Rewind Reverie

This Feels Like Flirting

Sadie rushes off her her poli sci class, grumbling about how dense her classmates.  I have a feeling she'll have more to complain about when we meet up for lunch.  Sadie isn't the one to bite her tongue.  Instead, she'll bite someone else's off just to prove a point.

Today is Thursday, so that only means one thing - Statistics.  Why any person would willing take such a horrific class is beyond me.  Unfortunately, it's a requirement for the business program, which I have been conditionally accepted into.  In order to be fully accepted, I have to get a B or higher.  The class doesn't make it easy, though.  Apparently it's only been three weeks and five people have already dropped.

Some people just can't handle their derivatives.

Still, I wonder what why on earth I wanted to go for business in the first place.  Did I just want to do something that would make it seem like I was a strong, independent woman?  Because there is no love lost between me and that damn math class.  Even if I seem to be doing well enough.

I'm striding over to Elliott Hall when I hear it - the distinct sound of quick, squeaky footsteps scurrying behind the clickity-clack of my boots.  When I stop, they stop too.  When I start walking again, they start back up again.  I smirk - why did I never notice this before?  Did I really have something stuck up my ass the first time around?

Apparently, I did.  Because now, I can actually notice that I'm being stalked.  

I stop just before the building's large canopy, which reminds me of a solar panel due to all the square glass windows lined up in a row on an angle.  The squeaking continues, but slowly, step-by-step, inch-by-inch.  I smirk.  That's right...it always happened right about here, didn't it?  I bet he's sneaking up behind right now, ready to pounce.

Just before he can make his presence felt, I greet him as sweetly as I can.  "Good morning, Ari.  Ready for another grueling day of stats?"

"Huh?"  I remain still as he appears in front of me, eyes wide like saucers.  "What the hell?  How did you know it was me?"

"Because you always try and startle me before I enter the Elliott building.  Also," I gesture at his feet, "my shoots don't squeak.  They click."

"Are you serious?!"  

I strike my heel on the sidewalk a few times.  "See?  Pretty sharp sound.  Makes it really easy to pick up on other sounds if I'm paying attention."

"Oh geez."  He looks really disappointed.  "You telling me that my shoes gave me away?"

"That, and the fact that you always try to scare me here.  You never try it anywhere else.  There's a whole campus beyond this building and you use to frighten me here?"  I raise an eyebrow.  "What, did you think I wouldn't catch on?"

"You never caught on before!" he stammers.  I do my best to push back the urge to giggle.  "Why change things up when you don't have to?"

"Fair enough.  But if you really want to startle me then you're going to have to do better."  I wink as I sidestep him, heading into the building.  "If you want me to scream and tell you that you're a jerk, then you're going to have to work for it!"

"Is that a challenge?"  His serious tone gives me pause. As I turn to face him, I wonder if he realizes how he sounds when his voices gets all low and raspy like that.  If I didn't know any better I'd swoon.  "Because I never back down from a challenge."

"Nor am I asking you to."  I know I'm being playful and friendly, but why does this feels like flirting?  "I'm just saying, if you're going to mess with me, change things up a little bit.  Make it a bit more exciting.  Otherwise, you can just keep trying to get a rise out of me and I can continue to disappoint you every time."