Not As Exciting As A Tech Football Game But...

I sit in a small room with dull gray carpet and bright neon white lights. Large rectangular tables are lined up with two chairs assigned to each table. This is the setting of the dreaded tri-weekly two hour study hall of a student-athlete at Virginia Tech. I am extremely amused as I survey my teammates and their actions in the already too familiar surroundings.
Directly across from me is a diver named Cara. Cara is five feet tall and I can only see her blue eyes, deep in concentration, from above the laptop. She is constantly combing her fingers through her blonde bangs and I notice her fluorescent pink nail polish chipping off of her finger nails. She occasionally rests her cheeks on both fists, causing her face to scrunch up looking stumped at the problem lying before her.
Haley, another swimmer, is sitting with her back towards me so that I can see her screen and her progress on her day’s agenda. Unlike Cara who sits rigidly in her chair, Haley sits comfortably, cross-legged in the chair with her ear buds in. She is looking up definitions on WikiAnswers and trying to write a paper, but not making much progress.
The nonchalant Alex doesn’t even bring her laptop with her for our two hour adventure. She only brings a book to read. While she reads, she props her feet up on the table. She is constantly checking the time on her cell phone which is always followed with the phrase, “Oh my God”, whispered under her breath.
Last Emily plays with her shiny pearl earrings while she stares in awe at the computer screen with her mouth wide open. Occasionally she takes a sip from the bottle of Aquafina water bottle sitting next to her laptop.