Across the Room (ON HOLD)

Chapter One

note: I only have a week of classes left and this inspired me to start a new story because I really miss writing I Hate You - and also because I don't think I'm emotionally prepared to update Tainted Growth lol. 

but to my loyal fans that find this - enjoy (:

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Why the hell would someone schedule a classroom in a university training facility?

I groaned, coming to a similar door that said, "Gymnastics Trainers ONLY" in bright, bold red letters. I blew out an annoyed breath, tugging on the strap of my backpack in irritation as I turned on my heel to descend the flight of stairs I came from. I felt my feet pound against the slabbed stairwell, thinking to myself that I was glad that I decided to come an hour earlier than I was supposed to.

Yet, as I curiously glanced at the time on my phone, I instantly flew into a speed walking rage as I tried looking for someone that seemed to know where the heck this classroom was.

You would think classroom 312 would instantly be found after taking an elevator/stairs to the third floor, right? Apparently not, considering every time I was able to go on the third floor I was met with the same bright, red three letters. Also, wouldn't it be easy for everybody if they just put a map of the darn building in the lobby? All of the other university buildings had one, so why didn't this one have any indication that classrooms were actually in this building?

Finding myself back in the main lobby, I walked by a glass casing of the latest gymnastics trophies of the season. I hesitated, catching my reflection in the light of the glass as I grimaced.

First of all, I was fucking tired of school. I honestly just wanted to get my degree and get the hell out of this place. Therefore, even though it was the first day of classes, I gave no fucks on what my appearance looked like today.

It was actually a pleasant day though. It was the last remnants of summer, so it was just the in-between of fall air creeping in and battling the hot, moist air of the summer. After rolling out of bed this morning and chugging about a pot of black coffee, I threw on a semi-wrinkled plain black t-shirt. I barely combed back my dirty-blonde hair and hid it behind a khaki baseball cap.

The short sleeves showed off tattoos that were slightly scattered along my forearms and wrists. The thick, black patterns of miscellaneous designs that danced with the oppositely, colored koi fish on my other arm. I continued walking past my reflection, catching the reflection of my skin-tight black leggings walking swiftly down the hallway.

Groaning, I tried finding any sign of human activity in the isolated hallways. It was definitely weird considering that I looked on my student landing page that there were at least ten other people enrolled in the same class. It was a good thing there weren't any more people though, I didn't think I could handle something more than thirty people in a small classroom. Plus, more people meant more interactions, and this semester, I was definitely trying not to get into trouble, get into any weird scenarios, or have any "incidents."

I just wanted a peaceful semester.

Was it possible that the professor had to miraculously cancel our first class period? I shook my head to myself, knowing I checked my email in the morning because I dreamt about that same excuse just so I would be able to sleep in. Unfortunately, there was no email, and I even triple checked the address of the class location.

What kind of bullshit was this?

Deciding to try the stairs for the fourth time, I scaled them with ease until I came in contact with the warning sign. Trying to crane my head to see through the small glass in the door, I tried to see or hear if gymnastics practice was going on. I didn't even know if I had the balls to interrupt a university gymnastics class anyway.

I'd probably get kicked out of the building, or worse, I'd be stuck awkwardly trying to walk past them as I tried going through the gymnasium to the other side. For some reason, there wasn't a stairwell that was able to go to the opposite side of the building.

"Are you going to go through?" The tip of my baseball cap touched the door awkwardly as I jumped a little in my shoes. I blinked, turning around to stare at the slightly shorter girl that was giving me a blank look.

I couldn't help but do a double take though, as my eyes took in her styled, grey hair. The color made it shine in the dull lighting of the hallway, and I knew that she probably spent hella bread to get it to the perfect hue of crystal grey. Her locks rolled down past her shoulders, laying upon her covered cleavage as she decided to wear a contrasting, white t-shirt.

Subsequently to our colors opposing each other, she decided to show a bit of skin today as her t-shirt rode up to let me get a sneak-peak of her pierced belly button. I rose an eyebrow, catching a little preview of some ink that stained her right hip-bone, but before I could get a better look she scoffed and adjusted her body position.

Shocked at my wandering eyes, I looked up to connect with her brightly colored, grey eyes. I was surprised to see at how they matched her hair exactly, and it definitely complemented the light spray of freckles that dashed around her nose and cheeks.

"...Are you okay?" She murmured, blinking in confusion as she took a side-step away from me and placed her palm on the heavy, steel doors.

"I-uh, yeah," I muttered out idiotically as she pushed through the doors, holding it open for me as she raised a perfectly, black eyebrow at me. It made me wonder how long it took her to get her hair to that color, as it was obvious that her natural shade of hair was something darker than what she donned now.

"I'm assuming you're going to Lareng's class? English 355?" I followed behind her, wondering if she thought I was super weird now, or if I was a complete pervert for obviously checking her out. I normally didn't openly check out girls. I mean, I hooked up with people now and then, but lately, I've just been too busy with work and school that I didn't have a chance to play the dating game.

"Yeah, how did you know?" I looked around, bracing myself to be yelled at by the gymnastics coach, but was easily surprised when I found out that the perimeter of the gymnasium was covered with a steel cage. Carefully perched on one of the bars read, "ENG 355 - LARENG" with a crudely drawn arrow etched in sharpie.

How the hell was I supposed to know that's where I was supposed to go?

"You just look like an English major." She simply said as she turned a sharp corner that eventually led to a classroom nestled in the corner of the gym.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I said cockily, not wanting this weird conversation to end as her grey eyes glanced back over her shoulder.

"Liberal Arts majors can get away with tattoos," she paused, "Plus, there's literally only one classroom in this building, and it happens to be an English class. I suppose it was a good guess." Nonchalantly, her tongue slipped out from her mouth to wet her light, pink lips. I blinked in disbelief and mentally pinched myself for a distraction.

"Oh, cool," I mumbled idiotically as she nodded to signal that she wasn't interested enough to respond.

She opened the door to reveal a few other students awkwardly sitting away from each other in a circle. A few eyes made their way up to us, then looked away to either look at their phones or to continue on with any conversations they were having. I looked around, wondering where the teacher was as class was actually about to start in a couple minutes.

Already seeing the girl make her way to the front of the classroom, and to the empty-most part of the circle, I watched her set her backpack on the ground as she gracefully slid into the old, wooden desk. I casually did the same, except instead of taking a seat beside her, I ended up sitting in a desk directly across from her.

I studied the girl, who now flipped her hair behind her shoulder as she pulled out a tangled pair of earbuds from her jean pocket. Angled weirdly in her desk, I could still see the bare strip of skin that was showing from the lack of fabric.

I gulped, looking away as I felt a certain heat start to burn my cheeks. I blew out a small breath, leaning against my desk as I pulled my baseball cap down snugly on my head, making sure my face was barely visible to the other classmates, and specifically to her.

Because I already knew that this girl that was across the room from me right now - was definitely going to give me trouble throughout the whole semester.