His Distraction

I n t e r a c t i o n

I was starting to forget about Lia. I really was. After all, I didn't even really know her. She was just someone who caught my eye for a second, and I had yet to see her again. Before today.

I guess Gale was right. College is only but so big. I was bound to run into her at some point, so I should not be surprised to see her walking on my way to the Caf. A little bit of nervousness rises in me. Is this weird? I barely know her and yet I know I want to get to know her more. She just seems different from the girls I have ever been interested in. It's usually someone who's talkative, outgoing, flirtatious, etc. Lia is apparently none of those... not on purpose at least, and that makes me wonder what she's really like once you get to know her.

Maybe it's just curiosity. I'll go with that. I want to know what's underneath. Nothing weird about it.

With this conclusion in mind, I speed up to catch up with her. When I'm close enough, I call out, "Lia!"

She pauses and turns, looking to see who called her. She doesn't notice me and seems confused.

"Right here," I say as I jog up to her.

I can see the surprise in her face as she lets out a small smile. "Oh, Jamison. Sorry, I didn't see you."

"It's just James and you're good. Are you headed to the Caf, too?" I try to make eye contact with her, but she looks away seeming nervous and slowly starts to continue walking.

"Yeah, I haven't eaten all day."

"No breakfast?"

"Woke up late.."

I nod and continue walking, trying to think of more to talk about. She's a little more withdrawn than she was at the party. Was it the different atmosphere? I know just being at a party can give you a boost of adrenaline, so maybe she's just not influenced by the hype now.

"You know, I didn't expect you to remember my name," she says, briefly turning to me. I'm glad she started the conversation back up because I had reached a dead end.

"You thought I'd forget? What am I, shallow?"

"No, you seem sweet. I just didn't think you would really care for my name."

"Still making me sound shallow here."

She laughs and my stomach bubbles. Or maybe flutters... flutters sounds like a better description. Her laugh is melodic. I decide to take this moment to look over and really take her in for a second. Her brown skin is clear; it looks like it doesn't have a single flaw. Her eyes always seem to sparkle, even when she has a straight face. It looks like they reflect a sense of wonder or something. She wears her hair natural and wearing it in a puff ball must be her go to hairstyle as it was like that last time, too. Judging by how big it is, her hair is long. My eyes drift to her lips for a second, long enough to notice they are juicy and covered with gloss, but I quickly look away before it becomes weird.

"If it makes me look any better, I genuinely wanted to know your name. I liked talking to you and was hoping I'd run into you again."

"Really?" She smiles at me.

"For sure."

"Thank you. I enjoyed talking to you, too. Not gonna lie, I thought you'd be more stuck up seeing how you're the basketball captain and all."

"You don't become captain by being cocky," I shrug. "Besides, I don't think so much of myself. I definitely know I'm not the best or anywhere near it."

It feels like she analyzes me for a moment before responding. "Touché. More people should think like you. You are really good, though."

I grin. "Thank you very much. It means a lot." She lets out a light laugh as we enter the Cafeteria. "I'll let you be now. See you later?"