Time Will Tell

Chapter 1

This is it. I've made it. I was actually accepted into college. I mean, I was always told by Riley I wouldn't have trouble but I still had my doubts. I wish I knew where he was. Riley always seems to soothe my nerves. Its a weird thing we have. He's almost my older brother. Growing up with someone like him with his perfect family sure makes a girl wonder what it would be like to have that instead of a mom who has to work 3 jobs to make sure we still have a house. Speaking of Riley, looks like he didn't ditch me this morning like I'm sure he considered.

"Hey, Riley," I mutter. Social skills weren't ever my thing.

"Hey shortie." I hate that nickname. Apparently being 2 inches taller than the national average of 5'4 makes someone short. Why does he have the genes that allow him to be 6'5 so naturally? He should at least have to work for it like the rest of the world has to. Sometimes I can't stand that he has so few hardships in his life but I do have one thing over him. My clock started with less time and even though I'm younger, I'll meet my soulmate first. That's the one thing people can never take away from me, that potential.

"Why is it so crowded here?" I manage to ask without tripping over my words.

"It's this magical place called college where people actually come together to do one thing you could never live without."

"And today what can I not live without?"

"You can't go any length of time without having your nose in a book to learn something and lucky for you, that's what most of these people are here to do."

"So it's not like high school where I'm the only one who can define words most people have never heard of, much less use on a regular basis?"

"Nope. It's where there are a higher concentration of nerds such as ourselves." I hate that term but I also love it so much because it perfectly describes types such as Riley and myself. "Do you know where your first class is?"

"I wish I could actually download a map or something since this place is so huge. My schedule says my first class is in the math building and knowing you, you might have an idea of where that is."

"I just happen to have a very good idea of where that is, lucky for us, since my first class of the day also happens to be there." We continued walking down the sidewalks, people moving out of his way and into mine. Needless to say, I ran into just a few. As I muttered apologies to people who couldn't hear my barely audible voice, I just hoped that we would be there soon.

We stopped in front of what I assumed was the math building and Riley ushered us inside. The warmth felt nice due to the fact that it is so much colder here in Philadelphia than it is in Tennessee this time of year. I wished I had made a better decision about my sleeveless top and gone for a cardigan of some sort.

As I attempted to warm myself, I felt my wristband, the clock that tells me how much longer it will be until I meet my soulmate.

In roughly a month my entire life was going to change whether I like it or not. Somehow my life is going to contain a person other than Riley in it. I still can't help but wonder who my soulmate is as a person.

Once I made it out of my reverie, I realized Riley had left me, most likely to go to his own class. I struggled a bit to find wherever I was supposed to be. Suddenly I was a bundle of nerves. I was actually going to start college. Right here, right now. I sure hope all of my AP classes are really representative of college classes and not just a waste of my time. I walked into class, picked a seat near the front and went back to my daydreaming. And that's when I started to freak out.

Lots of people dated each other to gain experience of all sorts when it came to partners. Even Riley had taken a couple of girls out over the years. I have never been on a date and not really talked to many people so no one ever asked me. Theoretically it couldn't be uncommon for someone to not have any experience in that area but it sure seemed like I was the only one. What if my mate has been on lots of dates? What if they didn't save anything to experience with me that they haven't already? What if they don't want me? What if they don't like me? What if they wished I had some experience? What if they haven't done anything, just like me? What if the two of us are going to be so awkward together that we never actually become soulmates?