Carnelian

by B. Kristin McMichael

  “Not even going to say hello?” Seth asked. “Do you treat all your friends that way?” Seth teased and followed close behind me.

  “I wasn’t under the impression that we were friends,” I replied. My plan was to ignore him, but I failed at that.

  “Ouch,” Seth answered. “Why can’t I be your friend?”

  “You really want to be my friend?” I asked, and he nodded. “Then stop asking me out.”

  “Fair enough,” Seth replied. I eyed him suspiciously. “New friend, would you mind joining me for supper?” he asked. I shook my head in disbelief. No way he was giving up that easily after waiting for over an hour for me to leave my room, but my growling stomach told me I had no choice but to play his game, whatever it turned out to be.

  “Fine,” I replied and kept looking forward rather than at the cute brown eyes.

  “You don’t have to sound excited,” he added with a chuckle.

  He didn’t say anything more as we went into the cafeteria and got our food. He hovered not too far behind me, probably afraid I’d ditch him at the first chance I got. I would have if I had the guts, but since he was offering to play nice, then I would too. As we exited the food area into the seating area, I stopped to look around for a free table. Seth stood beside me and looked as well.

  “How about back there to the left?” he suggested, indicating a small, round table that was completely empty. I wasn’t thrilled to sit alone with him, but as girls sitting around stared at me, I was sure I didn’t want to sit near any of them either. I nodded to Seth and took off, weaving between tables to get back there.

  As I passed a table of all girls, one in particular was glaring knives at me. If looks could kill, I would have been dead steps ago. It was the sophomore brunette from the first day and I was pretty sure the very one throwing herself into Seth’s arms just a day ago. I looked to go around her table, but there were students and bags everywhere. Though I didn’t want to, I was going to have to walk right past her.

  “I don’t think your girlfriend likes us having a meal together, friend.” I emphasized the word “friend”.

  “I don’t have a girlfriend,” Seth replied again. He kept denying the girl I saw kissing him.

  “Then you sure have a strange way of greeting friends,” I added to myself. I don’t know if he heard me, but I was going to hope not after it came out of my mouth.

  I walked near the table and kept an eye out for the girls. The first girl I passed pushed her chair back as I neared. I just walked around her. The next pushed her bag out into the space between tables. That was easily avoidable also. All the girls at the table seemed to completely support the brunette. She was the last one I had to pass. As I neared her I kept my gaze elsewhere, pretending not to see her. On my last step by her, her leg shot out to trip me, carrying a tray full of food, none-the-less. I easily jumped her leg, and for once appreciated that I was extremely coordinated. Ignoring the group of girls, and the one that had now stopped Seth, I walked over to the table Seth had suggested. I sat down so that I didn’t have to see the others and began to eat my food without him. I was tempted to, but I didn’t, steal a glance back. He had to deal with his girlfriend on his own, especially if he planned to two-time her.

  She must have had a lot to say to him. By the time I was half-way through my sandwich, Seth finally sat at the table with me.

  “I’m sorry for Melissa’s behavior,” Seth said. I didn’t look at him.

  “Melissa?” I asked. It wasn’t one girl who tried to trip me up, but three. I assumed he was naming the one I saw him kissing before, she was the most obvious.

  “The one who tried to trip you,” Seth replied, oblivious to the other girls.

  “What you and your girlfriend do is your own matter, but maybe you shouldn’t try to date other girls and she wouldn’t act out,” I answered. It was common logic that a girlfriend didn’t want to see her boyfriend with another girl.

  “My girlfriend? Melissa?” Seth asked, surprised. “I haven’t dated her since winter of last year.”

  “Really? I don’t think she feels the same way,” I assessed. Either he was leading her on, or she just wasn’t getting the hint. I didn’t care either way. Well, maybe I cared a bit, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

  “I told her then that we could only be friends,” Seth replied, still baffled.

  “I’m not sure she heard you correctly.” I glanced to my left and saw her seething at me because I was sitting with Seth. I hated girls like her. I really wanted to smile and give her a little wave, but I knew she was mad at us for what she thought we were doing. I didn’t want to add fuel to her anger when I planned to only be friends with Seth.

