PART 3

Next Monday was the first day of classes for both of them. Joseph had to work, so Nat and Nan walked to school together that morning. They both had Monday morning classes at the same time.

"So, are you ready, Nat?" Nan asked him as they walked down the street. Nat was carrying her books along with his so he was struggling behind a little bit.

"Yep, guess so," he said.

"Nat, let me take my books back. That’s too much for you to carry," she tried reaching for her huge Anatomy book, but Nat stubbornly pulled away from her.

"No, I’m fine, really," he insisted.

Nan only laughed. "OK, if you say so. Maybe now is the time I should ask you to race me."

"Very funny," he said. He looked over at her; a smile began to come across his face. "Here, take your books back." He handed them back to Nan.

"But I thought you wanted to carry them," she rolled her eyes.

"Not anymore," as soon as she took her books, he said, "Race Ya!"

Smiling and laughing, they both started running down the street toward the college.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nan walked into her Anatomy classroom about five minutes before class was to start and found a desk to sit down in. There were about seven or eight other students in the classroom besides her. Since Nan didn’t know anybody, she opened her book up and began looking through it.

"Um, excuse me," a young lady, that was sitting behind Nan, tapped Nan on the shoulder. "Do you have an extra pencil I could borrow for class today? I seem to have lost mine somewhere." She said shyly.

"Oh, sure." Nan handed one of her pencils to the young lady. "My name is Anthea Harding. Everybody calls me Nan, though." Nan reached out to shake her hand.

The young woman seemed reluctant, but then stuck her hand out and shook Nan’s hand. "My name is Anna. Anna Johnson."

"Please to meet you, Anna." Nan gave her a friendly smile.

The brown-haired, blue-eyed girl smiled back. "Pleased to meet you too, Nan." Nan knew she’d just made a new friend.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nat hurried up the stairs to the second floor of the university. He didn’t want to be late to his first class. As he turned the corner, he ran right into a young man who appeared to be about Nat’s age.

"Oh, I’m sorry. I’d didn’t mean to run into you," Nat said to the young man. "Here, let me help you pick those books up." Nat leaned down to help pick up the books that had fallen to the ground. "Here you go. Again, I’m sorry." Nat handed him the books.

"Hey, that’s OK. Don’t worry about it," he replied with a friendly smile.

"I’m Nathaniel Blake. Nat to most people." Nat introduced himself.

The young man reached out to shake Nat’s hand. "I’m Andrew Johnson," he told Nat. "Andy to most people."

"Where are you headed, Andy?" Nat asked.

"English Composition, but I think I’m lost."

"Hey, that’s where I’m headed. The room’s that way," Nat pointed in the direction he was headed.

"I knew I was lost."

"That’s OK. Join me."

"Thanks." Andy and Nat went to class.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By lunchtime, Nan and Anna had become fast friends. They both realized they were in all of the same classes. Anna wanted to be a nurse.

"Nan, I’m so glad to have met you. There’s only one other person here that I know."

"Who’s that?" Nan asked as she picked up her sandwich.

"My twin brother. He’s a journalism major."

Nan looked at her. "Journalism? Nat’s a journalism major."

"Nat?"

"My best friend. We’ve known each other for about four years now. Went to school together."

"Maybe my brother has met him then."

"Maybe."

Anna looked past Nan, toward the doorway. "Speaking of my brother…" Anna waved over to Andy, who had just walked into the lunchroom with Nat.

Nan turned around to see who Anna was waving at. A smile formed on her face when she saw Nat. The boys walked over to the small table that Nan and Anna were sitting at.

"Andy, meet my new friend, Nan." Anna eagerly introduced Nan to her brother. "Nan, this is my twin brother, Andrew."

Nan smiled at Andy, "Hi," she said. "I see you’ve met Nat."

"You know Nat?" he asked her.

"Sure do." Nan looked over at Anna. "This is Nat."

"Nice to meet you, Nat. I see you’ve met my brother?"

"Yeah, we kind of ran into each other."

"Literally," Andy added. Andy sat down beside his sister, while Nat took the seat beside Nan. They all began to talk as if they had been friends for years.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Oh, dear, I can’t believe how much homework I have. It’s only the first day," Nan complained later that evening to her father and Nat.

"No kidding. Franz never gave us this much homework in a week." Nat added.

"It’s college, kids. It might take a little time to get used to all the work, but you’ll get used to it."

"I sure hope so, Father," Nan sighed.

"Just think about how all this work will be worth it after you become a doctor, Nan." Nat told her.

Nan smiled, "Yeah, a doctor. Well, I’d better get to work then." She walked off to her bedroom to get her homework done, leaving Joseph and Nat in the living room.

"You have a wonderful daughter, Mr. Harding," Nat told him.

Joseph raised his eyebrows indicating that he understood the hidden meaning behind that comment. He smiled at Nat, "Yes, I know that." He went back to reading the evening newspaper.