The Fish Bowl

Hi, my name is Carter.

Today is my first day as a freshman at Ocean State College in Providence, Rhode Island.

I am a theater major with a concentration in musical theater.

Fun facts about me:

- I like to dance.
- I'm good at making friends.
- At my old high school, I coined the phrase "Someone needs to get Cartered!"
- I can drop it like it's hot, pick it up, and drop it again.
- I'm a player, but I play well and with an even hand.

Today I have two classes...I skipped one, but that's because I was getting a tour of the theater wing with my friend Billy.

The girl giving us the tour is named Claire, and she's a musical theater major as well. We didn't exactly ask for a tour. We were in the dining center eating lunch, when she sat down next to us and asked if we were freshmen. When we said that we were and that we were theater majors she got all excited and offered to show us around. I didn't have anything to do besides my first history class anyway (and boo, who likes history?) so I said 'Sure.'

She's a fine sexy mama as well. I should mention that.

CLAIRE: And this is the theater lounge.

The theater wing is pretty small. There's just a blackbox theater, some offices, dressing rooms, and the lounge. The lounge looks like a glass encased living room.

CLAIRE: This is where we all go to hang out, and just relax.

It looked like a fish bowl.

CLAIRE: We call it the fish bowl.

It's times like these I think I might have Espee.

Inside the lounge, two guys were sitting around. One of them was my new roommate Ben, and the other I hadn't met before. Ben is a super-chill guy, but we haven't talked much since I moved in the night before. I was too busy partying it up with some fine mamas a few floors above my room.

CLAIRE: Have you guys met Hank and Ben?
BEN: We've met. Carter's my roommate.
CLAIRE: That's fun!

I sat down on one of the couches. It looked like the couch I have at my house, except a little nicer. There were some dead plants in the lounge, and not much else besides that. It smelled a little like a Subway. Not the scary underground train, but the sandwich chain.

HANK: Nice to meet you guys.
ME: You have a deep voice.
HANK: Thanks. You don't.
ME: I kind of do.
HANK: No, you don't at all.

Hank didn't seem too friendly, but I have a way of winning people over even when at first they want to punch me a lot.

BILLY: Carter, show some poise.
ME: I can't. I'm wearing sneakers today.
BILLY: Don't mind him.
HANK: I wasn't planning on it.
CLAIRE: Oh boy...

We all turned to see some kid coming down the hall. He stopped to talk with a girl coming out of what looked like the dance studio and immediately jumped in the air and started flailing his arms.

BILLY: Who's that?
BEN: That would be Eli.
CLAIRE: Important thing to remember: Eli is straight.

As soon as she said this, Eli danced around in a circle and then threw his head back and laughed.

ME: Okay.
BILLY: He's straight?
HANK: No, but he thinks he is, so we humor him. You know, like a three-year-old with the Easter Bunny, except with sexuality and a closeted fairy boy.
BEN: Just play along it'll be easier that way.

As soon as Eli came into the room, he grabbed Claire and picked her up, spinning her around.

ELI: Claire! Love of my life!

I don't know why everyone said he was gay. He seemed normal to me. I act that way with my friends all the time.

CLAIRE: Eli, these are two new freshmen. Billy and Carter.
ELI: Nice to meet you. I'm Eli. Prince of Princes.

He laughed loudly after he said that. At first I thought it was a sneeze, but then nobody said 'Bless you.'

ELI: Benizzle, how's it hanging?
BEN: Don't call me that.
ELI: Your adoration for me has not hedged, clearly. Heh! Hank, what's up?
HANK: I'm trying to learn a monologue.
ELI: For?
HANK: Dr. Russo's audition next Tuesday.
BILLY: There's an audition already?
ELI: Welcome to the fast lane. Just call me Mustang!

And as quickly as he had burst in, he burst right out again yelling 'I'm Mustang!' A few people walked by him but didn't look too perplexed.

CLAIRE: Well, how about I show you guys the practice rooms?
BILLY: That would be cool. Nice meeting you, Hank. Bye Ben.
HANK: You, too.
BEN: See you, Billy.
ME: Bye Ben. Bye Hank.
BEN: Bye.
HANK: I already dislike you.

I'm sure he was kidding.

As Claire moved a little ahead of us, Billy lagged behind to talk to me.

BILLY: Carter, can you keep a secret?
ME: Sure.
BILLY: I think I kind of like that guy Eli.
ME: I like him too. He's mad chill.
BILLY: I mean, I like him, like him.
ME: You mean like a guy and a lady like each other?
BILLY: Yeah.
ME: So you're--?
BILLY: Gay, yeah.
ME: Oh...

I was kind of surprised. Billy didn't seem gay. Not that I really cared.

BILLY: What about you?
ME: No, I'm fine, thanks.
BILLY: Oh, okay.

I wasn't sure what he had meant, but by then we were at the practice rooms.

Billy can still be my friend even though he's gay. I'm not a hater.

Although if I were gay, I would probably like that guy Ben before I would like Eli.

But that's just me.