Campusland: A Novel by Scott Johnston

Author:Scott Johnston [Scott Johnston]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781250222374
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2019-08-13T04:00:00+00:00

Lulu Finds Out About Survivors

ALL OF HAVENPORT rendered in gray scale. It wasn’t as if Devon was that far from her New York home, but somehow winter was worse here, the way the January wind blew off the water right through your bones. Lulu noticed a general sense of depression among her classmates as campus life settled into a somewhat dreary routine. For Lulu, this meant classes, assuming she woke up in time, and working out at the university gym. At least she’d managed to avoid the dreaded “freshman fifteen,” something she made easier by assiduously avoiding student dining halls. Most meals, to the extent she ate them at all, she took just off campus at a chopped-salad place that wasn’t horrible. Socialites were whippet-thin; gaining weight was out of the question.

Years ago—Sheldon thought it was in the seventies—some Devonites decided that the month of February was wanting and, well, something had to be done. Opting for overkill, their solution was to have a party every night of the month. They dubbed it the 28 Club for the number of days in February. Every night, a different group volunteered to host, and it was open to all, assuming one was wired enough to know the schedule. Lulu had been to a couple out of boredom, although she skipped the one at Beta. No need to be seen there again.

When Lulu first got into Devon, she didn’t react the way most did. She didn’t film herself screaming with excitement reading her electronic acceptance letter. She didn’t humble-brag on Facebook, Guess I’ll be spending the next four years in Havenport. I hear the winters are terrible! Truth was, she was surprised to get in. She figured she’d go to NYU, a school much more geographically desirable for her purposes. But there was Sheldon to consider, plus she found that being accepted at Devon while simultaneously making it clear she didn’t give a shit infuriated people. That part was fun. Anyway, Lulu figured she’d stay long enough to please Sheldon, then get on with things, with the brand. But now she wasn’t so sure. There were some people here—not many, to be sure—that she didn’t find completely horrible and might even miss a little if she left. This was an unexpected development. In particular, the Fellinghams lot, they were friends she imagined she might keep. She did have to ward off Win’s advances that one night, which proved painfully awkward. Win was too light in his loafers for her tastes. But on the whole, other than that and a roommate she wanted to pack off on the next cargo ship to Rangoon, things were tolerable. Almost pleasant.

Campus was blanketed with snow from an all-day blizzard, and the paths were only partially plowed. It was the kind of wet snow that caked tree branches, giving everything a winter wonderland look. Deciding her Stuart Weitzmans were not up to the task, Lulu pulled on some Bean boots and made her way to the campus post office.

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