The telephone suddenly rang and the girls jumped.
Michelle and Emma both looked at Maggie, whose eyes were wide.
Ring! Ring!
“Answer it!” Michelle cried.
Maggie fumbled to grab the receiver. “Hello?” Her expression instantly went soft, and she wrapped the spiral cord around her fingers. “Hey, Ben. How are you?”
Emma looked at Michelle with a little smile.
Michelle rolled her eyes. Maggie seemed like a confident girl, but it was obvious, when it came to Ben, she was a mess. Still, she liked Maggie. She was kind and easy to talk to, maybe even capable of having some fun every once in a while. And maybe Michelle needed to be the one to help Maggie get her mind off of Ben.
3
The first week of classes crawled by. Michelle wasn’t thrilled about any of the prerequisite biblical classes. She knew this was part of the deal at a Christian college, but she didn’t have to like it. The best thing about her Old Testament class was Simon. She was happy to walk in on the first day and find him seated toward the back with Wes. He would definitely make the class easier to endure.
Her schedule wasn’t bad, with all but one of her classes scheduled after ten o’clock, but she still had to drag herself out of bed every other morning for chapel — another requirement. It was bad enough students had to find a local church to attend on Sundays.
Michelle wasn’t sure she could adhere to all the rules of the school.
She had never had to follow a dress code before. Why, oh why, did she have to wear a skirt to class? She didn’t mind showing off her legs, but she was much more comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans. And what difference did it make what she wore? Couldn’t she learn just as well in sweatpants?
There was a campus curfew — midnight on weeknights and one o’clock on weekends. She had never had a curfew in her entire life, and she thought this was absurd. They were technically adults now, so why did she feel more like a child than she ever had before?
The list of rules seemed to keep growing.
Worst of all, the campus was bone dry. When someone mentioned a party, it usually meant hanging out in the dorm lounge with pizza and pop. And there wasn’t a cigarette in sight, let alone a joint. The guys back home would have laughed their heads off.
She often wondered what the guys were doing. None of them had gone to college after high school. They were working and living at home or getting places of their own. Normal life was happening in Chicago without her, while life at Cornerstone was like being trapped inside a giant Christian bubble.
When she had arrived on campus, everyone seemed just like her — new college students ready to start the next chapter of their lives. But she soon realized how very different they were. There was an overall vibe of goodness around campus. People got together just to discuss the Bible and what God was doing in their lives. And they prayed for everything. Emma began her days reading her Bible, while Maggie ended her days the same way. Michelle went through her days pretending to understand what they were all talking about, pretending to be one of them — a believer. But she didn’t, and she wasn’t.
Most nights when Emma and Maggie fell asleep, Michelle lay wide awake in bed. She found it difficult to sleep without the familiar noises of the city outside her window.
If she were back home, she would have been out with the guys somewhere or crashing on someone’s couch. This place was too weird for her. She was lonely and in need of some male companionship. Tyler had never been her boyfriend, but he had been ready and willing for a hookup. And while she lay there night after night thinking about being with him, she realized that was the only thing she really missed about him. He was rude and crass and downright mean sometimes. His attention was easily shifted to other girls, and he never cared for her as much as she cared for him. He used her for sex when he wanted it, and treated her like just a friend the rest of the time, which wasn’t saying much. He had not once called to see how she was doing since she left Chicago. She couldn’t even remember why she had wanted him in the first place.
And then one night, three unexpected words crept into her train of thought.
You deserve better.
It took her by surprise, and she began to wonder what, or who, better might be.
Her nighttime thoughts soon began to feature Simon. He was funny, sweet, and so likable, and she loved spending time with him. She fantasized about kissing him and imagined having an actual relationship with a nice guy for a change. But her mind always replayed the way he had looked at Emma at the Skillet that first night. It was different than the way he looked at her — like a friend. She was sick of the guys she wanted looking at her that way.
During the first week, there had been a lot of talk about Celebration On The Grand, an annual end-of-summer festival held downtown along the banks of The Grand River. The biggest draw was the fireworks show on Saturday night, which Simon invited Michelle to attend.
“You should invite your roommates,” Simon suggested.
Michelle knew exactly why he wanted her to invite them. “You know, if you wanna ask Emma, you don’t need me to do it for you.”
Simon put an arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “I’m asking you, Chelle, but we’ve got a bunch of guys going. You’ll be outnumbered.”
Michelle chuckled. “I think I can handle that.”
He laughed aloud. “I have no doubt that you can.”
Gah! That laugh. She loved a guy with a great laugh, and his was like music to her ears.
“Come on. It’ll be fun.”
She didn’t care if he had ulterior motives. When he grinned at her with that playful look in his eyes, she couldn’t refuse. “All right. I’ll ask them.”
He smiled and nodded.
On Saturday, Michelle and Emma, along with their next door neighbors, Darcy and Jill, accompanied the guys downtown to the celebration. The city was alive with activity, the streets filled with people enjoying Grand Rapids. Their little group wandered around for a while, walked along the river, got some snacks and drinks, then found a good spot in Ah-Nab-Awen Park, where there was live entertainment before the fireworks.
