Say I love you

Chapter 4 Meeting for the first time.

Sun light beamed through the window, casting shadows that danced around Ava's room. Shapes that were indistinguishable but beautiful. Her brown eyes fluttered open from a light sleep focusing on her surroundings like a camera focusing to take a picture.
Looking at her phone she read 8:30 a.m. She was late.
"Oh crap!" She said to herself in a panic. Quickly scrambling out of bed she threw on a cute forest green dress and her canvases. Her black jacket complimented her personality and the dress. Grabbing her back pack she ran out the door and to the elevator, she pressed the button so many times she was pretty sure she broke it. "I'm so late! If my mom finds out she will literally kill me" Ava thought to herself, as butterflies had filled her stomach. "And I'm pretty sure I set my alarm which makes no sense why it didn't go off." Once off the elevator Ava ran quickly to the front doors and pushed them open. Outside it was cloudy, the sun peeked through the clouds casting it's rays into dispersed areas. Running to the street she flagged down a taxi.
"Yo miss, where we headed?" The taxi drivers scruffy voice sounded through the car in that familiar tone.
"Oh um just to Fordham University. Hey I remember you, you drove me to Wall street a couple days ago." Ava said happy that she knew this man.
"Oh yeah, my names Stewart but you can call me Stew." He said smiling back at her through the review mirror. He had a beard and was a bit on the heavier side. His eyes were a dark brown, almost black, but they had this shine that reminded Ava of her dad. Ava's dad passed away the previous year from cancer. Ava was 17 at the time and it hurt her so much to let go of her dad. She began cutting and became very depressed, she needed to get away which is why she moved all the way out to New York.
"Miss, you okay?" Stew asked very quietly and gently.
"Um, yeah sorry." Ava said wiping the tears that had begun making paths down her face. Sniffing she looked down at her hands and took a deep breath. "It's just, you remind me of my dad, he um died last year."
"I'm so sorry for your loss miss, I bet your dad was a good man." Stew said kindly.
"Thank you. My name is Ava. Ava Marie." She looked up at him and smiled.
"Noce to meet you Ava Marie. I'll see you around!" He nodded and pulled off the street and onto the campus.
"Keep the change. Thanks Stew!" She handed him a twenty and exited the car.
Ava stood onthe sidewalk staring at the cabs fading colour. Tears streamed down her face making weird paths as if they didn't want anyone to know their destination. Stew had changed her life in ways she didn't expect. She had told him things in which she had never told anybody else.
"Hey you're new! I'm Josephina but you can call me Joey. Welcome to Fordham University. What's your name?" The girl said quickly all in one breath, as if she didn't have a breath to waste. She was the same height as Ava, long brown curly hair, she wore a tribal patterned cardigan, with black leggings and some flats. Her eyes were a hazel colour, more on the green side but they had a hint of brown in them. Her teeth her beautifully straight and white.
"Hey.. Oh nice to meet you, my name is Ava."
Ava responded just as happily.
"I like your outfit." Joey said smiling that beautiful smile.
"Thank you, I like yours too. Hey I'm looking for Phase 1 room 35. Could you help me?" Ava asked shyly.
"Oh for sure, where did you move from?? I heard from my guy friend that you live in the Darling Oak is it???" Joey said in one of her run on sentences.
"Yeah I moved here from Arlington, Seattle. New York is my escape for school." Ava said. "Guy friend??" She asked, confused.
"Oh Ezra, have you met him?? He said you live down the hall from him." Joey said. "He said your kinda awkward but very pretty."
Ava looked up from her shoes that she had been staring at while she walked. Staring at Joey, she could hear her heart pounding.
"Ezra?!? I mean oh Ezra.. He is nice." Ava said nervously, she tried to hide the fact that they had already exchanged numbers and napped on the same bed. "We've only spoke once, this yesterday morning. It was only really awkward." Ava continued. She tripped over her words, as she didn't know if Ezra had told Joey otherwise.
"Oh nice, he is pretty cool. I have know him my whole life but we didn't become friends until five years ago." Joey commented. "I like him. He is cool." She continued. Ava could tell Joey had the smallest crush on him. It was obvious, she played with her hair as she talked about him and had the biggest smile on her face.
Ava wasn't sure if she was jealous or glad. Ezra was quiet but when he did speak it was comforting and she never wanted to stop listening to him talk. She thought about last night, she thought about sitting on her bed with Ezra staring at the movie screen. Even though she was looking at the screen she wasn't focusing on it. Her focus was on Ezra out of the corner of her eye. She remembered the butterflies fading fast as she fell asleep. She remembered his first text message. She remembered smiling. It was the first time in a year that she was truly happy.
".... It's been fun." Joey ended with a giggle.
"What?? Sorry I was zoned out." Ava said with embarrassment clear as day on her face. She hadn't heard a word Joey had said because she was day dreaming of Ezra.
"Oh nevermind, it was nothing." Joey said. Defeated she looked down at the grass beneath her.
"Okay. Hey what's your first class?" Ava asked trying to lighten the mood as she didn't wanna loose her first and only girl friend at this university.
"Writing with Rasmussen." Joey exclaimed. "What about you?" She asked looking at Ava hopefully.
"Writing with Rasmussen." Ava said happily and looked at Joey.
" oh yay! It's this way!" Joey yelled as she began to ran towards Phase 1. Ava stared at her as she ran, she was so happy. As if she had never lost something or been sad. She had a light in her eyes that Ava wished she could take and keep forever.
"Here we go." Ava whispered and started running to catch up with Joey.