Inevitable

A chance encounter

"Emily!" I turned my head in the direction of the person calling my name. I could see my friend Jess walking toward me on the sidewalk. I was on my way back from my last class of the day. We had a big test which meant that I could leave whenever I finished. For that reason, I was headed back to my dorm 20 minutes earlier than normal. I was hoping to go back to my room and take a nap before going out later. It was a Friday in early April and the weather was finally starting to warm up. Today was particularly beautiful and there were students lounging in the grass all over the quad. It felt like the whole university had a new found energy after a long, cold, and snowy winter.
As Jess got closer, I noticed she was with her boyfriend Nick and another guy I didn't recognize. I was taken aback at how good looking the stranger was. He was tall and lean but I could see the outline of muscles under his short sleeves. He was wearing faded jeans and a black t shirt. A tattoo was peeking out on his right bicep. He had light brown hair and was sporting what looked like a few days worth of scruff on his face. But what really caught my attention were his blue eyes. They reminded me of the color of the sky on a clear winter's day. They were mesmerizing.
When I reached their group, the stranger had an annoyed look on his face. Jess gave me a quick hug and I said hello to Nick. I didn't know Nick very well. Jess had only been seeing him for about two months and I had only hung out with him a handful of times. He seemed like a nice guy. And anyone who could hold Jess's attention for longer than a week must be pretty great.
Jess and I had met on the first day of freshman year. We lived on the same floor and while moving my stuff in, Jess introduced herself. We realized we were both in the same major and we just clicked after that. In a way, Jess and I are complete opposites. She is very outgoing and confident. I'm more quiet and shy and a little bit of an introvert. I like to go out with my friends but I'm just as happy to stay in and watch a movie or read a book by myself. It's actually made for the perfect friendship. She brings me out of my shell and I keep her from getting too crazy.
After I say hello to Nick, I stand there and wait for someone to introduce the very annoyed guy standing next to him. Jess finally pipes up and says, "Emily this is Henry, Nick's roommate. He was just leaving." O no! I interrupted something. To add to the awkwardness, Henry mumbles "fuck you" and storms off.