Emma pulled a blanket out of the bag she was carrying, and Simon helped her spread it out on the grass.
Michelle sat next to Emma toward the front edge of the blanket.
Simon plopped down behind them and scooted over closer to Emma. “How was your first week of classes?”
“Great! I love all of them,” Emma gushed. “Every one of my professors is so interesting. How’s your photography class?”
Simon’s face lit up. “It’s awesome. I can already tell I’m gonna learn a lot in there.”
“Cool.”
“Your roommate’s in my class. What’s her name again?”
“Maggie,” Michelle interjected.
“Where’s she tonight?” Simon glanced over at Michelle, then back at Emma.
“She’s coming later with a friend of hers from back home,” Emma replied.
In truth, Michelle was worried about Maggie. They had left her alone in the room waiting to hear from Ben, and she had a bad feeling about it. She knew plenty of unreliable guys like him, and her gut instinct told her he was not to be trusted.
Michelle glanced around the expansive lawn of the park, which sloped from the Gerald R. Ford Museum on the hill to the river below. The lush green grass was covered with blankets and lawn chairs filled with people enjoying the warm September evening. There were couples holding hands, families and friends, children running around. One little girl ran across in front of them, nearly tripping over Michelle’s legs, followed by her concerned and slightly embarrassed father.
“Sorry.” He waved as he passed by in pursuit of his daughter.
Michelle watched the man scoop up the little girl and say something into her ear before he blew against her arm, making a loud, slobbery noise. Her wild giggles floated on the wind, and Michelle’s mood sank.
The rowdy laughter of a lar
ge group of teenagers turned her head. They were hanging out under the nearby trees, joking crudely, and annoying the people seated next to them. One couple was making out rather inappropriately against a tree. They reminded Michelle of her friends in Chicago.
She looked over at Simon and Emma all cozied up together, and she wanted to leave. These weren’t her people. They were a whole different species. She wanted to go home. Back to Chicago, where she belonged.
Darcy’s booming laughter suddenly grabbed her attention. Michelle looked back at her and Jill, seated on the back edge of the blanket facing Sean, Wes, and several guys from the dorm. The girls were clearly entertained by something one of the guys had said. Darcy flipped her long, blonde tresses over her shoulder flirtatiously. Jill seemed to be the more reserved of the two, giggling demurely while she twisted a fiery red curl around her finger.
Michelle’s gaze fell on Sean, who she caught staring at her with those intense, blue eyes of his.
He flashed his perfect pearly whites at her.
She smiled in return, and he moved to stand.
“Hey,” he said as he approached.
“Hey.”
He pointed at the blanket. “May I?”
“Sure.”
He sat behind her, and she shifted sideways, so he wouldn’t have to talk to the back of her head.
“How are you?” he asked.
“Good. You?”
“Good.”
“Nice night.”
“Yeah.”
“Kinda crowded.”
“I know.”
“You look nice.”
“Thanks. You, too.”
They had perfected the art of economical conversation.
“So …” He tilted his head a little to the right and grinned at her. “You never called me back.”
She cringed, hoping he wouldn’t make a big deal of it. “I know. I’m sorry about that.” He had called to schedule their basketball game and left a message with Emma. “Things have been pretty busy with registration and classes starting.” Honestly, her attention had been focused on Simon, and she had forgotten.
“For me, too.” He shrugged his shoulders and laid a hand on hers. “It’s fine. You can make it up to me.” His fingertips traced softly back and forth across the top of her hand.
“I can do that,” she replied with her best come-hither look. If he was going to flirt with her, she was going to give it right back.
When twilight set in, the lawn became more crowded in anticipation of the fireworks. More students from the college surrounded their blanket, and Sean and a few of the guys ran off to get more drinks for everyone.
Emma seemed very antsy, constantly standing and looking around.
“What’s the matter?” asked Simon from his place on the blanket.
“I’m worried about Maggie.” Emma looked at Michelle with concern. “She should be here by now.”
“Why are you so worried?” Simon reached up and grabbed Emma’s hand.
Michelle grimaced. She didn’t mean to, but it was like an automatic reaction to Simon touching another girl.
“She was supposed to come here with her friend, Ben,” Emma explained. “They should have been here forty-five minutes ago.”
“I’m sure she’s OK.” He squeezed her hand reassuringly.
“I want to call her,” Emma stated.
Simon stood up next to her. “I’ll walk you to a pay phone.”
Emma sighed with relief. “Thank you, Simon.”
“We’ll be right back, Chelle.” Simon wound his fingers through Emma’s. “Save our place.”
She loved it when he called her that, but she didn’t love the sight of him walking hand in hand with Emma.
Sean returned to his place on the blanket just then with a Mountain Dew for Michelle and a Pepsi for himself.
“Thanks.” Michelle took a sip.
“No problem.” He pointed to the empty spot on the blanket. “Where’d they go?”
“To call our roommate, Maggie. She was supposed to meet us, and she’s not here yet.”
“Oh, I thought maybe they wanted some alone time or something.”
