‘Are you a swimmer?’ he asked, as he handed back the swimming club leaflet.
His received pronunciation gave away his upbringing. It was polished and refined, as expected of someone from a posh background. It would not surprise her if he had attended boarding school.
‘I–I guess so, but I’m considering my options,’ she said, holding up the water polo flyer. Nervous, she looked to the right. It was impossible to maintain eye contact.
‘Interesting.’ He took a step forward and moved towards the swimming stand. He stopped and faced her again, as he said, ‘Well, I might see you around. Sorry to make your things fall like that.’
She couldn’t believe he was apologising. Her jaw dropped as she saw him picking up the same leaflet she had only just been looking at. If he was a swimmer, hell would freeze over before anyone stopped her joining.
Paranoid, she joined Georgina and casually glanced in his direction. She could not help but mutter, ‘I didn’t even say sorry for being such a klutz.’
‘He looks nice,’ Georgina said. She looked nervous, as she glanced in the direction of a few Swedish-looking students chatting next to them.
‘Too nice for me, that’s for sure.’ After her performance, Caitlin was convinced he must have labelled her as a complete idiot. Reluctantly, she started to walk away. She could not help stealing a final glance.
‘I’m sure that’s not true.’
It was typical of someone as nice as Georgina to leap to her defence.
‘Thanks for saying it. I do appreciate it. Even so, someone like him is not destined for someone like me. We live in different ponds.’
‘Ponds? What do you mean?’
‘He sounds really posh. You know, he’s probably loaded. He’ll be into all the popular girls for sure.’ Not that she knew any of this, it was pure speculation. ‘Shall we go get a drink in the student cafeteria?’
‘Sure.’
Caitlin increased the pace. She wanted the conversation to be over.
Sally threw herself onto the sofa, opposite Caitlin and Georgina, and exclaimed in a loud and overbearing voice. ‘This place is fantastic, isn’t it? And there’s so much talent. My eyes are popping out of their sockets. I just met the nicest second year Law student. He’s to die for. A guy like that probably has a girlfriend though. There’s no way he’s available.’
As Sally rambled on, Caitlin stopped listening, lost in her own thoughts. She had just been blown away in an irrational manner. Normally, she never allowed herself to be swept away by someone’s physical appearance. As far as she was concerned, love at first sight was nonsensical.
A minute or so later, she realised Sally was waiting for a reply.
‘You look dazed. Are you feeling alright?’ Sally had the look of a confused puppy.
‘Sorry, I’m fine. What did you say?’ Caitlin bluffed.
Sally laughed out loud and jabbed her shoulder. It hurt.
‘Haven’t you heard a thing I’ve said? You’re funny. Anyway, how did you both get on?’
‘Great, we got lots of information. I guess we’ve got to think about it.’ Caitlin added the tiny fib to make sure Georgina was not left out.
‘Glad to hear it. What do you think you’ll join, Georgina?’ Sally asked, her eyebrows raised.
Georgina studied the promotional placemat, advertising beer as usual. ‘It was, err, interesting.’
Sally frowned, and then looked over her shoulder to see Julia approach, with what looked like another trendsetter. She waved her hands frantically, and called out, ‘Hey, over here.’
Julia glared in their direction, gave what looked like an apologetic glance towards her new friends, and made her way over. ‘Hello girls, I’m afraid we can’t stay. We’re going to meet up with some other people from our course. I’ll catch up with you all in halls.’ With a fake, forced smile she sauntered off.
Sally watched her leave and gawped. After a nervous twitch of her lips, she shot up. ‘I forgot I had to sign up for err, oh, debate club. I was so busy chatting, it completely slipped my mind. See you later.’
Caitlin knew a lame excuse when she heard one. Especially since the debate team stand was in the opposite direction. She had no doubt Sally was trying to catch up with Julia.
Caitlin sighed, ‘And then, there were two.’
Georgina glanced up. ‘You can go too if you want. I know I’m not interesting.’
