Breaking Fences (The Breaking Series)

by Juliana Haygert

  As soon as we stepped out of our building, a girl wrapped her fingers around my wrist and yanked to the side.

  “Tche!” I exclaimed, ready to spit my anger in her face, but I recognized her. She was one of the girls that cornered me last night, the rush chair from one of the sororities.

  “Sorry,” she whispered, letting go of me. She pulled a piece of white paper from her pocket. “Take this. We’ll talk later.”

  I took the paper and she left.

  I stood frozen. “What the …?”

  Molly pursed her lips for a second. “It’s probably a bid.”

  “But I haven’t even been to their house.”

  “Well, they might think that by offering you a good bid, you might show up at their house for bid night, regardless of rushing or not.”

  “That’s crazy.”

  “Yup. They know early bids are illegal, but if she thinks you’ll get better bids from other houses, she might want to be the first.”

  That sounded ridiculous. Why would they waste their time with me if I weren’t going to accept anything? It didn’t make any sense to me.

  Curious, I unfolded the piece of paper and read the brief note.

  We’ll wash your clothes, clean your room, and you’ll have prime meals in the house.

  “That’s a nice bid,” Molly said, reading it from over my shoulder. “Will you take it?”

  “No! I don’t care what they offer me.” There was no garbage can in sight, so I shoved the paper inside my purse. “Come on. We don’t want to be late for class.”

  With a frown, Molly walked beside me as we crossed the campus. I made a list of things I could comment on or ask to break the ice growing between us, but nothing seemed good enough. I wasn’t one for small talk. But being too direct, as I usually was, might not be the best way to fix whatever was going wrong between my roommate and me.

  Two steps before I entered the science building, a girl bumped into me, dropping a blue paper in my hands.

  “You gotta be kidding me,” Molly muttered.

  I turned, but the girl was already gone. “Seriously?” Molly shook her head and rushed ahead. “Hey, wait up,” I called, following her inside the building. Before I could catch up with her, Molly entered her classroom. “Merda.”

  I stepped in my classroom and chose an empty seat in the back. I sat down and stared at the folded blue paper, unsure if I wanted to open it.

  A girl with shoulder-length, dirty blond hair, and clear blue eyes sat beside me.

  I turned to her. “If this is about a bid, I’m not sure I’m interested.”

  She stared at me as if I had sprouted horns from my forehead. “Hmm, what?”

  “Oh.” I laughed. “Are you with any sorority?”

  Her expression relaxed a bit. “Good gracious, no.”

  I let out a long breath. “Good.”

  She opened her bag and pulled out a thick biology book. “Classes just started and you look like you could use a break already.”

  I smiled, pulling my book from my tote. “Tell me about it.” I extended my hand to hers. “Hi, I’m Bia Fernandes.”

  She took my hand and shook it. “Phoebe Erickson.” She tilted her head, still looking at me. “May I ask where you’re from? I’m sorry, but your accent makes it hard not to.”

  Here we go. “Brazil.”

  Her eyes widened. “Seriously? That’s cool. My uncle goes to Sao Paulo and Rio a few times each year for business. He says it’s a great place.”

  If her uncle liked to talk about his travels, Phoebe probably knew a bit more about Brazil than most people, which made me glad for some reason.

  The professor entered the classroom, and I opened my book to the first chapter, turning my attention to the front.

  “It can be a great place,” I muttered.

  ***

  I got another three bids—two between my classes, and one on the floor of my room, which probably had been slipped under the door.

  “You’re made of honey,” Molly said. She tried going for a teasing tone, but I could hear the jealousy behind her words. I hoped that when she rushed, she received this many bids, but by the evil stares she gave me, I doubted it.

  As I suspected, Molly spent the evening with her parents. I preferred to think she wanted to take advantage while they were still in town rather than avoiding me.

  I was glad to find out I had two other classes with Phoebe the next day. The first one was English 102. As we entered the classroom together, I noticed all the students were freshmen, ranging from eighteen to nineteen, while I was twenty-two. Phoebe was nineteen. I was the only junior in a freshman class.

