Chapter Text
Working an on campus job wasn't necessarily glamorous or fun, but I was nothing if not scrappy. The new school year was coming to a head in a few days and the library offered a strange amount of comfort. Especially after working within it throughout my freshman and sophomore years.
Kicking off my shift, I loaded my cart up with misplaced library books and began to place them on their correct shelves. I wasn't supposed to, but I had my airpods in so I could have a little something while I completed the monotonous task.
As I hummed and stood on my tiptoes to get to the higher shelves, I released an embarrassingly loud noise when I was tapped on the shoulder rather suddenly. Placing my hand to my heart I turned slowly, feeling my racing pulse slow as I cringed at the over reaction.
Shit.
I was even more humiliated to find that it was Tristan Fields. Beyond humiliated actually.
He was only the star quarterback, what had to be the most attractive guy on campus and also simultaneously the same guy I'd pined over for the last 2 years of my life. Which was deeply upsetting for a girl who did everything in her power to avoid dealing with men.
The curse started freshman year when he picked up a book of mine that clattered to the floor. It was a mindless action, something you'd do for the sake of being a good person. He uttered not a word, just smiled at me, with deep brown eyes and thick lashes. Glancing at me briefly before taking off and catching up with his friends.
Against my will, the gesture stayed with me and I found myself oddly enamoured by him. It wasn't my thing. Boys. And yet...
We'd only shared a couple classes with one another and I'd found that even when I wanted to be normal, I was nothing but tongue tied and sluggish around him. Which was evident now as I did nothing but open and close my mouth repeatedly as I stared at him.
This circumstance off-rip seemed to be worse than all my other clumsy awkward interactions with him, because although I could see his mouth moving, I heard absolutely zero sound.
I briefly and stupidly began to wonder if crushes gave you hearing loss before nearly leaping out of my skin when his hand hit the skin of my shoulder.
Holy shit. He was touching me.
My eyes widened from the shock as his hand slid up towards my neck, pausing at my ear as sound rushed through my senses. Realization poured through my veins.
He held my airpod in his hand, smiling at me profusely before taking my hand and placing it in my palm and closing it.
I shoved it in my jeans pocket, pulled out the other one and did the same. The rush of sound filled my ears once more as my skin burned.
I was humiliated. I mean truly all there was left to do was get racial reconstruction surgery, change my name and disappear into the night. That was my only option and shit was beyond saving.
"You okay?" He asked, breaking my panic spiral.
I nodded sharply. I didn't trust myself to speak.
"Olandria right?" He asked.
I nodded again. This time a flush touching my skin.
He remembered my name.
"I'm Tristan."
"I know," I whispered stupidly.
"Right. I think you were in my biology class."
I nodded like a fucking bobblehead once more.
"Yeah," I said choppily.
"I'm looking for the poetry section. I need it for my English class. Could you point me in the right direction?"
"Sure," I said softly. "You can um, follow me."
God I felt fucking moronic. Which in any other circumstance couldn't be farther from the truth.
I was a literal tutor. Not to mention I was on the deans list 2 years in the running with a current 3.9 gpa.
It was merely Tristan who brought the stupid out in me.
I had the sudden urge to drop to my knees and yell out "RELEASE ME." But I'd already behaved oddly enough for one day.
I gestured to the poetry section behind me once we reached the correct section. I blinked profusely as Tristan gave me another easy smile.
"Thanks Olandria," he said. "See you around?"
"Sounds like a plan," I said thickly.
I couldn't tell if the last look he shot me was because he thought I was a dork or because he thought I was stupid.
Regardless, I didn't stick around to find out.
***
The rest of my shift was uneventful. Thank God. I began the short trek home, hoping Lucy, my bestest friend in the whole world, was down for some take out. After being on my feet I was starved and had zero energy to cook. And relying on Lucy was immediately out of the question. After setting her 9th bag of popcorn on fire this year, I personally forbade her from setting foot near cooking appliances.
As I walked up two flights of stairs I groaned, hearing what were our annoying neighbors playing obnoxious rave music at full blast on a Wednesday night.
Luce and I had gotten a good deal on our place. It was by design, because we found out much later that the entirety of the whoring, rude and oftentimes smelly basketball team also lodged here. Which meant constant parties, loud music, the headache inducing smell of weed and crying women who just couldn't believe that their one night stands didn't cause immediate infatuation. We'd been absolutely swindled. But the rent was so cheap that we found ourselves here despite all odds.
I was the oldest of 6 kids, raised by a single mother in Alabama. I didn't have the luxury a lot of the students at FSU had. I was here on scholarship but I still needed to pinch all the pennies I could. Cheaper rent was an absolute Godsend that I couldn't take for granted. And my dear sweet Lucy loved me enough to stay behind with me. Even though the nuisance of the basketball team bothered her less, she was one of the lucky ones. She was a total silverspoon.
It was to my great fortune that none of it rubbed off on her personality. She might be boy crazy, a shopaholic, and an insane adrenaline junkie but her heart was pure gold.
As I turned the key to the door she sat criss cross on the carpet, eating ritz crackers and watching Love Island.
"Hey bitch," she mumbled as she watched what looked to be the heart race challenge in awe.
"Hey whore," I retorted as I stuck my head in the fridge. "Want to get take out?" I asked. "I'm hungry as shit."
"One step ahead of you sister. I have pizza on the way."
"Bless your heart."
"Careful, I'm not from Alabama but I know what that means."
"I meant it literally this time doofus."
She chucked a pillow at me and I caught it. Unclipping my bra as I sat down.
Our apartment was classy. Thanks to Lucy's mom we had a humongous sectional, a giant flat screen, a plush rug and the cutest dinnerware.
Coming home was a breath of fresh air.
Most days.
"I talked to him today."
"Shut up."
"I'm serious. I mean all I said was yeah and um and other stupid shit but I did. And get this, he knew my name."
"Oh my God you know what this means?" She asked. "You're totally getting married and having 3 children together."
I gave her a look.
"Slow down Savanna," I said. "I couldn't even get a few sentences out,"
"You don't need to do much talking at all if you know what I mean."
"I'm not just screwing him Lucy."
"Well why not? I'm sure it would help your disposition. And you can't die a virgin. That's like tragic."
"I'm not going to die a virgin," I said as I rolled onto my back. "I hope."
"You won't. I have a feeling it's going to be a good year. Tristan Fields will fall madly in love with you, my dad will give me another credit card, and we'll pass all of our classes," she said. "Can I get an Amen?"
"Amen headass."