[center][h3]Barney Rynsburger[/h3] [b][i]10:15 AM[/i][/b][/center] With Harriette focused on fixing her cosmetics and Mila still trying, probably in vain, to get some much-needed rest, nobody stopped Barney as he collected himself to leave. Despite his worries it looked like the aide had no business with him, after all. In fact, rather than bring him down with reprimands or penalties she’d understood completely, and even offered some support of her own. Somewhat clinical, but appropriate to the nature of their acquaintance, so he couldn’t fault her even a little. As he shifted into gear and looked back Barney even felt a little guilty for passing such paranoid judgement. Harriette really just was that nice, or just that polite. Maybe both. It might not seem like much to her, but a little understanding went a long way. “Right. I appreciate it. Take care, then.” He offered her his thanks in a manner neither mumbled nor rushed, hoping it wasn’t loud enough to bother Mila again, and went on his way. As it happened his schedule featured an empty period between Principles of English Composition and the last of today’s gen ed courses, University Physics. Normally he’d beeline it back to his dorm room and either spend the hour snoozing, scrolling, or watching videos, but the morning’s disquiet left him restless, so instead he strolled, aimless, through the crisp November air around campus. No matter where his feet took him, however, his mind stayed back in that study room. It took refuge there, perhaps, to avoid the corrosion of failures, debts, and wild uncertainty. But no matter where it went, it found no joy. Barney did not by any means loathe Harriette’s simple advice, which amounted to ‘get help’, but she’d been right in guessing it wasn’t a novel concept to him. In the worst of times humans naturally reached out for help, extending a hand in hopes that someone, anyone, would save them. But though he wanted to, Barney knew that it would be a mistake. To ask for real help, in the sense that he’d be relying on someone else, would be to go against his principles, his personal ethic. They might not be worth much in the greater scheme of things, but at the end of the day they were all he had. They were fundamental to his being. His peace of mind is the result of his inner strength, the ability to power through and overcome obstacles through effort and determination. That simply meant that needing help was a weakness. In this world the weak might survive, but they could never achieve a good life. Barney felt totally assured that the average person didn’t want anything to do with a man who was insecure or incompetent, and even those who did offer such men understanding, kindness, or charity could only be sneering in the back of their minds. A man needed to be strong and capable, able to stand on his own, without relying on other people. The idea of asking help, of course, conjured an even worse image than receiving it and being looked down on. It was an awful, terrifying thought that Barney didn’t even want to consider. What if he did? If he did send up his distress beacon, begging for aid from someone, anyone? And what if nobody reached down to pick him up? What if he was completely and utterly alone? Barney shook his head with sudden strength and pushed the thought from his mind. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to risk finding out, period. Instead he could take solace in the probability that friends, family, classmates, and school staff would help him if he needed it, but he didn’t really need it. Come what may, he could weather the storm. Even if expelled from college, even if saddled by debts for years, Barney Rynsburger could make it through. Because he was strong. Glancing at his phone, he realized it was nearly time for class. He stepped over an enormous fissure in the sidewalk and set off with renewed determination. [i]More cracks,[/i] he marvelled. [i]All these students funneling money in, and this place is still going to hell.[/i] [hr] [center][b][i]12:55 PM[/i][/b][/center] University Physics actually went well. As well as could be hoped, anyway. Barney managed to stave off the anxieties that circled over him like vultures by actually applying himself to the class. Even if it was still a gen ed at the end of the day, this science course felt like it mattered a lot more than, say, English. Plus, he didn’t know anyone there, which allowed him to keep a comfortable distance. The professor did inform the class that a group project would begin in the near future, but in a way the announcement gave Barney’s imminent scholarly demise a silver lining. It always paid to look at the bright side. Afterward he went to lunch, like normal. As miserable as choking anything down still sounded, Barney’s lack of breakfast was starting to make him feel uncomfortably hollow. Like it or not, he needed food to keep on trucking, if not for his student life, then for whatever came next in the real world. Unfortunately there wasn’t much good stuff. Plain ham sandwiches that some students tried to spice up using shredded cheese from the salad bar, the stuffed peppers that most found to be unpleasantly gluey, the highly interactive customizable wrap line where you could expect a couple minutes’ delay, and of course the desperation zone, where spaghetti and pizza probably sourced from the middle ages awaited anyone unwilling to try something else. Barney inserted himself into the wrap line, shuffling forward in silence until his turn came to specify what he wanted from the lunch lady. He took his food straight past the dessert section and soda machines, pausing only to get water, and made for an isolated seat. Today was a bad day in the cafeteria. Normally things were better, although at the end of the day it was still the budget option. Most people opted for meal plans that included BwuBucks, allowing them to buy from the on-campus chain restaurants like Burger King and Chicken Express, even if it was a worse deal overall. With all the stresses in their lives the students couldn’t afford to eat well. Many wished they stopped at just the freshman fifteen, although to his credit Barney arrived at college this way. Even if he didn’t really put anything on, he couldn’t get it off, either. Right now he had other things to worry about. As he gnawed on his wrap, he absent-mindedly ran his knuckles over a crack in the table. [i]These things are everywhere.