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2
Zara
I was so anxious for 6 p.m. to roll around. I didn’t know what to do after my last class at three, so I went back to my dorm and did some of my assignments early. When I was done, I took a look in the mirror. I had on a white shirt with the Coca-Cola logo on it and ripped jeans.
This T-shirt wouldn’t do for tonight. I had to spruce it up. I went to the closet and took down a peach sundress. Though spring was just starting and winter still lingered, it was warm enough in Charleston to wear it, so it would do.
I hastily applied some mascara and then glanced down at my contacts case. Even though this was just a study session, I wanted to impress Professor Grant—show him that what he saw during the day in class was nothing in comparison to what I looked like outside of it. I opened the case and took one of the contact lenses out. I tried with all my might, even using the technique my mom showed me about stretching the eye wide open with my fingers, but I couldn’t do it. After several attempts, my eye was red and sore, my mascara was runny and needed to be reapplied, and I gave up, replacing the contact and snatching my glasses up.
I checked my phone for the time and gasped. “Oh, shit!” I hissed. I was going to be late. I collected my notebook and pens, stuffed them into my tote bag, and was out the door in a matter of seconds.
3
Zara
I arrived at the library and yanked the door open, and to my surprise, Professor Grant wasn’t there, but there was pizza. A circle of chairs was set up in the middle of the library, and not too far off was a folding table with the stacked pizza boxes.
There weren’t many people there yet, around seven or eight, and that gave me satisfaction. The less people the better.
As I placed my bag down on one of the chairs, I heard girls giggling and peered up. Alisha was walking in with her friend from class, and if I thought I’d dressed prettily in my sundress, well she definitely had one up on me. She wore black jeans and a white shirt beneath a black leather jacket with ankle boots. Her hair was in a sleek bun and her makeup was a bit excessive with all the glitter and dark liner, but it suited her. She sat across from me in the circle, crossing her lean legs.
“Hi everyone! Sorry for my tardiness.” A deep voice carried through the library, and my heart sped up a notch. I found the voice, and it was him—Professor Grant. “I stopped by so the pizzas could be dropped off, but then realized I forgot my topic notes for tonight, so I had to run back to my car to get them. Sucks the faculty parking lot is on the other side of campus, huh?”
“That’s okay, Cole,” Alisha said, smirking. “We don’t mind waiting for you.”
He pressed his lips together and nodded, placing his books down on one of the chairs. And not just any chair—the chair right beside mine, to my left. My pulse was in my ears now.
“If you’d like pizza, feel free to grab a slice or two. There’s also fruit punch.” He clasped his hands together and three guys shot to a stand, heading for the pizza table.
My belly growled loudly, and my heart practically dropped to my hungry belly as Professor Grant turned to me.
“Zara, would you like a slice?” he asked.
I waved my hands. “No, no. I’m okay.”
“Are you sure? I can grab it for you. I promise not to drop it on your lap.” He winked.
I laughed, and I realized he was referencing the coffee shop incident. “I, um…”
“Cheese or pepperoni?”
“Cheese,” I said with a bashful smile.
Professor Grant turned and went to the table. He took out two slices, placed them on separate plates, and then came back to sit in his seat. He offered one of the cheesy pizza slices to me, and I fought a smile.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Can’t have my students starving.”
“I’m not starving.” I laughed.
“Well, according to that ferocious growl I just heard coming from your stomach, I’d think otherwise. And trust me, I know what college life is like, having to budget money and time and all. I practically survived my college days on microwaved cup noodles.” He smiled, and it was beautiful and comforting. “Eat, Zara. There’s no shame here.”
After he said that, he picked up his pizza slice from the plate and bit into it. The cheese stretched and some drooped onto his chin, and then he looked at me with wide eyes and said with a mouthful, “See? No shame.”