Caitlin could not believe anyone could act that miserable. It was the first week of term. She could barely contain her own excitement. Either way, she did not have the heart to leave her alone. ‘Got no other place to go. You know, I think it’s up to me to cheer you up.’
‘You don’t have to. Sorry if I’m not outgoing.’
‘Don’t apologise. Look, I forgot to bring my favourite hot chocolate. Shall we just head back, grab some food supplies on the way, and then check out the halls of residence some more? What do you say?’
‘If you’re sure I’m not in your way.’
Caitlin smiled, ‘Trust me, if you were in my way, I would have told you.’
Bags in tow, they got up and squeezed through the hordes of students ambling around the room. It was probably the best time to make an exit. Casually, Caitlin looked around. It would have been nice to spot that guy again before she left.
Nothing.
Another time.
Back to Table of Contents
Chapter 2
Mingling
Ingrid surveyed the room. It was like watching a hive of bees. Busy, busy, busy. She flicked her long, bleach blonde hair and saw a boy leering in her direction. She was not interested in boys. They were so easy. Even so, to keep all of her options open, she smiled back.
‘What about that one?’ she asked, her right hand firmly ensconced on her waist. As far as she was concerned, it was time to choose.
‘Don’t make it too obvious you’re looking,’ her dad stressed. ‘Even though here we don’t stand out, we still have to be careful. You can attract them easily enough.’
‘Sure, I’ll be careful.’ Ingrid scowled. She hated being told what to do all the time, especially by her dad. Why didn’t he trust her and leave her alone? It was not as though she was a newbie like her brother. She would do anything for just a little taste of freedom.
‘Can I go and look around?’ her brother asked, all demure. His pale blue eyes and innocent expression would have made anyone believe butter would not melt in his mouth.
Ingrid resented the fact Tomas had come along for the ride. He was too young, and definitely immature. There was no way he could be trusted.
‘You can’t allow him to go alone. If he goes, I go.’ She pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.
‘Neither of you can go alone. We are only here to observe. We have to teach Tomas to choose.’
Ingrid relaxed her arms. Slowly, she surveyed the room.
Surrounded – no.
Boisterous – no.
Trendy – no.
‘What about that one?’ Ingrid hissed. She nodded in the direction of a tall, emaciated girl with wiry bland hair and glasses. ‘She looks weak; I doubt she has many friends.’
He shook his head. ‘Look at the girl next to her. She doesn’t look like a walkover. Another time, when she’s alone. Not with friends like that.’
Ingrid looked at the redhead next to the girl and shrugged in acknowledgement. He had a point.
Ingrid watched Tomas run his hand through his short cropped hair and wink at a group of girls passing by. They giggled in response and gave him the eye.
Tomas puffed his chest and played to the crowd. He was ridiculous. Once they had gone, he turned to their dad and complained, all bravado gone, ‘I’m getting hungry.’
‘Then it’s time to go,’ their dad mused. ‘We’ll have to look somewhere else. Hardly any are alone. Give it a few weeks. Then we can come back.’
It was just what Ingrid needed, more waiting.
***
The girl
Steven had crashed into at the swimming stand came into view through the corner of his eye. It momentarily distracted him from his conversation. Something about her had grabbed his attention. Her thick, auburn hair was certainly prominent and hard to miss. But, there was something about her curious expression and slim build that made up for the scattering of freckles and white skin that screamed vitamin D deficiency.
‘Hey, have you noticed how many hot chicks there are? I think I’d like a piece of everything. Especially that blonde hottie over there,’ the voice drooled.
Adam was a total letch. Steven could tell after a few hours of being with him. Still, he followed Adam’s glance and saw three students walking past, two guys and a girl. The girl was striking – for sure. With long bleach blonde hair, she reminded him of the girls he had seen on a trip to Sweden. He suspected she was foreign from the way she carried herself. She met his gaze and gave him a confident smile. For a split second, their eyes remained locked. Another day, he would have introduced himself. Today, he had someone else on his mind.
Raising his eyebrows, he faced Adam again, ‘I doubt you’ll have any difficulty finding someone. From what I hear, some girls tend to go crazy on Fresher’s Week.’
