Chapter 7: Fall Semester

It was the last few days before the classes started at the university. Alex's fifteenth birthday party was held the day before. The restaurant organized everything well, and it was good to talk to his old buddies. Most of his friends from school were there, already back from summer trips, and there were the usual friends of his parents and their kids. Many of these family friends were uncomfortable with gift selection. Normally, they would have given him music discs or sports equipment. But as he was now in college full time, it felt more like a graduation, so many of them ended up giving him checks. Alex was not complaining at all — he needed all the money he could get.

His college friends were not there. Most of them were still not on campus as most dorms were still closed for the summer. A few would probably felt awkward meeting his parents, not knowing Alex outside of college.

As Alex anticipated, it was like saying goodbye to his old life. His school friends were nice, but increasingly their concerns and his were diverging. Perhaps in a few years, when they started entering the adult world, they would regain the connection, but for now the friendly banter seemed to underscore how little his former classmates, starting tenth grade, had in common with Alex. He did not invite Karen and Melissa, and doubted that they would have come if he had. Thinking of them still hurt, but not as much as it once did.

Alex thought of the future. In three years, his former classmates would be worrying about dorm mates, required classes, and meal plans, much like he was doing already. In ten years, they would all be twenty-five, probably hoping for a raise, planning a down payment on a condo, and wondering if their boyfriend or girlfriend was marrying material. Alex hoped he would have a girlfriend by then. The three-year difference in entering college would be negligible then.

Alex recalled one amusing conversation. His father's boss at the pharmacy, Dr. Sebastian Jameni ― "Call me Seb" ― said, "So, Alex, what courses are you taking? Becoming a pharmacist is an excellent career choice. Taking math and science would help you get admitted to a pharmacy program. It may seem like a lot of work, but it will be a good foundation for your life."

"Yes, sir. I am planning to take a couple of math courses in the fall. I will also be taking Molecular Neurobiology, and doing some lab work on optimizing protein folding algorithms in the computer science department."

Seb was taken aback. "That, um, sounds good. That seems a bit advanced for a first year student, isn't it?"

"I tested out of a few courses, sir," Alex said brightly, and moved to help his mother greet other people.

"Alex, there is an envelope from the university for you here," his mother said.

"Oh, it's the CS qualifying exam confirmation," Alex said after glancing at it.

"Did you pass?" asked his mother excitedly.

"Oh yes, I was told, semi-officially, a couple of days ago." Before his parents could get into a celebratory discussion about Alex, at least in theory, becoming a Ph.D. candidate, he started another more difficult topic. "I am planning to live in the dormitory this semester. I already paid the room fee."

"But why? You are barely fifteen, Alex. Surely that is too young to live by yourself? Is it the admission's office? Surely they can make an exception..."

"Let Alex speak, Dora. Alex is growing up," Alex's father said, not happy but far less surprised.

"Yes, Mom, the admission office is pressing me to live on campus. But that's not the main reason. I think it's a good idea," Alex said, noticing his mother opening her mouth to object and then deliberately holding off. "First, they have a point: I will have a fuller experience and will integrate better into college life. There are various evening and night events that are far easier to get to if you live on campus. I will also have a more integrated social life if I live there. Second, it allows me to get used to independent living, while still having a lot of structure around me. Sooner or later ― and knowing me it's probably sooner ― I will have to get a job and a place to live (Alex decided not to confuse the issue with his two part-time jobs). And third, while unusual, there are actually fifteen-year-old students at the university living in the dorms."

There was more conversation, but the issue was basically decided. Alex's system administration job would pay for his room and food, although he still was planning to come home for some meals and occasional overnight stays, probably carrying his laundry. His tuition and book fees were still waived under a special scholarship program.

Alex didn't mention that the rest of his salary and his consulting work went to his online trading account. His parents didn't pay much attention to his account after having signed off on the application forms.

Alex's initial opening balance was gone as result of several experiments in "high frequency trading". However, his consulting income continued largely unabated during the summer to Alex's surprise. It seems that research projects, theses, and other endeavors that occasionally ran into complications did not take vacations. Alex's word-of-mouth reputation as not only an excellent software troubleshooter, but one who could spot an error in logic or even methodology in just about any project, had spread, and provided him with a near-constant stream of short assignments.

This consulting income, together with reduced but still valuable hours as a senior system administrator in the university computer lab allowed him to replenish his balance. After several experiments, Alex seemed to have a collection of methods that were increasing his balance for once. Time would be required to see if this was more than a statistical fluke. Alex planned to continue to read books and take courses in investments, but this area was notoriously difficult to analyze. So much of it depended on the psychology of the investors, which changed over time.

