Upsy Daisy: A First Love College Romance

by Smartypants Romance

  “She’s picky for sure, but she eats,” James said. It felt very strange to be asked to ensure that another adult ate food. James and I were baffled by the whole thing but it seemed to set Charlie’s mind at ease.

  As Charlie walked back in the building I had the distinct feeling we were setting him up to become a bird flying at its own reflection.

  So I called to him, “Charlie, why is it so important to you? Getting Odie to speak to you—why is it so important?”

  It was never gonna happen between the two of them; he had to know that. He turned to face me, walking backward with hands in his pockets. “Because I love her. And when you love someone you never stop fighting for them. Odessa Mae Boyd taught me that.”

  Trevor

  Dr. Gwinn closed the door behind her and sat on the edge of her desk. I already knew why I’d been summoned and that this was going to be mildly painful, so I was ready to get it over with.

  “I had an interesting faculty meeting this morning. Can you guess why it was interesting, Trevor?”

  I could but I wouldn’t, so I just stared at her. Dr. Gwinn was not the type to blink first, so of course I ended up looking down at my hands.

  “Your name came up five different times. Your professors are all saying that you’ve gone from their star pupil to someone they hardly recognize. Even here with me, you are withdrawn. What on earth is going on? I’ve seen seniors become unfocused, but this is so unlike you.”

  Oh, I’d been focused all right. The seven sketchbooks in my room filled with butterflies, daisies, and Daisy could attest to just how focused I’d been, but I’d not been paying attention to school.

  As if she pulled the thoughts from my mind Dr. Gwinn said, “Is it Daisy?”

  “What?” I responded, wide-eyed and flabbergasted because as far as I was aware, she didn’t know anything had happened between Daisy and me. I prayed daily that she’d never find out.

  “Is Daisy taking too much of your time? I’ve gotten your reports and I see that she’s done well on her first exams. I’m wondering if you’re spending so much time helping her that you’re sacrificing your grades for hers?”

  She had no idea. I wanted to both laugh and cry at her question.

  Imagine Daisy letting me help her. Imagine Daisy letting me anywhere near her.

  Daisy had been ruthlessly efficient over the last few weeks; she always gave a very detailed report on her grades, she was always on time, and she was totally silent.

  She hadn’t given me a word or a lingering glance.

  And that was fine. I deserved her silence.

  “No, Daisy isn’t taking up too much of my time.”

  It was lie because she occupied an ungodly amount of my headspace, but it was also the truth because she gave me less than ten minutes of her time a week. I smiled and shook my head at how stubborn she was. Part of me was proud of her for sticking to her guns. If I was the person she believed me to be, I’d want her to stay far away from me too.

  The other part of me wanted to shake her senseless.

  Regardless, it was clearly time for me to put Daisy out of my mind. She was out of reach for now. Maybe even forever.

  No, not forever.

  But definitely for now.

  This week had been a wake-up call. Seeing professor after professor concernedly hand me back my papers with C’s or D’s or worse.

  I couldn’t afford to continue on like this. Midterms were in three short weeks, and if I performed the same way I had on these first exams then everything I’d worked the last three years for would be erased.

  I could still swing an A in most of my classes, but I was going to have to bust my ass to do it. More importantly, I’d opened up the door for someone else—probably Gracie; she was right behind me the last time I’d checked—to finish number one in our class.

  It wasn’t just Daisy that had been weighing on me, although she’d been the biggest part for certain. Everything was taking its toll on me. Keeping this secret of Elodie’s from Jules and the friction in our relationship that it’d created. Seeing Gracie hurt every time El was out and about pretending to be in love with me. It was all too much. I knew I hadn’t been myself; I’d been reclusive and withdrawn. I hadn’t even attended any of our frat functions.

  I didn’t go to anything except classes and occasionally to the cafeteria to grab a bite . . . and that was fine with me. I didn’t have to pretend when I was alone.

  “I’ve just been unfocused, but these test scores sent the message loud and clear. I won’t let it happen again.” I squirmed because Dr. Gwinn was looking at me like she was trying to peel back my skullcap and look directly into my brain.

  “Trevor—”

  “Yes, Dr. Gwinn?”

  “Are you sure this mentorship isn’t too much for you? It’s the only thing that’s changed and I can’t help but lean toward eliminating it as an extra time suck for you.”

  I didn’t hesitate. “Dr. Gwinn, Daisy is the most efficient person I’ve ever met. It’s a pleasure”—the word burned my tongue—“to mentor her. You trusted me to mentor her, please trust me to see it through.”

  Panic had my hand shaking so I discreetly shoved it in my pocket. The idea of not even seeing Daisy once a week, even if it was to just glare at me and hand me a piece of paper, had me on edge.

  “Fine. But on Monday mornings I want a status report on you added to your status report on her.”

  She looked back down at the papers on her desk and I stood, understanding that I was dismissed.

  I was going to get my act together. I was going to get my grades together.

  And for the time being I was going to put Daisy out of my mind. Timing was everything. I’d overplayed my hand, and now . . . now was not our time. I hoped and I prayed that I would and could have a chance with her in the future but for now, it was cemented in my head that she was firmly out of reach.

