by Miranda Kavi
An elbow dug into my side. I opened my eyes.
“Excuse me, Ms. Lockette?” The professor was standing in front of me. “Because according to the seating chart, this is you.”
I cleared my throat. “Yes. I’m me. I mean, I’m here.”
“And, what is your answer, Miss. Lockette?”
“Answer?”
“Stand up please.”
I did.
“While you were resting, we were discussing jurisdiction.” The other students shifted awkwardly in their seats, the girl from yesterday’s tour group tittered, and my face burned. “What was the holding from Louisville & Nashville Railroad v. Mottley?”
“Um...” I flipped through the case book. The pages I had read last night for all my different classes were jumbling together. “A court has federal jurisdiction only if the plaintiff’s cause of action arises under the constitution or federal statutes.”
He smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly smile. “As opposed to...”
“Federal jurisdiction based on the defendant’s counterclaim under the federal statutes or constitution.”
“Right. Stay standing please. I’ll come back to you. No cat naps in my class.”
He turned his attention away and continued his lecture, while I stood like a Grade-A moron. Wonderful. I glanced down at Bree’s screen. She had written “Welcome to Law School.”
***
Back in the sunlight, I sipped on a bottle of water while I flipped through the cases for my next class. I was seated at one of the many tables scattered around the campus. Bree sat next to me, along with a tall, quiet guy she had somehow befriended within the past few hours.
Masses of law students streamed in and out of the buildings. They gathered in clusters around the tables to chug down coffee, smoke, and socialize.
I had finished my reading by now, but I pretended I was still working. Bree and the quiet guy were engaged in conversation. I let my eyes flow over the page as I wrestled with my internal worry over the classroom incident.
I shut my book. “I’m going to head to the gym. See you later.”
Bree flipped open her cell phone and looked at the screen. “You have two hours until your next class. Come eat with us instead.”
“Thanks for the invite, but I’ll pass.”
The gym was on the other side of the campus. Basketball and racquetball courts filled the first level while the second level offered cardio machines and weights.
It only took me a second to change out of my jeans and t-shirt into sneakers, shorts, and a rattier t-shirt. I pulled my hair into a ponytail as I made my way to the weight room.
It was empty, which was awesome. I selected twenty-pound dumbbells and got to work. Calm and focus washed through my body and cleared my mind. Just what I needed.
I wandered over the bench press. I selected a twenty-pound disc from the stack near the bench, and added one to each side. I added more weight in smaller increments, not sure of how much I could handle without assistance.
“Need a spot?” a friendly voice asked. He looked familiar, but he couldn’t be older than eighteen or nineteen. He was Hispanic, muscular, and very cute in the high school jock sort of way and had a big, open smile on his face.
“Thanks.”
He stood over me while I performed my limited repetitions.
“Nice job,” he said as I slowly returned to an upright position. “I’m Troy by the way. What’s your name?”
“Aurora. Nice to meet you.”
“Like the northern lights? Very cool. Are you working on the movie, or are you a student ‘round here?”
Something clicked in my brain. Troy Archili. Another lead in the movie. Currently sharing the cover of a prominent magazine with one of his former co-stars. I’m not sure when I’d been transported to a much cooler alternate dimension where I met movie stars on a daily basis.
I cleared my throat and found my voice. “Student. Not a movie star. Sorry to disappoint.”
His smile grew even broader. “What’s your major, non-movie star?”
“I’m a law student.”
“Oh, really? You don’t look it. You’re too short.”
I laughed. “Thanks, I think.”
His smile faded a little. “I hope I get to go to college someday. I’m pretty much booked for the next few years, though.”
“That’s a good thing, right? You can go later, when you’re done being famous.”
“Ha ha, lawyer. I like you. Now finish those reps.” He pointed his finger at the bench.
I saluted him and returned to the bench to finish my reps.
“Holler at me if you need another spot,” he said. He tossed me a wave as he returned to the dumbbell rack. He was safe. Not flirty, just friendly.
As I finished my workout and prepared to leave, he stepped in front of me. “Hey.”
“Hi,” I said.
“So, what are you working on tomorrow?”
“Probably quads and hamstrings.”
“Me too. Same place same time?”
“Sure,” I said.
“Awesome.”
I was smiling as I walked back to the law school area of campus, fresh from my quick shower. Stress was gone. Control was back. Maybe even a new friend?
I walked behind the main campus library and rounded the corner to return to the law school.
“Oomph.” I ran into a solid body.
“Are you going to make a habit of this?” he said in his low voice. Even behind the large sunglasses and a baseball cap, I recognized him. He waved a hand, and two large men at his side backed off several feet.
“I’m so sorry.” I took a step back so I wasn’t standing in his space. I ran my fingers through my hair to try to straighten it, but I hadn’t re-applied makeup after my work out so I still looked less than stellar. “But really, you literally ran into the back of my car, so...”
“Are you going to sue me?” A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth.
“We’ll see.”
“Where were you headed?” He peered around me so he could see my backpack. “That looks a little heavy.”
