Page 5 of 3rd and 4
We pass my dorm on the way to the deli. “I’m gonna run this up.” I lift my bag. He nods with a smile, sitting down on a bench while I head inside. I run up the two flights of stairs and rush into my room. I throw my bag on my bed, grab my deodorant and put more on, then quickly brush my teeth in our sink, and spray some perfume, walking through it on my way out. He’sstill sitting on the bench and immense relief surges through me. I was half-expecting him to be gone by the time I got back, changing his mind about hanging out with the friendless freshman.
“Ready?” I nod, biting my lower lip as I join him on the path. He sniffs loudly, then startles me when he drops his head to my neck and inhales. “God, you smell good.”
“Th-thanks. It’s just some spray.”
“Where’d you buy it?” I tilt my head to stare at him as we walk. He glances at me with a broad grin. I tell him the name of the scent from the chain fragrance store. “Hmm. I’ll have to order some.” Whatever floats his boat. My stomach turns, what if he wants to order it to give as a gift to his girlfriend? Partners? Is there more than one? I thought it was awful earlier thinking that I could never compare to the other girls on the squad, it was naïve not to consider the rest of the university’s female student population. That’s like 20,000 women! Even if you took away half to account for lesbians…I can’t compete with 10,000 women! I’m spiraling. I dig my nails into my palms to focus on the slight sting.
“Are you alright?” he asks, the concern in his voice is comforting.
“Yes, sorry. Just a little overwhelmed,” I tell him, it isn’t a lie. The cheering itself is nothing new for me. It’s the people. The personalities, hierarchy, the boys. And this man. He overwhelms me the most. I can’t decide if that’s good or bad.
“I remember my freshman year,” he says with a laugh. “I overindulged in the wrong things, underindulged in the right things, like classes.”
“What changed?”
“I met Ty and Lyn. Ty was the quarterback and had a promising career in front of him. He was in an accident the summer before his sophomore year. Ruined his chances of ever playing collegiately or professionally. Ty barely batted an eye, just changed course. He readjusted and found his footing on a new path. I learned two things: one, it’s never too late to start over, and two, this university cares about its students. The faculty, staff…there are assholes like Coach Heacock, but most of them are like Brandon Beiler and Lilly Geddes. I drank the Kool-Aid, pulled up my grades and volunteered. I know the good that is done here every day, and I wanted to be a part of it. Jenna took notice and approached me about the Mic-Man position.”
“You really like it?”
“I love it. I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not exactly shy.” I giggle, because he doesn’t seem to have a shy bone in his body. My eyes drop to his crotch, and I blush and look away. It’s probably not shy either. I mentally smack myself; this is not the time or place. “I’ve met some incredible people and have formed friendships that will last a lifetime. Be patient, Daya, it gets easier. You seem to have more self-control than me, so I have no doubt you’ll be fine when classes start. And you’ve got Eva and me to help you as you figure it all out.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to have a friend or two to rely on. I don’t know anyone here. I’m from Florida.”
“You’re a long way from home.”
“I am.” I reply sadly. I miss my parents, my brother, and my room. I didn’t really have any friends. There were teammates that I was on good terms with, but we never hung out much aside from practices and competitions. I’m a little lonely here, but honestly, I’d be just as lonely back home.
Addy throws his arm over my shoulder and brings me into his side. He’s warm and smells nice. He squeezes me tight, and I bask in the feel of him so close. Yes, we practiced earlier but it isn’t the same. “Don’t be sad, Itty Bitty, I got you.” I bristle at the nickname. I guess it was too much to hope he wouldn’t notice my lack of attributes. Surrounded by women in sports bras, it’d be hard not to notice the assortment of boobs on display. Well, that confirms it, he isn’t attracted to me. He's just a genuinely nice, friendly guy.
Look at me! My first male friend that isn’t related to me.
Addy 4.
“What’s good here?” Daya questions as she looks up at the big menu board. It’s lunch time and the deli is busy. You’d think a college town would be quiet over the summer, and it is compared to fall and spring semesters, but there’s still plenty going on.
I stand just behind her, using the crowd as an excuse to keep a hand on her hip to hold her close. While she’s been perusing the options, I’ve been marveling at how large my hand looks against her slender frame. She’s compact. And it’s giving me ideas. X-rated, not-suitable-for-a-deli ideas.
Not to mention, she doesn’t strike me as the type of girl who would engage in such activities without a relationship established. She’s in luck, though, because that’s exactly what I have planned. There’s something about her, cliché I know, but true, nonetheless, that draws me in. I like being around her. She’s quiet, shy even, but passionate when you get her talking. Seeing her in action today during practice, watching her brain and body process every move was fascinating.
However, there is something off about her today that wasn’t there yesterday. Even distracted, she’s leaps and bounds beyond me in raw, natural talent. She just wasn’t as…crisp, I guess. I thought getting her out of the gym and somewhere neutral would help her refocus. And give me a chance to get to know her better.
“Uh…literally anything. They do not serve bad food here. You want a sandwich? Wrap? Soup? Salad? Muffins? Cookies?”
“There’s so many options,” she mumbles to herself. I lean down, placing my mouth close to her ear, smiling at the shiver that travels down her spine.
“Want me to order for you?”
“Y-yes, please.”
“Any dietary restrictions?”
“Nah. I’m not allergic to anything.”
When it’s our turn, I order a chicken Caesar wrap for her, a white Reuben for myself, and a few sides for us to share. She looks uncomfortable when I pull my phone out to pay. She better get used to it, when we’re together I’ll pay. Always. She huffs but follows along as I carry our tray full of food to a little table. I’m glad they had empty seats, otherwise we’d have to eat outside. We sit across from one another, and I smirk when she eyes my sandwich with interest. Silently, I put half of my sandwich on her plate and take half of her wrap to put on mine.
She looks up at me with a toothy grin. “Thank you.” We eat quietly for a few minutes, each enjoying the food. After a while, she sips her lemonade, and shifts in her seat, getting comfortable. “You’re a senior, right?”
“Yes. I’m set to graduate at the end of this school year.”
