by Sophia Sharp
“You knocked him over?” Katy asks.
“Yeah.” I explain how it happened, and she laughs.
“That doesn’t sound so bad!”
“Maybe not,” I agree. “But, I bet I made things a hundred times more awkward between us.”
“Then let me cover for you,” she offers again. “You don’t have to go.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I need to face this myself. I don’t want to go on having to avoid him the whole year.”
Katy glances at the clock. “Well, you’ve got another few hours to figure it out. Let’s grab some dinner and see if you don’t change your mind then.”
***
I end up going to the meeting with Katy, just like I said I would. I have a plan to apologize to Andrew before it begins.
When we get there, however, he’s nowhere to be seen.
He rushes in ten minutes late and immediately starts going over all the things he’s supposed to tell us about: university rules, disciplinary procedures, where to go to if you need counseling, who to talk to if you want academic help, that type of stuff. It’s extremely dry.
What makes it worse is that he doesn’t even acknowledge I’m there. In fact, he pretends that my whole corner of the room doesn’t exist the entire meeting.
Andrew wraps things up by saying our RAs have invited everyone over for a meet-and-greet socializer. I stare at him, willing him to look at me. He does not. When the meeting’s done, he runs out the room so fast that I’m sure it’s because he wants to avoid me.
“That was weird,” Katy says as we follow the rest of the students out. “Are you sure nothing happened between you two you’re not telling me about?”
“You know everything I do,” I sigh.
“Maybe he had someplace to be. You could tell he was distracted.”
“Maybe.” Somehow, I doubt it.
We walk down the stairs and step outside. The crowd has thinned out. We start toward our dorm when Katy stops me.
She nudges my shoulder and tilts her head to one direction. I follow her gaze. There, at the intersection of two streets, I see Andrew having a conversation with… Spencer?
Yes, it’s definitely them. Both men look livid.
They notice us. Spencer spares one glance in my direction, scoffs, and stalks off. Andrew goes the other way.
I eye Katy in confusion. “Um, do they know each other?”
“God, I hope not.” She grimaces. “Drama with them involved is more than you need right now.”
“Agreed.”
“Although if I had to guess,” Katy continues, “I’d bet pennies to loonies that their confrontation had something to do with you.”
I look at her in disbelief. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m telling you, Spencer has a thing for you. He’s not one to give up easily.”
“Well, I made it clear to him I want nothing to do with him.”
“You say that now. Did you know he asked me about your date with Andrew today?”
I stop in my tracks. “What?”
Katy shrugs. “Yeah. He said he saw you in a car with another guy. Wanted to know who it was.”
“Did you tell him?”
“I can’t exactly say no to him,” she admits shamefaced.
“Oh my God. Katy!”
“What? Come on, it’ll spice your life up a bit. Having two hot guys interested in you at once? That’s like every girl’s fantasy.”
“That is so not how it is,” I stress. “Whatever happened between me and Andrew stopped mattering the moment he became our peer leader. And Spencer? Don’t get me started. You’re the one who has eyes for him.”
“Had,” Katy corrects. “Not anymore.”
“Give me a break. Why would you tell him about Andrew otherwise?”
“I thought I was doing you a favor!”
“A favor,” I repeat dryly.
“Okay, look, I’m sorry. Jeez. If you ask, I won’t say another word about you to Spencer.”
“Thank you,” I sigh. Then I look at her sideways. “What’s a loonie?”
Chapter Nine
I don’t want to miss out on any part of the college experience. So, unlike Katy, I decide to do some “shopping” this week. She’d gone through it last year, anyway.
I look through the course catalogue for classes that interest me. A few catch my eye. I mark their locations on a campus map and head out.
The first three I go to are unremarkable. The fourth is where things become interesting.
I sit down in the packed auditorium just as the professor walks to the podium. “Good morning, everyone,” he begins. I pull out my Mac and start taking notes.
Halfway through lecture I feel someone plop down in the seat beside me. I look over for a sec, then jerk my eyes back to the screen. It’s Spencer.
He leans back and kicks his legs up. He doesn’t say anything. I pretend he’s not there.
The professor keeps talking. But Spencer, damn him, is distracting me. Oh, he might be not doing anything directly, but his presence alone is enough to throw me off.
I can’t take the tension anymore. I look over. “What are you doing?” I hiss.
Spencer blinks, and has the nerve to look surprised. “What does it look like I’m doing?” He motions vaguely to the front of the room. “Attending class.”
I hate the dimple in his cheek that shows when he smiles. It gives him a boyish look at odds with his I-don’t-give-a-shit demeanor. It’s irritatingly disarming.
I’m determined not to fall for that casual indifference. “Why are you following me?”
Spencer smirks and chokes down a chuckle. “Someone’s got a high opinion of herself.”
“Why else would you be here?”
“Maybe I’m just checking out classes. Like everyone else?”
I snort. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
Spencer leans close. His arm brushes mine. I steady myself against the jolt that runs through me from his touch. I will not give him the satisfaction of pulling away. “Do you hate all men, or is it just me?”