  Maybe it wasn’t too odd to them, but to me it was, and suddenly, I felt as if I was ten, twenty years older than them, and all those terrible thoughts and doubts that haunted me all summer came back in a rush.

  Que droga. I knew I would be surrounded by students younger than me since I wasn’t able to transfer most of my classes. I knew this. I had come to terms with it. I had accepted it, and promised myself it wouldn’t bother me. After all, twenty wasn’t too far away from twenty-two. I hoped that in two years, I would be in vet school, and that difference wouldn’t matter that much anymore. I could endure it for another two years.

  I took a deep breath as I sat beside Phoebe in the back of the classroom.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Yup.” I pushed those thoughts away from my mind and pretended the students were all my age, or that I was theirs, that I wasn’t starting again, that this was my first and only time in college.

  Our next class was American History 101—another freshman course. What was I supposed to do? We didn’t have English or American History in Brazil.

  Once more, we sat in the back. I grabbed my history book from my bag, and when I raised my eyes again, Jonah strolled in the classroom. He stopped by the door and looked around. His eyes met mine and he smiled.

  I shook my head.

  “Do you know him?” Phoebe asked.

  I shifted my gaze to her. Better than watching the guy. “Not really.”

  “Oh. Well, I might be mistaken, but I think he’s coming this way.”

  I looked again, and sure enough, the guy made his way to where Phoebe and I were seated.

  “Is this seat taken?” he asked, pointing to the chair beside mine.

  “Hmm, no,” I answered.

  He flashed me another one of those perfect smiles and sat down. “I don’t know if you remember me, but I definitely remember you.” He extended his hand to me. “I’m Jonah Hudson, president of the Beta Alpha Tau.”

  I shook his hand. “Bia. And this is my friend, Phoebe.”

  “Hi,” Phoebe said, her cheeks turning pink.

  “Hi, Phoebe, nice to meet you.” He shook her hand too.

  When Jonah lowered his head to his books for a moment, Phoebe nudged me with her elbow and mouthed “cute.” I rolled my eyes at her and looked ahead as the professor entered the classroom.

  “By the way,” Jonah started. “I’m sorry about the dent in your SUV. Since I’m responsible for what happens with my brothers and around my house, I want to pay to have it fixed.”

  I shook my head. “No. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

  He looked at me, those bright blue eyes fixed on mine. “Bia, it’s my responsibility. I will pay for it. In fact, we should take your car to my mechanic after class. What do you think?”

  I opened my mouth to tell him I could do it myself, but then the professor strolled into the classroom. I pointed to the front. “Class is starting,” I said.

  He leaned back on his chair with a smile that told me he wouldn’t give up that easy.

  ***

  I was able to ditch Jonah after class. Actually, Phoebe and I rushed out of the classroom before he could catch up with us, and ran across the courtyard to avoid him.

  “Why don’t you want him to pay for it?” she asked as we entered the coffee shop at the student center. />
  “Well, for starters, I can afford it.”

  “But, girl, he’s cute, and he’s totally into you.”

  We stopped by the cashier and ordered our drinks.

  “He just met me,” I said while we waited for our drinks.

  “It didn’t seem that way when he smiled at you and sat beside you.”

  We picked up our drinks, made a beeline to a small round table in the middle of the shop, and sat down.

  I told her about how Jeff and Garrett hit my car with the football while Jonah enjoyed the sun right in the front yard of their fraternity house, then that I saw them again while seated right at that same coffee place.

  “See? Don’t really know him.”

  She smiled. “It seems to me that he wants to get to know you. Why don’t you want to get to know him?”

  “It’s not that. It’s just … classes just started. There will be plenty of time and plenty of parties to meet interesting guys. I prefer to have some fun before starting something right away. Besides, he’s probably younger than me.” And I was thinking of his friend. His cowboy boots told me he was more my taste.