  Seth scratched his head. “I have told her many times that I need to move on. She keeps coming back, and I keep telling her no. I’m pretty sure she hears what I say. I don’t know how I can be any more clear.” Seth didn’t even notice their table. He was only looking at me.

  “And yet just yesterday I saw you kissing her. That isn’t exactly saying you need to move on. You have to have a little interest, if you’re willing to kiss her. As a friend, since you want to be friends, I’ll tell you it isn’t good to send a girl mixed messages.”

  Seth pondered this a few moments as we both ate in silence.

  “So, friend,” he began, elongating the word friend. The way he said friend was enough to make me want to blush. How could he do that? “Can you explain to me why you won’t go on a date with me? Friends can tell each other this kind of stuff, right?” I scrunched up my face. I should have never called him friend.

  “Well, first off, you aren’t my type.” That was a lame excuse. I really didn’t have a type. I had more a type I was trying to avoid. “And second, I know nothing about you. Do you really think it’s safe for a girl to be alone with a guy, possibly in a car, and not know a thing about them?”

  “Okay the not knowing is valid,” he answered, nodding along with my case. “But I’m confused otherwise.”

  I shrugged. It wasn’t that confusing. When a girl says you’re not their type, most guys moved on.

  “How can you say I’m not your type if you know nothing about me? Maybe I’m more complex, or have deep, dark secrets that don’t show up in the football program brochure.” Seth pondered his assessment with a twinkle in his eyes.

  Okay, he had me there. “Fine. I know a little about you, and what I know makes you not my type. Regardless, it’s not enough that I’d feel comfortable alone with you,” I added to clarify. Seth was still smiling. He knew that he had the upper hand. I actually knew more about him that I was willing to admit. I finished the last bite of my sandwich as I waited for him to respond. He finished his food also and just smiled.

  “Then, friend, what is your type?” Seth smiled sweetly, playing the friend role perfectly. His kissable lips parted slightly when he smiled. Great. Friends was not a good idea. No way could I have a conversation with him without thinking about things I didn’t want to think about, and I had a feeling Seth knew what I was thinking.

  I stood up with my drink and tray in hand. The best solution was to flee. “The honest type that doesn’t have ten girls waiting to catch him when he turns away for a moment,” I answered him. Seth stood while I talked and followed me as I walked to the trash. Fleeing just went out the door when he chose to follow me. Guess I’d have to flee faster next time.

  “Well, I’d have to say I’m pretty honest,” Seth said, assessing himself.

  “Mm-hmm,” I replied. Not thinking, I just let the first question that popped into my head out. “Then where did you go to elementary school?”

  Seth’s mouth dropped open. I hadn’t meant to confront him on his shady past. I was intrigued, but I planned to look further without anyone knowing. It just kind of slipped out. Though Seth’s reaction told me all I needed to know. I was definitely on to something. He had a past he wasn’t willing to share. Honesty was not exactly a trait of his.

  “Running off already
?” Ty asked as he rounded the corner and came up to Seth and me. “What’s the hurry?”

  I smiled at Ty. I could look at him while talking and not have wandering thoughts about kissing him. Ty was safe and nice. Even though he had just as hidden of a past, I didn’t feel he had an agenda all the time like Seth. Maybe because he wasn’t asking me to date him.

  “I have to get the last of my homework done. Sim is dragging me to something called CRUSH tomorrow and she said it could take all day,” I told Ty.

  Seth recovered from my assessment of his honesty and smiled.

  “Then we will be seeing you there,” Seth answered for both him and Ty. “I have to defend my title after all. I had the best time in last year’s qualifying round.” Seth was gloating, but coming from him it was more like he was stating fact. I had no doubts Mr. Perfect, all-star athlete had the best time. From everything I read in his file, there wasn’t much he did wrong, probably not even kissing. Crap. I was looking at his lips again as he talked.

  “Are you competing?” Ty asked, bringing me back from my daydreams.

