by M L Sparrow
By the time they reached the sixth floor, he was sweating. Her suitcase really was fucking heavy. Stopping outside room 605, Chloe turned to him, “This is me. Thank you so much for your help.”
“My pleasure,” he drawled, setting the case down beside her and stepping back. “See you around.”
“Yeah,” she murmured, lifting a hand in farewell as he walked away, “see you.”
When he got back to the stairwell, he couldn’t help but look back, seeing her enter the room and pull the door shut behind her. He should have got her number.
Back in his own room, he went for a quick shower to wash the scent of Karla’s perfume off of him, before lying down in bed. On the other side of the room, his roommate, Jet, snored softly, but he’d shared a room with three of his brothers for most of his life, so it didn’t bother him and he drifted off quickly, adsorbed with thoughts of the intriguing new girl. Chloe Newman. At least he knew where her room was, it wouldn’t be too hard to find a way to bump into her again…
When he woke up the next morning, prompted by the buzzing of his alarm, it was to find Jet already up despite the early hour. Sitting at his desk, he was tapped away on his laptop, his head bent close to the screen. Jet was a tall, lanky guy with some kind of Asian ancestry, if his features, dark skin and black hair were anything to go by. He was quiet, but, having roomed with him for the last two years, Parker knew that anyone who thought he was shy obviously hadn’t seen him with a few beers inside him.
“Classes haven’t even started yet,” he yawned, “what are you doing?”
“Writing,” Jet answered without looking away from the screen, “I was inspired.”
Jet being inspired was a scary thought, since he wrote horror stories. He’d probably been plotting ways to kill him in his sleep.
Swinging his legs out of bed, Parker rubbed the sleep from his eyes before going in search of clothes. Jet was majoring in Creative Writing, however, Parker didn’t really think he needed the degree; after all, he’d already self-published several books, one of which was stashed in Parker’s bedside table. He’d brought it last year, more as a gesture of friendship than anything else, because he’d only read the first few chapters. That wasn’t a sign that Jet was a bad writer, in fact from what Parker could tell he was pretty good, he just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Between football, trying to scrape the minimum grades and sex, he didn’t really have time for reading.
Finding his trainers under the bed, where he’d kicked them last night, he dressed as Jet said over his shoulder, “You can clean up as well, dude. Seriously, we’ve only been here a few days and this place already looks like a junkyard.”
“I’ll do it after practice,” Parker promised, though he had no intentions of actually doing it.
“Sure you will,” his roommate once more spoke to the screen, his fingers moving nonstop.
Heading down to the practice field, he met up with some of his teammates going toward the locker room. “Hey, mate,” Dawson clapped him on the back, “you ready for me to kick your ass?”
“Like you could,” Parker scoffed, shoving his friend back a step. The truth was Dawson was a damned good player and the only reason he was second-string quarterback, whilst Parker was first, was because he had no intention of playing professionally, but if that ever changed Parker knew he’d have to fight to hold his position on the team.
Once changed, they all trooped out to the field, to be greeted by their surly old coach, who had a constant scowl and a beer belly, despite the fact that he spent his days running up and down the field, barking orders at his players. Immediately he set them to running laps, claiming that they’d all gone soft over the summer. Everyone else groaned, but Parker didn’t mind; he liked the ache in his legs afterwards, it made him feel like he’d accomplished something.
By the time they got around to actually playing the sun was out and it glared down at them, burning. When coach finally called a wrap, his shirt was soaked through and sweat dripped from his hair into his eyes. Practice had been brutal. Everyone was out to prove themselves, to show the rest of the team that they deserved their spot here. He was glad they were all on the same team that was for sure.
“Good game,” Dawson panted as he jogged beside him towards the locker room, “told ya I’d win.”
“That’s ‘cos you cheat,” Parker replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, before stripping off his shirt.
“Nah, it’s just ‘cos I’m better.”
“You’re a cocky son of a bitch, that’s what you are.”
Dawson just laughed good-naturedly, nodding towards the stands, where Karla was sitting watching them. Smirking at him, his friends raised his hand and waved, to which Karla jumped to her feet and waved back with a little pout, sticking out her chest. Parker rolled his eyes. Dawson was such an ass, if there was ever an opportunity to piss someone off, he’d take it.
“You still screwing her?”
“Why, you want a go? ‘Cos I don’t think she cares how many guys she has on the go at once.”
“I know, she’s already offered, but I don’t really fancy crossing swords with you.” Again, he waved to Karla, receiving a beaming, fake smile in return as she steadfastly ignored Parker. “Did you two have a lover’s tiff?”
Scowling at his friend, Parker gave him a shove, sending him staggering as he laughed. “She’s getting clingy.”
“Time to cut her loose,” Dawson agreed with a nod, “you don’t need that shit.”
“Exactly.” He glanced back towards the stands, but his gaze didn’t linger on Karla, instead it fixed on a small group standing further back. Jet was easy to recognize, with his dark skin and messy black hair, as was his friend – he insisted they were friends and nothing more – Terri, who spent more time in their room than Parker did. Beside her stood a girl who was the spitting image of her, except she had long hair instead of short and dressed more like an actual girl. However, it wasn’t any of them that captured his attention, it was the other person with them. He recognized her instantly as the girl from the stairwell.
