I was walking through the new student union building. It had just opened, although the bookstore had been open for about eight months. I was only going in to get batteries for my Walkman, nothing more, but every time I went into the bookstore I always spent more time and money there than I had planned. On this particular Saturday morning, everyone was there, and it was only nine. It was the Saturday of the big homecoming soccer game. Hordes of alumni and their families had shown up for the reopening of the student union and were planning on sticking around until three that afternoon for the soccer game. A bunch of students I knew were also going to the game, since it was the only homecoming action they were going to see because the school didn't have a football team.

As I was running down the stairs to the main floor of the bookstore, I heard one of my favorite songs come on the store speakers. It was "I Want it That Way" by the Backstreet Boys. I started lip syncing the words, not paying attention to where I was going. I was rounding a corner at the bottom of the stairs, when I ran smack into someone and wound up falling backwards to the ground.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," a young man about my age said.

"No, no. It was my fault," I claimed.

"Here, let me help you up." The man offered his hand to me. I accepted his offer and stood up. When I got to my feet, I found myself looking into the most beautiful pair of brown eyes I had ever seen.

"I'm...I'm sorry about that," I managed to squeak out.

The man looked at me and smiled. "It's okay. I get carried away sometimes too. Now if you start dancing in a store..." his voice trailed off. "I'm Alex."

"Sara, but everyone calls me Wildkitten."

"Well, Wildkitten, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"You're not a student here, are you?" I looked Alex over. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt over a black tank top and tight black suede pants. He had on a black fishing hat and bright red boots. He was wearing large hoop earring in both ears, a huge silver cross around his neck and had a goatee.

Alex shook his head. "No, I'm not. You don't recognize me?"

"No. Should I? Are you coming to the game today?"

"What game?"

"The soccer game. You should come, bring your friends; it'll be fun. I, uh, have to get going. I'll see you there, okay?" I then headed towards the door. I decided I didn't need the batteries after all.

"Wait," Alex called after me. "How will I find you?"

"You won't have to," I called. I'll find you." And with that, I was gone.

Later that day, I was at McDonald's, waiting for my order.

"Number two seventy-two. Quarter Pounder with Cheese Value Meal with an iced tea," the clerk said.

I stepped up to get my order, but before I could get there, a man stepped in front of me. "I think you have my order," I started to say to him, as the clerk said, "Two seventy-three. Quarter Pounder with Cheese Value Mean with an iced tea." I looked at the man beside me. He was dressed kind of oddly for a college student, yet he seemed familiar. "Alex?" I asked.

He looked at me puzzled for a moment and then said, "Wildkitten?" We looked at our orders and laughed. We took our trays and walked over to a booth and sat down. "What are you doing here?" Alex asked me.

"I eat here often enough I should have an endorsement."

"Me too. So do you always get a number three with an iced tea?"

"Yep. I walk up, set my money down and tell the guys 'the usual' and since them all know me, they take my money and make it."

"Oh, I wish I had it that easy."

"What do you mean?"

"I go to so many different McDonald's restaurants that I don't get to know the clerks."

"Ah." Just then, someone walked up to us.

"Hey Bone, what are you doing here?" the young man asked. He had the bluest eyes I had ever seen and light brown hair.

"I'm eatin', what's it look like I'm doing?" Alex replied. I had to laugh. "Uh, Sara, this is Brian. Brian, Sara." I nodded, shoving fries in my mouth to keep from talking. "Join us B. It's okay."

"I don't wanna intrude."

I finished chewing and said, "You're not intruding. Alex and I just met today in the campus bookstore."

"So she's the one you were staring after," Brian said, sliding into the booth next to Alex.

I looked at Alex and raised an eyebrow. "You were staring?"

"Hey, I'm a normal human being aren't I?" Alex said, defending himself.

"Normal is the questionable term," I said.

"What if I'm the normal one and everyone else around me is weird?"

"Well, if you're normal, then I have a long way to go," I replied. We all laughed. I looked at my watch and then back at the men sitting across from me. "You know what guys? It's been a blast, but I have to get going. You are coming to the game right?" I got up, gathering my trash. I had inhaled my lunch, knowing that I didn't have much time to spare before the game.

"I'm there," Alex said.

As I was heading for the door, I shot over my shoulder, "And bring Brian too." I walked out of the restaurant not knowing if I would see Alex at the game, even though I had promised him I would find him.

On to Part 3