Liberate You, Liberate Me✔️

Chapter 5

5. Plans for Fun

Libra figuratively picked her jaw up of the floor after Dillon had revealed he lived at The Arc. God, fate or whomever or whatever had a funny sense of humor. She almost wanted to call Dr. Fine right here and now and tell him the funny coincidence and have Dillon witness it all, but she knew better than to do that.

"Y-you live here, too, at The Arc? Which floor?" She asked curiously to see if he was telling the truth or spinning her some lie. It wouldn't be the first time Dillon had mocked or teased her about something.

"Third floor actually. Although it seems like fifth or sixth considering how slow the elevators run in this building." Dillon answered.

Oh no, not third floor, not the floor with the potential tutor opportunity that she desperately needed. She clenched her fist and said a silent prayer that it wouldn't be Dillon's request. The persons e-mail address didn't have a first and a last name for her to investigate further on. If it turns out to be Dillon you can't take it, she told herself. With a quick glance at her phone she saw that she didn't have that long until she had to be in class so she needed to get out of here quickly.

"Well, I have to get to class now so you have a nice day." Libra turned around to leave but Dillon quickly grabbed the crook of her arm to stop her.

"Libra wait,"

A shockwave was sent through her body seeing as that was the first time Dillon Holden had ever reached out to touch her. She would be lying if she said it didn't send some butterflies to her stomach because it absolutely did. When her head darted up to look at him she saw the same popular and handsome guy that had proudly paraded around the hallways of North Haven High, and she couldn't help but wonder if he could ever see passed the weak girl with the baggy jeans – the person she used to be.

"I just wanted to say—I mean, I'm sorry for what happened to you at prom night." Dillon said while shoving his hands in his pockets.

Now she had to get out of here and never look back. Not only had he disrupted her new sanctuary at college but then he had to drag up the past! This is precisely the reason she never wanted to see or hear from anyone at North Haven High again, but you don't always get what you want. Since the investigation of who was responsible for the traumatic experience hadn't yet been concluded Libra thought it best if she stopped their conversation right here.

"Good bye, Dillon." She said and yanked her arm back and stormed out of the building. And fuck off, she wanted to add.

"So, are you finally going to tell me about the hunk that came in here yesterday?" Jack asked after they had closed up.

Not wanting to sit alone in the apartment she had lingered after work and eventually Jack had pulled out two chairs and made them each a Chai Latte to drink. Libra wasn't really good at this, socializing, but Jack had noticed and promised to help her along. He'd told her how awkward he'd been in high school and how he'd turned to his guitar as his only friend. But apparently that all had changed, in his first year in college, being with peers of his own and now he had fully blossomed. Maybe that meant there was hope for her too.

"There isn't much to tell, and his name isn't hunk it's Dillon Holden," Libra rolled her eyes at yet another person mesmerized by Dillon's looks, "we used to go to high school together, but he never really knew me. I mean—we weren't exactly in the same crowds."

Jack nodded and gave her a sympathetic look, "You and I are very alike, Libra, or at least the person I used to be. Don't worry about explaining that to me, I totally understand." He stated.

It was nice not to have to get into who she had been in high school because she wasn't sure she wasn't that person anymore. But she was very curious to what Jack had done to change and blossom, as he had called it.

"Let me give you a little piece of advice here Libra; you know better now than to let that guy hurt you or make you feel weak again. Here you'll have the chance to be with people like you and you'll find your voice soon enough – but until then you have to fake it to you make it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you hold you head up high, stick your chin out and refuse to let the world tear you down, and that includes Dillon. One day you'll feel that way for real and won't have to fake it anymore." Jack shrugged his shoulders and patted her hand.

Someone must have told him that because it sounded exactly like a quote from someone. Perhaps they were more alike than she'd realized. One day I'll tell him about what happened.

"So what do you propose that I do as a start?" Libra asked intriguingly and finished of her warm drink.

Jack leant forward and winked at her, "How about coming with me to a dorm party tonight? It's one of my friends and she's a real social butterfly so if you're ready to face your evil bad boy that's the place to be."

She could tell he was challenging her and wondering if she was ready to take the bait. Libra knew she wasn't ready but then again you had to fake it till you made it, right?

"I guess it's a plan." She murmured, already regretting it.