short-lived flattery

During lunch today I retreated to the library so that I could finish a previously forgotten biology assignment. Every time I venture to the cluster of similarly vandalized computers, every time I slouch in the harsh wooden chairs staring blankly into my reflection mirrored by the fingerprint-stained screen, every time I nearly construct a noose out of the keyboard extension cord in frustration over the computers that I couldn't trade for a handful of magic beans -- every time, I storm out of the library amazed that I could accomplish so little in a half hour, and I vow to never return and stress myself out over the inane and inconceivable slowness of the school computers.

Then I come back the next day.

Today as I was signing off my account and shoving materials into the various pockets of my backpack, a senior I recognized from my econ class approached a freshmen lounging before a nearby computer and initiated conversation (this is a rare occurrence, you realize). At one point the aforementioned senior made a comment about driving somewhere after school, to which I replied offhandedly, 'I thought you said your permit was revoked after the police repeatedly caught you driving without --'

'Dude,' the disheveled senior replied, eyes bloodshot and rimmed with puffiness. 'Who told you about that? I thought only a few people had been informed of that.'

'You told me in econ,' I answered.

His face brightened in surprise, and he responded in a very anticlimactic manner, 'Did I? Uh, well, don't tell that to anyone I give rides to often.' He paused to sling his backpack over his shoulder, and then added casually, 'Oh, and just so you know, I like you. You're pretty cute. Wanted to tell you before Stephanie or Jessica spread any exaggerations around campus.'

Excluding the fact that this nameless senior has probably smoked his mind into a filmy puddle of sluggish goo, his commentary was flattering.

It was before I took note of his staggering mental incompetency, at least.