  “One—” She raised her index finger. “—age is just a number. Nobody cares about it. Two—” She raised her middle finger. “—who says it isn’t going to be fun. Three—” She lifted her ring finger. “—who says it’ll end up in something. You guys can just go out a couple of times, have fun together, and then realize you don’t want to be tied up, or maybe you two are too different, or whatever. But do you see my point?”

  Yes, she had a point. But come on! It was the first week of classes. I had time to worry about boys later.

  “I see your lips moving, but I don’t hear anything,” I teased.

  Phoebe slapped my arm and laughed. “Okay, I’ll drop this subject for now.”

  Chapter Four

  Finally, bid night was past us and I didn’t join any sorority—Audrey and Sarah didn’t try to hide their disappointment very well.

  Saturday, Molly seemed like another person. She smiled at me and treated me like a good friend. It seemed that not joining a sorority had been the right choice for the sake of my friendship with my roommate.

  “Are you sure you want to go like that?” she asked.

  I spun around to face the mirror. I had opted for a jean skirt, red Lucchese boots, a white blouse, red earrings, and a silver bracelet with a horseshoe charm. “What’s wrong with it?”

  She shook her head and smile. “Nothing. Like I said before, I’m not used to seeing a girl wearing cowboy boots all the time.”

  “But this is Colorado. I mean, aren’t there a lot of cowgirls around here?”

  “Yes, but we don’t run in the same circles.”

  I stared at her reflection in the mirror. What was that supposed to mean? Whatever it was, I shook it off.

  At six, we walked the short distance to the courtyard. It was strange how parties started early here. This one more than most, but even others. By two in the morning, everything was quieting down and closing. In Brazil, everyone would get together for dinner or private parties before going to clubs, and that would happen only after midnight. In most cases, not before two in the morning. The club would keep it going until the sun was up. True story.

  I had seen university employees and some students working around the courtyard during the day, but I didn’t think they would be able to do too much in so little time. I mean, the courtyard was simple. A big square between several buildings, heavy wooden chairs and tables spread through the vast grass, and a three-foot tall stage area in the center. But this? This was a miracle. There were stands lining the outer circle of the courtyard, selling all kinds of drinks and food. Some were game stands manned by Greek houses. Large pieces of white and blue fabric—the colors of the university—were tied together, creating canopies every twenty feet, like a big tent, and white twinkling lights, like the ones people decorate their houses with during Christmastime, adorned lamps, trees, and the stage. It looked a little overboard, but cute and thoughtful.

  “Wow,” I whispered.

  “I know, right?” Molly said. “It’s practically the same every year, but the impact never lessens.” She linked her arm to mine. “Let’s go find Audrey and Sarah.”

  She weaved us through the crowd, and I saw every kind of human being alive. White, black, yellow, brown, guys with pink hair, girls with metal all over their face, Asian, Latin, goth, geek, punk, athletes, groupies, the girls who looked like Miss America, and the guys who look like rock stars.

  We halted by a stand decorated with pink and gold stuff, and lots of blond girls milling around, in charge of a ring toss game on empty bottles. I had met some of the girls from Molly’s sorority throughout the week, but I couldn’t remember one name to save face. I just waved and smiled when they greeted me.

  The stand next to theirs was decorated in black and orange, and the huge stuffed bat on top of it was a dead giveaway. What shocked me though was the game they had chosen. A kissing booth! The guys were in a line inside the stand, and girls came to them, gave them a dollar bill, and the guy in the line gave her a brief peck on the lips. I laughed.

  “They can be so ridiculous,” Audrey said, also watching the stand. “Only they could come up with a kissing booth and not look desperate.”

  “Boys will be boys.”

  “Exactly.” She smiled at me.

  I recognized a few guys from the line who the girls had introduced to me earlier, but again I was at a loss for names.

