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“Hey.”
“You going to the Pike formal this weekend? We got a party bus. It’s going to be lit.”
“Yeah. I’ll be there.” The formal was going to be held in Austin at the Four Seasons. It was a big event for the fraternity. Being the vice president, Joel got off on this fraternity shit. Did I have fun in the fraternity? Sure did. Nick and I had both pledged early on because we liked the social activities, and it looked good on our résumés. Not that I needed a résumé. However, we didn’t live or die by the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Football was our first love. And I damn sure didn’t get into the bullshit hierarchy that people like Joel and the even douchier frat president, Justin, did. Yet, it did have its perks, not gonna lie.
“That’s great. Can’t wait, man.” He leaned in and did the hand slap-shake before he walked off, pausing as someone caught his eye. “There’s my girl,” he said, pointing both index fingers out like a cheesy game show host or something, while a petite blonde approached him with a pageant smile and folded into his arms. Melanie was her name, I think.
And right behind her was Jeanette. Tall, leggy, brunette—all the perfect assets by many people’s standards. She was wearing a cropped top and a pleated skirt that barely reached her upper thighs. She was a beautiful girl, and believe me, she knew it. She was also beginning to drive me fucking crazy. Not in a crazy good way.
“Hey,” Jeanette said, pushing up on her toes with lips puckered for a kiss. Was she serious? I didn’t do that shit, and she knew it. I leaned away, staring down at her in warning, and she paused before finally backing down on her damn heels. “You haven’t called,” she said, tapping me on the chest.
The statement hung between us for several seconds. “Didn’t know I needed to,” I said in a bored tone, looking away, hoping she’d get the message. My momma raised me to have manners, so I couldn’t be a straight-up dick to her.
Within five minutes of meeting her at a party several weeks ago, she told me she wanted a good fuck, and I told her it would be, but that’sallit would be. She flipped her model-worthy hair, pursed her plump lips, and agreed. We were on the same page. Or so I thought.
After hooking up a few times, she started to get clingy. Texting me all the time. Unexpectedly showing up at places where I was. Like now. We didn’t have any classes together, yet here she was.
Just like when I was at the library looking for a book for my political science class, and she was there. With stars in her eyes and a potential cash cow on her mind, she ended up cornering me in an aisle. It wasn’t like I couldn’t stop her. I was about to until she started stripping off her shirt and then gripped my shoulders, climbing up my body like I was a tree.
Maybe she had some expectations about me… that I was a piece of meat, and sex was all I thought about. Forgive me if I was being cynical, but I’d stepped to this dance before. And that pissed me off. I wasn’t here to amuse her. I wasn’t here to fuck her whenever she sought me out. Honestly, I’d lost interest.
However, when she had me backed against the books in the library, I caught the girl in the baggy clothes with her thick black hair pulled up in a messy bun and glasses, staring at us as if she were watching some brutal mating show between animals on theNational Geographicchannel. Her mouth formed an O. She’d drawn my attention, and I didn’t understand why. Maybe I’d become so depraved, so bored, that a messy-haired book nerd who stared at me like I was Satan incarnated was drawing my interest.
The next day, I realized she was in my class. How could I have missed her? There was something about her that intrigued me. We were already nearing the end of the semester when I noticed her sitting in the front row of the auditorium like one of those zealous students who were trying to make an impression in class. I always sat in the back, since I usually showed up at the last minute, not trying to make small talk with strangers or draw attention to myself. I got enough of that on a daily basis.
Yet she’d drawnmyattention, and I decided to take the seat behind her. Make my presence known.
Not trying to brag, but people recognized me. Even moving to the front of the class, I knew I’d bring more attention to myself. Which in this case, I hoped I did. I wanted her attention. However, she barely gave me a glance. So, I started incorporating myself into the class discussions, answering questions that our professor asked, and being an eager beaver like the rest of the overachievers in the front of the class. Deliberately trying to get her to notice me. However, it wasn’t working.
Today, I took it a step further and touched her shoulder, forcing her to notice me. But she looked at me like I was some kind of deviant.
“Of course, you didn’t have to call me, but it’d be nice if you did.” Jeanette’s voice jolted me out of my thoughts like a knee to the balls.
“What’s up?” I glanced at her with impatience, still hoping she would take a hint.
“I can’t wait for the formal…” I knew a fucking lob when I saw one, and she was lobbing me the ball, hoping I’d volley back with the correct response. Too bad I didn’t play tennis.
“You should see my dress,” she added, scrolling through her cell, probably to find a picture of it.
She held up her phone, but I didn’t care because I saw the sassy little book nerd walking down the sidewalk a few feet from me.
I stared, drawn to her, not quite understanding why.
Maybe I was amused.
Maybe I just needed a distraction because I was bored.
Whatever the reason, I kept my eyes zeroed in on her.
I didn’t even know her name.
She had earbuds in her ears. Her fluffy, black-haired bun bounced with each step she took, and the backpack she sported was filled to capacity. She wore an oversizeDragon Ball Zsweatshirt and baggie jeans, which seemed to swallow her since she was a petite girl, from what I could tell. This girl probably spent all her time in the library studying, keeping to herself.
Studying and school were probably her life.
“Axel?” I heard my name again, and Jeanette thrust her phone directly into my face. “Do you like it?”
“Yeah. Sure,” I responded automatically, barely glancing at the picture of her dress because I couldn’t keep my attention off the girl who sat front row center in our Genetics class.
