Excerpt: SEMI-PSEUDO-SUPERHEROES
Before we left the cafeteria,the Freshman Orientation team got on the loudspeakers and offered us options ofwhat to do that evening. It was a free evening. The official activities startedin the morning, including competitions and times for visiting our advisors and checkingout different departments, in case people changed their minds about classes oncethey saw their schedules.
Our group filed out ofthe cafeteria, and there in the lobby were tables filled with flyers and couponbooks for local businesses, and little introductory goodie bags. I felt like I wascheating, getting a goodie bag that was supposed to persuade me to come visit. Iknew all the stores in town, after all.
"Divine's has a coupon!"Clarice announced.
Okay, that was too goodto pass up.
"What's Divine's,"Babbie Winslow asked. She was three doors down from us on the floor, and stood behindus now, looking through her coupon book.
"It's no good tellingyou. You gotta experience Divine's." I shared a grin with Clarice and we turnedaround to see if our gang was still in the cafeteria lobby. "Hey, guys, ifyou haven't heard yet, Clarice and Tyrone and Zach and Aldo and I are from Neighborlee.Instead of going to a movie we've all seen before, how about a walking tour of townbefore it gets crazy?"
"And use our couponsbefore other kids get to the stores, and the good stuff is gone?" Sheri Cartersaid with a chuckle. She riffled her coupon book, and others laughed.
"You can do whateveryou want, but you need to find Divine's Emporium before you do anything else. Howyou survive your first year here will rest on your first impression of it."
"Think they'll beable to see the Wishing Ball?" Clarice asked. Tyrone laughed. Zach and Aldolaughed louder, trying to sound mysterious, when a few people asked what the WishingBall was.
"Just come on alongand see, okay? I'm not going to tell you anything more, so you're not prejudiced,"I added.
That got the interestof some people who didn't look all that thrilled with taking a long walk after anexhausting day getting moved into the dorm. It seemed like a third of the entiredorm came with us as we headed down the sidewalk.
In the end, twenty-some people went to Divine's. As wepassed through town, Tyrone pointed out places of interest, such as Miller's Dinerand various shops where they could use their coupons. We lost some people. Clariceand Zach made note of who stayed with us for the walk of several blocks. Every singleone was a fandom person of one kind or another. The freaks and geeks, as some ofthe arrogant jerks referred to us. We basically left the art and dance and musicstudents behind—unless they were also science fiction and fantasy and horror people,too. Had to wonder if that was accidental. After all, there was already somethingstrong building up on our dorm floor, with all the fandom gear people had broughtwith them to college.
