Scenario:At our all-male men’s college, the mixers were crowded with shirtless guys laughing and talking.
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At our all-male men’s college, the mixers were crowded with shirtless guys laughing and talking.
Cameron Brooks
male. He is a college student at an allmale institution. He is introverted,observant,and introspective. Cameron struggles with social anxiety and feels overwhelmed by the loud and boisterous atmosphere of mixers. Despite his discomfort,he tries to navigate these events to fit in with his peers. He often finds solace in observing others,like his roommate's girlfriend,who he secretly admires. His interactions reveal a quiet strength and a deep desire for connection.
Emily Wilson
female. She is Ethan's girlfriend and a frequent visitor to their college dorm room. She is friendly,caring,and inclusive. Emily often interacts with Cameron despite his initial awkwardness around her. Her presence brings a sense of normalcy to the allmale environment of the college. She treats Cameron with kindness and understanding,making him feel more at ease around her.
Ethan Thompson
male. He is Cameron's roommate and friend at college. He is outgoing,confident,and supportive. Ethan encourages Cameron to participate in social events like mixers despite Cameron's reservations. He has a girlfriend named Emily who is a significant presence in their lives. Ethan's friendship with Cameron is strong,and he tries to help Cameron overcome his social anxiety by pushing him out of his comfort zone.
Mixers were insane.
I wasn’t sure if that was the general consensus or if they just seemed that way to me.
The introverted, socially anxious part of me wanted to run away and hide.
The shrill sound of so many voices laughing and talking over each other was enough to make my head spin, not to mention the loud bass thumping in the background, vibrating through my body.
My sensitive nose picked up on the scent of beer, sweat, and cologne.
Too much of it.
It was almost suffocating.
Despite all this, I felt like I needed to be here.
If for no other reason than to fit in with my roommates and the other guys at our all-male men’s college.
They seemed to enjoy these events far more than I did.
I stood awkwardly, trying to blend in with the crowd.
My roommates were all around me, but I felt like I was on my own.
Ethan nudged me with his elbow.
"Come on, Cam. Live a little."
He grinned at me, his eyes shining with amusement.
I forced a laugh and nodded.
The guy standing next to us caught my eye.
He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of athletic shorts and a pair of flip flops.
He had a towel draped over his shoulder and a cup in his hand.
His hair was mussed, like he’d just rolled out of bed and stumbled into the mixer.
I couldn’t help but stare at him for a second before I looked away, feeling my cheeks heat up.
"Hey, man! Having a good time?"
He grinned at me, shouting over the music.
I nodded, my voice catching in my throat as I tried to reply.
"Yeah."I cleared my throat and tried again.
"Yeah. Thanks."
He held out his hand for me to shake.
"I’m Jake. What’s your name?"
"Cameron," I replied automatically.
"Nice to meet you, Cameron."
He took another swig from his cup and then offered it to me.
"You want some?"
I hesitated for a second before taking the cup from him and drinking from it.
It was beer, sweet and yeasty tasting.
Not something I would have chosen for myself, but I didn’t want to be rude. "Thanks," I said when I handed the cup back to him.
"No problem," he replied easily.
"So what brings you here tonight?"
I shrugged, unsure of how to answer that question.
I didn’t really know why I’d come here tonight, other than that it seemed like the thing to do if I wanted to fit in with my roommates and the other guys at our college.
"I just got here," I said finally.
"I’m still trying to figure things out."
Jake nodded sympathetically, though he still had that goofy grin on his face that made me think he was enjoying himself immensely despite my awkwardness.
"Yeah. It can be a little overwhelming at first. But once you get used to it, it’s not so bad."
"Come on then," he said, turning and walking away from the group.
"I’ll show you around."
I followed behind him, clutching my half empty beer in my hand.
The music was loud and thumping, each beat reverberating in my chest.
I felt like I was going to have a heart attack.
Jake stopped in front of a group of guys who were all shirtless and laughing together.
They were talking about something, their hands waving in the air as they spoke.
Jake tapped one of them on the shoulder and they turned around.
"Cameron, this is Mark. Mark, this is Cameron."
I nodded at him, trying to pretend like I was comfortable here.
Mark held out his hand for me to shake and I took it, feeling a little more at ease now that I was part of a group.
"So what’s your major?" he asked me as we stood there. I hesitated for a second before answering him.
"Literature," I said finally.
Mark’s eyes lit up with interest as he looked at me.
"No way," he said.
"I’m an English major too. What made you choose that?"
I shrugged, unsure of how to answer that question honestly.
"I just like reading," I said finally.
Mark nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, me too. Who’s your favorite author?"
I thought about that question for a second before answering him.
"I really like Kurt Vonnegut," I said finally.
Mark grinned at me and clapped me on the back.
"Nice choice," he said.
"Have you read Slaughterhouse Five?"
I nodded, smiling back at him despite myself.
"Yeah. That’s my favorite book by him."
Mark nodded again, looking pleased with himself for some reason.
"Mine too," he said finally.
"I’ve read all of his books but that one is still my favorite."
We stood there for a few more minutes, talking about books and school and our majors and other things that didn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things but still felt important right now. Jake clapped me on the shoulder and gestured to the rest of the crowd behind us.
"Ready to move on?" he asked me.
I shrugged, feeling more comfortable now than I had when we first started talking to Mark and his friends.
Jake leaned in closer, his voice barely audible over the music.
"Hey, Cam, you know Mark's dad is the dean, right?"
I blinked, surprised by the revelation.
