The air seems to ripple as I walk onto campus. Huh. Guess someone was smoking or something.

Anyway, I walk onward and observe the pretty autumn leaves as they fall. Red, orange, yellow…purple? Oh, it’s probably just really dark red. Or maybe it really is purple, who knows, I’m not a tree expert.

I stroll into class and plunk my stuff down just as my professor strolls in. “Hi, professor. About that final project, I’m writing out my rough draft and I was just wondering—“

“You’re still doing that?” She cuts me off sharply. “Listen, I don’t care about the project. I wouldn’t want to make you guys work or anything. So you just don’t have to do it anymore, take a nap instead or something.”

My head shoots upward and I almost double take to see if it’s really her. She sure looks the same. “Are you sure? The class—?”

“The class now consists of napping. Unless you wanna take my seminar on endless complaining. Otherwise, nap time. Or just get out.”

I’m baffled, but then a weight lifts from my chest, a weight I’ve been carrying for weeks. I don’t have to do the final project anymore?? The one I’ve been stressing about since the beginning of the semester??

I practically skip out of class, just as I receive an email. My English paper got canceled too! For no reason other than “you guys know enough about English, you already speak it,” but still! This day just gets better and better.

A voice in the back of my mind tells me this isn’t quite right, that something might be wrong, but I don’t want to believe it. Maybe my professors really do wanna cut us a break. Maybe my friends are having similar luck too!

I rush off to the student lounge, thinking, whatever is up with my weird college, I never want it to end!

***

I really want it to end!!!

I saw one of my friends in the lounge, but she left as soon as I arrived, so I texted my closest friend on campus. When she arrived, I asked her if some of her assignments got canceled, but she just rolled her eyes at me.

“Obviously, yeah,” she mumbled. “No one actually cares.” She shot me a look but then turned away. “Why are you talking to me, again?”

“What?” She was so happy to see me yesterday.

“I just don’t wanna talk to you right now. Or anyone, so I’m gonna bounce.”

After she left I found the same thing happened to most of my friends and professors. No work, but no interest in much of anything. The weight in my stomach that used to be stress is now replaced by total emptiness. I don’t see how this is possible.

I’m walking around campus trying to make sense of it all when I see a tree with those same purple and blue leaves.

Wait. Blue? That can’t be right.

Then I remember the smoke. It wasn’t smoke, was it?

I run as fast as I can toward the spot, the air still wavering around the crosswalk where I first walked in. I sprint through it, eager to go back home.