Somehow you spent all Saturday long researching Trajan. You’d planned to just find a few sources and type up a few paragraphs, but somehow you couldn’t stop yourself. As the paragraphs turned to pages, the day turned to night. You look around the library, surprised to see the once-filled chairs suddenly empty. Or maybe not so suddenly. Between trying to type an eloquent enough paper to impress Charlotte and daydreaming about her, you didn’t really pay much attention to your surroundings.

Oh well. That’s probably for the best, anyways. It’s not very expensive to spend all day in the library. You dig through your wallet. $28. That’s what you have to live on for the next few days. Paycheck from your job as a cashier in the student center doesn’t come in until next Friday, and you’re a little lacking in finances due to buying some cheap Christmas presents for your parents and brother. Or, at least, a little more lacking in finances than usual. As it is, you’re already sick of ramen.

You decide to call it a night and brave the cold back to your dorm. Your brother’s hand-me-down coat isn’t quite warm enough for the cold. It’s hard to be ungrateful, though. If he hadn’t decided to buy himself a new one, you might not have a warm enough coat at all.

You hustle back towards the sweet warmth of your dorm room, grateful to finally be freed from the oppressive cold. It’s nice not to have your teeth chattering anymore. 3:30 AM. You can’t remember the last time you’ve been up this late. The pitch dark of a few hours ago has begun to break, and the beginning hints of daylight creep through your blinds. Your roommate stirs in his sleep, and you tiptoe into your bed, careful not to wake him.

It’s been a long day. Little do you know it, you could certainly use this sleep. Tomorrow’s going to hit you like a freight train.