Canto IV: Playing House When are you an adult? 12 for medicine 16 to drive 18 in general 21 for alcohol 23 to rent a car Adulthood is a                 moving target   I close my cell phone and look down the road for the shuttle van A gust of wind spreads my ponytail into a sunburst I shiver Milk, ramen noodles… a crow struts past bobbing in pride as if he owns the place   A College of Ravens, would be a good title but what story would it mark?   The van pulls up “Someone wanted a ride to WalMart?” I nodded and ran up clamber in and buckle The driver is mid-fifties, perhaps clean-shaven closely-cropped silver hair “My name’s Arnold Knutson.”   “Laura Spring, nice to meet you.”   “Where do you work? (Everyone here works)   “The bakery,”   “I thought you looked familiar Those oatmeal-raison cookies are delicious. Any particular reason you’re shopping today?”   “Milk, ramen noodles… basically just the need to get off campus,” I shrug “No offense meant, but I’m still not used to so many people”   “There’s people at WalMart” he says   “Yeah, but I don’t have to talk to them On campus people strike up conversations Not at WalMart.”   Arnold smiles “Well, just call when you’re done You have the number in your cell, right?”   We pull to a stop “Thanks for the ride,” I hop out and stare down the road Lots of stores in walking distance including a Books-a-Million   snap decision Books first then necessities after all, didn’t someone say “If I get money I buy books and if there’s any left I buy food and clothes?”   Well, I had to spend wisely which probably meant “spend nothing” but window-shopping is still fun   I spend hours roaming from fantasy to Christian fiction to sales items In the writing section I see No Plot, No Problem? The NaNoWriMo handbook I’ve won before without it but if I start a club it might be handy the price: “$14? Yikes!” I regretfully set it back look at my watch “If I want supper, I should get back soon.”   So I run back to WalMart buy the milk and ramen call the shuttle   Arnold pulls up five minutes later “Had a good time?”   “Yeah. Hung out at the bookstore”   “Buy anything?”   “No. I saw No Plot, No Problem but I don’t have $14”   “The NaNo handbook?”   “You’ve heard of NaNoWriMo?”   “A friend of mine told me Haven’t found the time yet”   “You really should I’m trying to find some people on campus to join me I did it with my sister last year We both won and she wrote it all by hand.”   “My fingers would fall off then,” he laughed “But I’ll see If you and Bailey keep working on me I might just cave in.”   Bailey? A common enough name probably an upperclassman or someone else he knew but I thought of Vilinye , my e-friend first   Back at the dorms after all’s put away I pull out a pen and my notebook titling a page College Rules for Fictional Characters   #1. Classes, work, and music come first ‘We’re not even in the top three?’ Ander complains Your story’s done anyway, I snapped at him   #2 Discussing who will kill whom is no longer a suitable dinner topic ‘Surely you are joking,’ Henrique licks his lips ‘Nothing adds flavor to a meal liking plotting revenge’   #3 No comparing real-life acquaintances to fictional beings ‘What!’ Daniel exclaims   Daniel, ‘There is no connection between you and Dan Smith He’s perfectly normal  not a half-elf riding with an assassin!”   The last words slip out just as Dan Smith walks by outside I blush slam the notebook shut   As I lay in bed that night I wonder Am I truly grown up now? Meals are offered thrice daily I don’t have to make them myself even though I work Chapel is required some teachers assign study groups Am I really independent or just                 playing house?