I slung it off and put it on the ground. “It is heavy, but I’ve gotta take three books to one class. It’s ridiculous.”
“When is your class?”
“About ten minutes from now,” I said.
“Well, we better get going.” He picked up my backpack and walked off.
“What are you doing?” I ran a few steps to catch up to him.
“I’m carrying your books to class for you. I’m trying to repay you for the trouble I caused with the car accident.” He winked at me and slipped his other arm through the backpack so it was balanced on both shoulders. “Wow! How do you manage this?”
“I work out.” I tried to ignore the heavy footsteps behind us. I leaned close to him. “Are those your bodyguards?” I stage whispered.
He glanced back. “Yep.”
“How very odd,” I said.
His smile darkened. “Odd, indeed. The studio requires them. I think their insurance makes them do it. I’m quite embarrassed. Please excuse them.”
He stopped in the tree grove behind the law school campus. “Here you go.” He took off the backpack.
“Are you not allowed on the law campus?” I asked.
He leaned forward so his face was close to mine. “I’m very sorry. I avoid crowds of people.”
“Me too,” I said, and it was honest.
He cocked his head to the side. “And why is that?”
“I need to get to class. Thanks for the backpack assistance.”
I put on my backpack and walked away. The buzzing sensation was tingling my hands and feet, but this time, I had control.
Chapter 3
It was still dark outside, which is perfectly normal at 5:00 a.m., but observing this early hour was not normal for me. Over the past few weeks, Troy had taken great yet smug joy in becoming my own ad-hoc personal trainer, which involved running before brea
kfast.
My apartment was on the edge of town, where the flat city landscape bleeds into the beginning of the hill country. There were lots of trees and not a lot of people. I had picked it because it seemed like a peaceful area, but in the pre-dawn dark, it was too quiet.
I walked a few steps before I broke out into a run. Power surged through my legs and arms, quieting the now nearly constant buzzing in my hands and feet. The control came with the exercise, came with the calm.
I’d gone a mile when something nudged at my consciousness. I stopped my run.
Someone was watching me. The buzzing had started, and I was on the verge of losing control. I stared into the shadow-filled trees. Somebody was out there, blending from one tree’s shadow to the next to the next in a jerky, unnatural motion.
“Is someone there?”
There was no response.
My feel lifted off the ground a fraction of an inch. Damn it. The figure came closer, not yet detached from the tree line.
Run, stupid. And I did. I sprinted as fast as I could. I didn’t hear anyone behind me, but I couldn’t hear much over my pounding feet and gasping lungs. As I neared the apartment complex, the fear receded. The lights from the complex wrapped around me, and I was safe again.
I shut the door to my apartment behind me and engaged the deadbolt. I took an old wooden chair and leaned it under the doorknob.
I stood on my tippy-toes behind the chair so I could see out the peephole. Nothing.
I stayed there until my neck hurt from the awkward angle. I turned on all the lights in the apartment and left pepper spray and a cell phone on the sink while I showered. I tried to pretend I hadn’t freaked out.
By the time I squeezed my repaired car in-between two nicer ones in the parking lot at school, I was convinced I had imagined the whole thing. I opened my door just enough to get out of my car and squeezed between my car and the super expensive car next to it. My bulky backpack made this exercise a challenge.
The owner of the expensive car stood near the bumper of her car with her arms crossed over her unnaturally large chest while she watched me carefully avoid banging her car. I was all nerves, but I smiled while I squeezed past her.
Bree fell into step beside me. “Hey there.”
“Hey,” I said.
“You want to grab lunch today? We’re going to try the deep fried taco place. Apparently, it’s a legend around these parts.”
“Thanks for the invite, but I’m going to pass.”
She grabbed my arm and forced me to stop. “How come you never come with us?”
I retracted my arm. “I’m sorry. Nothing personal. I’m just not good with people.”
She pivoted so she was facing me. Since we were both short, I had nowhere else to look but at her face. “That’s a crock of shit and you know it. Secretly a man? Terminally ill? You can tell me.”
I laughed and took a step back. “None of the above. I have a workout at two today, and fried tacos, whatever those are, are not in my meal plan.”
She narrowed her eyes at me for a second. “Fine, but you better avail yourself to us on some weekend.”
“Done,” I said.
She seemed satisfied because she whirled around and started walking again. “Do you have a trainer or something? I swear you’re always at the gym. I haven’t been over there yet.”
“Kind sorta. I have a workout buddy who helps me out.”
“Law student? I haven’t seen you really hanging out with anyone.”
“No, not a law student.”
“An undergrad? Oh, cougar, here me roar!” She made a snarling noise.
I laughed with her. “It’s nothing. He’s just a friend.”
“You said ‘he’...I knew it. Gym buddy is a he.”
“Like I said, not like that.”
“Right.” We both walked into Torts class, effectively ending our conversation.
***
After classes, I found myself leaned up against the back wall of the administrative building. It was cool and shady and there were no people.
