Nineteen

Chapter Eighty-Four

I sit on my bed and start to brush my hair out. "Where can we go? Maybe we can go to Orlando," I suggest.
"I was thinking Paris, or maybe Australia," he says as he crosses his arms behind his head.
"You're kidding, right?" I laugh and look at him. He's not laughing.
"What?" He asks. "Which do you like better?"
"We can't go there," I say and continue to brush my hair out.
"I don't see why not."
"It's expensive, we're too young to travel that far alone, we have classes, should I go on?" I say.
He holds up his fingers as if he's counting with them. "I have the money covered, we can invite Clark and his friends for extra company, and we can go on fall break," he says.
A trip sounds like so much fun. This is the farthest I've ever been from home, and it was a big change, but I had Clark and Bailey to help me.
His curls are falling into his eyes, but he quickly adjusts his hair. His brown eyes are shining in the sun while staring directly at me.
"We can talk about it later," I say. He smiles at me and shrugs his shoulders.
My face is sore, but a little better than it has been. I put on some light makeup for the first time in days. I pull my wet hair into two braids and blow dry them, leaving a mess of waves when I let it down. Collin watches me the entire time.
"I'm ready," I say when I do the final touches on my hair.
He sighs and stands from the bed. "I'll walk you."
I grab my bad and a granola bar from my desk. He tries to convince me to take time and eat breakfast, but I already have to explain to my teachers where I was yesterday. At the thought of this, I'm not sure if I'm ready to see other people.
I freeze at the door of my dorm.
"What's wrong?" He asks as he turns back around.
"What if people make fun of this," I say as I wave my hand over my face.
"You aren't serious? This isn't high school," he says.
"Most of them are still teenagers, and they'll take any opportunity to start a story," I reply.
"If they say anything, message me right away and I'll come and take care of it."
I giggle but he doesn't move. "Why are you so crazy?" I say as I walk past him.
He finally breaks a smile as he follows behind. "Why do you make me crazy?"
I shrug my shoulders, mimicking his earlier move.

We walk across campus until we're outside of the building where my first two classes are. He takes me to the bottom of the stairs where we part ways.
"I'll be here after your classes, I can take you to the interview," he says.
"I'm fine. I don't need someone with me all the time."
He acts like he doesn't hear me. He kisses my hair and walks off, heading off the same way we came.

My classes seem as if they take all day, rather than three hours. To my surprise, nobody seems to notice my face, or they just don't care. When we're released, I rush out of the door. I look around, but I don't see Collin anywhere.
I'm sure he hasn't forgotten. Where could he be?
I walk down the hall to peek around the corner, but still, nothing.
I check the time on my phone, and I don't have time to sit and wait. I have to go back to my room to grab my car keys, and I honestly don't know if I have time for that.
I walk a little faster as I leave the building. I get halfway back to the dorms when I run into Link.
"Hey," he says.
"Can't talk," I reply as I pick up my pace. I regret wearing these heels.
I hear him laugh from behind me as he trots to catch up. "In a rush?"
"I have a interview. Collin didn't come to get me," I say without looking away from my dorm in the distance.
"I can give you a ride," he says as he digs his keys from his pocket.
I stop. "That would help me out, a lot."
He starts to turn and walk to the parking lot. I quickly follow.