In any case, until he bought a car or rented an apartment, his financial situation was pretty safe.

The fifteen-year-old that Alex mentioned to his parents was not a random factoid. Alex's flirting with Sandra was proving not only pleasant but fruitful. Sandra had invited him to several parties, widening Alex's circle of acquaintances, and most recently, set him up with a date with Rachel.

"Look, she's a prodigy like you. She is probably as young as you were when you started college," Sandra raised an eyebrow at Alex. Alex refused to tell her his age, and it had become a bit of a humorous struggle between them. Sandra would ask innocent-sounding questions related to his age, and Alex would respond with deliberately misleading answers.

"Even as green as I was then, I would have been captivated by you," added Alex to the conversation at hand.

"Argh! Anyway, she is brilliant but shy. She is only fifteen, but not very experienced even for her age. Her roommate helps with general campus life, but has had no luck introducing Rachel to any guys. Not sure she tried very hard, either. Rachel will be sixteen in a few months, a bit young, but you are not that much older, are you?"

"I am old enough to be all man where you're concerned." Alex wiggled his eyebrows at Sandra.

"Ha! You might be right, but you are not getting any!" retorted Sandra with a grin, eyeing Alex up and down. This year there was more to eye: Alex had outgrown his father, although he was still much thinner. Alex's shoulders had widened with his growth and all the exercise, and Sandra liked what she saw. She had no intention of leaving her boyfriend, but enjoyed flirting as much as Alex did.

"So, what you're saying is your friend — Rachel, right? — is a nerd, barely past the age of consent, probably scared of men. If I go out with her and dare so much as a compliment on her appearance, she will be terrified. I will lose forever the chance of a smile from your glorious eyes for the crime of offending your shy friend. If I behave like a monk, um, ― make it behave like a eunuch ― you will be mad at me for not advancing her social education, or worse yet, making her feel unattractive. Once again I risk losing the hope of your favor. No, on reflection I believe my evenings will be busy until the end of the school year with mandatory lab exercises."

"Oh, don't be difficult, Alex!" Sandra retorted, unsuccessfully hiding her grin. "Just talk to her a time or two. She's into biochemistry, you're a bright lad, ask her about her courses, and how she got into college so young. Share your own experience of testing out of undergraduate courses and taking graduate economics at the tender age — was it nineteen or eighteen?"

"Oh beauteous lady, time has no meaning in your presence!" answered Alex. "Okay, before you smack me, how do I meet your young paragon of unblemished virtue and biochemical brilliance?"

All in all living on campus proved a good decision.

Sharing a room with another student was a novel and not entirely pleasant experience. His roommate was neat and clean, but he preferred to study with music at top volume, and his taste in music did not match Alex's. Alex's request to lower the volume produced the smallest move in the volume knob, which seemed to creep up again when Alex wasn't looking. Luckily, Alex did not have to sleep much ― only about four hours every two days — something that he did not share with his parents. Strange sleeping patterns were normal for students so no attention was paid.

Alex could now work more hours on his system administration job, take consulting assignments late in the evenings, or make use of the university library at unusual hours.

But best of all were the dorm parties. Alex drank beer twice more in two weeks after the classes started. Nobody asked to see identification at those parties.

At one of the parties in a smaller, just-off-campus house shared by eight students, Alex met Denise. Denise was a junior, brown-haired, brown-eyed with an attractive face and an excellent figure. She dressed to show off this figure, including a short T-shirt and a pair of short, tight shorts. Alex had a hard time keeping his eyes off her, and as the night progressed, it seemed that she didn't mind the attention. They talked about campus developments, rising tuition, most boring professors, lack of parking, and national politics. As the party was winding down, Denise and Alex ended up on the deck, making out. Denise's soft breasts touching his own, and elastic ass under his hands were making Alex very excited. Alex, who has been long resorting to his own hand, found it wonderful, and had a hard time not exploding in his jeans.

"Mm, this is very nice," Denise said. She grasped her hands behind Alex's neck and raised herself, rubbing against his front. Alex was helpfully lifting her by the buttocks. "We should stop." She finally, and with some regret lowered herself and stepped away. Alex, with even more reluctance, relaxed his arms.

"First, I have a morning class tomorrow. Second, I don't sleep with guys on the first date. I think this can be considered the first date," Denise said, still breathing deeply.