Without permission, a smile spread across his face of its own accord, and his hand lifted. Even over the distance, he saw Jet’s brows furrow in confusion as he glanced around, probably wondering who in hell he was waving at, since his roommate didn’t usually get such a greeting.
“Hey, you comin’ or what?” Dawson yelled impatiently, having reached the tunnel already.
With one last glance towards the stands, he went for a much needed shower.
Chapter Three
“That was weird,” Terri stated, “he’s not usually that friendly, unless he’s sleeping with someone.”
“Must have seen something he liked,” Jet, Terri’s friend, smirked, glancing at her and Riley.
Having only met the others this morning, Chloe still felt a little uncomfortable, though they had been friendly enough, and didn’t really want to broach the subject that he might have been waving to her. Whilst watching them play, she’d recognised him immediately as the guy who’d helped her with her suitcase last night. In the daylight, he was even more handsome than he had been in the dim light of the stairwell, even dripping with sweat.
Tall and muscular, he was a big guy with rugged features, complete with a five o’clock shadow, and dirty-blond hair that was a little too long, the sunlight catching at the ends and making it burn bright.
“He’s cute,” Riley grinned, “in a rough and ready sort of way.”
“Don’t go there,” her sister warned sharply, “you’ll get an STD just thinking about him.”
There it was; she should have realized a guy that gorgeous would be a player, but he’d seemed so courteous last night…
After he’d dropped her off at her room she’d gone inside to find her new roommate, Riley, asleep on the bed by the widow. This morning, they’d met officially and instantly hit it off. Bright and bubbly, Riley was easy to get along with – her twin sister less so. T
he complete opposite of Riley, despite the fact that their features were the same, Terri was sharper, a little bitter, and Chloe sensed a tension between the sisters, at least on Terri’s side.
The twins, and their friend Jet, were the same age as Chloe, but while she and Riley were freshman, Jet and Terri were third years and had offered to give them a tour of campus. That tour had started with the sports facilities, which Chloe hadn’t been especially interested in, until they’d reached the football field. It looked more like rugby than the sort of football she was used to in England, and she didn’t have a clue as to what the rules were, or which positions the men played, but it was fascinating to watch.
“Come on, let’s go grab some breakfast before we check out the bookstore,” Terri proposed, pulling Chloe from her thoughts.
They went to the canteen, since they were all on the meal plan, and found a table near the windows, so that they could see the sun even as the AC pumped out cold air. It wasn’t even midday yet and already Chloe was burning alive. The heat was epic. A bad wardrobe choice – jeans and a t-shirt – meant she was sweating and she was pretty sure her arms were already sunburnt despite the fact that she’d applied sun cream before she left her room. Her pale British skin wasn’t used to this kind of weather. Not that she was complaining, the heat was part of the reason she’d applied to St. Joseph’s University in South Texas, she just had to be more prepared in future.
While they ate, the twins chatted between themselves. They tried to include her, but Chloe was content just to listen, as was Jet, who kept sneaking glances at Riley every time she laughed, a smile tipping his own lips. When they were finished, they all got up and headed towards the doors, only to find their way blocked as the entire football team trooped in, talking loudly.
Out of the crowd, Parker suddenly appeared standing right in front of her. “Hey guys, what up to?” he asked the group in general, but his hazel eyes were fixed on her.
“We’re just going to the bookstore,” Terri answered, hands in her shorts pockets, looking a little bored.
“Mind if I tag along, I gotta get some books too.”
“Really? I’m surprised you can even read.”
“You got a mean streak, Terri,” Parker drawled in that thick accent of his, which she couldn’t place. “What’s got you all bent outta shape today?”
“Nothing,” she snapped back. “You can come if you have to, makes no difference to me.” And with that she stomped off out of the canteen.
“Ummm, we better go…” Riley winced, pointing after her sister.
Parker flashed Chloe a smile, saying, “You guys go, I’ll catch up in a sec.”
They were just passing the building where she now lived, when he came jogging up behind them, a slice of toast between his teeth, another in his right hand and several slices of crispy bacon in his left.
“Breakfast,” he explained around a mouthful, “I’m starvin’.”
As they walked, he kept pace with her, silently eating his food, the red baseball cap on his head shading his face from view whenever she tried to sneak a look.
Once he’d finished, he wiped his hands on his jeans and pushed his cap back so that he could look down at her. “So, what year you in?”
“First,” she answered, twisting a stand of hair around her finger. She hoped he didn’t think she was flirting; it was just a nervous habit.
“Really?” he cocked his head at her. “So you’re only eighteen?”
“No, I’m twenty. I worked for a couple of years to save some money.” Not the whole truth, but nor a complete lie either.
“Aahhh, that makes sense. You don’t look like a typical, clueless freshman.”
“Um, okay. I’m not sure if I should be offended or not.”