I smile through clenched teeth. “I’d say it’s a just-you thing.”
“Well, we’ll have to work on that, won’t we?” He touches my hand. I twist my shoulder to break the contact before I can think. He chuckles. “Still jumpy as always.”
I grind my teeth in frustration. I look at the empty cursor blinking on my screen. I’d already missed a good five minutes of lecture because of Spencer.
I shake my head to drop my hair over my face, creating a dark curtain between him and me. If he won’t leave me alone, maybe I can ignore him until he gets the hint.
I focus on the slides the professor puts up. Spencer doesn’t say a word. I can feel his presence, though. It’s grating. I do all I can to ignore him.
I don’t have to look to know that he has that stupid smirk on his face. God, why can’t he just leave me alone?
Even worse, why can’t I stop thinking about him?
I try to clear my mind and concentrate on the lecture. It doesn’t work. Having Spencer nearby does something to me. It’s like having an itch in the middle of your back that you can’t quite reach. Not the end of the world, but irritating nonetheless.
It doesn’t help that I can smell him with every breath I take. His aftershave. His spicy cologne. His man smell.
I breathe through my mouth so I won’t be affected. That just makes things worse. My mind flashes back to the first time I saw Spencer. To the way our eyes met. To the hungry gaze he directed at me. Katy’s experienced him. I wonder what his skin tastes like…
Stop! I command myself. These are not the thoughts to be having. Least of all right now. I put all I’ve got into following the professor’s words.
Finally, class ends. All around me, the other students start packing their things.
I glance to the side. Spencer is still sitting there, watching me. Waiting.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothin
g.” A small smile plays on his lips.
“I know you’re not in this class,” I tell him.
“That’s not true.”
“Oh yeah? Then how come you haven’t taken a single note the whole time you were here?”
Spencer tilts his head. “I thought you were doing that for us?”
“Oh no,” I say, closing my computer. “These notes are for my eyes only.”
He laughs. “I’m kidding.” He taps his head. “Truth is, I don’t need to take notes. I’ve got a photographic memory.”
I roll my eyes. “Come on.”
“I swear.” He stops a girl passing in the row behind us. “Hey, Stephanie. Tell her how smart I am.”
The girl stops, eyes Spencer up and down. She gives me a disgusted look. “He’s brilliant,” she says flatly. “A brilliant asshole.”
She sniffs and stalks away.
I can’t hold in my laughter.
“That kind of backfired on you,” I say.
Spencer grins and points to my lips. “Ahh, there, see? I knew I could get a smile out of you!”
I try to force my lips into a straight line. Damn him, does nothing throw him off? “Do you really have a photographic memory?”
“Nah. That’d be pretty cool, though. Or terrible. I can’t decide.”
“What do you mean?”
“Can you imagine never forgetting a thing you see?” Spencer grimaces. “No matter how much you want to? And even the most mundane things would get stuck up there. Ever read the back of a shampoo bottle? Imagine having all those words floating around in your head all the time. You’d go crazy.”
“I don’t think it’d be that bad.” I smile.
“Hah! Another smile! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re starting to like me.”
“Don’t get too full of yourself,” I warn.
“You’re right.” He winks. “Better quit while I’m ahead. You coming this Friday?”
“Where?”
“Where?” His face scrunches up. “Where do you think? Sigma Pi’s party. I missed you last week.”
“I didn’t think you’d notice.”
He shakes his head. “I notice everything that has to do with you.” He reaches out as if to touch me, but stops himself short. “So. Are you coming?”
“No.”
“What? Come on. At least say you’ll think about it.”
“If I do, will you leave me alone?”
“That depends. Do you trust me?”
“Hah!” I snort. “No.”
“Then what does it matter what I say?” he laughs and hops over the row of seats in front of us. There is a group of guys waiting at the door. “Think about it!” he calls out over his shoulder before joining his friends.
***
“So, what’s the story with Spencer?” I ask Katy innocently over lunch.
She gives a coy smile. “Finally interested?”
“No,” I say. “More like… curious.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I don’t know, just… What can you tell me? How do you know him?”
“I met him last year,” Katy explains. “He hooked up with my roommate.”
“Doesn’t that gross you out?”
“Not really. I know what I want. She got pissed off, though.” Katy lowers her voice. “Our fight was part of the reason I left for a year.”
“Over Spencer?”
She shrugs. “Among other things.”
“So then, is he like you? Was he a freshman last year, too?”
Katy laughs. “No! He’s been an upperclassman for like six years. He was recruited by the baseball coach but quit playing his first year.”
“Why’s he been here for so long?”
“Don’t know. He never says much about himself. At least, not to me.” She pauses. “Why the sudden interest?”
“He invited me to another party.”
Katy beams. “And this time, you have to go. You promised me last week, remember?”
“Yeah. I do.” I give her a smile and a nod. “I’ll be there.”
Chapter Ten
The rest of the week flies by. I get into the swing of things with my classes. It doesn’t take long for me to find ones I like.
