In A Perfect World | Novella

Chapter Three

In light of trying my hardest not to speak of my indiscretions or now the lack thereof, I caved and told Liv. The reaction was - for the lack of a better word - unexpected.

"Yeah, I knew you liked someone, just didn't think he was important enough to know so I just didn't bother asking. I figured if he was really that important then... you would've already told me."

Is what she said last night when I called her on my way home, laughing at the stupid interaction with this guy who I liked and who apparently had a girlfriend to begin with. Laughing? Yeah, I was laughing at the situation because I couldn't believe I have been so infatuated with this dude for like almost a year only for me to have my first interactions with him to find out he's already a-taken. In retrospect, it was quite hilarious. Or maybe I was just in peak denial. I'm guessing the latter speaks the truth.

Nevertheless, after our fleeting conversation left with Liv teasing me for being hopeless minus the romance, I slept through the night with not even an ounce of regret. If there was one thing James and our little cafe interaction taught me it's that he is approachable and he seems like he'd make for a good friend.

...And then my alarm decided to not blow up when it's supposed to, leaving me with about ten minutes to eat and get ready and walk to campus.

Unsurprisingly, I arrived as a heap of breathlessness and a nest for a head. My unruly hair complimented the two day old shirt I picked up randomly and the week old jeans that hung by my desk chair. I think it's safe to say, I am not having quite the decent start to my day.

I couldn't even finish my bagel if I so wished to.

Also, it doesn't help that the humidity is at an all time high like the sun above which means that I'll probably be smelling like a garbage dump by the end of this day. I still honestly do not understand why I even bother at this point. I mean clearly - the universe just isn't on my side. I know, about ten people on the internet drew some cards and told me that I'm about to have the best summer of my life but like...what do they really know right? They're just a few tiny cards with cute little drawings on them. I'm set on the fact that they've all definitely got it all wrong. However, if one drew cards and told me I am the unluckiest of the unlucky then I would believe them quicker than when I believed Santa was real.

"I like your shoes," I hear.

I looked down and found my Jordans staring back at me. A few dirt patches but I agree.

Wait.

Quicker than when I looked down, I looked back up. There I find, yup, the one and only. Bane of my existence - at this point in time specifically.

"James? Right?" I said like some stupid teenage idiot who 'forgot' his name. What kind of twelve year old bullshit am I playing exactly?

Oh jeez, I could laugh at myself.

But apparently, he too could laugh at me.

"Yeah, and Ivy right?" He points, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. "I can't imagine forgetting a name like that. Sounds rich." He smiled so wide that his dimples seemed to dig a hole through his cheeks. My God, he is beautiful.

How am I supposed to live, love, laugh in these situations?

"Yeah...well, I don't know about rich but sure, we'll go with that," I tell him, a baseless attempt at trying to be humorous. When things get tough, being funny never hurts anybody. Right?

He chuckled, and in some sense I felt relief. It was only then that I figured that the class still stood out here, not sitting in the hall where the class is supposed to be. I furrowed my brows and scoffed. And I really thought I was going to be late. See, now it's things like these that just makes you lose hope for humanity.