Halftime

chapter 32

School was starting again. It was the end of summer break and classes were starting again. My schedule was already super busy and I hadn't even had my first class back.

I'd spent the last week of the holidays reading over some work preparing for the start of my fourth year. I'd watched some online lectures in preparation too. My organisation this holiday was pretty shocking.

I usually had my work planned out but I'd been sidetracked, spending time with Hayden and actually for once in my life, enjoying the summer break. But it meant that I'd ended up cramming all my study into one week.

Which was not a good way to start out the year. My first lecture of the day was an early one, which meant an even earlier start.

My alarm buzzed on the bed side table and I forced my eyes open even though they felt glued shut. I reached over grabbing my phone before groaning and rolling out of bed.

Hayden had stayed the night and was glaring at me as the alarm rang.

"What's the time?" he mumbled.

"Seven," I said. Not that early compared to most of the country, but considering I'd been sleeping in until ten each morning for the past month, it was extremely early.

Hayden groaned, "what am I doing awake so early?"

"I told you I was waking up early," I said, shoving my books and computer into my bag.

"Why? When is your class?"

"Nine," I said and began searching for my clothes. Today was going to be a busy day since I'd needed to squeeze in an extra lecture for the day since there were no other free times for me to go.

"So why on earth are you up at seven?" he groaned but sat up, pushing his hair out of his face. He looked adorable in the mornings and I wanted to crawl back in bed with him. But that would have to wait.

"I have a routine," I said looking through the pile of clothes on my floor, "I warned you. You insisted on staying the night."

"What is your routine?" he asked, watching me from the bed.

"Shower, breakfast, coffee and I need to make a stop at the library before class."

"How on earth does that take two hours?" he grumbled, voice still groggy from sleep.

"Shower takes at least fifteen minutes, I have to make breakfast and then eat it and I grab a coffee from the shop on campus. Plus I need to get the train since Harley's class doesn't start until eleven so she can't drive me."

"Don't be silly," Hayden said, flopping back onto his back, "I'll drive you."

"Don't you have to be at your own classes?" I asked as I pulled on some exercise pants.

"Not until ten," he said.

I furrowed my brow, "that's stupid. That's so out of the way for you."

The only apartment me and Harley could find hadn't been as close as we would have liked to be to NYU. It was somewhere between NYU and Columbia, but closer to the Columbia side. The first time I'd met Hayden I'd been coming back from NYU and he had been coming back from his lacrosse training, which happened to be a couple stops before my apartment.

If he drove me that would mean he would need to drive in the complete opposite direction of Columbia only to drive back. And considering traffic, it was a big ask of him.

"I don't mind. My class starts at ten. I'll just drop you off a bit early."

"I'm getting the subway," I said.