Michelle didn’t care for that comment, but he made up for it by running his fingers up the side of her arm, leaving little goosebumps in their wake. She lost focus on everything, except that sensation. She forgot about the crowd of people around them. She forgot about Simon holding Emma’s hand. She only had room for one thought at the moment. Sean wanted her. She could tell by the smoldering look in his eyes — a look many guys had given her in the past.
Their eyes locked in a sultry stare. He scooted close behind her and shifted so one leg was on either side of her. She twisted her body to face him and laid her hands on his chest.
“Speaking of alone time,” she flirted.
He laughed a little, and she nearly swooned. Another guy with a great laugh. She had hit the jackpot at this college.
She could feel Sean’s heart racing beneath her fingertips, his breaths came quicker, and his ice blue eyes were on fire. His gaze shifted to her lips then, and she closed the distance between them, putting him out of his misery. It had been a long time since she’d had a really good kiss. This one fit the bill, for sure.
Her hands slid up around his neck into his dark, wavy hair. It was as soft as she imagined it would be. She pressed herself fully against his solid chest.
Sean’s arms wound around her back and held her firmly to him as their kisses grew deeper and more passionate right there in the middle of Ah-Nab-Awen Park.
Oh, he’s a good kisser. She’d been in need of some male attention, and that’s exactly what he gave her. His full, undivided attention.
“Ahem.” The sound of someone’s throat clearing interrupted their steamy moment.
Michelle pulled back and looked up to discover Simon standing over them. Her face was on fire, partly from kissing Sean, but also because Simon was the last person on earth she wanted to find her like that.
“Sorry to interrupt.” He raised an eyebrow at them and looked extremely amused.
Emma’s eyes widened. She said nothing.
Sean kissed the corner of her mouth, then leaned in and whispered, “We’re doing that again later.”
Her stomach flipped at the tone in his voice and the feel of his breath against her ear, but she was still very aware that Simon and Emma were standing there watching them. She shifted so she was facing the river again and sat straight up.
“Did you get ahold of Maggie?” Michelle stuttered, while Sean’s fingertips traced softly up and down her back.
Emma shook her head. “She didn’t answer, but I got ahold of Janice, the R.D. She went and knocked on the door and nobody answered, but she thought she heard somebody inside. Possibly crying.”
Michelle was furious. “Son of a …” she paused, remembering the company she was in. “I’m gonna kill Ben.”
“Who’s Ben?” asked Sean.
“Someone Maggie would be better off without.”
It surprised her how protective she felt of Maggie already. If she ever came face to face with this Ben character, they were going to have words. And then she was going to beat the crap out of him.
Simon was kind enough to drive them back early and forego the fireworks. Sean offered, too, but Michelle insisted he stay and enjoy the show.
When the girls opened the door to their room, the lights were out.
“Maybe she went to the fireworks after all.” Emma flipped the lights on.
Michelle quickly slapped the light switch off when she noticed their roommate asleep in her bed. She pointed at Maggie then motioned for Emma to follow her into the hall.
“Should we wake her and make sure she’s OK?” Emma quietly clicked the door closed behind them.
“Let’s let her sleep.”
They moved in the direction of the lounge.
“I wish I knew how to find this Ben guy right now.” Michelle gritted her teeth. “He needs to be tau
ght a lesson.”
“I’m just worried about Maggie. I feel so bad for her.”
“I’ve known guys like him, and I don’t care how good a friend she thinks he is, she deserves better.”
Emma nodded. “I agree.”
They pushed through the door into the lounge, and Michelle was surprised to see Simon still standing in their dorm. He had turned on the charm with a couple girls from the other hall, and they were all giggles, totally falling for it.
He glanced over and spotted them. “Hey, how’s Maggie?”
“She’s asleep,” Emma replied sadly.
“Do you wanna go get ice cream or something?” he asked, all but ignoring the girls he had been talking to. “There’s still time until curfew.” He winked at Michelle, knowing full well her opinions about the school curfew.
“Sure.” Michelle would never say no to more time with Simon.
“I think I’m gonna stay here,” Emma replied, “just in case she wakes up and wants to talk.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
Michelle felt kind of bad. “Do you want me to stay, too?”
“No, you two go ahead.”
“OK.” She wasn’t going to ask twice.
Simon hugged Emma, and a wave of jealousy hit Michelle. He said goodbye to his new friends, who seemed annoyed that he was leaving them so soon, then held the door open for Michelle. They walked along the sidewalk toward his car.
“She’s so nice,” Simon gushed about Emma.
“Yeah, she is. You like her, don’t you?”
“Not as much as you like Sean.” He elbowed her.
Michelle blushed, remembering. “Hey!”
“He’s a good guy. Plus, he’s from your neck of the woods, so you have that in common.”
“He’s from Chicago?” Sean hadn’t told her that, but then they hadn’t done much talking.
Simon looked at her curiously. “Yeah. You didn’t know?”
She shook her head.
“He’s here on a basketball scholarship.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“You didn’t know that either?”
Until Then (Cornerstone Book 2) Page 3
