.

“How?”

“I don't know. You're quieter.”

“I've always been quiet.”

“Not like this.”

Alex didn't respond immediately.

Peter didn't push.

After a moment, Alex said, “Sometimes things happen, and you start looking at everything differently.”

Peter nodded slowly.

“That's true.”

Alex picked up his drink.

“I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.”

“No.”

Peter looked at him.

“But it can be.”

Alex met his eyes for a moment.

Neither said anything.

Then Peter stood.

“Come on. My turn.”

Alex smiled.

“You're losing.”

“I am not losing.”

“You are.”

Peter picked up the bowling ball.

“We'll see.”

The conversation moved on, and for the rest of the evening, they let themselves enjoy the game without trying to solve everything.