  When I arrived home Julian was sitting in my bedroom. I glanced around to make sure I’d put away my drawing materials before my come-to-Jesus meeting with Dr. Gwinn. Relief flooded me when I saw that I’d been smart enough to hide my Daisy obsession. The last thing my relationship with Julian needed was for him to have found notebooks filled with my longing for Daisy.

  “You and Elodie both. Neither of y’all know how to knock and wait for me to say you can come in.”

  Jules smiled but it looked uncharacteristically melancholy. “I missed my best friend and thought maybe you’d hidden him in here.”

  The comment stung because it was true.

  I’d been holding Julian at arm’s length, through no fault of his own. It seemed it was everyone’s day to have their come-to-Jesus meeting with me.

  “Jules, I—”

  He held up his hand. “I just wanted to ask you to reconsider coming to the party tonight, I think . . .” He paused and looked around my room. “I think getting out of this room would be good for you.”

  I agreed instantly, “You’re right, and I’m in.”

  He looked surprised. The first genuine smile I’d seen on his face in a long time flashed.

  “You’ll come?”

  I nodded. “Of course I will. It’s our party, after all. Give me some time to grab a bite and get ready.” It wasn’t my frat’s first party of the year, but it would be the first one where I’d be in attendance.

  He smiled hugely. “Of course. Take all the time you need.”

  The last thing I felt like doing was going to this party. But after tonight I’d have very little time for socializing. I would need to hunker down and focus on my studies. And besides, Julian was right—I needed to pull myself out of my funk and move on with enjoying some of my senior year.

  Daisy

  “I am not wearing that, James. Where did you even get this? We’re supposed to be making money, not spending it!”

  James waved me off. “It was donated.”

  “Donated? James, who had these shirts just lying around?”

  “Who said any
thing about them lying around? If someone wants to support enterprising young ladies then who am I to keep them from making shirts for us? Besides they really aren’t that bad, they’re promoting the product!” Her words were a bit too innocent, and by the glint in her eye she knew it.

  We’d fleshed out the final version of the plan and put James on marketing and promotion for the cookies. It made sense as James knew about all the best parties and she had the gift of gab, but now . . . to say I was having second thoughts was an understatement. Matching outfits had not been a part of the deal.

  “Enterprising young ladies,” Odie said drily. “And what product precisely did this kind and generous sponsor think we were selling, Jamesy?”

  James rolled her eyes.

  “Listen, I am a creative! I have vision! These shirts will help us sell these damned cookies faster which means we get to stop selling cookies faster. Now put your shirts on! Daisy, please let your hair down, guys like it better that way. Both of you find a pair of your best black hot pants or you can wear the ones I supplied, and let’s get a move on! The Roll with Black and Gold skate party ends at two a.m., it’s already one thirty, and I don’t have time to argue with you.”

  For what it was worth, I was too tired to argue with James.

  But not so tired that I was going to wear the hot pants she’d supplied; they may as well have been panties. I would wear my own hot pants, thank you very much.

  I was grumbling because I was tired—I’d spent the last six hours mixing batter and baking cookies. And I had only had a five-minute shower and two minutes to sit before James had barged into my room with her wardrobe demands.

  I grabbed the shirt and started to dress.

  Things had gone blessedly smoothly. Charlie had met Odie and James by the dumpsters behind Spence, and he’d delivered goods in the two empty duffle bags Odie had “mistakenly” left earlier that day in the cafeteria. I’d confirmed the coast was clear in the home economics building around five forty-five, after which we’d gone to work.

  And that was how we ended up in the parking lot of the skate rink holding baskets of still-warm cookies wrapped with bows. The three of us all wore matching outfits: knee-high boots, hot pants, fishnets, and black T-shirts with the words Wanna Eat My Cookie? emblazoned across the bosom.

  The picture of a bitten cookie added a nice effect.

  Odie had volunteered to pick Lucy up from the party so we rode there in Lucy’s vehicle.

  My hair fell around my shoulders and I was grateful for the little warmth it provided. As it was, James and I huddled in the back seat, shivering from the chill in the October air, in our too few clothes.

  The doors to the roller rink opened and people began to stream out.

  James, Odie, and I locked our pageant smiles into place and stepped out of the car.

  The first sale was almost immediate. Two guys walked up to James—surprise, surprise—and bought three bags of cookies. From the smell coming off the guys, there was a high probability that they had a case of the munchies.

  Two girls approached me to buy one bag each. “Nice shirt.” One giggled as her friend smiled and quipped, “I should get it for you to wear even though you’re not selling any cookies.”

  I began to relax. Maybe I’d overreacted a bit. People saw the joke of the shirt and, even better, they were hungry and snapping up the cookies. I hadn’t even been out there five minutes when my basket started running low and I had to head back to the car to refill it.

  The parking lot was full now, the noise around us rising to a cacophony.

  People lingered, chatting and making plans for the after party or deciding which party to hit next. Couples paired up and slunk off for what I could only imagine would be steamy nights.

  I couldn’t let my mind dwell on that, not when I had no steamy night prospects, and more importantly, not when I had people clamoring for cookies. Thank God for small, home-baked miracles.

