Chatoyant College Book 2: Initiates

Chapter 11: Romance is in the Air

Tuesday, September 2

Corrie loved the feeling of early morning air against her skin. It was even more interesting in the fog; today's was a much thinner sort than Saturday's had been, and she was grateful for it, but she enjoyed the damp chill in the air, the softness of the trees and buildings, and the hush that fog put over everything. She had always loved the quiet emptiness of the early mornings when she went for her runs; the fog just intensified that.

Of course, when she finally completed her run and reached the door of Gilkey, she was even more damp with sweat than usual, but that was why she showered after her run and not before. She leaned on the railing that framed the door, taking swigs of water from the bottle she'd left there in between deep gulps of air. Her whole body tingled with endorphins. If only she could give other people a taste of this feeling, she knew a lot more would start running every day. But few people believed her when she told them how wonderful it was.

There was one who seemed to know, though. She stood up a little straighter as a figure emerged from the fog, running along the path on the campus side of Gilkey. He wasn't facing her, but she could see him well. Tall, dark hair, muscular physique. She watched appreciatively as he ran past. Who was this mysterious stranger? She would almost have thought he was Edie's friend Marlin if it weren't for the hair: shorter than Marlin's floppy style, with a bit of a curl at the ends. She memorized that hair. He might look different when he changed out of the tank top and running shorts he wore now, but she would keep an eye out for his hair. Maybe she could find out who he was.

Corrie let herself in the building and went back up to the fifth floor, only stopping by briefly at the room she shared with Edie to grab her towel and the little basket she had for her soap, shampoo, and other accouterments of hygiene. The shower was hot and refreshing, and she was feeling quite pleasant when she returned to her room and got dressed--except for the rumbling in her stomach. How much more time did she have before class? She checked her schedule and found that she had about an hour--and that the class was Academic Writing, the one she had with Edie.

She crossed the room and put her hand on her sleeping roommate's shoulder. "Edie?" she said softly.

Edie opened her eyes and sat up much more quickly than Corrie would have expected. "Huh? Hi, Corrie," she said, her voice fuzzy with sleep. "What's going on?"

Corrie took a step back and smiled. "We have about an hour before class and I want to eat something. I thought maybe we could go to breakfast together."

Edie blinked, nodded, then yawned. She turned her digital alarm clock toward herself, then pressed a button. "Sure. I was going to get up in a few minutes anyway."

"Oh! Sorry to wake you, then."

"That's okay." She smiled sleepily, pushing back the covers and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "I'll just get dressed. And stuff."

Soon they were heading across campus and swiping their ID cards at the dining hall. Corrie got a stack of pancakes and slathered them liberally in maple syrup; when she and Edie found a spot and sat down, she noticed her roommate only had a small scoop of cottage cheese and some fruit salad. "Not much of a breakfast, is that?" she commented.

Edie shrugged. "I'm trying to eat healthier. I need to lose some weight and get in better shape, and this seems like the best kind of breakfast to do that." She poked dubiously at the cottage cheese with her spoon. "I had yogurt yesterday, but they were out today. This stuff is supposed to be good for you, right?"

Corrie nodded and took a big bite of pancake, choosing her words carefully as she chewed. She didn't want to sound too enthusiastic about Edie's weight-loss plans for fear of judging or insulting her friend, but at the same time, she couldn't protest, as Marlin had, that Edie didn't need to lose any weight. Or she could, but she would feel dishonest, and Edie certainly deserved honesty. She swallowed the pancake after chewing it thoroughly. "You said something about that yesterday at dinner, right? Well, don't deprive yourself. Hey, you should come running in the mornings with me! That's a great way to get in shape and it would be fun."

Edie grimaced, but Corrie wasn't sure whether it was due to her words or Edie's taste of the cottage cheese. She swallowed, then said uncertainly, "I appreciate the offer, but I think going up and down the stairs in Gilkey is plenty of exercise for me right now. If I add any more exercise it will probably not be something I have to get up early for!"

Corrie laughed, thankfully before she took a sip from the glass of milk in her hand. "I always say it's better than coffee. But I'm used to not convincing people."

When they had finished their breakfast, they squeezed out past the line of students waiting to get in the dining hall and saw a familiar face. "Hi, Edie!" said Marlin, his smile hopeful.

"Oh, Marlin! Hey!" Edie turned, and Corrie paused to wait for her, but Marlin had disappeared into the dining hall. Edie sighed and turned back.

Corrie patted her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, you'll get a chance to tell him. Between French class and living in Gilkey you're bound to run into him again."