Rebel (A Rihanna and Eazy E Love Story)

Aces in the Desert - Part 1 (Chapter 23)

3rd POV

It had been a month since Rebel's transfer from NYU to USC had been approved, thanks to Jerry working his connections. So far, everything had been going smoothly—except for the fact that she was still waiting on her car. Today was Friday, and after spending two hours in the library reading about the Classification of Isomers for her CHEM322aL class, Rebel decided to call it a day. She grabbed her textbook, checked out, and headed out of the library.

Her plan was simple: go home, chill, catch up with her mom, and check in with Lisa and Gab. She walked toward the campus bus stop, as she hadn't received her car yet. She took a seat on the bench, pulled out her cell, and began listening to her voicemails when she heard a honk. Looking up, she spotted Eric in his Impala, grinning from ear to ear. She was surprised to see him here—how did he even know she was at the bus stop?

Rebel raised an eyebrow, momentarily unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her. Eric was leaning out of his car window, waving at her. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of him, though she was still curious how he had found her.

"How'd you know I was here?" she asked, still sitting on the bench.

Eric chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I didn't. I just got lucky," he said, giving a playful shrug. "I was actually on my way to grab something to eat and thought I'd swing by campus. I figured I'd offer you a ride home. You waiting for the bus or what?"

Rebel hesitated for a second. She wasn't in the mood to deal with public transportation today, and the idea of a ride with Eric sounded a lot more appealing than sitting on a crowded bus. 

"Guess I could use a ride," she said with a grin. "But you're buying me dinner then. It's the least you can do for interrupting my plans," she said standing up grabbing her bag and textbook off the bench before walking over to the car.

Eric smirked, leaning back into his seat with exaggerated thoughtfulness. "Alright, alright. Dinner's on me. But only because I'm a gentleman," he replied, tapping the passenger seat. "Hop in."

Rebel rolled her eyes playfully, but the warmth in her chest as she slid in the car wasn't just from the sun. There was something about the way Eric made her feel comfortable, without all the usual pretenses. 

"Where to?" she asked, settling in.

"Anywhere you want," Eric said, his grin widening. "I was thinking we could hit up a Mexican spot close by."

Rebel nodded. "Sounds perfect."

As Eric drove through the streets of LA, the hum of the Impala's engine filling the quiet moment between them, he glanced over at Rebel, a small smile on his face. "So, how was your day?" he asked, his tone casual but genuinely curious. "And how's school going? You settling in alright at USC?"

Rebel leaned back in the passenger seat, her fingers drumming lightly on her lap as she looked out the window. She'd been so caught up with the move and all the new changes, she hadn't really had time to reflect on how things were going. But now that Eric asked, she realized she hadn't taken a step back to breathe in a minute.

"It's been good," she said after a beat, her eyes flickering towards him. "School's... well, it's school, you know? A lot of work, but I'm keeping up. CHEM322aL is kicking my ass though. I swear, I've been living in the library. But... I'm managing."

Eric's eyes widened in surprise, his hands tightening on the wheel for a moment as he glanced over at her. "Wait, hold up—Chem? As I Chemistry?" Eric question eyes wide as Rebel shook her head. I never knew you were studying Chemistry, Reb, I thought it was only music." He shook his head, letting out a low whistle. "Every time I talk to you, it's like I'm learning something new. First, you into producing, now you're out here conquering the periodic table?" He let out a laugh, clearly impressed. "Girl, you're like a whole new person every time I turn around. It's wild. You really out here impressing me at every corner, huh?"