Is that seat taken?

The shuttles on campus were always crowded. Campus was way too spread out to only have one parking lot. Colin had the least amount of luck out of anyone (well, at least he thought so) because his classes this semester only fit together if he had 8 am classes everyday. He was starting to regret his choice of being a physics major. Sophomore year could be worse. However, at least he always got the first pick of seats while everyone else had to fight to even sit down.

Not that it would've been hard. He was smart but he held his own in kickboxing. It was the one hobby he had, that was physical activity. He wasn't short either. Colin was about 6'2" and fairly lean. Sure, he needed glasses but he preferred contacts for their practicality. Besides, his mother said that glasses hid his "unique" blue eyes. Whatever that meant. He kept his dark brown hair short and parted to the side. One of his friends had called him Toby Maguire once, but he dismissed it because their eye colors were different.

The first day of classes, Colin found himself sitting at the back of the bus ready to ride across campus. Steadily the seats filled up as they passed through the dorms. Colin popped in his earbuds and started reading his textbook. After a few minutes, the smell of warm cotton and citrus enveloped Colin but he didn't really notice until a small tap on his shoulder made him look up.

Standing over him was a girl with short blonde hair which shone from the light of an open window nearby. It reached just below her chin. It was clear she'd tried to tie it back but strands fell out framing her face and dusting her neck. Her eyes were a chocolate brown with long eyelashes that seemed to stare into his soul. She had high cheekbones and freckles that dusted across her face.

"Is that seat taken?" she said, gesturing to the last open seat on the bus, which just happened to be next to him.

Colin looked at the seat and back at her face. He shook his head and scooted over. She replied with a smile and gracefully sat down. In her seat, the girl leaned her head back and looked at the roof of the bus for a moment before she took out a pair of headphones and began listening to what looked like Queen from the album cover, but Colin wasn't sure.

It wasn't until she met his eyes, that he realized that he was staring. Colin quickly averted his eyes to look at his textbook once again. The ride was uneventful after that. They both got off at the same stop. As Colin ventured towards the engineering building, the girl seemed to wander towards the health sciences building. He silently hmphed at that. For some reason, he had pegged her as a music major.

His classes went by in a blur until noon when he had a two hour break in between calculus and astronomy. He calmly went to the dining hall and grabbed a plate of pasta. It appeared he chose to go at the right time too. Just after he sat down, the lines became long and the tables filled up. He had a mouthful of spaghetti when a shadow fell over his table. The smell of warm cotton and citrus invaded his senses once again.

"Is that seat taken? Every other table is full." a familiar voice sounded.

Colin looked up to see the same girl from the shuttle. Trying not to look dumb while eating his lunch, he nodded while simultaneously wiping his mouth. She smiled once again and sat down in front of him. Despite the warm day, she had decided to eat some kind of soup.

Colin took the time to set his fork down and swallow before thinking of something to say. "Are you following me?" He was actually flirting. This would be the highlight of his month.

"No, but coincidences happen all the time. I didn't ask for everyone to sit everywhere except next to you." she shot back. Despite her uninterested tone, a smile was turning up the corners of her mouth.

"Name?" he asked in a simple reply.

"Quinn, what about you?"

"Colin," he tried to say without cracking his voice. "What are you studying?"