Campus

Chapter 8 - Groceries

Alyssa POV

Fuck my life

As soon as James leaves me in the bathroom I feel the ache, the need. I wait a beat hoping he's left and I make a run for my dorm, breaking out into a sweat inducing sprint. As soon as I step foot inside the room I slam the door behind me and press myself up against it, tilting my head back against it. I'm huffing and puffing from the exertion of my Olympic sprint across campus.

Mera stares at me, a confused look on her face. I pat my hand in the air to signal for her to not worry and go back to what she's doing. Shrugging and putting her headphones back on she buries her head back into her work.

I wanted him, he knew I wanted him. Hell I know I want him, present tense, but I have to fight it because of his reputation. I'm not trying to be used.

Damn, I need, I need, I don't know what I need. I need a release.

I remember Lucy showing me the way to the campus gym on my move-in day. I walk through the doors and a man who looks to be in his thirties greets me. He signs me up to the gym and gives me a keycard that I attach to the keychain that holds my dorm room key.

I place my bag in one of the lockers provided and walk over to the treadmill. I need a release even though I feel like I've already run a marathon in my escape from James, I'm just going to walk, I need a distraction.

So many thoughts are rushing through my brain. James is relentless in his pursuit and now we have to do a project together. I check Mrs. Delaney's email regarding the project, it's due in two months which means I have to endure him for two fucking months, someone give me strength.

I don't think I'll be able to control myself for that long. I shove my phone in the side pocket of my leggings trying to block out my intrusive thoughts and focus on sweating out all my problems.

*************
Tuesday morning Luke delivered our Starbucks. He stood in the door way flirting with Mera for a while before he left.

"Mera, do you and Luke have a thing?" I question pulling on some jeans.

Mera scoffs, "No babe, don't get me wrong I'd totally jump him but I don't want to be used and I know Luke probably just wants a one time thing." She looks as though she's trying to convince herself more than me.

"Do you like him?"

"I mean yeah..." In the short three days I've known Mera we've gotten to know each other quite well. Mera is allergic to chilies, though she says it doesn't matter because she's 'spicey enough' , she has two younger brothers who live in Florida with her parents and she has a Pomeranian called Chico.

Why does that not surprise me?

Mera's an art major, which actually makes a ton of sense, when you look at all the different makeup looks she does you can tell she has an artistic eye and steady hand. "I don't know Alyssa, what does 'like' even mean?" She's looking up at the roof and doing air quotes with her fingers.

"Oh, so you do!" I tease her, twirling one of her curly strands of hair around my finger.

"You can talk, I've seen the way you practically drool over Mr. bad-boy" She teases back.

I feign shock, placing a hand against my chest gasping. "Whatever do you mean?"

We both laugh at each other and our stupid attraction to boys, it's a good belly laugh where you try to stop and then someone splutters and then you break out into laughter again. It hurts my stomach but in the best way. 

"What are we going to do about these boys" Mera asks as she wipes at the tears that made an escape during our laughing fit.

"Fuck knows, but I actually don't know what to do about being paired with James for my psych assignment."