Camryn Quinn is finally getting what she wants...sort of. Moving into a dorm and away from her not so supportive father is a good first step, but like everything with him, it comes with strings. She must attend the college of his choosing for at lea...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The short walk to the tutor center is just enough time to scarf down my bagel. I reach for the door handle, but someone else beats me to it, opening it for me. I look up to thank them before walking through. I recognize him from my biology class, but I've never actually talked to him before.
"Hey... Ryn, right?" he asks. I pause racking my brain for his name, but I have no reason to have that information. I typically avoid any and all small talk with my classmates. Having to work with a partner in biology lab is more than enough socializing for me.
"Uhm yeah... hi," I manage, still caught off guard by him and this prolonged interaction. I finally allow myself to really take him in now that it's evident he isn't going to just accept my gratitude and move on.
He's handsome in a boyish way. His features are soft, but somehow also sharp like he's still growing into them. He's tall, not as tall as Taylor, but at least six feet. The almost black color of his nearly buzzed hair makes the hazel in his irises vibrant. I cross my arms and let this mystery boy talk to me.
"Beau Baker," he says, reaching out his hand. I take it and smile. He continues, "We have biology together. I usually sit behind you. I noticed you always know the answers to the Hopper's clicker questions so figured I could benefit from the proximity." The smile he flashes me is full of perfectly straight and white teeth.
"So in other words, you wait to see what number I press and then cheat," I tease, and give a smile in return.
"I can't help where my eyes wander!" He throws his hands up in surrender.
I begin to tell him it's okay, that he could just sit next to me in the future. Before I can get it all out though, a large figure approaches in my peripheral making me suddenly aware that Beau and I are still standing in the doorway. I move to the side as Beau continues to hold the door for the next person. His attention remains on me though. It's only when I'm standing to the side of the door does the figure's face register with me.
"Hey Capt.! You ready to rip out some alternative hypothesis?" Taylor asks seemingly ignoring Beau as he moves to hold the door open too, pulling me by the wrist into the building with him as he does. I'm annoyed, not by the fact that Taylor is taking charge, but more because I let him. For a full five seconds we're back into our own little world. The people and noise surrounding us has been muted. Taylor smirks, but it's the wink that pulls me back into reality.
I turn back towards Beau, who is still just standing holding the door for other students walking in. I call back to him, "So Beau, let's just say if you get an invitation for a meeting from the student code of conduct board, I had nothing to do with it." I give him my best sympathetic smile, but only for a second before I let Taylor pull me further up the stairs. I can hear Beau laugh but I don't hear anything else he says or turn to watch him leave.
"So baseball boy, huh?" Taylor teases as we walk into our assigned room. I don't respond because I have no clue what he's talking about. Or at least that's what I'm going to claim if he continues to push the matter. Beau is the kind of guy I wouldn't mind flirting with, but it would never go anywhere. He's not my type, but no way would I admit that to Taylor. It would only lead into a conversation about what my type is. The last thing I need is to list off quality after quality that would point in an arrow head straight to Taylor himself.