I found a small bench nestled against the building, facing the tree grove which backed up against the campus. I pulled a textbook and highlighter out of my backpack, but they sat in my lap, unused.
I was too busy daydreaming. I thought of the things I would never have, of the normalcy so many people seemed to enjoy. I thought of Gavyn, and hated myself for it.
I flipped open the massive textbook. Reading cases for law school wasn’t a simple matter of reading. I needed to be able to point out the facts, the holding, and the dissent. This is where my highlighter and pen came in handy. My book was starting to look like an art project with all my notes and multi-colored highlights.
The world went a shade darker. I looked up. A puffy dark cloud had passed over the bright Texas sun. I scanned the grove of trees, now cast in shadows.
Something moved. Something big.
I jumped out of my seat, sending my book and highlighter flying to the ground with a loud thwack. The creepy-crawly sensation swept through my body.
The sidewalks were empty, but something moved through the shadows of the forest, blending from one tree to the next. It flickered, like bad reception on an old T.V.
I kept my eyes on the dark shape as I crouched to retrieve my book. I put my backpack on the floor, and then used my arm to sweep the objects back into my bag. I re-shouldered it, then turned my back on the shape and ran around the corner.
I was back in the law school courtyard, and there were tons of people. I walked slowly through the crowd, throwing glances back at the tree grove. Whatever it was, I could feel it.
The sun came back out, and everyone else was smiling, laughing. I sat on the front steps of the classroom building until I felt calm again. I had missed my workout with Troy, but at least I could think straight. I switched out my books for my gym bag in my trunk. I took the long way to the gym, staying away from the trees.
I fished out my cell phone while I walked.
She answered on the first ring. “Hey, honey, how are you?”
“Hey, Mom.”
“You sound stressed. Are you all right?”
I took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m okay, but something is off.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve been having a hard time here. I feel it almost all the time. I constantly have to think about it so I don’t, you know...” I glanced around to make sure I was alone. “So I don’t fly.”
“How long has this been going on?” she asked.
“Since I got here. Since I left. I don’t know.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to worry you.” I was close to the gym now. “And there’s more.”
“What?”
“I think I’m being followed.”
“What? What do you mean you’re being followed? Who is following you?”
“Aurora! Hey, over here!” It was Troy and his booming, cheery, penetrating voice. I glanced up, instantly taking in the taller, slimmer figure next to him.
“Mom, I have to hang up. I’m sorry.”
“What? Wait a second, you need to start from the beginning and tell me every—”
“People here. Can’t talk.” I snapped the phone shut.
“Hey there, Texas rose.” Troy bent down so he could give me a quick hug.
“Hi, Aurora,” Gavyn said. He had his hands shoved deep in his pockets, and he looked good. Really good.
“Hi.” I had a real smile on my face now.
“Wait, you two know each other? Is this the girl you were telling me...” Troy let his voice trail off when he saw the look on Gavyn’s face.
I jumped in to end the uncomfortable silence. “What a small world. Troy, I met Gavyn in a fender bender, and Gavyn, I know Troy through the gym.”
Troy was beaming. “Yeah, I know. I heard all about it. I just didn’t know it was you.”
“What?” I asked.
Gavyn spoke again i
n his quiet voice. “Mate, come on now.”
Troy didn’t stop. “Chill out, man. This is my gym buddy. Remember me telling you about her? How crazy is that?”
“Very crazy,” Gavyn said.
“Speaking of, where were you today?” Troy said.
“Oh, sorry. I got a little busy with school stuff.” I tucked my hair over my shoulder.
“I’m glad I ran into you. I’m having a party this Friday and I want you to come.”
“Where will it be?” I asked.
“I’m renting out a huge room at the Glitz on the Riverwalk. It’s going to be awesome.”
I smiled. “Okay, yeah, I’ll be there.” I snuck another glance at Gavyn. He was watching me.
“Well, you are single, right? I’ll try and invite some of my good looking friends,” Troy said.
“I’m single.”
“Sweet! Check you later, then. You better be in the gym tomorrow.”
“Sure. Bye.” I waved at both before walking away.
I made it to the gym, but I was a shaky mess, flushed with something more than the heat. Hot movie stars made me nervous.
I changed into shorts and sneakers and went into the cardio room. I selected the stationary bike. It gave my body something to do, but didn’t require a lot of concentration to operate. I had a lot to think about.
***
Friday rolled around before I barely had time to register the week had passed. Bree and I were sitting in the courtyard. We had one more class to go before the weekend.
“Blast it! It is so freakin’ hot!” I twisted my hair into a messy bun and stuck a couple of pencils in it to hold it up.
“Yeah, I know. There isn’t a deodorant in the world strong enough to make me feel okay about this weather,” she replied. “Does it get this hot in Kansas?”
“Not really. And if it does, it is not this humid,” I said.
“Yeah, it’s the humidity, right? Dallas gets hot and humid too, but not like this.” She took another swig of her water bottle. “So what you doing this weekend?”
“I have a little shin-dig tonight, followed by two days of nothing.”
“Whose party?”
