They Don't Know About Us (BWWM)

Chapter 6

Ava hadn't resorted to her old habit of chewing nervously on her bottom lip since she lived back at home. She always felt anxious of that next lecture or argument with her parents. At college, she felt apprehensive about the next time she would see Gavin in class. The intense stare offs had gotten more prevalent during lectures, a smirk or smile always accompanying his expression. She found herself automatically smiling in some instances, a blush adorning her cheeks. She wasn't sure why she was such a focus of his attention, but she started to not mind it more and more as they spoke more after class about assignments. He had been super helpful in directing her toward scientific resources for her paper and for the class in general.

As great as all of that was, Ava still felt anxiety trail her into the classroom. She still didn't know him outside of the classroom. She knew he was dangerous, but he was so soft and kind around her. She was just more unaware about him than she felt comfortable being. She wanted to know more before she got more comfortable around him, before she lowered her guard. She feared that if she lowered her guard too early, bad things would happen, and she had escaped to college to avoid bad things.

"Girl, you've been stressing too much lately. Is it class or something?" Stephanie asked, her voice breaking through the hazy mess of thoughts in Ava's head as she laid in her dorm bed. Stephanie hopped off of Jackie's bed and grabbed her purse, sifting around inside. "I think I got something in here to help you relax."

Ava shot up in bed, waving her hands dismissively. "I'm good, thank you though. I think I'm just going to take a walk," Ava replied as she hauled herself out of bed. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a tank top and changed into them in the bathroom before waving at Jackie and Stephanie and leaving the dorm. She felt like she just needed to breathe, and going outside could be a great stress reliever before her next psychology class. Her heart and stomach seemed to flutter at the same time, excitement and nervousness clashing.

Ava liked being around Gavin. He challenged her mind and made her question her previous thoughts and foundations, which she figured a large part of college was about. She enjoyed the class and working on the various assignments that encouraged her to link psychological instances with personal ones. She had never felt so involved in a subject before, and Gavin always made himself available to her before class, after class, and during his office hours for any questions or concerns. He had gone out of his way numerous times to search up her questions and send her links to answers. It was more than any other professor had done for her.

After she stepped out of the dorm, Ava followed the sidewalk all the way through campus and around it, the heat etching up as the sun rose to its highest peak. She started to question walking outside around noon, but seeing the small café that bordered campus changed her mind. She walked inside, breathing in deeply as the cool air conditioning blasted over her. She ordered a cold brew, figuring she would need the caffeine soon when she went into the library later to do her schoolwork.

Once she stepped back out into the heat, she took a sip, nearly sighing at how cold the drink was, contrasting against the heat surrounding her. It was temporary relief, and that was all she needed to get back to the dorm to grab her things before going to the library. She headed for the corner of the sidewalk, turning to cut around the side of the building only to crash into another body, her cold brew being knocked out of her hand and splattering all over the sidewalk. "Oh! Sorry," she immediately exclaimed, worrying more about whoever she knocked into rather than her coffee.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't see you coming," a familiar, deep voice sounded above her.

Not believing her ears at first, Ava dared a glance up, confirming that she had indeed ran into Gavin of all people. It occurred to her how strange it was to see professors off of campus. It was even weirder that it was Gavin out of everyone in town that she had ran into. "Oh, it's okay. Don't worry about it," she told him, glancing down at the sad image of her coffee spilled everywhere on the sidewalk. She had enjoyed it while it had lasted.

"No, no ... I have to get you another one. You just got it!" Gavin prompted her, gesturing for her to walk with him back to the café.

Ava was surprised at the kind gesture, her face heating up just slightly. "Are you sure? It's really not a big deal," she tried to assure him, not wanting him to feel like he had to buy her another coffee. She could live without it.

"Come on, Ava," Gavin chuckled softly, leading her down the sidewalk and back inside the café. "Cold brew, was it?"

"Yes," Ava replied with a nod as she followed him back up to the ordering counter.

"Good choice," Gavin murmured, giving her a warm smile before turning and ordering two cold brews. He led her to the pick-up counter, his gaze shifting back to her. "Sorry for interrupting your walk."

Ava waved her hand dismissively. "I was just about to go back to campus and go to the library. You didn't interrupt anything," she assured him, flashing him a small smile. It warmed her that he seemed so apologetic, but he didn't really need to be. She didn't want him to feel bad for walking around a corner. "I probably interrupted your walk."

"You sure did," Gavin told her firmly before giving her a playful smile and grabbing their coffees. He handed over hers before taking a sip of his own. "I was just heading here. You just gave me another reason to come here."

"They do have good coffee," Ava pointed out as she took another sip, still walking at his side as they exited the shop. She didn't even notice that they were walking side by side until they turned the corner. "So, what are we doing in class tomorrow?" She asked, not wanting the situation to get awkward.

"Going over the instructions for the next paper. I'm guessing you've already started on that," Gavin commented, turning his head a little to smirk at her. He was already fully aware of her work ethic as a student due to her always turning in assignments early and doing any sort of extra credit.

"Absolutely. I'm reworking some things, but I think I'm going in the right direction now," Ava commented, smiling a little to herself. She prided herself on being a good student. People couldn't be disappointed with her if she made great grades.

"Do you need an extension on your paper? I wouldn't mind giving you more time to branch out your ideas," Gavin offered her.

Ava shook her head, not wanting the extra time. She was given a deadline, and she would abide by it. She was a hard worker, and she was going to prove it to everyone. She wasn't worthless like her own parents made her feel like she was to them. With her degree, she would be worth something to someone. "I'm okay, thank you. I can get it done by the original deadline."

"I'm guessing your parents put a lot of pressure on you," Gavin suddenly commented, his face changing to one of embarrassment shortly after. "Sorry, I hope I'm not prying."

Ava shrugged a little, her eyes drifting down to the ground as they continued to walk back to campus. "I'm supposed to set a good example for my younger siblings."

"I'm sure that gets stressful at times," Gavin murmured quietly, glancing at her.

Ava met his eyes and nodded slightly. "It can be at times, but I'm not there anymore, so I try not to stress about it too much. I just want to experience life finally," she sighed out, nearly wincing at her words. She hadn't meant to open up so much, but he seemed like a decent listener. Who would he tell anyway? Unless, he thought she needed to go see a counselor, which might not have been a bad idea for her. She had a lot on her mind lately.

"You've got a great setting for it. You need an adventure or two," Gavin chuckled softly, a mischievous look crossing his face. His eyes trailed past her for a second, the expression immediately dropping from his face. "Listen, I gotta run to a meeting. I'll see you tomorrow," he told her in nearly one breath before hurriedly making his way down the sidewalk away from her, his head lowering.

Ava stopped in her steps and watched him go for a moment, not even having time to say goodbye to him. She narrowed her eyes in confusion, wondering why his behavior had turned so strange. She glanced around the area, trying to see if there was anyone or anything around that had spooked him, but she didn't see a thing or a person in sight. She could only shrug to herself and sip on her coffee as she slowly headed back to campus. She knew there was more to him than what met her eyes, and it was probably best she didn't delve too deep. There was no telling what lurked behind those soft green eyes.