Five years ago, the family-owned coffee shop that would become a hangout spot for university students was a humble printing shop. The old man who ran the shop was still alive, often chatting with the regulars who came to have their documents printed, laminated, or bound.

It was during this time that 22-year old Chandra, the undergrad, sat hunched over her books, eyebrows scrunched together in concentration. The paper edges of her notes piled up on top of one another, strewn across the books on the table.

The outline of her undergraduate thesis was slowly coming together as the tip of her pencil finally lifted off of the page. She gave her shoulders a stretch and sat upright, massaging the bottom of her back. 

??? I don’t understand this part.

She snorted at her own handwriting, secretly written on a page in the book on anthropology and dance. The note was scrawled in an almost illegible script, the kind one makes in the brain fog after many hours of studying. 

Me neither. Glad I’m not the only one.

She raised her eyebrows. This was new. She brought the book closer to her face, squinting at the handwriting of this second note. The handwriting was most definitely not hers, but it somehow looked familiar.

She wondered where she had seen someone write their g’s so neatly when a set of hands plopped down on her shoulders.

“Boo!”

Chandra jolted in her seat before relaxing. “Nice try, El.”

Elga grinned. “Oh, you know I got you good this time.” She leaned her arm on Chandra’s head and peered at the sheets of paper strewn across the table. “Now, what are you still doing here on a Saturday afternoon? I’m this close to dragging you outside right now.”

Biru walked up next to Elga and smiled. “C’mon Dra, let’s go hang out today. The library’s about to close anyway.”

Chandra glanced down at her watch and realized that it was almost noon. She took one look at the mess on the table and smiled in resignation. “Alright, what do you guys wanna do today?”

“Finally!” Elga grinned, grabbing Chandra’s arm and pulling her to stand. “Nadira said there’s a paper-making event today with the boys from the student press. Let’s go!”

“Who told you?” Chandra came to a standing position, gathering her notes in a folder.

“Tsk, one of the first-years, Dra,” Biru said, reaching over to help her. “Man, you’re so bad with names.” 

Chandra groaned. “Right, Nadira.” The face of the bright-eyed first-year came up in her mind. “I remember her.”

“You would think you’d remember her,” Biru said. “She looks at you during basketball games like you’re her girl crush or something.”

Elga grinned. “Speaking of crushes—who knows Dra, maybe you’ll finally find someone you like at this event before we graduate out of this place. Come on!” She grabbed both Chandra and Biru’s hands, dragging them towards the exit.

Biru playfully rolled his eyes, turning towards Chandra. “If only she had the same energy for writing her thesis.”

Chandra grinned. “You can say that again.”

The open courtyard where the event was taking place wasn't too far from the library, an area well-shaded by the trees protecting the stone bricks from the afternoon sun.

The line of tables each had an old blender plugged into a long power cable and a stack of old newspapers and campus magazines. Boards of plywood were propped up diagonally on the ground, sheets of recycled paper already drying on its surfaces.

Elga dragged a slightly shy Biru to ask for instructions from the boys of the student press, while Chandra leaned against one of the empty tables. She noticed someone making paper nearby and perhaps sensing that Chandra had noticed her, she raised her head so that their eyes met.

“Oh, hey!” Kyra grinned, waving at her.

Chandra smiled and walked over. “Hey. Didn’t think I’d see you here.”

“Oh, there’s no other way I could imagine spending a Saturday afternoon.” Kyra smiled, sifting a paper-making frame through a tub of paper pulp and water. 

“Are you here by yourself?” Chandra watched as Kyra gently lifted the frame, capturing the paper pulp inside.

“I came with a couple of friends earlier but they had to head home.” Kyra glanced up at her as she took the top frame off. “I decided to stick around since I really like paper-making. It builds character, you know.”

“Does it?” Chandra raised an eyebrow. 

“I think so.” Kyra laughed. “You shred all of this old, outdated paper and turn it into something new that can be a lot more useful.”

Kyra laid the frame down on the plywood board with the pulp-side facing down. “Be patient in the process and you'll get smooth paper good for writing. Be impatient and you end up with lumpy paper.”

Kyra gently soaked up the excess water with a sponge before carefully lifting the paper-making frame. A neat sheet of paper was revealed underneath. “Like so!”

Chandra peered over. “Nice!” 

Kyra smiled, tilting her head towards the stack of unshredded newspapers. “Well, you wanna make paper jam with me?” 

“Paper…what?” 

“Paper jam.” Kyra laughed, using one hand to lift the paper pulp in the tub. “Look, it kinda looks like jam. Only made out of paper.”

Chandra smiled incredulously at the paper pulp in Kyra’s hand. “I guess that’s one way to describe it.” 

She turned to where Elga and Biru were standing some ways away, chatting with the head of the student press: a tall, conventionally attractive boy with wavy hair. It seemed the two of them would be occupied for a while.

Chandra turned back to Kyra and smiled. “I would love to make paper jam with you.”