TROUBLE MAGNET - Completed

Chapter 1 - First Impressions

Chapter 1 - First Impressions

The cold pavement feels good beneath my hands, but it's the only thing that feels good. My stomach churns with each wave of nausea. My head throbs with the slightest movement. My knees feel bruised and numb from kneeling for so long.

As the deep fog that is encompassing my brain slowly begins to dissipate, I hear snippets of the conversation taking place beside me. I recognize the soft feminine voice of my new friend Alex. I don't know who she is speaking with, but I figure it must be a guy from the deep tone of his one-word answers.

She's trying to talk him into babysitting me, and he doesn't sound too thrilled with the idea. She tells him she wants to run and grab a couple of sweatshirts for us. Hearing this, I suddenly realize I am cold. Actually now that I think about it - I'm freezing. My whole body is actually shaking, I'm so cold. Alex continues trying to convince the guy to stay, telling him she will run all the way to her dorm room and back - no more than five minutes, she promises. She just starts to tell him how she doesn't think I will be sick again when he interrupts her.

"Alex," he says firmly. It's amazing really, he only says just the one word, her name, but he says it in such a way as to stop her cold.

It's quiet for a long time. At least, it feels like a long time to me. It's long enough for Alex to come up with one more argument. "Please Ace, I'll be quick and if you do this for me, I'll proof read your assignment for you."

Her offer must have made the difference, because I hear him grunt out something that sounds like, "Fine."

Alex doesn't know enough to take her win and run though. Instead she starts to caution him to watch me closely. What? Like I'm going somewhere? He cuts her right off and tells her to go before he changes his mind. Seconds later I hear the sound of her shoes hitting the pavement, as she runs off.

"It's not like she's going anywhere," I hear him grumble.

My thoughts exactly.

I hear a low creepy, moaning sound, which I honestly don't even realize is coming from my own throat until Ace-guy asks me if I'm okay. "Okay?"

I manage an answer, but it comes out barely above a whisper. "No I ham not hokay.. I feellikeIhamdying." No matter how hard I try, my words come out all glued together.

I hear him laugh. This Ace jerk is actually laughing at me! Then he literally snorts as he assures me that I am not dying. He sounds way too amused and I am so not impressed.

I take a second to lift my head, which I regret immediately. Suddenly it feels like I'm on one of those spinning rides at the fair - the type that whips around and around, but also goes up and down at the same time. My head pounds in sync with each turn and my stomach begins its upward heaving motion. I quickly drop my head back to the cool pavement, praying the dizziness will pass and the nausea will fade. Though I've paid for it dearly, I've stolen a glimpse of this Ace character who is finding my present situation so funny. He's what my friends call a 'Triple Threat' - tall, dark and handsome. Of course he is. Unbelievable! This is just the kind of freaking day I'm having.

I've always been a pretty positive person. I was taught to believe there's a good life lesson to be learned from just about any crazy situation I might find myself in. Today though, I'm finding it very difficult to stay positive.

"So you're the Rookie," Ace says sharply. I hear the sarcasm drip from his words as he scuffs his feet along the pavement right next to my head. He's wearing white court shoes that I swear must be brand new right out of the box, because there's not a mark on them. They are rather nauseating they are so white. Perhaps the bigger truth though, is I could find just about anything nauseating right now.