(Author's Note: Can't believe I forgot about this branch! It has some great possibilities)
John closed his eyes and managed to get a hold of himself. There were so many people out on the Quad that the initial wave was overwhelming. Luckily he was at the back of the science building, a good distance away from the throng of college girls. But there still were a ton of them, perhaps a couple hundred. He could feel their thoughts and feelings rushing through his mind - a literal stream of consciousness. Though maybe more of a rushing river. At this distance it was as though he was standing ankle deep in it - he felt control, and he felt himself, but he could feel the force behind it. And if he lost his footing, he might get swept away completely.
Normally John would have turned and fled far away from a scene like this. Yeah, all the girls were gorgeous, but his anxiety and fear would have made him terrified to spend even a minute in the middle of this group. One wrong move, one misinterpreted glance and he'd be scoffed at, mocked, and humiliated.
But this time it was different. He looked at the mass of college girls, grouped up with their respective sororities, each in their own sets of matching outfits and Greek letters, and saw belonging. Friendship. He suddenly wanted to be a part of it more than anything! College was hard, it was important to have a group of like-minded friends along the way. Plus he'd get to go to some bangin' parties and meet some hot guys!
OMG stop it! He thought to himself You're a grown man! Get it together and get out of here! The longer he lingered the less like a grown man he felt. He had to get back into the science building before it was too late. But the door he came out of had locked behind him. He would have to go all the way around the building to get back in - and risk running into Sarah or any number of other people. But he had to get away from this crowd, even if it meant living in the dorms for the rest of his freshman year.
Stop it! You're not a college freshman! You're a senior, and you already live in the Delta House! "Arrggh! Stop it!" John grunted out loud, finally asserting himself. "My name is John! I'm 30! I'm a man! I'm a scientist! He had to keep his wits - his logic. He closed his eyes and harnessed all of his will. My name is John. My name is John. Just keep repeating it. If he could hold onto that mantra, he could hold onto himself and make it back into the lab.
My name is John. My name is John. My name is John. My name is Cindy. Wait... one of those wasn't right...
It was time to move, now or never.
