Annie & Shane

Chapter Five

I leave my friends early. I’ve got to go to the bookstore and get a t shirt. I’ve been at this school for almost a month, and I didn’t have one item of merchandise. I’ve always hated shopping for clothes, but I figured this wouldn’t be as bad, considering it was just one shirt.

                I decided to not take the short cut through the quad. It was a nice day out, and I was feeling good. I took the long way.

                I was making my way down the path, people watching. I had to admit, there were a lot of cute guys at this school. Granted, I probably wouldn’t find the nerve to talk to any of them, but it was definitely nice to look. I had just spotted a hottie who, unfortunately, had a girl hanging on his arm, when I heard heavy footsteps behind me. I was just about to speed up when a hand caught my arm.

                I jumped and spun around. I put my hands up in some lame defensive pose – as if I was really prepared to fight. However, the guy in front of me did not look like he was dangerous. He actually was adorable, in the nerdy kind of way. He looked frazzled and out of breath, but he smiled at me.

                “Hi! Sorry to freak you out like that, but I need help and you look like you know what you’re doing. I’m Oliver,” he says, and sticks a hand out.

                I shake his hand. This guy couldn’t hurt a fly even if he tried. “Annie,” I say with a smile. “What do you need help with?”

                He lets out a breath and runs a hand through his hair. It rests at the back of his neck. “Do you know where the bookstore is?”

                I laugh. “Are you…new?”

                “I mean, we all are, right? Freshmen and all that. But yeah, I guess I’m new to the whole, leaving my room for something that isn’t a class kind of thing,” he says looking embarrassed.

                I laugh again. “Well, Oliver, you’re in luck. I’m headed to the bookstore now.”

                He smiles and nods, and we start walking.

                It occurs to me that I made the earlier decision to take the long way, and there was no shortcutting it back now. I hoped this guy would make the walk enjoyable.

                “So,” I say, “what brings you to campus?” What a lame question. It sounds like one of those come here often pickup lines. I wasn’t trying to use a pickup line on him; but then again maybe I was. He was really, really cute. And he seemed like a decent guy.

                “Same as everyone, I guess,” Oliver says. “Just here to get an education before I head off to med school and become the world’s greatest epidemiologist.” He sniffed and looked behind him.

                I stare at him. “Same as everyone? I don’t know if there’s even one person here who has that same dream…”

                He whips his head around. “It’s not a dream. It’s my soon to be reality.”

                We’ve stopped walking. He’s looking at me with hard eyes. I don’t understand what happened to the guy.

                Suddenly, he grins and shoves my shoulder playfully. “I’m kidding, lighten up. I mean, not about the being an epidemiologist part, but the rest of it.”

                He starts walking. When I catch up to him, I say, “Thank God. I thought I had to show the world’s most annoying know it all how to get to the campus bookstore.” I was joking, and I hoped he would catch on and not actually be an annoying know it all.

                He laughs (much to my relief). “What about you?” He says. “What are you studying?”

                “Undecided, as of right now. I haven’t really found my calling and all that yet,” I say.

                “Well, Annie, if the whole majoring in nothing thing doesn’t work out for you, you could always become a campus tour guide.” He flashes a grin and raised eyebrows at me.

                I laugh and playfully push him. We get to the bookstore and he opens the door for me. Once inside, I ask him what he came here to look for.

                “As lame as it may sound, a t shirt. I don’t have a single one,” he says.

                “No way! I came here for the same reason!” I say.

                He smirks at me. “Must be fate.”

                I blush and turn around, looking at the shirts. I spend a good five minutes alone there, browsing through the clearance section of t shirts. I don’t know where Oliver went, but I’m sure he’s fine.

                “How’s this?”

I look up, and see Oliver standing before me, completely decked out in our school’s gear from head to toe. He’s wearing a football helmet with our school colors on it, he’s layered about three shirts on over his body, his pajama pants carry the logo along the side, and he’s even got customized shoes. Beneath his helmet I can see his lopsided grin.

                I laugh. “It’s hard to picture the most prestigious epidemiologist wearing all that; but it might be working for me.”

                “Wow, thanks Annie!” He pulls out a huge foam finger from behind his back and raises it in the air. “You’re number one.”

                I outright laugh again at this – his jokes are so corny, but they definitely get me.

                Half an hour later, we’ve picked out our merchandise and take it to the counter to checkout. When we leave the bookstore, I realize I’ve got to head back to my room and work on an English paper due at midnight. That only left me eight hours to get it done. Luckily, English was my strongest subject.

                “Well, Dr. Oliver, I enjoyed our little shopping trip. But I’ve got to head back and write this English paper due tonight,” I say, kind of disappointed to hear myself say it. I really liked being around him.

                “Wow,” he says. “I finally leave the comfort of my room and meet this beautiful girl, and now she’s leaving me for homework.” He lets out a dramatic sigh. “I guess I should’ve seen this coming. I knew you were an annoying know it all from the start.”          

                I laugh. Laughing seems to be about all I do around him, and it’s really nice. I like it. Not to mention that he called me beautiful. No guy has ever said that to me before.

                He lets out yet another very dramatic sigh. “At least let me walk you back to your dorm, you nerd.”

                We finally get to my dorm, and say goodbye. I get all the way to outside my door before I remember we didn’t get each other’s numbers.

                I only hope that we will see each other again. A guy that makes me feel that happy should be a part of my everyday life.