I was unsure about how Alyssa would feel about me going there. The thought of getting to see her every day made me smile, and as much as I wanted—or was it needed?—to keep the distance and contact between us to a minimum, my pulse raced and my stomach dropped at the thought of seeing her regularly. Between Alyssa and football, the choice was just too tempting, especially considering that my mother wouldn’t let me get away with saying no.
I smiled and said, “Sure. I'll look into going there. It sounds like a good idea.”
She returned my smile, obviously pleased, and I tried to feel more optimistic about my future, having finally made a small commitment to something. I had always struggled with schoolwork despite my athletic abilities. College was a whole new world, and I was secretly terrified I wouldn’t be able to make it off the field.
The next couple days went by quickly as I got my paperwork together for school and worked out in prep for football. Before I knew, it was the day before classes began.
Mom was so excited about me going to college that she offered to drive Alyssa and me to the school. I was nervous and excited at the same time. My stomach twisted in small waves of nausea, and I sat rigidly in my seat, fighting to maintain a cold, careless attitude. Alyssa was quiet as we drove, giving off a cold vibe as well. I wondered if she was angry at me for choosing the same college as her. I looked at her from the passenger seat, studying her in the rearview mirror. She flashed me an icy stare before looking away, demonstrating her obvious anger.
I got out of the car, saying a quick goodbye to my mom. “Love you,” I called out to her before walking off. Alyssa scowled at me, clearly not pleased by the fact that I was attending the same school. “What’s the matter, blue eyes?” I asked, flashing her a charming smile.
Her jaw clenched in irritation. “Did you really have to follow me here?”
“Look, kid, it’s nothing personal. I got a football scholarship, and a decent one at that.” I fell into step beside her and looked around the large campus. My words were prideful, and telling Alyssa something positive about my future felt good, especially considering how much she valued school.
“Whatever,” she mumbled, clearly unimpressed. She clutched her notebooks tightly to her chest. She’s nervous, I realized, smiling to myself. The great and mighty Alyssa was nervous for her first day of school. How cute.
Making my voice kinder, I said, “Good luck, kid.” I patted her on the back before we parted ways.
The first day was rough. Classes were long, and football practice was intense. I was relieved when it was finally over and I joined Alyssa, who waited on the front steps of a building. I was still damp from the shower, and my wet hair dripped in my face. My muscles were sore and tired, not used to the rigorous practice. I watched Alyssa as she flipped through her notebook, looking at different papers and mumbling to herself.
“Hey, dork,” I greeted her with a lopsided grin.
Alyssa rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face. I sat next to her, and as we waited for our ride, she looked at me and said, “I’m going to drive to campus tomorrow in my car. Do you want to ride with me?”
I raised my eyebrows, surprised at the offer. “Sure,” I said with a shrug, “Sure as hell beats driving.”
Mom pulled up, and we hopped in the back. She asked us how school was and other things on the ride back, but I mostly focused on Alyssa—the way she scrunched her face at her papers, the kind smiles she offered my mom, the tinkling sounds her voice made when she laughed. She was completely intoxicating, and the harder I tried to pull away, the more I wanted to get closer.
Alyssa
School had started three weeks ago, and I was adjusting well to my classes. They were difficult, but I welcomed the challenge, pleased whenever I got an A on a paper or aced a test. Maggie and I had both been crazy busy with schoolwork, so we were going out for lunch, relieved to catch a break.
After ordering our food, I took a big gulp of my iced tea and asked, “So how close are you to being done with that ten-page paper for bio?”
Maggie huffed. “I haven’t even started it.”
“Maggie!” I spoiled the protest with a giggle.
She shrugged. “It’s not my fault. I have so much other work to do. Let me guess, you’re almost done?”
I smiled and said, “Kind of. I still have to edit it and stuff.”
Maggie laughed and stared at me knowingly. I had always been the more dedicated student. Maggie would rather cram everything in the day before and get a B than work like I did. I went a little overboard at times, but my education was important to me.