NERDGASM (Camren)

Chapter-2

Lauren

Present Day, Twenty-three years old

My body cuts through the water silently, my body working like a well-oiled machine as I start my last set of laps. The only drowning that takes place while I'm in the water is of my thoughts, the blank canvas a welcome reprieve from the cacophony of things I need to keep track of. Knowing my daily time in the pool is coming to a close soon, my muscles move off of memory, much like a sprinter expelling that last burst of energy to reach the finish line. I push myself harder, faster, and more fluidly toward the end of the long rectangle of water, I consider my haven, determined to beat my time from the day before.

I reach the edge of the Olympic-size pool, and like always, I reach one hand out for my stopwatch while I wipe my face with the other. Instead of cool plastic, my fingers close around what feels like the top of a shoe. I know who it is without looking, so I shake my head to get as many water droplets flying as possible. A familiar squeal of laughter greets my ears, and I smile as I look up at my best friend.

"You shaved two seconds off of yesterday's time, but I'm adding three seconds for spraying me with water," Normani chides. Her voice is stern, but the twinkle in her eyes gives her away.

"Sorry about that, Mani." I smile up at her as I slick my hair back away from my forehead and lean my forearms on the edge of the pool. "Thanks for clocking my time."

"Duh. What are best friends for?" She backs away from me to sit on the bench against the wall, probably to avoid getting splashed. She knows me too well. "Speaking of best friends, I thought I should warn you that you're at risk of being late."

I glance above her at the clock on the wall; I'm good on time. "The class I'm a teacher's assistant for doesn't start for another thirty minutes, Mani. I have plenty of time."

"Wrong, Lauren. I was there when you got the email assigning you to the class you'll be helping out with. Professor Styles asked that you show up fifteen minutes before the start of class today so he can talk to you and get to know you a little better. Based on that information, I highly suggest you hightail it to class. You need to throw on some clothes, and we need to get you across campus. I can drive you. Now go. I'll meet you outside. You have thirteen minutes!" she shouts after me.

I was out of the pool and rushing toward the locker room to rinse off and change as soon as she said the word "go," her warning and accompanying laugh echoing off the walls around me. The fall semester started this week, but the class I'm going to TA for starts today. I'm determined to make a good impression, so I'm ready and presentable in record time. I'm wiping my glasses clean as I practically sprint to Mani's car. I fling open the passenger door and buckle myself in quickly.

"Good job. We'll be there in five, which'll give you three minutes to spare," she says smugly.

"You're too good," I admit.

"I know," she laughs. "I knew you wouldn't be able to keep yourself away from the pool during open swim time, and I know you park across campus. I thought I'd play it on the safe side and check on you after I visited my dad since today is my light day."

Normani's dad works for the University, where we go to school, so she makes it a point to visit him whenever she can. She's one of the smartest people I know, yet he's still a stickler about her grades. Part of me thinks her frequent visits are to make sure he isn't breathing down her neck too much.

I look over at my childhood best friend and smile in gratitude. She can feel my eyes and turns to beam at me, her smile lighting up her face. After all these years, we've maintained our friendship. It probably helped that she lived next door, and although she's younger than me, her skipping grades in school definitely helped us stay close. Now that we're both in college, we've leased a place together off campus. It's comforting to have her as a constant in my life, and I trust her more than anyone else I know.

"Thanks for saving my butt today, Mani."

"Anytime, Lauren. I do have a teensy little favor to ask of you, please." She turns to me again and attempts a really cute puppy dog face.

I laugh at her expression. "What do you want?"

"Let me know what you think of Harry and his class. I heard he might be teaching Symbolism of Fairy Tales in Adult Psychology next semester, and I want to make sure he's as good as they say he is. What better source for info than his trusty TA?"

"I'll let you know what I think," I tell her just as she pulls up to the curb.

"Thanks, Lauren. Now get to class!"

"Yes, ma'am." I mock-salute her before leaning over to hug her. "I'll see you tonight at home."

"Sounds like a plan. I can't wait to hear how things go."

I quickly exit the vehicle and tap the top of the hood twice in thanks before I lean down and wave goodbye. I check my cell and see I've got two minutes to spare before I need to arrive. Dang. I rush off toward class, my legs moving with the swiftness of Hermes with a message for Zeus.

I'm not quite sure how it happened, but one minute I'm flying, and the next someone is crashing into me. My messenger bag swings open from the impact, the contents fluttering out like confetti, but before I try and grab my things, I look to make sure the person who ran into me is okay. I turn and see a Curvy Latin girl with Burnette locks rushing away as she shouts "I'm so sorry!" over her shoulder at me, her top billowing behind her as she flees. I stand still for a few moments as I stare after her( To be honest, I was drooling over her huge ass), the parts of my body where we bumped into each other still warm from the contact.