the lewis story

During Fresher's Week, we had a lab induction to get us used to the labs and what's going on during practicals and all that good stuff. 

Becca and I were ... a little off our rockers to say the least. It was one of those days that if anyone said anything to us, we would laugh too incredibly hard. Crazy things were bound to happen.

So we're at this lab induction and we have to split into little groups of four to do a quiz based on information in the lab manual. Both Becca and I reached out to the girl in front of us, graciously inviting her to be part of our pair, and she just WALKS ON BY. Whatever, that's fine, we don't need her. Instead, I notice a guy sitting across the way, all by his lonesome. And being the nice person that I am, I stand up and yell across the room, arms flailing, calling him over. Yeah, I did. And yeah, he came over. So there.

The moment he was settled on his stool, we attacked him, interrogating him with questions. Your name (Lewis), where are you from (near Blackpool), your major (pharmacology), lectures (us too!), your accommodation (hey, we could walk to lectures together!!), your general life satisfaction (alright). I then asked how uni life was going so far and he said that was alright too.

Now I'd like to take the time to justify my next question. The night before, I'd been talking to one of my friends back home who said he wasn't really enjoying university all the much because he didn't have any friends. Keep this in mind, now come back to Lewis.

After he said uni was alright, I said, "Do you have any friends? ... I mean, apart from us." I'm pretty sure it was about this time (five minutes into our relationship) that Lewis really truly began to regret reacting to my frantic crazy arm waving earlier. Too bad for him.

Later in the middle of the session, I notice a sign on the opposite wall that says: EMERGENCY SHOWERS SECTION 10. And I began to ponder, as you do. How horrible would it be (if fire caught our christmas treeeee). Ahem. How horrible would it be if you got set on fire in section ONE and had to run nine whole sections to put yourself out? I expressed these worrisome thoughts to Becca who consequently was overcome with the image of me, hair aflame, sprinting through the labs, bursting through doors screaming, WHERE'S SECTION 10?! And then we fell into a fit of laughter and hilarity. You should have been there. Lewis probably wishes he could have traded places with you. Really.

We were pretty much goners from then on, the lack of oxygen reaching our brains from all the laughter cut short our intelligence supply. Poor Lewis over here is still trying to hang on to a shred of dignity by actually answering the quiz questions. Ah, bless him.

At the end of the induction, as Lewis stood up to leave, we said our goodbyes and see you in lectures. And then I asked if he even remembered our names. He responds, "I wish I could say I do ... but I can't." He then continued to walk away. Did not ask for our names. 

Too bad we know his.

We have encountered Lewis several times since that fated day. Once I was running late to a lecture, went through one side of the lecture hall only to find the door was locked, turned around to go back and found myself in the midst of several other lagging students and who among them all directly in front of me? Oh yes. I froze in my tracks, shot my hand up, put on the biggest smile, waved frantically (Amanda, Lauren, you know what I mean) and said, HI LEWIS. He gave me a halfhearted smile and nodded in my direction. 

Another time, while walking out of a lecture, I turn to my right only to find Lewis not two feet away. In my sudden excitement, I call Becca repeatedly until she turns and then I reach over Katherine -- REACH OVER HER HEAD -- and shove my pointed finger directly into Lewis' face and yell, LEWIS! My finger was inches from his face. I am not joking. This actually happened. I am actually that much of a loser. 

Act like you don't love me anyways.

But the ultimate act of obsessive stalker comes into play here. We'd heard the lab groups were posted and Becca and I laughed at the thought that Lewis might end up in one of our lab groups, how great would that be? It would be amazing. For us.

I promptly dust off my stalking skills, my fingers tingling in anticipation. I conveniently find an electronic version of the list, a very handy Excel spreadsheet of names, majors, and lab groups. I download it, open it, and search the document for the name "Lewis." The first one was a Neuroscientist (who, by the way, I believe I have also managed to freak out entirely) and the second was ... our Lewis. Turns out he's in group D. I search the document for my own name. I'm the only Noor. 

And I'm in group D. 

Think of it what you will, but I'm telling you it was fate. 

Since I then had his surname as well, I found him on facebook and friended him. He accepted, probably because he doesn't remember our names. Whatever. We like to think he remembers and wants so badly to be part of our world of awesome but is simply too shy to admit it. 

One day, when we're really good friends with Lewis, we'll look back on all this and laugh. Good times.