No Boundaries

Ok. So we asked Mr Chan to give us a random topic we can blog about, and he gave the theme "No Boundaries" =o= Both me and Firesky were like "Oh no problem!" and then when we got home and actually tried to talk about it, we were like "......" =O= Nevertheless, Firesky says she's gonna be blogging about her personal view of the phrase. So to minimise the chances of both our work being compared, I decided to write mine in the form of fiction. I hope it suits the theme though X_X

*

Ned flopped down onto his bed the second he entered his dorm. George, his roommate, hadn't even returned from his night out. The clock on the desk read 3.16am.

Ned groaned and let himself fall on his back.

College life is so wonderful, he thought to himself. Mom's not there to lecture him about coming home too late, Dad's not there to make him grind his nose in his textbooks, and Sis isn't there to badger him about Toby, his highschool friend. He is free from all the nagging and lecturing. He can now do whatever he want, eat whatever he fancied, and roam wherever he wished. George was a super fun guy with whom he bonded instantly upon meeting him, and he had plenty of friends around campus. Ned felt lucky to have him as a roommate.

"Hey Ned." he would say, almost everyday. "You wanna go out with us tonight? I'll show you that hot chick at the bar, then you can try and get her number."

The starting of his college life was like a dream come true. The lecturers are pretty lenient with them, so they have plenty of time to do whatever they want. Every night was a new adventure to Ned, as George would bring him around town with his other buddies, Ryan and Matthew.

"See her, Ned?" George asked, pointing towards the bar, behind which stood a lovely blonde girl. "Hit on her. Go on."

Well, Ned did not get her phone number, but he was nevertheless excited at the same time.

Again and again, they roam the streets at night, fooling around like nobody's business. Ned, not used to being a midnight owl, skipped most of his early morning lessons to snooze. George did the same, but when the sun bids goodbye, he would start again.

"You coming with us, right?"

And Ned could never say no.

Before he knew it, his new midnight lifestyle had already lasted two months.

And Ned got a message from a classmate that their first semester's exam will be held in two weeks' time.

Aware that they were FAR behind in their studies, Ned approached George.

"You know, George." Ned started, as George laid on his bed, drained from the activities the night before. "We'll need to cut down on our outings. We have a test coming."

George grunted, rolled over, and slept on. Ned, already getting the exam jitters, shook him.

"Dude, come on, wake up already. We've got to attend class. We're already behind as it is. Dude!"

"Get off me! I wanna sleep! If you're so worried YOU go to class! I'm not bothered!"

Ned was completely blown away. George had NEVER yelled at him before. Most unexpected of all, he was completely ignorant of the fact that his studies are of any importance at all.

"I'm sorry, okay?" said Ned, putting down his books, feeling dispirited. He even lost all heart to go for his lessons. George groaned, and mumbled.

"We're going out again tonight. You'll come along, won't you?"

"Again???" Ned exclaimed, taken aback. "We're going to have our exam in two weeks' time!"

"You know what?" said George, sitting straight up, glaring at him. "If you don't wanna come with us, it's completely fine. Don't talk to me about exams and studies and nag me like a mom, okay? It's not cool."

He dropped back onto his bed and rolled over, his back towards Ned. Ned found himself completely humiliated. A mom? Ned hated it when his mom nags him, back when he was at home, and now George is saying that he sounded like one. That completely turned him off.

"Alright. I'll go out with you guys." said Ned loudly. George turned around, just in time to see Ned kick his books under his bed. He grinned.

"Now that's the spirit, pal."

So Ned did absolutely nothing to save his academic reputation. Instead, he went clubbing with the boys, flirted with blondes, brunettes, redheads, and even tried to hook up with the stripper in one of the nightclubs Ryan always went to. He pretended to be tough, macho, mysterious, or anything at all that the boys called "womanising techniques". When the girls turn away rolling their eyes, George and the others sniggered, laughed, and then "demonstrated".

For two whole weeks, they spent their time wooing women. Ned secretly felt sick and tired, but everytime he suggested they take a break and hit the library instead, the others scorned and huffed, shutting him up completely.

Of course he couldn't make it past his first exam. Professor Longfield was furious with him.

"What are you doing here, Dixon?" Professor Longfield scolded. He literally yelled at him. Ned, feeling shameful, hung his head. "Do you know how much your parents spent to send you here? Do you think this course is something of a joke? If you don't wanna study, Dixon, get out there and do something else! Don't waste your parents' efforts HERE!!" and he slammed Ned's report down on the table. Ned had never felt more ashamed of himself.

"For your information, Dixon, you're the only person who failed this test in this entire course. If you still wanna continue, you better get a grip on yourself and START STUDYING."

It took a few minutes for Ned to register what he had just heard. I'm the only one who failed this test? It couldn't be. George didn't even look at his books. All he did was, sleep, eat, bathe, and go clubbing. He couldn't have studied a single thing. Ned was sure of that. He had spent all his days wasting time with George and Ryan and Matthew.

He was shocked to hear George's answer when he asked him.

"It's obvious, man. We cheated." he said, lounging on the back legs of his chair. Ned stood dumbstruck. "I'm not gonna get myself yelled at. I made that geek next to my table show me his answers. Ryan and Matt did the same. We didn't think you're stupid enough to let yourself flunk. When you're out of resources, always find an alternative." he grinned at the shock in Ned's face and grabbed his shoulder.

"Chill, man. We're going out for a drink later. Wanna come?"

Anger and humiliation was boiling fast in Ned, as he shook George's hand roughly off his shoulder, saying, "No thanks. I have a lot of assignments to do. I'll be in the library if you need me, but if it's anything to do with clubbing, you can contact that stripper instead."

He turned to go, leaving George looking seriously offended. "Fine. Go do your assignments, Loser. You're just like all those other geeks in school." he called after him. Ned walked on, determined to maintain his dignity.

Ned never went out with George again, but spent most of his time in the library, completing assignments long ago with the help of Sandra and Jim, his new-found besties. They hang out at cafes after classes, avoiding alcohol at all costs. They form group discussions to help Ned catch up, and steered clear of dirty entertainment.

For the first time, Ned felt comfortable, and relief.

He realised something very important about his life before college, and that is how free he had always been to behave however he want.

Hanging out with George had given him the wrong idea about freedom. He could not say what he wanted to say. He could not do what he wanted to do. He was constantly suferring from peer pressure. He had been turned into a puppet, doing what others think should be done, and acting the way others think cool, without truly expressing himself.

A life away from home does not banish all restrictions, but rather much create more boundaries that restrict more movement.

Ned finally realised, that boundaries fade away when he learns how to handle them.

And now, he has truly found his freedom, and is embracing it in everyway he could.

~Dedicated to all youngsters who think they are too low to mingle with the crowd.~