Thorn (n.h)

I

Flip.
I hate studying.
Flip.
I hate this class.
Flip.
"Rose?" I heard my roommate call, knocking me out of my trance.
"Huh?" I asked looking at her across the room.
"Wanna go get some food from the coffee shop?" Paige asked grabbing her and my wallet off the dresser.
"You go for me," I answered and rubbed my eyes.
"You need a break, you've been studying for 3 hours. Come on," she tossed my wallet at me and my stomach caught it.
"Okay, when we come back you wanna help me with this?" I slipped my Toms on and checked my face in the mirror on the door. Paige nodded and we were off.
The coffee shop was on the level below our dorm room. It wasn't a far walk but it was open to the fresh air. The winter was killing some of the shrubs on campus but today was warmer, you can never expect continuity in Texas.
"Black coffee please," Paige said pulling a five out of her wallet. I looked around the shop, it was busy which was nice. The weather permitted it today.
"Uhm, hot chocolate," I spoke, I hadn't realized it was my turn to order, day dreaming is just as bad as studying.
"Wanna sit over on the patio?" Paige asked pointing to the iron tables in the courtyard. I nodded and took my chocolate. "I still can't believe you don't like coffee," Paige said taking a glug of hers.
"I still can't believe you take it black, not surprising," I teased. She punched my arm and we sat on the chairs.
"Look at them," Paige said nodding slowly to a group behind us. I turned and saw Niall with his friends. Sighing I turned back to Paige.
"What about them?" I asked picking a tiny stick off the table and twirling it between my forefinger and thumb.
"I can't believe the tattoos are not getting them kicked out," Paige said taking another drink of her coffee.
"I have tattoos, should I get kicked out?" I asked, she smiled softly and stayed quiet. "Anyway, they aren't hurting anyone with them."
"I'm just not a fan," Paige admitted and tossed her empty cup into a nearby bin. "How's you and that guy doing?"
"Rick?" Paige nodded, "he's Rick," I said casually. Rick was a boy I'd been talking to from my American History class, he was a history major too. He wasn't anything special.
"You two aren't ya know?" I shook my head and made a disgusted look, "well gosh Rose, you haven't seen anybody since we got here in August. It's already December and you still don't have anyone."
"Who's saying I'm looking?"
~
We went back and studied in our dorm a few more hours before we called it quits. Paige had tested me at least 5 times over the same material and I had gotten it all right. Same with her of course.
"Let's go to dinner, my treat," Paige said as I emerged our bathroom. She wanted to go to this burger place off campus that I wasn't too fond of but their tea was to die for. We walked inside and saw a multitude of students from school. There was Niall and next to him and his friends was the only available table.
"You order, I'll hold a table for us," we came here pretty often so Paige knew my order already. I awkwardly made way to the empty table.
"Hey," Niall said as I sat. His accent was as thick as always.
"Hey," I responded with a polite smile. He nodded and turned back to his friends. We knew each other since we were 7 and he and his family moved from Ireland to Texas. We were never friends, or really good friends. We spoke sometimes, we'd had every class together from grade 1 until our freshman year.
"A chicken basket for my lovely blonde," Paige said setting a red plastic basket infront of me. She sat a large to-go cup of sweet tea infront of me before she sat across from me with her burger.
I felt sort of awkward sitting next to Niall, it felt like elementary school allover again. Except now, he was older with all these crazy awesome tattoos.
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"There'll be peace when you are done, lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more"- Kansas

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AN: Sidebar pic done by xxCazzaLovesMusicxx