Nineteen

Chapter Twenty-Six

I turn the book in my hands a few times. I've read the book before, but wasn't entertained in the words. It was hard to follow and I was too young to understand.

I open it and read the first line: 

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

That line is highlighted in yellow marker.

I'm confused at the gift and unsure if it is even for me, so I close the book and lay it on my desk.

Within these last few hours I've managed to get my first week of assignments done early.

Right as I put my books away, my stomach turns and makes an awful sound.

I need food.

I change into an old Duke University t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

Duke was my first school choice, I've been a fan since I was around 8 years old and watched all of the basketball games. I even went to most of them when I was old enough to drive myself. Miami was the only school Bailey got in, so Duke was put on the back burner.

I don't feel like fighting traffic so I decide to walk wherever I'm going. I'm still not sure of everything in the area surrounding the campus.

I'm walking out of my building when I see Clark sitting on a bench beside a tree across the yard.

He looks dressed up, compared to how I usually see him, and considering the night he had.

I walk across the grass until I am directly in front of him, "Hey," I say.

"Hey," he says back. He's looking on his laptop and never looks up to speak.

"What are you doing?" I say as I sit beside him.

"I'm getting ready to go to a team interview. We get our picture taken and answer questions for the sports networks." 

"Wow, look at you." I say as I nudge his arm.

"Yeah. I am very nervous." He shuts the laptop.

"Clark? Nervous? Can it be?" I mock as he grins a little.

"It's a rare sighting."

"Yeah.. Hey, did you leave a book at my dorm?" I ask him.

"What? No. I went by to see if you were home after a friend dropped me off, but I didn't leave a book or anything."

"Hm," is all I can say.

We talk for a few more minutes before he says he better go so he's not late, and I wish him luck.

I continue to walk down the sidewalk, past numerous people, before I see a food truck.

I order a plate of chicken nachos and sit down at a table within the limits of the truck. I take just enough time to eat and throw my mess away when Ryan walks up to me with another boy that I've never met before.

"Hey, babe, why are you alone?" he smiles at me.

"Stop calling me that, you don't even know me," I scowl.

"Chill," he responds as he digs around his pockets for money.

"I'm Zeke," the boy reaches his hand out for a shake. His black hair flows in front of his eyes and his eyes look almost equally as black.

I shake his hand, "Emory."

"It's very nice to meet you, Emory." His appearance and his manners are completely different.

"Likewise," I reply.

"I don't understand half the shit you say," Ryan says to me.

"It's because you're not fully developed yet, it's not your fault," I say as I begin to walk away, and I hear him laugh from behind me.

Ryan is a jerk, but at least he has a sense of humor.