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Falling For Autumn 10
Autumn
DidAutumnreallyalmost tell Kolson she wanted to kiss him and his stupid cute smile? He wouldn’t let it go either. She looked at the time. Was their session over yet? She hadn’t been more ready to leave. There were still twenty minutes left. She could always cut the time short. Autumn didn’t skim or cut corners with anything. She wanted to do the right thing, but the way Kolson sat almost touching her, his musky leathery scent filling her nostrils wasn’t helping.
When he had mentioned how flexible his high school girlfriend was, it only reminded her of how different their experiences were. He was a third-year college student, three years older than her. Not that she wanted a relationship with him. Ugh, maybe she should suggest he get another tutor. But she didn’t want him to think she hated him. And she didn’t quit.
“What are you thinking about, Hazel?” His arm lightly grazed hers as he leaned toward her.
“How if we’re calling each other by our eye color I should start calling you shit brown.” She had to say something to lighten the tension. She actually liked his eyes. They were more honey colored than poop, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.
His smile grew bigger, making his dimples appear. “How sweet you notice my eyes.”
Not like he hadn’t noticed hers the first time they met. It wasn’t like that meant anything. But it did. Didn’t it?
“I think my brain is fried.” Kolson put his hand to his head.
“We haven’t even done anything,” Autumn motioned to the paper. This boy was frustrating in more ways than one. “You need to focus.”
He looked to be pondering something then he balled the wrappers from the tacos and tossed them into the trashcan like he was shooting a basketball. It went in.
“Are you a basketball player, too?”
“In high school, but football was always my main sport.”
“Let me guess, you played baseball, too?” Preston did all three in high school.
Kolson laughed and shook his head. She’d never felt tingles from a laugh before. She’d only ever liked one boy. He was on her debate team. She thought he might like her, too, until she walked in on him with his tongue down another boy’s throat.
“Actually, I was in track.” Kolson’s words brought her out of her thoughts.
“Oh.” That was a surprise. “I do,” she caught herself before she used present tense, “me too.”
“Really? I thought you were too focused on academics to play sports.”
“I am- I was.” Her heart was beating even faster. “Colleges like to see well-rounded students. I picked a sport with the least hand-eye coordination.”
“Unless you throw.”
She nodded. “Did you throw?”
“Yeah. I threw shot put and ran the 400. What were your events?”
“200 and 100. 400 is rough.”
“I threw up every time.” He smiled wide. With a 400 you couldn’t pace yourself like one did in the distance runs, but sprinting was hard to do for that long. “Did you ever try the 400?”
“The coach made me at a couple practices, but I was never good at it.” Nor could she catch her breath after running them. She didn’t love the sport. It was just like she’d told him. She was only in it for college applications. Several were already sent in. She waited patiently for the acceptance letters.
“We should run the track sometime,” he said. Like she would be running if she didn’t have to get in shape.
That was the only reason she said, “sure.” That and to have an excuse to see Kolson.
She looked down at the time when her phone buzzed. “Session’s up.” She began to gather her things and toss them into her bag.
Kolson made a couple jokes before they were heading out of the study room. She’d barely registered them. All she could think about was how she’d just agreed to go running with him and what would that mean if he actually did expect her to?
She’d expected them to go their separate ways when they stepped out of the library, but he seemed to be following her. She looked at him.
