A Different Side (University Park #4) (14 page)

I checked my Facebook page again. She still hadn’t accepted my friend request. Why? Did she have something to hide? Maybe. Delaney had accepted my request an hour after I sent it. I considered asking her, but decided to play it safe. I didn’t want Lexi pissed at me.

The next day seemed to drag as I hauled my butt to the field for practice and then to the gym. Josh, Shawn, and I met up with Luke on Wednesday night and I considered telling him I’d met Delaney, but when I saw him talking to another girl, I withheld. I didn’t need to get in the middle of anything. I had enough problems.

Thursday morning snuck up on me and I stressed all through class, thinking of how I’d ask Lexi about her ring. No matter how hard I tried to phrase it, it didn’t sound right. I needed to get it together. This was never a problem before. The professor dismissed the class and I shuffled out, hoping no one stopped me. I needed some time to think about what I wanted to say.

I exited the building and my phone buzzed. I pulled it from my pocket and held my breath when I saw Lexi’s name flash across the screen. Was she canceling on me?

Lexi: Hey, Raven, the writing center is flooded so we have to find another meeting place. How about the library?

I exhaled a deep breath and clenched the phone. She wasn’t canceling.
Yeah!
I really didn’t want to meet in the library again. Beth was probably working today and since I’d been avoiding her, that spelled disaster. I cracked a smile, considering my apartment as an alternative meeting place, but I knew that would be a really bad idea.

Me: No problem. But I don’t like meeting in the library.

Lexi: Okay. We can meet at my dorm, there’s a study room downstairs.

I lifted my eyes from the screen. That was even better.

Me: That’s fine. See you in an hour.

Lexi:
See you then.

I shoved my phone in my pocket and crossed the street to the student union. It was the closest place to Charter Hall where I could get something to eat and not be late to my tutoring session. I sat at a small table in the back, hoping no one noticed me. Most students left me alone, or at least the guys did, but girls seemed to hover around me like bees waiting to suck the nectar from the stem. My stem was getting tired of being the attraction of the season. Maybe I really was ready for a change.

“Your sandwich is ready.” The guy behind the counter held up a sack.

I got up and took the bag from him. “Thanks.”

I sat down, unwrapped my sandwich, and caught sight of three girls. I quickly looked away, hoping they didn’t see me. Wishful thinking.

“Raven, what are you doing?” Abby and her friends headed toward me.

Great.

I wanted nothing more than to ignore them. “Hey.” I gave a slight wave. The
Silicone Triplets
, their coined name around PHU, wore short, micro-mini skirts and toddler-sized tops that barely covered their breasts. “They allow students to dress like that in class?” I withheld the laugh dying to escape.

“Funny.” Abby twirled her long, dark locks around her index finger, while giving me a pouty look. Her lips were swollen red. Either she’d just had them injected or just finished sucking on something…maybe both.

“What, you don’t like this look?” Nicole adjusted her shirt, making sure her belly ring showed. I had to admit, it was sexy.

“I guess.” I shrugged as I took a bite of my food.

“Are you ready for the game Friday night?” Abby asked as she leaned against the table, giving me a clear shot of her cleavage.

I took a hard swallow. Why the hell did girls constantly do this to me? “I’ve been practicing.”

“Good. Because we are betting on you to win.” She rolled her pointed fingernails along the top of the table. My skin goosed over, recalling how she left huge scratches on my back. Being in bed with these three girls was freaky and I vowed never to do it again. Completely different from Macy, Jennifer, and Shannon — the
Silicone Triplets
were into S&M and that really wasn’t my style. Looking at them, you would never know.

“Is that so?” I held the water bottle to my lips and took several gulps.

“Thirsty?” Paige smiled at me.

“And hungry.” I shoved the sandwich in my mouth, hoping to disgust them.

“I know how to fix that.” Paige popped her gum and then played with it using her tongue. How she did that without getting it caught on her tongue ring was beyond me. Then again, she knew how to do some freaky things with her tongue. If Lexi weren’t on my mind, it might have enticed me. But it didn’t.

