Just something new I’m trying out. Enjoy!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dexter Byrd stared out the window of his parents\u2019 beat-up Toyota Corolla, the pounding of 2000s rock music blaring in his headphones. Gazing out at the desolate cornfields of middle-of-nowhere Ohio, he thought, this is the American dream<\/em>. The setting was boring, but Dexter was anything but bored on the ride to his freshman year of college. He knew he would be playing third base for a Division III baseball team and going for an English major, but otherwise, he had no idea what to expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anxiety continued to set in as Dexter saw that they were entering campus. A drab-looking sign read: \u201cRichard J. Haggerty University – Educating America\u2019s Youth Since 1991.\u201d Tall gray academic buildings were upon them and fellow students walked the streets, all seeming so much cooler and more confident than him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, he saw his mother gesturing at him to take off his headphones. \u201cHoney, we\u2019re here!\u201d she exclaimed. Dexter got out of the car, grabbed his bags, and gazed around at the dorm buildings that now surrounded him. This was his new home, whether he liked it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlright, thanks for driving me, guys,\u201d he said to his parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course, sweetie,\u201d his mother replied. Pointing to a nearby building, she said, \u201cThe student center is over there, let\u2019s go get you some supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure, if you want to, I guess,\u201d Dexter agreed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they entered the building, the dull aesthetic of the campus suddenly changed. It was alive with bustling students, and Dexter felt like an alien trying to assimilate to human society. Tucked away into the back corner, the name of a store read \u201cCold Subject\u201d in neon letters. The store was mostly black on the inside, but its walls were lined with brightly-colored merchandise. It was the coolest-looking school supply store Dexter had ever seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh boy, that store looks pretty groovy, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d Dexter\u2019s father observed. \u201cYou\u2019d sure be one of the cool cats to be seen in there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re such a boomer,\u201d Dexter replied, rolling his eyes. \u201cBut yeah, it looks cool. Let\u2019s do it.\u201d Dexter and his parents made their way into the Cold Subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entering the store, the first thing Dexter noticed was the school merchandise on the shelves. He had been under the impression that most colleges didn\u2019t have cool merch, but this was a place that could actually inspire school spirit. The words \u201cHaggerty Flying Hamsters\u201d adorned almost every hoodie, T-shirt, and water bottle in the place, and the visuals were creative and different. Many variations of the aggressive rodent mascot were displayed, all portraying unique fight scenes between the hamster and the competition. In one of them, the hamster even donned a spiky black wig and sunglasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even with all the badass merchandise surrounding him, Dexter\u2019s eyes were particularly drawn to the back corner of the store, which was completely unexpected. A small area was lined with CDs, posters, and T-shirts of his favorite rock bands, including Rise In Girl, Red Knight, Longfellow Falls, and more. It was small, but it was the emo paradise of his dreams. Suddenly, he heard a voice. \u201cHey, I see you checkin\u2019 out that emo shit, huh?\u201d Dexter turned around. A tall black guy with dreads was standing behind him, wearing a Fighting Hamsters baseball jacket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSir, can you watch your language?\u201d Dexter heard his mom ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, Mom, calm down,\u201d Dexter said. \u201cYeah man, that\u2019s my shit,\u201d he said to the guy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHell yeah bro, you gonna fit in good around here,\u201d the guy responded. \u201cWe got hella scene kids, even on the baseball team.\u201d He paused. \u201cHey, aren\u2019t you one of the new freshies coming in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUh, yeah\u2026I mean, yessir!\u201d Dexter chirped enthusiastically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, what is this freshie business?\u201d Dad asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd what do you mean by scene kids? Like a scene in a play?\u201d Mom inquired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think they\u2019re theater enthusiasts,\u201d Dad explained. \u201cWell, it\u2019s good to see such a well-rounded group of young men playing baseball together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh yeah, we well-rounded all right,\u201d the guy said. \u201cJust not in the way you think. My name\u2019s Dazzy, by the way.\u201d Dazzy dapped Dexter up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s up, man? I\u2019m Dexter!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDexter, my dude, we gonna have a good-ass time on this team. Get hyped!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u2019s do it, baby!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlright, I\u2019ll see you around, man.\u201d Dazzy walked out of the shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dad put his hand on Dexter\u2019s shoulder. \u201cWell, I can\u2019t say I understand all of the millennial lingo, but he seems like a nice young gentleman. Aside from the profanity, of course.\u201d Fuck yeah he does, <\/em>Dexter thought.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just something new I’m trying out. Enjoy! Dexter Byrd stared out the window of his parents\u2019 beat-up Toyota Corolla, the pounding of 2000s rock music blaring in his headphones. Gazing out at the desolate cornfields of middle-of-nowhere Ohio, he thought, this is the American dream. The setting was boring, but Dexter was anything but bored […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","WB4WB4WP_MODE":"","WB4WP_PAGE_SCRIPTS":"","WB4WP_PAGE_STYLES":"","WB4WP_PAGE_FONTS":"","WB4WP_PAGE_HEADER":"","WB4WP_PAGE_FOOTER":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ootb","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n