Until Next Time (The Shooting Stars Series) (9 page)

“Hey, Kattie, these came for you,” Emily announced as she came into the room with balloons attached to a porcelain teddy bear. Emily was in a couple of classes with Katherine and was a dorm mate from a few doors down.

Katherine sat up and frowned at the gift.

“Who’s it from?” Amy asked.

“’Happy birthday, Kaitlyn. I hope everything is going well for you. Love, Adam,’” she read to her friends.

“That’s sweet, when is your birthday?” Emily asked.

“Tomorrow,” she said as she set the bear on her desk.

“Too bad he’s in another state,” Amy sighed for her.

“Yes, it is. I still miss him, Amy.”

“You know, you and Kevin may have been going out, Kattie; but he never really had more than a corner of your heart did he?” Amy was studying her closely.

“Barely that,” she admitted.

***

Katherine was happy to return home for the summer. She visited with her friends, got a job, and enjoyed seeing her mom and dad each evening. It was both welcome and odd to be home after living on her own for a year. She wasn’t accustomed to answering for where she was any longer.

Over the summer she received several more letters from Adam and one from Kevin apologizing for his behavior, and asking to see her again. She politely declined. She wasn’t going to waste her time on him or any other man until she was through with her education. It would make her life a lot less complicated.

When fall arrived and a new school year with it, Katherine was happy to pack her things and head to college. Now that she knew the lay of the land and what to expect, she intended to use it to her advantage. She left the elevators to those who didn’t mind the wait and started climbing the stairs. She and Amy would be roommates this year and sharing a suite with Kim and Faith; four women to one bath was very preferable to a community bath. She peered at the floor number over her pile of boxes; one more to go.

“The stairs seem steeper this year,” her father joked.

“I think they are in this building,” she acknowledged.

She emerged onto her floor to find the hall teaming with students.

“Kattie!” Kim came rushing up and took a box from Katherine as she led the way to their room. “I saw Theo earlier; you are not going to believe what he did with his hair. He shaved it completely off; he’s bald!” Kim shared.

“Look out inside!” Amy called over her boxes. “I think everything I own is soaked!” she groused.

“Amy!” Katherine rushed to hug her as soon as she had set her things on the bed.

“Of course you beat me here,” Amy laughed as she returned her hug.

“You know me; I’m always early,” Katherine laughed.

“As opposed to being late everywhere like me?” Amy smiled.

“Hello, Mr. Mayfield, Mrs. Mayfield,” Amy greeted.

“Hello, Amy.”

“Well, hello, Kattie.” Amy’s mom greeted. “Just set that box over there, Brian,” she instructed her son.

“Brian, this is my roomie, Kattie. Kattie, this is my brother Brian. He graduated from here the year before we came. He is the one who taught me how to play basketball.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Katherine smiled.

Brian looked like a male version of Amy, only taller.

“The pleasure’s mine. You guys be careful and watch out for these college guys,” he gave them brotherly advice.

“We will,” Amy assured him. “Shouldn’t someone have warned Lisa about you?”

“I was a perfect gentleman,” he defended himself.

“Right, I’m sure you were,” Amy rolled her eyes.

“I guess we should be going,” Katherine’s parents announced. Amy’s parents left behind them.

“I am sooooo happy to see you,” Amy hugged Katherine close.

“It’s good to see you too. I missed you over the summer.”

“I know, weird huh?” Amy joked.

“We should unpack,” Katherine tore open one of her boxes.

“Are these your high school friends?” Amy picked up a photo. Katherine hadn’t brought many pictures the year before for fear it would make her homesick.

“Yeah, I didn’t see much of them over the summer.”

“I’m guessing this is Adam with his arms around you?”

“Yes, it is,” she nodded.

“No wonder you fell for him.”

“He is very nice looking but it was more than his looks, Amy.”

“I know. Did you hear any more from him over summer?”

“I did actually; he wrote quite a bit and we talked on the phone too.”

“So where do things stand between you two?” Amy quirked a brow in inquiry.

“Friends,” she sighed. “Only we don’t talk like friends.”

“Does he know about Kevin?”

“I told him,” Katherine admitted, “Not that there was much to tell.”

“No, you two barely qualified as a couple.”

“How’s Clark?”

“Good; leaving again was hard. This is what I get for dating an older man I guess.”

“Kevin wrote me this summer,” Katherine shared.

“Oh?”

“He and his fiancée broke up again so he thought perhaps we might date again. I told him no.”

“He’s a cute guy but a little dense,” Amy rolled her eyes.

“I know,” Katherine laughed. “I need to run over to the office and check in on a couple of things.” Katherine folded up her last box.

“If it is still raining like it was earlier, you’ll want to drive,” Amy advised.

“It’s still raining,” Katherine grabbed her umbrella. “I’ll be back shortly,” she promised as she left the room.

She took one look at the cars milling around and decided to walk. She feared she would never find a parking space if she gave up the one she had. She hadn’t yet gotten her parking assignment. Resigned, she snapped her umbrella open and started up one of the many hills on campus. It didn’t take her long to figure out that walking had been a mistake; the wind was threatening to rip her umbrella right from her hands.

“Kaitlyn!”

Katherine froze; only one person called her that. Her heart was racing as she turned. She saw him coming toward her and gave up her fight to hold on to her umbrella; she only hoped nobody was in its path.

“Adam,” she blinked at him as he approached.