“Yeah, so do I.” I continued eating, not giving in to her antics.

“Are you going to the Kappa Sig party afterwards?” Abbey asked after an awkward minute.

I shrugged. “Not sure. Depends on how the game goes.” And that was the truth. If we lost, which I didn’t plan on, I wouldn’t be going to any parties. Maybe I needed to stop going to parties and drinking altogether — make a change for the better.

Abbey sighed. “Oh. I thought maybe you could pick us up after the game.” She dragged her nail along the table as she strode closer toward me.

“Um, not sure about that.” I quickly crossed my arms and sat straight. “I’m usually tired after the game.”

Abbey traced her finger along the sleeve of my upper arm as she walked behind me. Leaning over, she whispered, “Don’t worry. We’ll do all the work this time.”

Paige and Nicole kept their devilish smiles fixed on me. These girls were trying to intimidate me. It wasn’t working, or so I told myself.

A laugh launched from my throat. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll pass.”

“Are you sure?” She grazed the edge of my ear with the tip of her tongue. My spine tensed, but I didn’t flinch.

How did I get involved with these girls? I shook my head internally. It was my own fault. This was the world I had created and now I had to live in it. Would it ever change?

“I’m positive.”

Nicole and Paige crossed their arms in unison, shooting me their pitiful duck faces. They looked scarier than the defensive line up from last week. Behind those beautiful faces lured an animal in each of them dying to eat me alive.

“That’s what you say now.” Abbey straightened. “We’ll catch you at the party. I’m sure we can help you change your mind.”

I inclined my head. “Who knows?”

Abbey smirked. “Catch you later, Raven.”

“See you later, girls.” I waved at them and then devoured the rest of my food. I looked at my phone. I had less than ten minutes to meet with Lexi and had no idea what I was going to say.

∑

Chapter 9

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

~Nelson Mandela

I paced up and down the sidewalk, rehearsing the question in mind.

So, Lexi, I see that you have a ring on your finger. Do you have a boyfriend?

I couldn’t help but notice the ring on your left hand. Are you engaged?

It all sounded stupid and I couldn’t figure out why I was so worked up over it. It was no big deal. I’d messed around with plenty of girls who had boyfriends. There was even one time I hooked up with some girl in the bathroom at a bar only to find out she was celebrating her bachelorette party while we were screwing. But it was a big deal. I never willingly tried to ruin someone’s relationship. I did have some ethics and morals I adhered to, regardless of what I’ve done or was known for doing.

The door to Charter Hall opened and hit me in the arm.

“Oh my gosh.” A short girl stumbled back. “Are you okay?”

I rubbed my arm, working out the bruise that would soon appear. “Yeah. I’m good.”

“I didn’t see you there. Do you need in?” She kept the door open with her petite body.

I flashed her a smile. “Yes, I have a study session.”

“Come one in.” Her green eyes softened. “Just make sure you check in with the front desk, okay?”

“Of course,” I nodded, “thanks.”

“Sure.” She bounced out the front door, adjusting her backpack.

I walked to the front desk, but didn’t see anyone. I thought about texting Lexi to let her know I was there, but grabbed a seat across from the piano. Memories of Lexi playing and us singing a few days ago inundated me. It was probably one of the best times I’d ever had with a girl. And it wasn’t sexual, which was weird. I mean, was that even possible? Maybe I was starting to learn how to have a relationship with a female.

I leaned forward in the chair, resting my arms on my thighs. Words continued to tumble in my head, making no sense. A couple of girls shuffled in and out of the dormitory and I kept a keen eye out for Lexi. I checked my phone, making sure I hadn’t missed a call or text when the door opened again. Lexi walked in, running her fingers through her wind-blown hair. I tried not to stare at her, but she was so damn beautiful.

She had on a PHU V-neck tee paired with jeans that accentuated her shape. Even though she was thin, she had curves in all the right places. I could only imagine what she looked like naked. I smiled at the thought and then pushed it aside. She smiled back at me and every muscle relaxed, putting me at ease. My brain turned to mush and the ring on her finger was forgotten.