‘Yeah, finding someone is not usually the problem. But, all I want is to shag, nothing else. I bet you’ve had lots of girls.’
Avoiding the question, Steven shrugged his shoulders. Something compelled him to go. ‘I’ll catch up with you later, things to do. But hey, good luck with your shag fest.’
Adam narrowed his eyes, a deep crease running along the middle of his forehead. Steven did not want to leave like that, but he didn’t have time to worry about offending him.
Once through the congested hallway, he made his way out of the students union. Outside, he looked around. In the distance, he saw the girl turn the corner and disappear with her lanky friend. He could not understand the urgent desire to follow. This was university, he was likely to see her again. The thing was he did not want to wait for the moment to come up again. Something about their brief, and uneventful encounter, had intrigued him. They would get to know each other. He would make sure of it.
***
After unpacking an assortment of food supplies into her allocated cupboard, Caitlin sat on her bed and fidgeted. There were a lot of bare walls. At home, she had posters covering every available space. Determined to rectify the situation, she stood up and took out the posters she had brought with her. She uncurled a selection, laid them on the floor and opened the packet of Blu-Tack. She broke off generous pieces and stuck the Blu-Tack on the back of her favourite – a massive A1 sized poster of a great white shark. Her mission was to transform the room as soon as possible.
Whilst stretching on tiptoes on a chair, a faint knock on the door startled her. It made her loose balance and fall.
‘Ouch, just a minute,’ she winced, and rubbed her foot.
When she opened the door, a blotchy-faced Georgina stood in the hallway. Her voice sounded strained, as she said, ‘Hi, hope I’m not interrupting.’
‘No, err, well actually I just fell. It was my own fault. I could barely reach to put the poster up.’
‘Sorry, I can come back later.’ Georgina took a step back.
‘No, it’s alright. I’ve just added another bruise to my collection. You look upset. Do you want to come in?’
Georgina took another step back, and then said, ‘No, I’m fine. But maybe I can help?’
Her tone was unconvincing but Caitlin let it drop. She probably didn’t want to talk about it.
‘You know, you’re much taller than me. You have come at the perfect time. Fancy helping me put these up?’ Company was always welcome, especially if it served a purpose.
‘I’d love to help,’ Georgina replied, ‘I have to get some myself. My room looks really sad at the moment.’
Caitlin could have sworn she had smiled. That was the most she had heard her say since they’d met. ‘I’m sure I’ve got spares. You can have some of mine.’
‘Really? That would be great.’
Caitlin picked up the slightly crumpled poster and ironed it out. ‘Right then, this is it.’
‘Where do you want it?’ Georgina held it up and waited.
‘As high as you can get it,’ Caitlin replied.
With relative ease, Georgina stretched her arms and stuck it on. Height was definitely an advantage.
‘You are so lucky to be tall.’ Caitlin hated being at the lower end of five feet. Georgina had to be at least six feet.
Georgina nodded, as a smile graced her face, ‘I wouldn’t call it luck. So, I guess you like sharks?’
Caitlin admired the image of the deadly, yet graceful, shark that now dominated the room. ‘As you see, I also love whales and dolphins, anything that lives in the sea really. What about you?’
‘I prefer land animals. Tame ones, like rabbits. I had to leave Fluffy behind.’
Caitlin nearly laughed out loud, but she managed to hold it back. She didn’t know anyone her age that still kept a rabbit at home as a pet. ‘Fair enough, shall we get the rest of them up then?’
‘Sure.’
After five minutes of concentration, they stood back to admire their handiwork.
‘That’s much better,’ Caitlin said, ‘Shall we go and do your room now?’
‘Now?’
‘Of course, I saved the landscapes for you, didn’t think you’d want any shark ones.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t mind. But, I don’t know if I could sleep with a shark staring at me, so you’re probably right. Thanks a lot,’ Georgina replied, a glint in her eye.
With the remaining posters and Blu-Tack they hustled over to the opposite room to get started. Georgina’s room was really bare. It looked void of any personality. The room was immaculate, practically untouched.