Adam stopped in front of her, framed her face with his hands and a moment later was kissing her deeply. Katherine melted against him, wound her arms around him, and felt elation lift her heart.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded as she leaned back in his arms to look at him.

“Getting an education,” he smiled down at her.

“Are you serious?” her eyes widened.

“I’m serious,” he nodded.

Katherine cupped his head with her hand and pulled him back close for a kiss.

“I missed you so much,” she admitted after she pulled back.

“I missed you too. We’re getting soaked you know?” he was smiling now.

“I don’t care,” she shook her head.

“Where were you going?” he asked her.

“To the office to ask about a couple of things,” she admitted.

“I need to see them a moment too,” he took her hand and they continued on their way together.

“What did you do to your hair?” she finally asked.

“I bleached it,” he grinned at her.

She crinkled her nose and he leaned over to kiss her lightly on the lips.

“Don’t like it?” he asked.

“I liked the way your hair and eyes matched,” she admitted. “What made you decide to enroll?” she asked him.

“It didn’t take me long in the factory to figure out I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life on the assembly line worrying over strikes,” he shared. “I took my first year at the local community college,” he held the building door open for her.

“That’s why you were so busy,” she stopped and frowned at him. “I thought you were blowing me off; why didn’t you tell me?”

“In case I was a dismal failure at it,” he shrugged.

“But you weren’t, were you?” she smiled at him.

“No, I did alright,” he admitted.

“I told you’re smart,” she turned and resumed walking.

“Kattie!” Theo called as he scooped her into a hug. “Girl, you are soaking wet; what happened to you?”

“Hey, Theo,” she greeted him with a smile. “I ran into Adam and lost my battle with the wind; it stole my umbrella. Theo, this is Adam. Adam, my friend Theo,” she introduced them.

“Hi, Adam; welcome to UT Knoxville. I hope you like it,” Theo smiled.

“Thanks, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Kattie, Theo; we’re all meeting at The Spot at six-thirty. You gonna come?” Faith called from where she was in line.

“I will be there,” Kattie called back and then turned to Adam. “You should come; you can meet everyone,” she shared.

“I’d like that,” he smiled at her.

Katherine and Adam parted ways to see to their errands and then met back out front.

“Where are you living?” Katherine asked him.

“Just off campus. I got an apartment.”

“I figured you’d live on campus,” she noted.

“I missed the housing deadline. It took me a bit to get everything and my money in order.”

“Well you’re here and that is what matters,” Katherine smiled at him as they walked together. “You want to meet my roommate?”

“Sure,” he smiled and let her lead him to her dorm. They dodged students and parents who were still unloading and working to get settled as they made their way upstairs.

“Amy?” Katherine called as she entered their room. The room was empty, laughter coming from the short hallway where the bath was between their room and Kim and Faith’s.

“Kattie? Who were you lip locked with outside the administrative building?” Amy’s voice demanded from the next room.

Katherine felt her cheeks heat before her friend emerged from the hallway. She watched Amy’s eyes light when she noted Adam beside her.

“I still cannot figure out how news travels so fast on a campus this size,” Katherine shook her head.

“Adam, right? You changed your hair,” Amy, her hand extended, came forward.

“Right and you must be Amy, you look just the way Kaitlyn described you,” Adam smiled as he shook her hand.

“So much for introducing you two,” Katherine laughed.

“I hear a man talking,” Kim stuck her head in the room. “Hello,” Kim smiled as she entered the room.

“A man?” Faith came in behind Kim.

“I’m Kim,” she gave him a flirtatious smile.

“Cool it, Kim, that’s the man Kattie was plastered against just a few minutes ago,” Faith shared.

“Sorry,” Kim offered.

“Kim, Faith, this is Adam. Adam, my friends Kim and Faith,” she introduced them.

“This is Adam?” Faith’s smile widened. “We heard a lot about you last year.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you were working in Detroit,” Amy asked of him.

“I was. I went to the local community college and transferred here this year. I’ve been here a few weeks actually but I knew Kaitlyn wouldn’t be arriving until today,” he explained.

“Kaitlyn?” Kim looked confused.

“Kattie; he calls her Kaitlyn,” Amy supplied.

“Why?” Kim asked.

“He gave me the nick name in high school,” Katherine shrugged. “So you’ve been here a few weeks and you didn’t even let me know?” she propped her hands on her hips.

“I wanted to surprise you. That’s why I called instead of writing the past couple of weeks.”

“You certainly did surprise me,” she admitted.

“It also gave me time to work out housing and a job,” he explained.

“Oh, we’re meeting at The Spot tonight; did Faith tell you?” Katherine turned to Amy.

“She did which means we should hurry,” Amy pointed out.

“We should, it was nice to meet you, Adam,” Kim smiled and then turned to go back to her room, Faith followed.

Katherine gathered dry clothing and moved into the bathroom to change.

“Can I do anything to help?” Adam offered when Katherine rejoined them.

“Help us move these beds around?” Katherine requested. Both her and Amy’s beds were bunks with desks on the bottom and had been placed at opposite ends of the room. She and Amy wanted to turn them so that they sat against the interior wall which would open their floor space. Adam helped them move the beds and then stepped back.

“How the hell am I supposed to make my bed?” Amy frowned at the bed as she held her sheets.

“Carefully?” Katherine suggested.

“Helpful, Kattie,” Amy shot her a quelling look.

They each managed to make their beds in a reasonably neat manner. Katherine knelt on her bed and looked around the room.

“I’ve never had a bunk bed,” she noted.

“I am missing out on dorm life,” Adam joked.