The Messy Months [EDITING]

August - 1

Marcy did not want to go. In fact, she refused to go. All throughout her ten minute walk from her apartment down to campus, a majority of her brain begged herself not go, to not make the ache in her chest turn unbearable again--she'd barely been able to get it under control in the first place.

But Marcy kept walking.

She buried the ping that hit her collarbone when she saw the building to the English department. She ignored how it traveled with her breath and made sure to keep her gaze down as she entered.

Her class started just a few moments after she got settled down into her chair. She tried not breathe too loud for fear of hyperventilating, and sat up straighter than everyone else. With her eyes downcast, she focused on her hand as it made looping pencil marks in her notebook. She knew immediately that there was no way she could do this. No way she could make it through this class, let alone the rest of the day.

When the class finally ended she stood up, snatching up her doodled notebook and making a run for the exit. She was going home. She told herself she'd give this a try, and now that she had she could go back home and prepare for her long weekend hours at the diner. Maybe she'd be able to catch up on her sleep. Or her reading. Maybe her favorite TV shows...

"Hey. It's green."

Marcy lifted her head, looking around before glancing up at the face that had acknowledged her. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized the light at the crosswalk had changed.

"Thanks," she muttered, looking both ways before quickly crossing. She was almost sure that boy had been in her class, but didn't want to look behind her to find out.

She paused when she got to the corner, looking down the streets. She became torn between going to the her favorite coffee shop or just heading home.

"You going to Fritz's?"

Marcy jumped, a little gasp leaking from her lips when she looked to see the same boy who had told her the light changed. He'd followed her across the street.

"E-excuse me?"

"Are you going to Fritz's?" He made a vague gesture toward the coffee shop down the street. The exact one Marcy desperately wanted to go to. "Or are you just going to stare at it with your big doe eyes until you're sure the calories have eaten you before you could eat them?"

For some stupid reason, the corner of Marcy's mouth quirked up. She couldn't pinpoint why, but the weird words this boy just used seemed to snap her out of it. He woke her up and make her realize what she was doing. And on the plus side, he intrigued her.

"Doe eyes?"

"Yes'm," he said. "You have those big, innocent eyes. They'd draw people in--if you choose to look at them."

Marcy tried not to smile. "I see..."

"So," he adjusted the bag's strap on his shoulder, "you going?"

Marcy bit her lip, then un-bit it because she felt ridiculous for doing it. How did people do that without feeling cliche? "Are you?"

"Only if you are."

Marcy stared into his denim blue eyes, wondering for the briefest of seconds if this man was about to lure her into taking him back to her place. Marcy knew she wouldn't let such a thing happen. All she had to do was walk away.

He seemed as though he could charm her into doing anything though, and she found herself walking down the street with him in peaceful silence. It was as if time had skipped forward and she missed the moment in which she was supposed to say no. Even so, Marcy had a gut instinct that this man wouldn't harm her. But just in case she tried to discreetly place her pepper spray on top of the stack of books in her back. Somehow, it kept rolling to the bottom.