The Guy She Never Noticed a. cirelli

2

After night breakfast, dad picked up the dishes and I decided against going out to my Jeep to unpack it, that was tomorrows job. I decided to go up to my room and lay down.

"Thanks for breakfast dad, I'm going to head to bed."

"Okay sweetheart," he said and turned back to the pan.

"Oh hey Zed," he turned back around.

"Yes father?" I asked.

"So tomorrow I was thinking we go surfing, do you like the sound of that?"

I smiled widely and nodded, it had been so long since I surfed the clear blue waters of the gulf coast. Plus it was October so the waves would be nice and big like they always are.

"Yeah dad, I'd love that!" I exclaimed. He smiled in response and I continued my trek up to my room.

I reached the top of the steps and walked down the hallway to my bedroom, I turned the nob and opened up the door and turned on my light. My room was just the way I left it at the end of Christmas break. My tie-dyed blue and green bed set was made up nicely as I left it. My back wall still had my favorite wave picture from IKEA and the famous Uma Thurman Pulp Fiction poster was still hanging up. To my left was my favorite blue tapestry and to my right was my big bay window with a sea foam blue seating area that had a view of the distant Tampa skyline. I smiled to myself as I flopped down on the bed and picked up my phone. I had a few texts and snapchats from my sorority sisters asking if I had made it home already and saying home much they missed me. I responded to the snapchats and texts and set my phone down and sighed, I already missed Baylor so much. Tomorrow was tailgate and I was so sad that I wasn't asleep in my apartment back in Waco waiting to get day drunk at a fraternity tailgate with my girls.

I laid on my bed for a few minutes and closed my eyes for a bit until the sound of my vibrating phone brought me out of my daze. I rolled over and picked it up and looked at the screen debating on whether or not I should answer it. I looked at the caller ID and I didn't recognize the number so I just set the phone down and closed my eyes again, this time falling asleep for real

***

The next morning I rolled out of bed around 10 and could really feel the effects of the drive hitting me. I felt relatively rested but my body felt like it hadn't slept in days. I looked over at myself in the floor length mirror and I looked like a little dash of hell. There were dark circles under my eyes, my hair was a mess, and I even had some dried drool on my face... Nice. I wiped the drool off my face and headed toward my bathroom to splash some water on my face and try to look a little less like Uma Thurman after her coke overdose in Pulp Fiction. I turned on the light to the bathroom and walked up to the sink and turned on the tap, I watched the water run for a second before I put my hands in a little bowl. The cool water washed over my skin and I felt a little better. I grabbed a towel and dried my face off and turned off the tap, setting the towel down I walked out of the bathroom and turned the light off. I picked up my phone and saw a text from my dad. I unlocked my phone and hit the little green messages app.

"Went to the rink for morning skate, have to take a rain check on the father and daughter surfing excursion, why don't you come by the rink and surprise the boys after their practice."

I sighed to myself and threw my phone on the bed, typical dad move, but today was opening night for the boys so I kinda understood. I looked over at my surfboard standing proud next to my desk and weighed going to the rink versus hitting the waves. I blew some air out and decided to go to the rink. Since I didn't take all my clothes with me to Baylor I still had some here, I pulled off my big t-shirt and exercise shorts from the night before and settled on a green Baylor crewneck sweatshirt and a pair of light wash high waisted jean shorts with some black converse. I smiled at my reflection and gave myself a once over. Walking out of my room I was greeted by Apollo who was at the top of the stairs. I bent down and gave him a scratch behind the ears and then walked down the stairs.