180 Degrees- Completed

Chapter Five

After spending a good couple of hours wandering around aimlessly with my new friend James yesterday, I wanted to spend some time on myself today. A morning run, a full body shower after, maybe go check out the libraries. See which one is going to be the best for me. Then takeout on the couch this evening. Pizza sounded so good right now.

Pulling my headphones over my head, I set my running playlist going. I usually ran with my mum. Twice a day, early morning and straight after she got home from work. She was fast and it really pushed me to go harder. There's a few things my parents were really good at and one of them was always pushing me to do better. It felt rough sometimes, like I wasn't good enough. But when it came to my fitness, I knew it was purely so I could run off energy and have a healthy lifestyle when I left. And for Volleyball, obviously. 

I loved that where I was living is just surrounded in trees. I loved being in the forest and nature. My favourite things ever were sitting and listening to the birds above near a little creek. Maybe a good book to pass the time but just sitting was fine too. 

I did this run with mom when she was here. She'd sat and preplanned a few for me to choose from which I was kind of glad for. I wouldn't get lost then and I didn't have to think about them. I had been told to make sure I mix them up randomly and never use the same route twice in a week or on the same day every week. I knew they meant well with everything in high school. I just wish I had a little more freedom. Just a little. I wasn't asking for a mile. Just to be able to do normal things. That's not a bad thing to ask for right? 

My thoughts stopped as I collided into someone. I pulled my headphones down, immediately apologizing. 

"Oh my god. I am so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going are you okay?" He looked up at me, shaking the iced coffee from his tee-shirt. 

"Yeah I'm fine. Are you? That was some force." 

"Are you sure? It wasn't a hot coffee was it?" 

"I'm okay I promise." I was grimacing at him but the soft smile he shot me assured me it was fine. "Are you okay?" 

"Wha- Yeah I'm fine." He bent down and picked the now empty cup up from the floor. "Let me buy you another. It's the least I can do. I really am sorry." 

"What's your name?" 

"Avery." 

"It's fine Avery. It's just a drink. My jumper will wash and dry. It's okay." 

"I feel bad." He sighed, putting his phone in his pocket and tilting his head at me. 

"You really want to buy me a drink that bad?" 

"I mean I'd be pissed if someone threw my coffee over me."

"Fine. I'll let you buy me a drink and you can tell me why you're out running like a maniac at this time on a Friday morning, a week and a half before anyone comes back for classes." He turned around, standing beside me and holding a hand out in the direction of the closest café. "After you. Can you hold this for me though please?" 

"Sure." I took the cup from him, standing still whilst he pulled his hoodie off. Tight black shirt underneath looked so good on him, I almost wondered why he was wearing the hoodie in the first place. 

"Thanks." He took it back after he'd tied the wet jacket against his waist. He had the cutest face, glasses, he looked really intelligent too. What is it with these random bumping into guys. It was really starting to be funny. 

"I didn't catch your name in the process of you know, throwing ice down you." He smiled, turning his head to me for a second before turning back. 

"Jasper." I nodded. "You're at Duke?" 

"I am." 

"What are you studying?" 

"Psychology and dance." 

"Those are 2 very different paths."

"One thing to get me where I need to be and one thing for me to actually enjoy." 

"That's really clever." He nodded, opening the café door and letting me walk in. 

"Thanks." 

"Do you have somewhere to be or do you want to sit and keep me company whilst I dry off?" 

"Um-" I looked at my watch. "I can sit." Like I had any major plans today that were on a schedule. Once we had our coffees, he walked out the door, sitting down at one of the tables. I was literally tripping right now. I needed to find some girl friends soon or it was going to look like I was only here for the guys. "So what are you studying?"

"Philosophy and Psychology. Well I will be. It's my first year this year." 

"Mine too." 

"Oh cool! Psychology. At least I'll know somebody now." I smiled at him. "Are you nervous about this whole thing? Like everyone seems to make out that you know, moving so far away is easy right? I feel like it's harder than it should be." 

"In some sense yeah. Not really though. I'm just glad to be able to break free you know? I had so many rules back home and now I'm here I can just get on with my life like I want to rather than what is expected. I still have some expectations mind but it's so much easier to handle if I'm here." 

"What expectations?" 

"High grades, volleyball, not turn out like my sister. Normal things." He chuckled. "You're not liking it here?" 

"I am. I like the campus and everything. I'm just a little introverted so it's hard to meet new people." 

"Gotcha." I nodded. "Well lucky for you a super extroverted girl threw your coffee over you this morning." 

"I know. It was freezing too." He chuckled. "Do you want to hang out today? Or before classes start?" 

"See, not so introverted now." I smiled, opening my phone and opening it to new contact, sliding it across the table to him. "We can hang out today. I need to go home and change first though. I can text you when I'm ready." 

"Where do you live?" 

"Oh, just like 10 minutes away, round the corner from the art gallery." 

"It's really nice around there. Are you in dorms?" 

"Yeah. Are you?" 

"God yeah. Don't think I'd handle being completely alone for my first year, I still feel like I'm going to burn my room to the ground as it is."