  “Wasn’t planning on it, but I’m sure Sim will force me to,” I complained. I could already see Sim’s excitement about it. Competing seemed like it was on the table already. And once again, I’d be seeing Seth Sangre.

  “Can’t wait to see it,” Seth replied. “See you tomorrow, friend.”

  I had a feeling that no matter what I did, I’d be seeing a lot of Seth Sangre this year.

  Chapter 5

  CRUSH

  The lawn of the commons was completely filled with college students. There were more people on the lawn than I saw around campus in the past two days. When my alarm went off at eight on a Saturday morning, I was completely ready to hit snooze. Instead, I found that Sim was already out of bed and showered. It was a big deal for her, but I didn’t know how many other people were just as excited. I pulled at the strap of my swimsuit, which was sticking outside my shirt collar. Sim said it was necessary to wear a suit as they always had a water challenge. I really didn’t want to compete, but I couldn’t let her down. She was too excited. Now I saw she wasn’t the only one. It felt like maybe everyone on campus was just as excited.

  Sim pulled me forward through the crowd to the tables by the commons’ doorways. Students were taking names and writing numbers on competitors. Seth had said he would see me here, but I was relieved to find he would probably not with all the people milling around. I really didn’t want him to see me in a swimsuit. Even though I was determined to not have a crush on him, he was growing on me, and he was just too darn cute.

  “Murdley Hall,” said Sim as we got to the front of the line. “Sim, room 215.” The student wrote down her name and room before standing up and grabbing a green sharpie marker. Sim held out her arm and the number 478 was written on her left arm in green ink. The person next to us said Mardone Hall and had a red number written on her arm.

  “Building?” the student asked me.

  “Murdley,” Sim replied for me as I was distracted, watching the mess around us.

  “Mari, room 215,” I answered before the student could ask more. The student picked up the same green marker and I held out my arm. Number 479 was written on my arm. It looked like there was no going back now.

  “Tim will be talking in about five minutes on the stage to the left,” the student said to Sim and me. I looked back and the student was pointing to his left, and sure enough there was a stage on the far end of the commons lawn. On the opposite side was another stage with large, white, empty marker boards.

  Sim grabbed my arm and started to drag me through the groups of students. I didn’t know where we were going, but heading toward the stage was the general direction. As she slowed down, I finally noticed our destination as she went toward Ty. He was large enough to stand out amongst the other students. My stomach sank as I noted his companions. Beside Ty were his brothers, Seth and Dee.

  “Hey, Sim and Mari,” Ty called, waving us forward a few more feet through a crowd that was splitting to accommodate his large, waving arms. “Ready for some fun?”

  “How would you know?” Sim asked, eyeing him up. Ty was a freshman like us, but probably had already received advice from his brothers. Sim had explained to me last night that the freshman typically finished slower than the upperclassmen, because they had never done it before.

  Ty smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “Maybe I’ll get time to give you some pointers also,” he tried to make amends with us.

  “Hello, friend,” Seth said into my ear as he bumped his shoulder to mine, standing right next to me.

  Tingles shot through my shoulder where he touched me and my heart raced a little. Darn boy had to be cute, but I was not going to fall for him. I was going to be strong and stick to my new rule. I wasn’t going to be number twenty-four in his book. I needed to repeat that mantra to stay strong, especially when he was standing close enough that I could smell the faint scent of fresh linen off of him. Seth laughed softly, just enough for me to hear, like he could read my internal struggle on my face.

  “Can everyone quiet down?” a tall, lanky guy said from the stage into a microphone. Thankfully I could turn my attention to him instead of Seth. The guy didn’t look that old and actually seemed a bit out of place. He looked more like a California surfer with his sun-bleached hair, than a Minnesota college student.

  “I’m Tim, this year’s CRUSH president,” he explained to the crowd. People around us cheered for him. “We have quite a few contestants, as always, and I think we need to get started if we want to finish by party time. If everyone can stop at the sign-in table for a minute, I’ll explain this year’s competition for house teams.” At his command the tables were all quiet and everyone on the commons’ lawn was facing Tim. It was strange to see such concentration from college students, especially those that seemed a bit hung over from the night before.

