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Falling For Autumn 4
Kolson
BythetimeKolson got to the library, Autumn was already waiting at the same table they sat last time. She tapped her pencil and looked at the clock. She was probably pissed because not only was he late, but he also didn’t complete anything she’d asked, except choosing a topic. This was the first he’d been at the library since their last session.
She looked at him when the door shut. She crossed her arms. Yeah, definitely ticked he was late. He gave his best smile, the one he was always complimented on. He slid into the seat.
“You’re late again.” She pushed her glasses up and furrowed her brow. He was hoping she wasn’t going to be this difficult tonight. He was too hungry to argue with her.
“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” he said under his breath as he pulled his books out of his backpack.
“What?” Autumn asked. He hadn’t meant to say it loud enough for her to hear. He looked up at her, his eyes wide.
Instead of lighting the fuel by repeating it, he decided to go a different route. “I get out of practice at five thirty if I’m lucky. I’ll either be a few minutes late, or I’ll smell like a locker room. Which would you prefer?”
She wrinkled her nose, which made her glasses wiggle. For a split-second Kolson thought it was cute. “That’s okay. If you smell anything like my brother does, please shower first. We can change the time to six thirty if you want.”
“Then I won’t have time to make it to dinner.” He barely had time as it was now.
When she tilted her head, he couldn’t tell if she was irritated or just thinking. Probably the former, she seemed to always be irritated about something.
“Are you going to starve if you miss a dining hall meal?” She curled her lip as if she was too good for eating in the dining hall. She didn’t understand that it was his only chance to eat most days.
“I might.” He shrugged and smiled, trying to play it off as a joke.
“Okay then.” She began to gather her things.
“What are you doing?” As much as he dreaded being tutored, he needed to keep his GPA up for his football scholarship. Without it, he could kiss college goodbye.
“We’re going to the dining hall.” Autumn zipped her backpack.
“What?” He wasn’t sure if he heard her correctly.
“Do I have to spell it out?” She tossed her backpack over her shoulder. “We’ll work while you eat.”
He smiled and his chest grew warm. Was she for real? She didn’t even know how much this was going to help him. It was hard to concentrate on homework when your stomach was eating itself inside out.
Autumn walked out the door without even looking back to see if he was following. It took him a moment standing there stunned before he finally did. He scrambled to catch up with her, which didn’t take long given that she had tiny-hobbit legs.
“I can’t imagine you can concentrate on an empty stomach.” She rolled her eyes as if he was exaggerating his hunger. “And if you like the crap they serve here, then I wouldn’t want you to miss out.”
“Not that I like it, but it’s included in my tuition and I have to eat so,” Kolson shrugged.
“You don’t look like you miss many meals,” she said.
He put a hand to his stomach. “Hazel, are you fat shaming me?”
Her cheeks turned pink and she stammered. Kolson smirked. He liked that he managed to get her flustered.
“I’m kidding.”
“I don’t think you’re fat,” she said as if she needed to defend herself.
“It’s solid.” He tapped his stomach with his fist. Then held out his hands. “Feel if you want.”
“I …” she shook her head. “I’m not going to feel your stomach.”
He laughed.