  Seriously, I remembered the telephone number of my parents’ first phone number, my first cell phone’s number, and also Leo’s, Ricardo’s, Pedro’s, Gui’s, and Gabriela’s. I even remembered Leticia’s, my best friend back in Brazil. I knew the passport number and driver’s license numbers of everyone in my family—things that I didn’t really want or needed to memorize. However, did I remember the name of the person I met a couple hours ago? No. What a waste of memory space.

  I looked around. Students were everywhere. Some giggling girls walked past us. A bunch of boys yelled and bumped fists. Two couples played at the stands, girls versus guys, and they laughed each time the other team missed. Some girls from the other sororities stopped by and hugged Audrey and Sarah as if they were besties. Another group of girls sneaked past us with a hidden bottle of vodka. Another group of guys ran by throwing a football and laughing. A few couples strolled around the courtyard, holding hands and sharing starstruck gazes. By my side, Molly, Audrey, and Sarah seemed content, chatting and observing the crowd.

  Once more, a warm sensation spread through my chest. I was here, and this was going to be great. I just knew it.

  “You’re over twenty-one, right?” Audrey asked. I nodded. She turned to a guy from The Bat and whispered something in his ear. He disappeared inside the orange and black stand. She just smiled at me. Five minutes later, he came back with three plastic red cups. “Thanks,” she said, taking the cups from him. She gave me one and handed the other to Sarah.

  “Thanks,” I said, looking inside the cup. Beer, of course. Molly pouted at us and I smiled. “Soon.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I keep telling myself,” Molly said.

  For a second, I considered giving my beer to Molly and telling her to pretend it was soda. I mean, who could guess what it was with these red cups. However, that wasn’t right. I didn’t want to start our friendship by shoving beer at a minor.

  But I didn’t want it either.

  The same guy walked by us, and I touched his arm.

  “Oh, hello there, beautiful,” he said, flashing me a big smile. “Haven’t seen you around here. Are you with them?” He gestured to Audrey, Sarah, and Molly.

  “She’s with us, Robbie, but she’s not at the sorority,” Sarah said.

  “What’s your name?” the guy asked.

  “Bia.”

  “Do I detect a hint of accent there?”

  “Yes, I’m Brazilian.” His eyes went wide, and I saw his jaw working. He
would ask the many questions I always got, so I cut him off. “Listen, are there more drinks back there?” I gestured to the beer and the stand.

  “Yeah, we have a full bar. Want me to get you anything?”

  “No, thanks. I can get it myself.” I turned to the girls and said, “Be right back.”

  I walked to the narrow alley between the stands. I had to tiptoe around a girl from the ATN and a guy from The Bat, who were leaning against the wall in a full make-out session. I averted my eyes, not from embarrassment, but because I wanted that too. I mean, I wouldn’t kiss just any guy—that wasn’t me—but I missed it. I missed flirting; I missed being held and kissed. I sighed, reminding myself that I was here now, away from my father and my brothers. What better place was there to flirt and go on a couple of dates than during college? If it was like in Brazil, this was the best place to get my heart broken a few times. After all, that was all part of life, right?

  I entered through the back door and halted. Robbie wasn’t kidding. They had a tall shelf filled with bottles, a mini fridge, and three coolers in the back of the stand.

  I threw the beer in a garbage can, found one of the many bottles of whiskey, poured a good dose in a red cup, grabbed a can of Coke from inside the fridge, and dumped half of it with the whiskey.

  “My kind of girl.”

  I jumped and nearly dropped the cup. Bah, if I had dropped it, my boots would have been ruined and I would have killed the jerk who—

  I turned around, ready to yell at whomever, but shut my mouth when I found myself face-to-face with Garrett.

  He sidestepped me and poured himself some of whiskey. No Coke. He extended his cup to me. I just watched it. One side of his lips twitched up, and he wrapped his finger around my wrist and moved my arm, until our cups bumped into each other. “Cheers.” He let go of my arm and took a sip from his cup.

  I cleared my throat and drank a big gulp.

  In silence, we watched the guys lining up to kiss random girls through a small glass window in the center of the front door. One of them walked away from his turn wiping his mouth, and I laughed.