Chasing The Sun

chapter 2

The week leading up to the start of the semester passed in a blur. I didn't really spend much time with Aspen and all of the others because I needed to focus on preparing for the upcoming semester. I couldn't afford any distractions. And Charlie was a distraction. Ever since that Monday that I had met her, I found myself thinking about her. Thinking about why Aspen had said that she would be obsessed with me.

Although I kept telling myself that I had to stay away from her, I was drawn to her. That's why on the Saturday before the semester started, when Aspen asked me if I wanted to join her, Charlie and Damien for dinner, I found myself struggling to say no.

"Thank god you're done being such a bore," Aspen joked. I rolled my eyes at her playfully. She had been trying to get me to join her and the rest of them that entire week, but my response had been no, even though on the inside, I had been dying to say yes. My father kept reminding me that I didn't go to college to party, he would call everyday and tell me that distractions were not allowed.

He wasn't here, and I knew that. My father had no way of knowing if I was following the rules, but the last thing I wanted to do was disappoint him. I'd always tried my hardest to please my parents. They worked incredibly hard to give me the life I had and for me to blatantly disrespect them by not doing my absolute best would be awful.

"As long as we're back early," I told her.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she responded, dragging me out of the dorm room. "You look cute by the way."

One thing I had noticed about Aspen was that she was full of compliments. The day I had met her, she had said that she didn't 'swing that way', but I was really starting to question that. Aspen complimented me from the moment I woke up, until I went to sleep. It was great, don't get me wrong. What girl doesn't enjoy compliments?

"You look just as cute," I replied, winking at her. She giggled. She did look cute. I wasn't just returning the compliment. Her brown hair — which usually hung down her back in loose waves — was in a ponytail. A few strands of hair framed her face. I liked her hair up. She should keep her hair up more often.

Aspen and I made our way over to the pizza place where I had first met the others. I noticed that they enjoyed that place and had made themselves regulars, if they hadn't already been regulars before I came. In the five days that I had been on the campus, Aspen had asked me to join them there everyday. Whether it be for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

"How come the other guys aren't joining us?" I asked as we walked into the restaurant.

"They're going to a party, and since you turned down going to a party with us everyday this week, I assumed that it just wasn't your scene and you might enjoy this instead."

Thoughtful. That was another thing I had noticed about Aspen. She was thoughtful. She paid attention to what those around her liked and disliked, and she always tried to cater for them too. Aspen was nothing like the friends I had back home. She was genuine. She was kind. She was herself majority of the time and didn't give a shit about what other people thought about her. I wanted to be like Aspen.

Standing at the entrance, I noticed Charlie and Damien sitting at the same table they had been sitting at the day I met them. They looked over at Aspen and I and waved. We waved back and began making our way over to them.

"Why have you been hiding from us, Nova dear?" Damien asked, placing a hand over his heart dramatically.

I laughed lightly, "I've been busy preparing for the semester." I slowly slid into the booth, next to Charlie.

"Boring," Damien declared. Aspen nodded her head in agreement. They weren't attacking me. I could tell by the smiles that decorated their faces. They were teasing me. My friends back home had always said things to be rude. Never in a joking manner.