Things between me and Andrew remain as awkward as ever. There’s another peer group meeting Wednesday night. It goes much the same way as the last one. Andrew runs out before we can talk.
Spencer doesn’t show to lecture again. I start having my doubts about whether he’d ever intended to sign up. My initial suspicion was probably true: he’d only come to class to talk to me.
That excites me a little. The way Katy talks about him, he never goes to such lengths for a girl.
Not that any of it matters. I don’t see him the entire week.
Friday rolls around. I get out of bed, feed Pickles, and head off to class. My first day at work is this upcoming Sunday. I’m thinking about that as I hurry down the street with my head down.
“Hey.” A hand on my upper arm stops me. I look over and see Spencer. “So? Can I count on seeing you tonight?”
“I thought you’d forgotten about that.”
“You said you’d think about it if I left you alone,” he reminds me. “I held my part of the bargain.”
“Is that why you stopped showing up to class?”
He spreads his hands. “Why else?”
“You can’t guilt me into it, you know,” I say, starting down the street again. “I know you’ve had plenty to keep you busy.” I give him a knowing look.
He barks a laugh. “You’ve been spending too much time with Kate.”
“Why do you call her that?”
“What? Kate?”
“Yeah. Her name’s Katy.”
“Not to me.” Spencer matches my speed. “You know, I’m really not as bad as you think.”
“Oh yeah? Prove it.”
He stops and looks at me. “How?”
“If you really want me to go,” I begin, knowing he’ll never agree, “be a gentleman about it. Pick me up. Bring me flowers. Surprise me with chocolates and a gift.”
Spencer laughs. “You’re serious?”
“Only if you are.”
“Hmm. How about this, instead. I’ll cut you a deal. You show up at my party tonight… and I’ll take you out properly tomorrow.”
I raise an eyebrow. “No strings attached?”
He hold up his hands defensively. “No! Who do you take me for?”
“I don’t know, Spencer,” I say, trying to hide a smile. I have to admit, his persistence is sort of charming. And he is freaking hot. “I’m just going by the reputation you’ve worked so hard to build.”
His eyes flash. “You know nothing about my reputation.”
“I’ve heard things.”
He nods. “Come tonight, and you’ll see the truth. No expectations. Then, if you have fun, we’ll do it right tomorrow. How about that?” A girl calls out his name from somewhere far away. He glances over his shoulder. “I’ve got to go. See you tonight?”
“Maybe. It’ll be a surprise.”
Spencer laughs and touches my arm. “You’re cute,” he says. “I like that.”
Then he turns around and runs off.
***
“Wear the blue one!” Katy calls to me from the other room. “It complements your eyes!”
“I don’t have blue eyes,” I tell her, rifling through my closet for the right thing to wear.
“I didn’t say it matches your eyes. I said it complements them. There’s a difference.”
“How about this?” I ask, holding a black dress around the corner.
“Too classy,” she says. “This is a frat party, not homecoming.”
I mull it over. “You’re right.” I put the dress back and continue my search.
Katy runs into the room a few minutes later, holding a skimpy pink top in her hands. “Try this!” she exclaims.
I take it from her and hold it out.
“It looks a little small.”
“No way! It’ll show off your boobs. Try it on!”
I laugh and change into it. I look in the mirror. The top does look good.
“Oh yeah! Work it, baby,” Katy sings out. She jumps behind me and starts grinding her hips. “They’re gonna drop like flies around you tonight!”
I giggle. “You think?”
“Girl, I know.”
***
I’m clinging to Katy’s arm as we parade down the street to the party. I’m a little tipsy from the shots we’d taken pregaming. Katy’s belting out the words to Sean Paul’s She Doesn’t Mind that’s blaring from the frat house speakers.
When get inside, it’s a madhouse. I’ve never seen so many people in one place before. Everyone is laughing and dancing and having fun.
“Come on!” Katy screams out over the music. “Let’s go dance!”
“I’ve got to find Spencer first,” I tell her.
“He’ll find you!” Katy grabs my hand and drags me onto the dance floor. “Now we get to scope out the place!”
She’s the pro, so I don’t argue. I let her guide me to the middle of the packed room. We carve out a space for ourselves and start dancing.
The music is pumping. Lights are flashing. It’s easy to forget myself and let my body flow to the music.
I don’t know how long I spend there with Katy. The songs all blend into one chaotic mess. I laugh and spin and dance with her. A guy comes up to us, and she breaks off to dance with him. His friend smiles at me and we partner up.
More songs stream by. The guy tries to make a move on me. I laugh and brush him off. Katy does the same thing to his friend, and then we’re dancing together again.
I need a little breather when the next song ends. I grab her arm. “I have to pee!”
“What?” She can’t hear me. She scrunches up her face. Then she breaks out into a glorious smile when the next song comes on. “Oh my God, I love this song!” She twists off me and starts dancing again.
I try to drag her away. “Katy, I have to pee!”
This time she hears me. “It’s over there,” she yells, waving her arm wildly in one direction. “The restroom’s in the corner!”
