Love Me Back

Ch. 1

Ch. 1 // Deja

We're in the same class again. General Biology 2. This time we're assigned to the same table. The way I said that makes it seem like I hate him. I don't. In fact, I have a crush on him. Well, at least I think so.

His name is Dacre. Weird, I know, but I think it suits him. I mean I don't know him well, but he gives off hot nerdy vibes. Dacre is a hot nerdy name in my opinion.

Black shirt, blue jeans. He's standing at one of the doors, scanning the room. I'm guessing he's looking for table 12, our table. I pull my attention away from him and towards prepping for class because 1) class is about to start, and 2) I don't want to get caught staring.

I pull out my laptop, which is, of course, covered in cute stickers. After a year, I'm starting to get used to college life at Winston University a.k.a. WU. My laptop is has become my third arm; I can't leave anywhere without it. I actually never knew we'd have to use our laptops as much as we do. Well, at least in classes that aren't in lecture halls. It's like half of class is lecture and the other half is computer work. But I still like to take notes in my notebook. I have all these cool pens, highlighters, and notebooks so why not? Plus my handwriting is cute.

"Hey, can I sit here?" I look up from my backpack and it's Dacre. His wavy dark brown hair styled in a middle part and a set of thin round framed glasses sitting on his high and straight nose. I look down at the seat he's pointing at. Right next to me? With all the other seats are open? My heart explodes, but I have to keep it cool.

"Uh, sure," I say, hoping my voice didn't sound as squeaky as I thought. As he sits down his warm and softly spicy scent engulfs me. Of course he smells as good as he looks.

"I'm Dacre by the way," he says with a soft smile that shows off his dimples.

Fuck, his dimples.

"I'm Deja."

"Deja," he repeats. He might as just shoot me in the hear with a cupid's arrow.

I've had a crush on him since our week long orientation last year. We were in the same group. At the time he has a buzz cut, but his glasses were the same. His hair is nice now, but the buzz cut was so hot on him. His eyes and eyebrows just seemed more intense when he had a buzz cut. We weren't paired during orientation, so we didn't really interact. But, the few times we did, he was really nice. And when I saw him with others it was the same. He was always sweet and kind, but there was something intense and sexy about him.

As people start filling up our table, my fingers itch for my phone. I need to text my best friend, Kiara, who's also my roommate. Who is also the only other person who knows about my crush on Dacre. We've known each other since middle school and she knows I'm lacking in the romance department, but she still tell me to make a move. I want to, but at the same time, I don't want to. I don't know if he even likes me or knows me. What if he laughs and says no?

"This might be weird," Dacre's voice interrupts my train of thought, "but did you take Calc 1 with Robinson last year? The 10 am session?"

"Yeah," It was a small lecture hall. I'm a creature of habit, and so I always sat in seat B1. Dacre, on the other hand, always moved around. I personally thought was weird.

"I thought I recognized you. You lent me a bear pen this one time."

I pause for a moment, pretending I have to remember that day. In reality, I remember. Of course I do, how could I forget? The fact that he remembers is surprising.

"Oh my God, I did! I can't believe you remember that!"

"I mean, the pen was really cute," his cheeks turn slightly pink, "the clip was literally in the shape of a bear. Plus you really saved me. My friends were in a different session and can't take notes for shit."

"I feel that," as much as I love Kiara, I can't read her notes. She writes in shorthand. Her own system and she's been doing it since middle school.

"I actually still have the pens," I add.

"Pens? There's more than one?"

I nod and pull out some of the pens -brown, red, and blue- and hold them in one hand like cards. My inner self laughs. We're seriously sitting here talking about my cute and overpriced pens.

"And the ink matches the body color," I add.

"Second best feature after the bear-shaped clip," he says with a smile right before the last person arrives at our table and the professor begins the class.

~~~~

"Soooo, give me the details," Kiara says as I place my 5 Guys bag on the table. Today her thick curly hair is in a half up-half down style. Today for lunch, we decided to meet in the food court in our student center. Usually it's packed to the brim around this time and we can never get a seat, but for whatever reason, today it's not.

"So you know how were at the same table in the same class, right?" I start off and Kiah nods, "Well, as usual, I got to the table first and we he gets to the table he sits right next to me. Like all the other seats were open and he chose to sit next to me. Apparently he remembers I lent him my bear pens last semester and we talked about that for awhile."

"Ooooh, he sat next to you?"

"Yeah, and all the other seats were open. I don't know if that means something, but I also don't want to read too much into it." I tell her as I pull out my burger and fries.

Kiara cocks her head slightly to the side as she dips her fries into ketchup, "I mean when I'm attracted to someone, I sit next to them even when other seats are open. It's my way of subtly saying 'I think you're cute and I wanna get to know you'.'

"But he could have just been being nice, right?" I pop a fry in my mouth.

"Or he could have been interested. Was he dropping hints?"

I stare at my best friend, "You know I'm dense."

"You are just inexperienced. Also who remembers borrowing a pen from someone 6 months ago-" I give her a pointed look "-Ok, you're an exception. But think about it in general, who remembers?"

I would hope people would remember borrowing an interesting pen, but not everyone's a stationery aficionado like me. "Ok, I guess very few people would remember."

"Exactly, but he did. And he sat next to you."

"It was surprising that he remembered, but that doesn't mean he likes me back." Even though I really want him to.

"But he could."

"You're such a romantic," I say rolling my eyes.

"I know deep down inside you are too."