“Enjoying the warm weather today?” She glanced at my legs and then gave me a once over. Yeah, she was checking me out too.

Score.

“When it’s nice outside, I take advantage of it.” I stood and watched as her eyes traveled up and down my body. She wasn’t done checking me out. The muscles in my legs weakened and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Every time I got close to her, my body did weird things. Things I wasn’t used to. Things I didn’t understand. But for whatever reason, I welcomed it.

“So, um, let’s grab a room.” Her eyes darted away from me and she scurried past me.

I followed her to a small study room, next to the main sitting area. She closed the door and suddenly the room became ten times smaller. It was just her and me in that eight by eight room. Her presence was comforting and I felt so close to her. Not only physically, but emotionally. A magnetic-like force drew me to her and there was no denying what I was feeling.

We tossed our bags on the table and I took out my paper. “You’ll be proud of me.” I handed her my work.

She eased it from my hand and glanced over it. “You already typed your blog post for the week?” A look of surprise and satisfaction covered her face.

Finally, I had done something right. “Yep.” I sat opposite her.

She eased into the chair and with her eyes fixed on my paper, she used her left hand to search through her backpack. She pulled out a pen and clicked it once. “This is great, Raven.” She made a few circles. “I’m so proud of you.” She handed me back my paper, keeping a perfect smile on her face.

I took the paper from her. My eyes skimmed over my blog post and it didn’t take long for the satisfaction to fade away. Several marks covered the paper and I cringed at the silly mistakes I’d made. I should have caught this — this was basic grammar stuff. I felt like an idiot.

“Is something wrong?”

I shook my head. “No, I just want it to be perfect.”

She leaned forward, getting closer to me. “And it will be. Just give yourself some time. We’ve only been meeting for a few weeks and look at the progress you’ve made.”

I twitched my lips to the side. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“So, is that it?”

I glanced at her. I wasn’t ready to leave, we had just started. Besides, I needed to ask her about her ring, which I quickly noticed. “Nope. I have a report due in a few weeks and I thought we could get started.”

“Okay.” A tiny sigh escaped and I sensed some uneasiness.

Was she tired of helping me? Or did she not want to be around me? Maybe I needed to show her I was taking the initiative and doing what she expected of me — prove her tutoring helped.

“You’ll be glad to know I already read the material.” I handed her a book titled
Up From Slavery
by Booker T. Washington. I had totally skipped the library and went to the bookstore to buy it. All to avoid seeing Beth. If that didn’t show change and dedication, then I didn’t know what did. I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair.

“Great. Do you have the specifics about the paper?” She set the book in the middle of the table and I gathered she expected more of me. “What the professor wants you to do? Because I doubt she wants a basic book report.”

“Yep, it’s all right here.” I handed her the syllabus.

“Okay.” She reviewed the assignment and then slid the paper back in my direction. “Let’s start with a basic outline and incorporate the argument you’d like to make while keeping in mind the language the author uses to advance the viewpoint of the story.”

“Damn, you make this sound so easy.” I slumped into the chair. I hadn’t impressed her. In fact, I hadn’t even scratched the surface of what needed to be done.

She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t forget I’m an English major, studying to be a teacher.”

My head lifted. “I didn’t know you wanted to be a teacher. I know you like to read, based on all the books you have on your Kindle, but I thought you might want to be a writer or something.” I winked at her, hoping to gain some points, so she’d want to help me.

She shrugged. “Even though I love to read, I don’t necessarily love to write. I figured I’d be good at helping others.”

I leaned forward. “And, you are.”

Our eyes connected for a second, reconnecting that close, intimate feeling. She immediately tore her gaze from me. “Thanks. I think—”

High-pitched voices and sounds from the piano drowned her words. “What the heck is all that?” I turned my head to determine where it was coming from.

A choir of voices filtered through the door from the main foyer. It sounded like something from Phantom of the Opera with dark, ominous tones that made it impossible to hear one another. We wouldn’t be able to discuss my paper.