[/i] How could so many different surfaces be cracked in the same way? And...what was that warmth, eking through the gap? Barney withdrew his hand and ignored it. No way he was going delirious right now. No way. He stopped to grab a small donut on the way out. [hr] [center][b][i]4 PM[/i][/b][/center] The day’s remaining classes passed by without much issue, which to Barney came as a blessing given the swarm of issues already chewing on him. By the time Intro to Electrical Science came to an end, he felt more numb than anything. He felt like his doom was approaching, like storm clouds on the horizon, but he couldn’t see it, and as he flopped down in the student center by a window he could only sit there wondering when and how the hammer would fall. Or even if it would. It wasn’t like he’d stepped on a landmine and the consequences would blow up in his face, after all. More like he’d poisoned a well. If today he’s guaranteed he’d never be able to get his grade back up to passing, he would only know for certain at the end of the semester. Or maybe much later he’d find out his GPA was too low for something or another. If he actually got an email from an advisor or something telling him he’d screwed the pooch and could quit wasting his time, it would be a miracle. Barney scrunched up his nose as he massaged his face with both hands. [i]Why can’t I ever know anything for damn certain!?[/i] A few minutes passed of browsing on his phone. When you didn’t want to think much, social media really hit the spot. That also meant that when the notification of an incoming call popped up, he realized what was happening before his ringtone even went off. Barney hammered the ‘accept’ button to avoid getting anyone else’s attention, and after only missing it twice he brought his phone up to his ear. “Hello?” “Good afternoon, is this Mr. Barney Rynsburger?” “Yep, that’s me.” “I’m calling on behalf of Barclay General Hospital,” the woman on the line breezed onward, without further professional pleasantries. “In regards to the interest-free payment plan you’ve been pursuing in order to take care of Miss Rynsburger’s hospital bills, I regret to inform you that Cimarron Lifeline has declined us service.” The color drained from Barney’s face. “...W-what? Why?” A mild irritation entered the woman’s voice. “I’m afraid I don’t know, Mr. Rynsburger. You will have to contact them and review the nature of your insurance package.” After a few seconds of silence, she continued. “This unfortunately means that if you cannot find an organization that can assist you with these bills, you personally will owe the full amount once Miss Rynsburger’s stay at Barclay General concludes.” Barney cut in with desperation in his voice. “Isn’t there anything you guys can do? I don’t have the money to pay for it all!” “Sir, there are many people in the exact same situation,” the lady told him. “Rest assured we cannot kick Miss Rynsburger out. All I can do is give you the same advice we give the others. The hospital’s collection agency will contact you in the following month. It is not necessary to pay the full amount in bulk, but you can set up a recurring payment plan to pay what you owe over time. Many clients take out a loan for such purposes.” She paused for a moment. “It’s...well, not exactly recommended to pay via credit card, since charges like this can compromise your credit score.” After that less-than-official-sounding statement, she cleared her throat. “Ahem. Anyway, you’ll be receiving a letter soon with the full statement. I hope things will work out for you. Goodbye.” The phone slid back into a pocket, and for a time, Barney sat in silence, his face frozen in an expression of abject anguish. His brain felt like a primordial swamp, a bubbling pit of foul mud. In the end all the stewing came to one coherent word. [i]Why.[/i] Why was all this happening to him? To his family? What could they have possibly done? All they’d ever done was the best they could. They’d never broken any laws or hurt anyone. All poor Cassie had wanted was to get out of this rat race. And for daring to hope she’d been plunged even deeper into the darkness. It wasn’t fair. None of this would have happened if not for him--if not for Lucas. Barney gritted his teeth, anger welling up inside him along with the tears. That smarmy, oh-so-charming scumbag. Rich enough to drive sports cars and live in a mansion, but not enough to pay his girlfriend’s hospital bills! “Why not, damn it?! He’s the one who put her there!” There was a loud slam as his hand hit something hard, bringing him back to his senses. At some point he’d gotten to his feet, and his fist was against the window. His rage faded, and he looked around in fear. Every eye was on him. Barney gulped and slowly looked back at the window. It was right there. Cracks surrounded the point of impact. As he watched they suddenly widened, and he withdrew his hand like a snake bit it. He shook, his legs on the verge of giving out. But as he balked, he realized something odd. The air on his face, eking in from outside, wasn’t cool. It was warm. Before he could process this a crack suddenly snaked downward. It went all the way to the floor, then [i]continued[/i] onto the tile itself. Barney stared, taken utterly aback. [i]That’s not possible.[/i] He watched it race along the floor, straight between two bystanders who didn’t react one bit to its presence, and through the door. “What in God’s name,” Barney breathed. His confusion filled him with unease, and his unease jolted him into action. He took off running after the crack. The bystanders parted to let him through, and a money later he was outside. The fissure raced ahead of him, and like a dog he chased it. Why exactly, he couldn’t say. Maybe it was a morbid curiosity; with all else lost, he’d fixated on this bizarre anomaly. Maybe it was a sign, a way out of this mess. Or maybe he’d just cracked under pressure himself. Either way, he kept running. How long he ran he didn’t know, but he slowed down when he reached the waterfront. Above him loomed the majestic Stoutland University Hall, named for BWU’s founder, and those in its classrooms and offices could seldom be blamed for staring out the window across the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico. No doubt President Pondwater himself looked out across the sea quite often, and even in the depths of Barney’s turmoil the place’s beauty wasn’t lost on him. The crack crossed the waterfront road and onto Stoutland Pier, so he did, too. Thanks to the cold season the docks-turned-local-hotspot sported only a few people here and there, mostly around the Shanty Shack, the quaint beach-themed eatery housed therein, older even than the college itself. Although the warm light of the patio heaters looked enticing, Barney carried on by to the isolated [url=https://i.redd.it/qs2q4na0mg821.jpg]gazebo[/url] at the end of the pier. There, his fissure terminated in a web of cracks. For a moment the young man just stood there, not knowing what he’d expected to find at the end. Then he sank into a bench, defeated but comfortable in the cracks’ heat, and was still.