Lonely in a big place.

*CRASH* Jason's coke can had barely missed the trash can, and instead redirected its course to his books, all of which obeyed the law of gravity.

"Well, Sir Issac Newton, you win again." Jason sighed to himself.

He stood up and walked on over to the books, putting them back up one-by-one. He looked over at the coke can, which had hit the books just right to knock them all over. He tried organizing them, but his phone started ringing. Unfortunately, his precise organization skills all disappeared with those rings. He threw the books onto the bookshelf, chucked the coke can into its original mark, and walked on over, answering his phone.

"You have reached the line of Jason Taymor," he said robotically. "To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking too, today?"

"Can you ever answer the phone normally?" asked Alex.

Jason chuckled. "The day I answer normally will be a cry for help."

"That's fair." Alex said. "So... I'm chilling at Hannah's tonight, so you have the room all to yourself."

Jason nodded. "What a gift." He responded. "I'll be sure I use the room in the worst way, and have us both pay more than the school's $500 deposit."

Jason could practically hear Alex roll his eyes before saying, "C'mon man, call up Taylor, have fun with her tonight."

Jason hung on Alex's suggestion for a moment. "If I thought she'd be up for it, I totally would."

"How do you know if she's not up for it if you don't ask her?"

"I don't know man. One moment, she's flirting with me, and next thing you know, she's dating someone far better. It's cool though, I'm chill with just being friends." Jason explained.

"Alright man." Alex said. "If you need anything, let me know."

Jason smiled. "Thanks man, have fun, but not too much fun, i'm not ready to be a godfather just yet."

Alex snorted. "I'll do my best. Night man."

"Night."

Alex hung up. The second he did, Jason could feel the walls closing in on him. He breathed in heavily, and shook his head.

'You're fine.' He told himself.

Jason grabbed a coke, and looked back over at his laptop. The paper he was writing was staring back at him, almost taunting him. He walked on over and closed the laptop. He needed a break. He took a sip of his coke and immediately felt a sharp hunger pain, making him wince. He realized he hadn't eaten for awhile.

'Okay, go get some food, watch some Netflix, and ease yourself.' He thought.

Jason grabbed his jacket, shoes, and keys. He figured he'd pop into the 7/11 and grab something. He went out of his room, and down the corridor to the common room. He half expected the room to be full of people, but instead found it to be empty. He was confused at first, but then remembered it was a Friday night, and everyone was out experiencing the nightlife. Well, almost everyone.

Jason stepped into the elevator, the mirror reflection moving with him. Jason felt more compelled to look forward however; he didn't want his reflection staring back at him.

He stepped out onto the ground floor, passed by security, and opened the door to the streets of New York City. He breathed it all in; here he was, fulfilling a lifelong dream, standing in the largest city in the world. And it made him feel like a bug. The street of Madison Ave. was shockingly deserted. Jason guessed it was because everyone was out clubbing, or drinking, or both. He rubbed both his eyes, and walked down the street. The 7/11 was only a few blocks away. It wouldn't take him too long.

Jason moved at a slow pace, trying to get himself to feel happy he was in such a big city. The more he thought about it, however, the more he felt... alone. How could that be though? He was living the dream, doing everything he said he was going to do, proving so many people wrong. He was making a name for himself, both in the people he was meeting, and the friends he was making.

'The problem of being an introvert.' He thought to himself.

He hadn't gone out much, and that was of his own accord. He hated going to parties. In fact, he called himself the perfect wallflower. He wasn't a fan of large crowds, and he wasn't the best at socializing. The best he could do was just be present. Something was wrong though; This was the way people his age met, mingled, and did the best. The only thing Jason could do was get on some dating apps, and try his best. He did end meeting one girl; Taylor...

Jason shook his head. He didn't want to dwell on that. He knew it was too complicated to actually form a relationship. She was fantastic, and beautiful. He was not right for her. The guys she had were right for her.

Jason finally made it to 7/11. NYC's 7/11s were not like regular ones; They were more like a hole in the wall convenience stores, which you get in, grab your stuff, and get out. They were usually the last place someone stopped before calling it a night on Friday. Fortunately, the store was completely empty, leaving Jason alone to whatever the convenience store offered him. He grabbed a pack of Ding-Dongs, a small sandwich, and a cherry coke. He paid for it, and walked on out. The second the coke touched his lips, Jason felt more relaxed, though the sharp hunger beckoned for the sandwich. He took a bite, and was slightly satisfied already. He then set back and headed to his dorm.

************************************************************

1:30 AM. Insomnia had hit Jason like a ton of bricks.

'In hindsight,' Jason thought. 'I shouldn't have had so many cokes.'

Jason had heard others come back and go to their rooms, some of which had obviously brought back that night's hookup. He chuckled to himself, knowing that would be the topic of many conversations tomorrow, assuming they even got out of bed.

Jason had probably gone through an entire season of "Parks & Rec." and he wasn't looking to watch anything else. He pretty much was bored, and tired without the ability to sleep. He then decided to grab a book and try to read, but the words seemed to drag on, and they were going to his brain, but his body didn't seem to register any of it.

He put the book down, and checked his phone. He had several missed notifications, but then he saw he missed a message on Instagram. Taylor... He unlocked his phone.

"Hey! So... i'm sorry if i've seemed distant at all. Can we meet for coffee? I promise I will try and make it this time."

Jason smiled, his heart warming a bit. "Sounds like a plan. Sorry for the late response."

He decided to look at her story. She seemed to be having fun, but he noticed how many men kept looking at her. He noticed how many of them were better looking than he was, and they were who she wanted; someone who was extroverted, could socialize, and be there when she wanted to party.

Jason shook his head. He needed to breathe. Why couldn't he breathe? Why couldn't he go out? Why couldn't he move? Oh shit... it felt as though his small dorm was closing in around him!

Jason threw his door open, walking out into the empty common room, trying to breathe, but the common room kept getting smaller and smaller. He shook his head again, trying to breathe. He took off into his room and threw on some shoes, a jacket, and took off with his keys. He hurried and decided to take the stairs, running as fast as he could. He felt as though every negative thought was swinging at him, trying to hurt him. He burst out onto the street and ran.

Every street was empty. It felt as though, for the first time, NYC was sleeping. And he was the only one awake. Jason ran. He didn't know where, or how long he would, he just knew he had to run. Everything felt so overwhelming. Why had he come to NYC? Why had he tried to meet people? Why couldn't he be normal?

He kept running, until he stopped... it was quiet. No one was around. He had no idea where he was. There was nothing. Nothing. Jason was, at this moment, nothing.

He then found himself crumbling to the ground, sobbing harder than he ever had. He felt as though everything was wrong, like his whole life was wrong. What could he do? He was lost, and it would take him forever to get back home. He sat there, sobbing into his knees, on the sidewalk of NYC. He then felt his phone buzz. He picked it up, and raised it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"... Jason, where are you?" asked Alex softly.