  All around us folks were opening wrappers and passing cookies to their friends who’d then come over to buy a packet for themselves. Some folks were even coming back to stand in line, yes there was a line, in front of Odie and one forming in front of me. I doled out the little packets, took the dollar bills and made change as fast as I could, and before long I was so caught up with customers that I didn’t hear the commotion until was too late to prevent it.

  Suddenly, there were two guys fighting right in front of James. She stepped back and looked up at me, her expression morphing quickly from surprised to bemused.

  Then a familiar voice rang out over the clamor. “What in the ever-loving hell is going on here?” I recognized Julian’s bombastic twang instantly.

  Lovely.

  Julian moved through the crowd easily. They parted to get out of his way, some fleeing from the ruckus the two fighting idiots created. He didn’t hesitate before jumping into the fray and pulling the two boys, who wore the same fraternity colors as Julian, apart.

  “I dare either of you to take the first swing at me!”

  They both backed up. I’d never heard Julian’s voice thunder the way it was booming. Even in the dead of night, his coloring had turned pink. He was livid.

  “You are fighting at one of our parties?” He made no attempt to hide how incensed he was.

  Odie had come over from where she was standing and we both silently pressed closer to James.

  My steps faltered when I saw Trevor exit the rink and move hurriedly to Julian’s flank.

  He locked eyes with me, and for a second his appeared to flare. I couldn’t tell if it was from the shock of seeing me or if it was from the shock of seeing me wearing this outfit.

  I held my breath. I’d known this was Trevor’s fraternity; I just hadn’t allowed myself to dwell on that fact. I wouldn’t look away and I wouldn’t be ashamed. I had nothing to be ashamed of. My feet started working again and I caught up to Odie and James.

  The big guy on Julian’s left said, “I saw her first and Mike comes in and tries to snake me—”

  “No, I saw her first! And besides, she’s not interested in you,” the guy who I could only assume was Mike responded.

  Julian spoke over them. “I saw her first and if I see either of you two idiots near her again, you’ll have to deal with me. Get out of here, go back to the house. Trev and I will be there to deal with you when we’re done here.”

  I saw the guys slink away, seeming smaller after the stupid exchange. James, on the other hand, crackled with anger. Her eyes were slits and she’d shoved her basket into Odie’s hands and stepped into Julian’s face, finger wagging. “What the hell was that, Julian? You don’t just get to come up here and claim me.”

  “Is that what I did? I just prevented two idiots from fighting over you! I just prevented two sloppy fools from possibly hurting you or any number of people around you. And James—if I were to claim you, would absolutely know it.”

  James did an admirable job of not responding to the last part. Instead I saw her chin jut out indignantly. “You just lost me two paying customers.”

  Julian took his time looking her up and down and then leveled her with his honey brown eyes and said lazily, “Those two can’t afford what you’re selling.”

  James eyes met him head-on. Without her mask in place, I could see that there were emotions, deep ones that simmered just under the surface, when it came to Julian. I couldn’t tell if they were positive or negative emotions but what was evident were the sparks firing between them.

  With the mischievous look of a schoolboy pulling his crush’s pigtails, Julian reached into the basket Odie still held, grabbed a bag of cookies, opened the packet, and took a bite.

  She snatched her basket back from Odie indignantly and hissed, “You don’t get to just take my cookies, Julian P. Marshall.”

  He stepped into her space fully and with James’s height, they were chest to chest, almost eye to eye.

  I heard Odie suck in a breath as she reached for my hand. I could see why—the
tension and heat coming off the two of them was almost palpable. It felt like the energy in the air right before the storm.

  Julian leaned in near James’s ear and said so low I almost missed it, “You’re absolutely right. I’m not going to take your cookies, gorgeous, you’re going to give them to me.”

  He stepped back and looked at me and Odie. “How much for all the cookies?”

  Odie didn’t answer him. Instead, she whispered by my side so softly only I could hear her, “My word, he can have all the cookies.”

  I could see what she meant. Julian’s handsomeness was borderline lethal when he focused all of it on you.

  James hissed, “Daisy’s cookies are delectable delights, and we would never sell any to the likes of you!”

  Lightning fast, Trevor and I made eye contact—remembering my confession that my doughnuts would melt in his mouth.

  Then I saw his eyes widen as he read my shirt, and I had no doubt when I saw his nostrils flare and his fists ball that he was wondering if the same thing were true of my cookies.

  I looked away.

  Odie had regained her wits, and stepped in front of James who had clearly lost the ability for rational thought. “One twenty!”

  Jules reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed Odie a stack of twenties. She quickly tallied them.

  “You gave me one forty.” She extended the extra bill back in his direction.

  He shook his head. “Keep the extra twenty if it means you’ll stay away from our parties from here on out. There’s something about the three of you that makes men lose their goddamned minds and I’ll be damned if I need that kryptonite around my idiot frat brothers . . . or me,” he added quietly.

  “We’re not agreeing to—”

  “Deal!” I said. Disregarding Julian’s insults, we were not responsible for his idiot frat brothers’ behavior. Or his.

  I pulled James, who still seemed verklempt, back toward Lucy’s car.