Stay

38

EVIE

With midterms right around the corner, the library was busier than normal. After my last lecture of the day, I rushed over in hopes that there would be a spare table somewhere to study. For once in my life, luck was on my side and I was able to snag a free chair at a nearly full table near the elevators. 

The girl sitting beside me reeked of some candy scented perfume. The country song that she was blasting through her headphones could be heard almost clearly, making it more difficult to pay attention to the textbook I had been reading. It also didn’t help that the guy sitting in front of me took up most of the table with his own textbooks. What ever happened to proper library etiquette? Judith Martin would not be impressed. 

I wasn’t going to complain though. I was lucky enough to get this seat in the first place. At the bottom of my backpack were an old pair of headphones. They were a tangled mess but I didn’t care. I untangled them as best as I could, and stuck them in my ears. Soon enough, I was drowning in the melodic sounds of Thank You... welcoming with open arms Robert Plant’s voice. 

A few hours went by before my phone started to vibrate. Niall’s name flashed across the screen. Unable to hide the giddy smile from spreading across my lips, I answered his call. 

“Hey, wait a second...” I answered with a deep breath - thankful that my voice didn’t stutter. I was getting better with not sounding like a giddy fool whenever he called. I whispered to the girl that took over Mr. Hoarder-of-all-the-table if she could watch my stuff, and she nodded with a small smile. She tucked her purple hair behind her ear as I whispered a quick thanks you. Walking quickly, I make a bee-line for the nearest washroom, locking myself in one of the stalls. “Hey - sorry about that...” 

“Hi you,” his soft voice spoke on the other end, sending a wave of butterflies to erupted inside of my chest. “I take it you’re still at school?” 

“Yeah, I’m at the library. What’s up?”

He hummed before clearing his throat, “Have you eaten dinner yet?” 

In the midst of all the studying and reading I had lost track of time. Dinner hadn’t even crossed my mind. I had been too caught up in the notes I had written up for my Shakespeare class that I had completely forgotten. 

“No, I haven’t.”

“I’m near campus. I can pick something up and meet you? You can’t miss dinner, Jones.” 

“It’s fine. You don’t have to go out of your way. I can pick something up from one of the vending machines,” I tell him sternly. The last thing I’d ever want was for him to go out of his way for me. 

“Don’t be ridiculous baby,” he chuckles humorously. “It’s not out of the way for my girl...” 

I’m pretty sure every inch of my skin was burning red with the terms of endearment. It was the first time he’d ever refer to me as baby, and I was pretty sure I liked the sounds of it. 

“If you’re sure...”

“I’m sure,” he replied, his voice firm. “I’ll be there in fifteen. I’ll text you when I’m close.”

“Okay,” I reluctantly say back, not bothering to argue. The more he talked about food, the more my stomach began to rumble. All I had eaten today had been a banana and another green smoothie. Not much, once I really thought about it. Something with more substance would most likely be best. 

“See you soon babe,” he said before ending the call.

Unlocking the stall I had been standing in, I took a look at myself in the mirror. I looked like a right mess. Messy hair fell out of the sloppy bun that was tied on top of my head. I was wearing a Harvard crewneck that used to belong to my father and a pair of leggings. My skin had been clear of make-up, showcasing the few spots that were scattered across my chin and cheek. The dark, purple circles that bruised under my eyes did nothing to help my appearance.