  “The rules first. This is an obstacle course race with six stops. You’re ranked based on how quickly you do each leg of the race. When you’re ready, come up to this table and take a clipboard. Fill out your name and number. Choose two people to be timers. Choose one person from your house and one person not. They will be your official timers. You will earn points for how quickly you do each leg of the race and how quickly you finish overall. Does that all make sense?” Tim paused and ran his hands through his blond hair. Cheers went up all around me from the other students ready to compete. This was sounding less and less like fun.

  “The six courses are set up around the college. Don’t worry about moving between courses as we just time the course itself. First course is the balloon carry over by Stradley Hall. Carry two balloons from one end of the course to the other end. Second is by Merry Hall, the ball toss. There are seven balls from seven different sports. Throw them in their right containers, such as shoot the basketball through the basketball hoop. Third is the ROTC course. Run one lap. Easy enough?” Cheers were all around. I really didn’t even know what a ROTC course was, but I guessed I was going to find out. “Fourth and fifth are at the swim center. In the large pools is the fourth. There are bags at the bottom of the pool. Dive in and get three bags all of the same color. Bring them back out and put the puzzle together. Fifth is at the shallow pools. There are logs to cross the pool. Just make it from one side to the other. Last is the bike race in the commons’ parking lot. Once around the track, just never let the bike seat leave your butt or you have to start over. And with that, let’s begin our greatest CRUSH year ever.”

  Cheers erupted around me. I wasn’t sure what everyone was happy about. I barely caught everything he had said. Students rushed the stage and grabbed all the boards to begin. It would be awhile before we would get a chance, and that would give me time to see what each course was. I hated doing anything unprepared. I turned to find that Sim and Ty were already excitedly talking. Seth bumped his arm to mine again, sending tingles down my arm.

  “Do you need any advice?” Seth asked. I couldn’t tel
l if he was kidding or not, but I didn’t get the chance to ask him as someone stuck a board into his hands.

  I could feel the eyes of all the girls around us staring at Seth. Some even moved to position themselves better in his line of sight. I didn’t realize why until I saw the two dangling timers in his hands now. He needed to choose people to time him since somehow someone dropped a clipboard into his hands. I bet every girl around us wanted to be chosen by him. I held back a laugh. What girls would do for a pretty face, well that and a nice body.

  “Dee,” Seth called to his brother who was talking to another pretty girl. “Do me the favor?”

  “No problem.” Dee caught the timer as Seth flipped it to him.

  Before I saw which girl Seth was choosing, I turned to find him placing the timer loop over my head. I was about to say something when he added.

  “What? Aren’t we friends? Friends help friends out, don’t they?” Fantastic. Again, I regretted the whole friend thing. Girls all around us were either glaring or going back to whatever they were doing before Seth got his clipboard. At least the crowd was too thick with students for me to see the one person I was sure wouldn’t only be glaring but spitting fire by now. Seth pulled his shirt off and tossed it to Ty. By now she would have probably started a fist fight over him, and I wouldn’t blame her. Something about Seth was drawing me to him, and I couldn’t rule out his rock hard abs. I really needed to get away if I was going to keep that promise to myself. But he had used the friend line, I couldn’t turn Seth down. Instead, I followed him on his way to the first race.

  I wasn’t really sure what to expect with CRUSH, but by the time I got to the first stop, I realized it was complete chaos. Students were already competing in the balloon race. It sounded easy enough to get two balloons from one end to the other, but clearly it wasn’t that simple. First off, the balloons were huge and filled with water. A stick-thin girl to the far left kept dropping a balloon which was probably half her weight. Second, the balloons were coated in something that obviously made them slick as the muscle guy next to us would make it only two feet before dropping his balloon. It was becoming clear this wasn’t just about athletics. It actually took some brains, too. And here I thought Seth won last year based on his athletic skills. Maybe there was a bit more I didn’t know about Seth Sangre.