Flashing her a grin, which she was sure had gotten more than a few girls to climb straight into bed with him, Parker explained, “It was a compliment, no need to be offended. It’s a rule of mine not to mess with freshman, but since we’re the same age I don’t think that matters.”
Chloe was certain she felt her jaw drop open. The nerve of him! One eyebrow lifted challengingly as she asked, “Oh, and what if I don’t want to be messed with?”
Obviously realizing his mistake, his eyes widened and his lips parted. “That’s not what I meant, I just… er…” He whipped his hat off and scrubbed a hand through his blond hair, still wet from his shower. “What I meant was… Well…” Returning his hat to his head, he chuckled self-consciously.
A few steps in front, Terri snorted derisively, muttering, “Very smooth.”
Parker shot her a glare before turning his attention back to Chloe. “Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Parker Mitchell. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he looked as stunned as she felt. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jet and Terri gaping at them.
“Okay,” she blurted.
Nodding curtly, he backed away several steps, pushing his hands deep into his jean pockets. “I’ll pick you up at six then. I just remembered, I have to be somewhere.” With that he turned and walked off – she’d never seen anyone look so much like they were running away.
“You work quick.” Riley grinned, appearing at her side, “Your first day on campus and you’ve already got a date with the hottest guy here.”
“Hey, I thought I was the hottest guy here,” Jet feigned indignation and received a withering look from Terri, however, Chloe had noticed the way the other girl looked at him when he wasn’t paying attention.
“Just be careful, okay?” Terri advised, “He doesn’t treat girls particularly well.”
“He’s not a bad guy,” Jet defended.
“No, he’s a good guy. He’s great to have as a friend, but he doesn’t date girls. He’s more of a friends with benefits kind of guy.”
“Well,” Chloe shrugged, “I’m not a friends with benefits kind of girl, so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
“Good,” Terri nodded, approval in her eyes, “you stick to that.”
They finally arrived at the bookstore, a squat brick building, and split up in search of the supplies they needed. Grabbing a basket, Chloe dropped in a pack of pens and a couple of notepads, before heading over to the used book section. Fishing her book list out of her pocket, she began scanning the shelves for what she needed. Her scholarship was to study English Literature – ironic, going all the way to America to study English, she knew – therefore, most of the books she needed were classics.
An arm reached over her head to pluck a book from the higher shelf and she half turned to see Jet behind her, his own basket stacked full. “If you’re buying used ones, you should check inside first,” he commented, “sometimes they’re missing pages, or have writing all over them.”
“Okay, thanks.” She began rifling through the books in her basket. Most of them were fine, but one was indeed missing several pages at the end and another had a disgusting brown stain. Not even wanting to think about what it could be, she returned it to the shelf and chose a different copy.
When she was done, she went looking for Riley and found her in the stationary aisle, selecting coloured highlighters and sticky page markers. Thinking highlighters might actually be useful, she picked up a packet, asking her roommate, “What are you majoring in?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Riley admitted, flipping her long, caramel coloured hair over one shoulder, “I’m just going to take a few electives this year and decide my major next year. What are you doing?”
“English lit.” They hadn’t had much time to talk this morning, since Terri had been pounding on their door by eight o’clock, so this was the first chance they’d really had to get to know each other outside of the primary introductions.
“So what made you want to study in America?”
That question was more difficult and Chloe almost wished she hadn’t started the conversation now. At first she had wanted it because it was an adv
enture, something none of her school friends were doing. It had given her something to aim for, something extraordinary to look forward to. Later, after Jack had died, she’d done it for him and for her parents, because she knew they wanted her to move on with her life. When she’d withdrawn into herself, they’d felt as if they’d lost both their children in that car crash and it had broken their hearts worse than the idea of their only remaining child moving across the Atlantic.
“I got bored of the cold English weather,” she answered shortly, trying to make her voice light.
Riley glanced at her over her shoulder and then laughed, “Well, I suppose that’s a good enough reason.”
When they’d all finished, Terri concluded the tour by showing them the buildings where they would have class, gesturing vaguely towards the library and then escorting them back to the dorms. Terri also had a room in the same building, but hers was single on the first floor and, from what Chloe had picked up throughout the morning, she spent most of her time hanging out in Jet’s room anyway. As if to prove that point, the two third years said goodbye outside the entrance and walked off.
Heading upstairs to unpack, Chloe was panting by the time they reached the sixth floor – all those stairs and the stifling heat were not good for her asthma. Taking a puff of her inhaler, she followed Riley down the corridor and into their room, where she sat on the edge of her bed for a minute to catch her breath.
“Are you okay?” Riley asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Chloe waved away her concern, “I just get a bit breathless sometimes.”
Once her lungs no longer burned, she set about unpacking her suitcase. Having arrived the day before, Riley was already settled in, therefore, she just lounged on her bed reading a magazine. They each had a wardrobe, a bedside table and a desk, so there would be more than enough space. Whilst taking out all her clothes, she stopped, staring at the small, ragged brown bear she’d discovered hidden beneath a pile of clothes.
