Page 67 of Loathing Ryan
Speaking of Ryan, I checked my phone to see if he had messaged me yet. No such luck.
Working around the time difference had proven to be somewhat of a challenge. While I was running like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to get to my first eight a.m. class, Ryan was getting started with his afternoon.
He had only been gone for two months. And it was already the longest two months of my life. I had no idea how we would pull off doing this for five years. But he assured me over and over again that he believed in us. And I believed in him.
I bolted across campus to try to get to my class on time. Zipping up the stairs, I found my lecture hall. Most of the seats were taken already, but I saw a few in the middle row that I was willing to claim.
“Excuse me, sorry,” I said to a bunch of my new classmates as I scooted through the aisle to get to the open seat.
When I finally made it, I plopped my backpack on the ground and sat down in a huff. I glanced at my watch. I made it with seven minutes to spare.
I had wanted to get to the building early, so I could look around and find the water fountains and the bathrooms. But this would have to do. I could explore after class. My next lecture wasn’t until noon, so I had time.
“Izabel?” I was startled when I heard my name and turned to the student beside me. I had been in such a rush that I hadn’t observed who my neighbors were.
My eyebrows furrowed when I recognized the familiar face. “Mark?”
Grinning wildly, he laughed. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I didn’t know you were coming to Princeton!”
“Oh, yeah, I didn’t know you were either!” I tried to sound as happy as he did. “What’s your major?”
Mark shrugged, still smiling at me. “Pre-law,” he said confidently. “Or at least that’s the plan. You?”
“History. I’m a nerd,” I responded, shrugging. The more I looked at him, the harder it was not to smile back. The kid had an infectious aura to him. His chocolate eyes were so warm and inviting.
“That’s awesome. You’re definitely not a nerd. I think it’s cool that you’re into history. It’s my worst subject,” he told me. We small-talked for another minute before he threw another curveball at me. “How’s it going with the whole Ryan thing? If you two are even still together.”
I narrowed my eyes, not really appreciating the snarkiness in his last statement. “We are. And what Ryan thing?”
Mark looked at me in confusion. “Isn’t he in the Norwin Bates program? In Germany? Or did he turn it down?”
I sighed. “Oh no, he’s there. He left right after graduation.”
Mark nodded, though his lips turned down a fraction. “Good for him, I guess. Sucks that it’s so far away, though. How’s it going for him?”
How was it going for Ryan? Great. Perfect even. He was living the dream. Ryan had gotten to Berlin and was immediately welcomed into Norwin Bates Industries as a valued team member. The program typically accepted four students from all over the world. It was a highly exclusive internship.
Ryan’s assignment was to Norwin Bates’s own son, Teddy. Due to the heavy workload, it wasn’t unusual for the interns to be assigned to higher executives. Plus, that allowed the interns to see how the organization ran. Ryan told me that Teddy would eventually take over the company once his father retired. The two hit it off immediately, and he’s been on the fast track to success ever since.
Ryan’s days were busy between school and work and then homework. We definitely had to make sure that we scheduled time for each other. But so far, the internship was everything he hoped it would be. I was excited for him. He was already learning so much that it would give him a huge advantage when he finished school.
“He’s great,” I told Mark and then went to pull out my notebook and textbook from my backpack. We were in English 101. A required course for all undergrads.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Mark said. He followed my lead and grabbed his class supplies before pining for my attention again. “Hey, I’m glad to see a friendly face around here. I was worried I wouldn’t know anyone. Would you be open to maybe making a study group? I know we’ll be in different classes and whatnot, but I think getting a table or something in the library a few times a week would be cool.”
I looked over at Mark. He was a nice guy. He really was. I could tell he was nervous about the transition into college life, so having a friend right away would do him good. Honestly, it would benefit me too.
“Yeah, Mark. I think that would be great!”
Christmas — Year 1 — Ryan
“Oh my God!” Bells screamed as she launched herself into my arms. Laughing, I dropped my bags on the ground and caught her. I spun her around in the air, elated that she was finally in my arms again.
I held her close and buried my face in her hair. She still used the same shampoo. It was depressing how happy that made me. Staying there for a moment, I pulled away and looked her over. “Heya, Bells!”
Izabel grinned from ear to ear. “Hey, yourself!”
My eyes roamed over her, my hands tracing the outline of her, drinking in all that was Izabel. “Did you change your hair?”
