Catching Red Eyes

Wednesday flew by with my back to back classes and putting the final touches on NYU’s weekly paper before it went to print. I rubbed my eyes for what felt like the hundredth time today. I hated staring at a computer screen so long but it was part of my job. It was almost midnight and I needed to try and get some sleep but I knew that was near impossible.

“Knock, knock.”

I looked up to see Pryce standing in the doorway of the newspaper studio. Pryce was one of the best writers I had ever read and one of the hardest working journalists I had met thus far. He was a graduate student but helped our faculty advisor with section content when we needed it. Right now, he was helping with our news section while interning at the New York Times and going to school. He was my pretty much Superman.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Row. What are you still doing here?” he asked.

“Just putting some final touches before I send it.”

“I thought I told you it was fine and to send it earlier,” he said with a joking tone.

“I know, I just have this interview I’m helping Marc with tomorrow and I’m nervous.”

“Oh, cool. Who’s the interview with?”

“Uh, Harry Styles,” I hesitantly told him.

“Oh, wow. That’s a big deal. He’s cool, I’ve met him a couple times when I interned with TMZ a few summers ago. He’s a lot more famous now though but I am sure he’s still cool. So, are you doing the interview or just helping?”

Pryce met him a couple times? He was talking about Harry Styles like he was an old college buddy. I guess if you’re a heterosexual male then Harry doesn’t really do much for you.

“Oh, um, just helping. Probably the usual. Notes, recording, editing.”

“That’s fun. Hey, do you want to get a drink or some food?”

Pryce and I had had…relations one time a few semesters ago after I lost a battle with alcohol. It was awkward for a few weeks after it, but now we were fine. I did have a feeling he wanted more with me but I told him no. He was and is very attractive with his dirty blonde hair, dark brown eyes, and built physique but it wasn’t what I wanted. He was ok with it and was now dating a Biology major whom I had met a few times.

“Sure. Let me just send this now.”

Pryce and I had dinner a few times a month to keep up to date on the world of journalism. Pryce also knew all the best places to eat no matter what day of the week it happened to be. We took a cab to a new place that was in downtown Manhattan and got a table towards the back. The restaurant was dimly lit with tons of paintings and chandeliers but it was small and quaint. It had a fancy but bohemian vibe.

“This place is cool.”

“Isn’t it? I found it a couple weeks ago. They have the best beer selection. You can sign up for this list and when you try all them all, you get a mug with your name branded right on it.”

“That is pretty cool.”

After ordering dinner, Pryce went into detail about some new 3D printer NYU just got. I stopped listening for a second and my eyes wandered towards the front. There were large windows looking out onto the lights of New York. I loved the city. I moved here when I got my scholarship and couldn't imagine being anywhere else for my career. My eyes wandered to the other windows and I saw haunting green eyes looking back at me.

Notes