Laura's POV
"Alright, please be seated, everyone that bothered to show up," Professor Jenkins speaks into the mic in a joking way. Last night, Ross told me all about this guy and how he loves incorporating humor into his lessons to get students to engage more, and I'd agree that it's decently effective.
"We ended yesterday discussing the green light on Daisy's dock," he begins, the information surprising me. They're studying The Great Gatsby! It's one of my all time favorites, "Would anyone care to pick up where we left off?"
I nudge Ross with my elbow, earnestly asking if it'd be appropriate for me to raise my hand. He gives me a hand gesture saying 'go for it', to which I let out a small squeal, and throw up my arm. Jenkins notices my hand and points to me, "Yes, go ahead, whoever you are. I'm really bad with names and faces."
I laugh a little, "Well, besides the obvious, literal representation of the physical and emotional distance the light represents, there's also significance behind the color green. Generally speaking, green is a representation of the emotion of jealousy or illness. From this, we can deduce that Gatsby is 'green' with envy of the matrimonial bond Tom and Daisy share, and also sick of the idea that Daisy is married to another," I finish.
Jenkins nods, clearly pleased with my answer, "Yes, wow, very good. We're going to touch on the significance of colors in the novel tomorrow, so I'm impressed with how far you're thinking ahead."
I feel myself beginning to smile ear to ear, brimming with such excitement that I nearly forget I'm in a lecture hall with almost three hundred other people. Only a congratulatory nudge from Ross's elbow manages to bring me back to reality.
I look to my side to see him there, staring at me with me a warm glance, one that tells me he has just fallen deeper in love with me. Whenever I see him looking at me like that, I start to wish so bad that I could go back in time so that I would've made the decision to go to UCLA with him.
After the class finishes, I walk hand-in-hand with Ross outside, all the while listening to his praise on my commentary in class and how I never fail to surprise him. I respond with how much more now I wish I would've chosen to go to college, since I absolutely love everything about it.
"Ross!" a guy with blond hair accompanied by a couple who also seems to know Ross come up to us, "What's good, man? You didn't tell us you were bringing a freaking genius to class!"
Ross gives me that same gaze I love, "Well, Laura was always sort of the best at everything in high school, so it's no surprise to me."
"Laura, is it? I'm Will," the guy with brown hair introduces, "Do you maybe think you'll be free later? I'm totally screwed for the final next week if I don't get some help. You seem like you really understand the material, and I could really use the tutoring," he asks, not without some shame in his voice.
Ross and I laugh in unison, "I'm so sorry, Will," I start, "I'm not a student here—I'm only visiting—The Great Gatsby just so happens to be one of my favorites," slight embarrassment creeps on Will's cheeks.
"Ohhh," the guy in the couple speaks up, "You're Laura!" he exclaims, as if it's something he'd been trying to wrap his finger around for a while now, "You're Ross's girlfriend. You know, Ross's success in this class has a lot to do with you."
Hm? I squint in confusion, wondering how my admittedly scarce abundance of knowledge in comparative literature is any help for Ross, "What do you mean?"
"Whenever there's a romance involved in any of the pieces we read, Ross always compares you and him with the characters. Based on previous situations between you two, his foreshadowings and analysis are always spot on," Harvey spills, leaving me open-mouthed.
Ross is exactly how I figure anyone would be after being exposed like that. His cheeks are tinted a light shade of pink and his lips are pursed together. I feel his grip around my hand tighten because of all the attention he's drawing. Lightheartedly, I squeeze his hand right back, flashing a warm smile to let him know how flattered I am, "That's sweet, and a hundred percent Ross. Did you guys know his favorite movie is the 1968 version of Romeo & Juliet?" I tease, solely so I can laugh at how much more embarrassed he gets.
"Laura!" he whines, but with a grin on his face, briefly covering his face with his hands and begging me to stop, "I didn't bring you here to embarrass me," I stifle a laugh at his expression, "I think we should leave now to get to my next class on time. It's a bit far, so we should get out of here as fast as possible. See you guys!" Ross shouts, dragging my hand and pulling me away from my new friends.
Ross's next class was a poetry one, but the class size is too small that I'd easily be recognizable as a non-student, so instead I've been stuck in the car for the past hour and a half. In the last few minutes before I have to leave, I flip through the radio presets for the hundredth time in Ross's car, stopping when I find one of my favorite Shania Twain songs, right as my phone starts buzzing. I pick up on the second ring, surprised at the caller ID, "Hello?"
3rd Person POV
"Yeah, that's me, Laura Marano."
"Wait, really?! I got in?!"
"That's incredible! Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I can't believe this is happening."
"Yes, of course I accept!"
"Okay, I'll keep in touch. Bye."
Laura's POV
Slowly, I press down on the end call button, allowing for my brain to process what happened. Thoughts scramble my brain, and I don't know where to begin. First things first, I have to let Ross know.
Opening the car door in a flash, I rush to meet Ross outside his class right as it ends. A crowd of people clouds my vertically challenged ability to see, so it's not until I hear "Laura!" that I manage to narrow my vision.
"Ross?" I question, my head angled up to search for a tall blond.
"Laura!" his voice comes again, this time from behind. That's when I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist, and Ross's warm breath on my hair, "There you are. I missed you."
I laugh and swivel my head to see him. Unfortunately, the ecstatic expression on his face says everything. I know there's no way in hell I'll be able to tell him I'm leaving soon for Broadway.
***
wooo summer break ! finally ahhh
can we just appreciate how there lowkey was a raura reunion a few weeks ago um hello and like exactly 4 months after they reunited at laura's roxy show yes FATE
happy late 26th bday to our all time queen raini
also ima try to get the next update in soon idk when tho hehe
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Steph (yesifeelgoodr5)
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Like a Tattoo (Raura)
FanfictionI'll admit. He's got irresistible looks, and he's a damn good friend. In fact, we're so close, it's almost like he's my tattoo. There's just one problem to all of this: he's my friend. Why would he want to risk our friendship by asking me out? And e...
