Coke & Run

t w o

Don't forget to click 'vote' ♥

The first thing I see when I wake up is Lauren's face six inches from mine. She's shaking me firmly but gently as to not startle me awake or upset my stomach. She's murmuring something, and it takes me a few seconds to realize she's asking me a question.

"Are you alive, Becca?"

In response, I offer her a grunt and roll over to face my wall, throwing my blanket over my face. Lauren yanks the blanket down off my head, and it is only then that I realize Hailey is asleep next to me.

"You guys need to wake up," Lauren pleads. She's always been lucky enough to be a morning person, even after a night out. "We have to leave in 15 minutes."

Hailey sits up then, groggy as ever and looking like she was run over by a train. Her hair is sticking up in every direction and last night's makeup is smudged underneath her eyes. At the same time, we both say to each other, "You look awful."

"Exactly," Lauren says, pulling us towards the ladder of my lofted dorm bed. "You both look terrible, so you need all the time you can get."

Hailey and I give in, sliding down my ladder in a heap of blankets. Lauren stands aside, sipping from her coffee as Hailey and I stumble into the bathroom. It takes a few minutes, but we manage to completely strip our faces of makeup and throw our hair messily into buns.

Being part of the Honors College at Ohio State University requires that we complete a service project every year. This year's event conveniently happens to be at 7:30 in the morning the day after my birthday. The check-in location is a twenty-minute walk away, meaning that we got less than three hours of sleep last night.

"I think I'm still drunk," Hailey mutters, filling one of my travel mugs with Lauren's coffee.

"We probably are," Lauren admits with a shrug. Not only is she a morning person, but she also doesn't get hung over. "You might want to stick an Excedrin in your pocket for when it hits you later."

Once we bundle up in our jackets, sweatpants, gloves, and boots, we get ready to brave the chilly morning air. Lauren is holding the door handle, but instead of twisting the knob, she stands still looking down.

"Uh, Lo? Are you going to op-"

"What if you see Maverick?" she interrupts. She turns to face me and places her hands on my shoulders. She looks at me with big, sympathetic eyes, but I shake out of her grip.

"It'll be fine," I say, although I feel the exact opposite inside. How awkward will it be? Will we totally ignore that it happened and continue being hallway acquaintances? Will he want it to be something more? And then there's Cameron. I shudder just at the thought of it.

Lauren and Hailey look at each other before Hailey speaks slowly to me. "Did, uh, something happen with Cameron?"

"No."

"Well," Hailey continues, looking at Lauren who's nodding ever so slightly, "do you want to talk about it?"

"Let's go," I say, ignoring her. "We don't want to be late."

I walk outside the room, ignoring the look exchanged between Lauren and Hailey. We get to the end of the hallway, and while we're waiting for the elevator, it happens.

I watch Maverick emerge from behind us, and we make eye contact for a few seconds longer than is considered comfortable. I open my mouth to say hi, but he averts his eyes to the floor and disappears down the stairs. I notice my mouth hanging open, so I quickly clamp it shut and climb into the elevator.