‘Where’s all your stuff?’ Caitlin frowned, one hand on her hip.
‘Oh, I-I like to keep a tidy room.’
‘Have you unpacked yet?’ Caitlin raised an eyebrow.
Georgina froze.
‘Do you want some help?’ Caitlin asked, her tone softer, both arms now at her side.
Silence confirmed her belief.
‘I don’t want to unpack,’ Georgina admitted, her voice forced, ‘I have to be honest, I don’t know if university is for me.’
‘Hey, don’t get upset. It’s difficult to come to a new place. Especially if you’re a bit shy. I’ll help you. Come on then, let’s get these posters up first to cheer up the room. Then we’ll grab a cup of tea and unpack your stuff.’ Caitlin held back from giving her a hug. She barely knew her after all.
‘Thanks,’ Georgina sniffed a reply, ‘I’ve never been outgoing. I come from a quiet village. This place is just overwhelming.’
‘I’ll look out for you.’ Caitlin placed a hand on her shoulder. It felt awkward so she quickly removed it.
The sound of talking alerted Caitlin to the return of Sally and Julia. They had company.
‘Let’s go see what they’ve been up to, shall we? They might not be that bad.’ Caitlin doubted it, but there was some hope left.
‘Good idea.’
Caitlin wondered if Georgina ever said no to anything.
‘Oh, there you are!’ Sally exclaimed, as they entered. ‘Sorry, I missed you both earlier.’
She did not seem sorry to Caitlin.
‘So, here we are. Our second week away from home begins. Is anyone homesick yet?’ Sally adopted an ominous tone, a cheeky grin on her face.
Everyone shook their head, but Caitlin could see the signs of doubt in their eyes. Even the most confident could break when some of their creature comforts were taken away.
‘I, for one, am looking forward to not having to deal with my baby sister. It’s blissfully quiet here,’ Caitlin added, as she turned to boil the kettle.
‘Quiet!’ Julia exploded, her eyes wide, ‘Far from it, there is so much going on.’
‘Obviously, there’s a lot going on,’
said Caitlin. ‘But, trust me, it is quiet. My baby sister never shuts up.’
‘Oh,’ Julia paused, and frowned. ‘I only have an older brother, and he usually leaves me alone.’
Sally broke the moment and jumped in with further introductions, ‘Anna, Grace, this is Caitlin and Georgina.’
‘Hi,’ they both said simultaneously. They raised their hands and gave what looked like fake waves.
‘What are you both studying?’ Caitlin asked, in an attempt at casual conversation.
Georgina leaned against the door frame at the entrance to the kitchen. She looked like she cherished her means of escape.
‘I am reading Law,’ Grace added, her nose high in the air.
‘Oh, so I guess you’ll be with Sally then?’ Caitlin was always amused when anyone said they were reading not studying – what was the difference anyway?
‘Well, yes, there is only one first year Law course.’ She held her fingers up to her mouth and gave a slight huff. She was obviously amused by her wit as she glanced at Sally and Anna, whilst raising her eyebrows.
The exchange was unspoken, yet clear, as Sally shrugged. They obviously thought Caitlin was beneath them. If Caitlin had been confrontational she would have told them to piss off. She resented anyone who considered themselves superior to everyone else. To stop herself from being rude she looked at Anna, and asked, ‘So, what about you?’
‘Same as Julia – Medicine.’
Caitlin could not believe it, lawyers and doctors, just what she needed. She was glad her parents weren’t there. They would have given her the look. The look that said why didn’t you choose a vocation?
‘Good for you,’ she faked enthusiasm. ‘Well, I guess we’ll leave you to chat about your stuff. We were just having fun. See you later.’ Tea in hand, she carried both mugs to the doorway and handed one to Georgina, before she strolled out with her head held high.
As they entered Georgina’s room, they heard a chorus of giggles erupting from the kitchen.
‘Oh boy,’ Caitlin gave a sigh, and put her mug on the study table. ‘I’m glad you’re normal. Just remind me, you’re not reading Law or Medicine?’
The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return Page 2
