I snorted at her choice of song and shrugged my shoulders. “I think I can handle him. This campus is big enough to avoid him anyway.” I drained the rest of my drink and scooted out my chair. “Sorry to cut this short girls, but I have a class on the other side of campus, so I’ll catch up with you at home.”
I made my way across campus, weaving in and out of the cluster of students that were gathered across the pathway. It was definitely a bit overwhelming compared to MCCC, but I was quickly beginning to fall in love with it. It almost made me wish that I had started off at a four year college, but I think I really just needed that time to myself to completely heal.
I walked into the auditorium that my human studies class was in and headed towards the middle section. This had to be my biggest class yet; it was only partially filled and looked to hold at least two hundred students. I felt my heel catch someone’s bag in front of me as I made my way to a seat and plummeted forward, almost kissing the ground before an arm snaked around my waist and stood me upright.
A pair of amused gray eyes stared casually back at me as I glared down at him. “You! What the hell is your problem? Are you working some kind of voodoo magic so I’m always falling into your waiting arms?”
“Seriously? Maybe we just have some kind of connection. It’s not my fault you’re a bit of a klutz. I certainly don’t mind catching you though.” Justin continued to stare back at me as I stood there, anger bubbling up in my chest at his nonchalant attitude. I turned to find another seat far, far away from him, but he stopped me, grabbing onto my elbow. “C’mon, Della. Can’t we at least be friends? I promise I won’t bite…yet,” he added with a smirk as I hesitantly turned around.
The professor walked to the front of the room, setting down his briefcase, as I reluctantly plopped down into the seat next to him. I couldn’t help but notice the line of at least five girls sitting on the other side of him who all looked to be dissecting me with their eyes. All probably wondering why Justin was paying so much attention to me, over them. I really had no clue, but I didn’t care. He probably considered it some sort of game since I wasn’t being very cooperative.
I tried to concentrate as the professor went over what we would be doing for the semester but it proved difficult with Justin sitting next to me. He seemed to not be able to sit still, and his body kept inching closer and closer to mine. My whole body was tense with the closeness, so when the professor ended class, I practically jumped out of my seat, heading for the doors.
“Damn, I’ve never met a girl in a hurry to get away from me before. I think I kind of like it.” I didn’t turn around, just kept walking, but I could feel the closeness of his body keeping up with my quick pace. “So, think you want to be study buddies? I have my own place, so it would work out perfectly. I’m sure we could do all kinds of studying; you’re an excellent subject.”
I glanced over quickly to see his eyes roving every inch of my body and came to an abrupt stop. “Look, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I don’t want any part of it. So just forget me and move onto the next one. Really, I’m a waste of your time. Because this,” I motioned my hands between the two of us, trying my hardest to keep a straight face as he gave me a twisted smirk, “is not going to happen.”
“What ever you say, Della,” he backed up a few steps, holding his hands up in defeat. “Just know that I don’t give up that easily. Ever.”
**********
“Would you mind setting the table, Della? I just have a few last minute things to finish up and supper should be ready in no time.”
“Sure, Grams.” I pulled out three place settings and began laying them out on the dining room table. My first week of school was complete and had gone as smoothly as expected, I guess. Strangely, Justin had left me alone for the most part and seemed to be moving on from his infatuation with me.
Every time I saw him there was a different girl perched on his lap or wrapped around his body. Honestly, it made me a little sick to see those girls throwing themselves at him. Sure, he was practically sex on a stick. He oozed manliness and trouble; it was something you could sense as soon as he walked into the room. But didn’t those girls have any self-respect?
A knock on the door broke me out of my thoughts of Justin, which was probably a good thing, and I ran to get it. Nash stood on the other side, a big grin plastered on his face, as he stepped in with a small bouquet of daisies, handing them to me. I inhaled deeply, playing with the white ribbon that tied them together. “What are these for exactly?”
“Well, kind of as an apology,” he said, shuffling his feet nervously in the entryway, “for the other night. I didn’t mean to ditch you when Mariah showed up. She can be a little territorial, if you didn’t notice.”
“Really?” I responded sarcastically with a smile. “Don’t worry about it, I’m sure she was a little surprised to find you with another girl, even if we are just friends. I completely understand.”