Campus

Chapter 30 - Family Dinner

James POV:

I've never had a proper girlfriend, unless you count Molly Anderson from middle school who I attempted to kiss on the lips after three weeks of hand holding, but instead my lips landed on the big brown mole on her cheek which had exactly 4 hairs poking out of it, three brown and one white. I was scarred for a while after that and stopped all my attempts at kissing girls till I got into high school.

Since high school and well throughout college my motto has been one and done, that was of course before Alyssa. When I saw her in the club before school started I couldn't keep my eyes off the girl, she was dancing like no one was watching, beads of sweat peppering her head as she relished in the way the music made her feel, then when she made her escape to the balcony I couldn't stop my legs from following after her, of course I had it all planned out, I had to be going out there for a reason so I lit my blunt up and coincidentally stood beside her. If someone had told me in that moment that she would be my girlfriend I think I might've jumped the two stories over the balcony and hit the ground running. So the idea of meeting any family members of any significant other never crossed my mind until today, in the library when the gorgeous girl that is my girlfriend asked me to come to a family dinner tonight.

I've taken up picking at the skin around my nails to get the nerves out. One hand on the wheel the other picking the skin around my thumb nail in a weird twisted motion. Alyssa notices and places her hand over mine.

"Seriously, you have absolutely nothing to be worried about, they'll love you." She gently squeezes my hand in reassurance but I am not reassured, in fact I am contemplating pulling over and making a mad dash in the opposite direction.

Many reasons have me thinking like this, what if I don't say the right thing? What if I accidently swear? What if I don't offer to help in the right way? What if they can smell the old fuck boy in me?

Fuuuuuuuuuucccccccck.

I unfortunately continue driving and do not make my escape, I don't want to disappoint Alyssa. We pull into a drive way that has a white pickup truck in it and a yellow beetle which has a colourful variety of bumper stickers plastered over the back.

"Interesting choice of car." I state out loud, not addressing the sentence to Alyssa, more of a statement.

"Fucking hideous." She agrees and that makes me laugh.

Alyssa hops out of the car and closes the door heading towards the front door only to realise I am not following her, she turns on her heels and gives me an encouraging look before beckoning me towards her with her hand. I reluctantly unbuckle my seat belt and try my best to not think about how badly I want to smoke away my nerves and continue to pick at the raw skin forming around my nail as I close the car door and join her.

She doesn't knock, just opens the door and goes in and this doesn't sit right with me, I am a guest, I don't want to just walk into the house, like isn't that rude or something.

Whilst my brain is running a million miles an hour I short circuit and as I am walking through the already opened door my hand reaches up and knocks against the door. Alyssa turns around and puffs out her cheeks as she tries to hold in her laugh, I pull my hand back down and try to recover from the shot to my ego that I self inflicted with my nervousness. The seal on her lips breaks and she releases the sweet sound of giggles even if they're directed at me I love to hear them.

"Alyssa, that you?" I hear a woman's voice with a similar accent to Alyssa but more faded call from another room.

Then footsteps followed by the wild blonde that I am still to determine if likes me and if I like her, jumps on Aly's back like a two year does when wanting a piggy back ride.