Crocs Partner: Solemates

Solemates

Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm super excited and honored to announce that I have been selected to write this entry for the Crocs Writing Contest! As a longtime fan of Crocs and the owner of many Jibbitz, including cats and pumpkins, I couldn't be more excited to have the chance to partner with them and write this story! I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you join in on the contest, and share your own stories as well! I can't wait to see everyone else's stories! #WattCrocs 

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If someone asked me to recite meet-cutes that I figured could potentially happen to me, I would have never said kind of like Cinderella, but with Croc Jibbitz.

And yet, it happened. My own modern-day fairy tale started with Crocs.

My back-to-school nerves were getting the best of me as I hurried to my first class, panting heavily as I ran up the four floors to the biology lab. I'd spent too long choosing the perfect outfit, the perfect Jibbitz for my Crocs, the best way to style my hair...and now I was exactly three minutes away from being late.

I kept my head bent down as I climbed the stairs, focusing on them so I wouldn't trip, but I didn't realize that left me open to other collisions.

I head-butted someone at the top of the stairs. My head meeting a hard abdomen.

They went down first—and I couldn't stop my momentum quickly enough, toppling over on top of them.

"I'm sorry," I apologized immediately, putting my hands to the cold tile of the floor to push myself up.

My eyes met dark brown ones, my gaze travelling up to curly black hair, then to the side, following the sharp lines of his jaw to his chin, then upward, to his slightly-chapped lips, and then back to his eyes again.

Eyes that crinkled in amusement.

Because it was clear I'd totally just checked him out.

A hot blush crossed my cheeks as I nearly threw myself backward off of him, scrambling to my feet, nearly tripping again as I walked straight into his heavy backpack, my toe throbbing painfully. "Ow—sorry," I said again, moving around it.

A low chuckle escaped his lips as he pushed himself back to his feet. "That isn't usually how I like people to take me out."

I checked the time on my watch. Only one more minute to get to class on time.

"Are you okay—"

I glanced at the man one more time, seeing his crooked smile, feeling my heart skip a beat, and then I bolted. "Sorry again!" I said once more, clutching my backpack straps as I made a mad dash for the classroom door.

"Wait!" I heard him call after me.

I ignored him even though I wanted to turn back around, and somehow managed to make it to my class on time, bolting through the door and surprising the professor.

Her eyes widened slightly, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Right as the clock strikes nine. Nice timing."

"I put my Crocs into four-wheel drive," I said as I slipped into an empty seat, glancing down at my Crocs in question.

My Crocs that were missing two of the Jibbitz I'd painstakingly selected to wear. The two cat ones that were almost a spitting replica of my own cats. My heart fell and I thought back to where I lost them. From the collision?