The Perfect Storm

Chapter 33

I glance at the clock and it's six pm already, I try my best to make a list of all the assignments I need to return tonight. 

I sit down at my desk, put my elbows on the table, and rub my temples. I really need to focus on studying, all of the chaos that has surrounded the week makes me want to drown in the amount of homework I have.

 I still can't believe Miles offered me a doughnut. Which reminds me, I'm starving. I know junk food isn't dinner, but it's the only thing I'm craving. I grab my phone and call a pizza parlor, after ordering a large pepperoni pizza, breadsticks, and coke the nice woman tells me the order will be delivered in around twenty minutes. 

I probably ordered too much food but I'm too hungry to think straight. I lay out all of my highlighter pens and all books and notebooks I could need. I end up re-reading every sentence because the thought of Jacob keeps disturbing me. 

The expression on his face when we talked was unreadable but I know it has something to do with Miles. I finally manage to clear my head enough to be able to study, but a knock interrupts. To my surprise, it's the pizza delivery guy. 

Why was I surprised? For a second I forgot I had ordered.

"That'll be twenty eighty-five." He says with a low voice, his long beard starts to creep me out.

I quickly hand him the money and grab my food. My stomach grumbles even more and I take a bite of the pizza. I look outside the window for a while as I eat my breadstick. I can almost feel the coldness outside.

 I'm glad I'm living on campus, it was a tough spot to get into but I somehow managed to get a dorm last minute. I can't believe I've already been here a month, a month in this school and my life is completely different, before I was always alone, a shy girl with one friend and now I feel more open, I have more friends and even a boyfriend. 

After eating three slices and finishing the breadsticks I feel stuffed. My stomach can't handle it anymore. I sip my soda which is the only thing my body doesn't want to reject. Instead of texting, I decided to lie down into my bed and call him instead. 

All of this studying should be rewarded with a small break anyway. The screen on my phone lights up with a message from Miles;

Miles: "Library in twenty?"

I write back a simple 'okay' before gathering all of my stuff into my school bag. A few pages rip out of my notebook and I let out a sigh. I need to finish the assignment with Miles before midnight, it's the only thing I've been dreading. The library is big, bigger than I remember.

"One caramel frappuccino please," I say and the woman nods.

 I can't help but order the same thing as Miles picked out for me. As soon as the woman hands me my drink, I rush to find a table, it happens to be at the very end of the room right beside a corner window, the coffee is cold on my tongue and I'm enjoying it too much considering my already full stomach. 

I look around the room but Miles is nowhere to be seen, it's been almost half an hour now and all I've done is scribble down a few sentences on a blank piece of paper. 

I try my best on reading ‚wuthering heights' but I end up re-reading the same page five times before finally giving up. I attempt to text Miles but am quickly startled by his voice behind me.

"you know libraries aren't exactly for looking at your phone." I nearly drop my phone in his voice.

"careful." His raspy voice says as he sits right in front of me. "why were you—" I start.

"I got you this." He says handing me a white-colored box that seems way to big to be a casual gift. 

I look at him with wide eyes after I realize that it's a laptop. 

"you like it? See I'll help you set it up." He says, standing up before squatting down next to me. 

The silver-colored laptop with a bitten apple in the middle sits right in front of us. "I do, I . . . this is too many Miles, I can't accept thi—"

"Look it has all these cool features." He says ignoring my remark as he downloads a few programs I know I'll need for school.

"Miles," I say determined and he finally looks back at me.

"look, we both know you need this. But if you don't need it well then I guess I'll—"

"no . . . thank you." I say, my voice low and he gives me a smirk before continuing to help me set up the new device. I don't understand how this boy dressed in all black can be so mean and the next second be this kind.

"Ready to get started?" he asks and I nod.

"all you need to do is open this and start typing, then you can save your notes in a folder. I'll even color the folders for you." He says before typing in a few codes and turning the folders pink and purple instead of blue. 

I'm caught off guard by his kindness but I manage a simple 'thank you' before he sits down next to me.

"How about a couple who is clearly meant to be together but they can't connect the dots?" he asks and for once his idea is an okay one. 

His tan fingers hold lightly onto the pen as he writes down the beginning. His t-shirt reveals his tan arms that are painted full of tattoos that I can't seem to keep my eyes away from.

"A burning love," I say as I read the first line of his sentence.

"Exactly." He smiles. His phone vibrates and he quickly shoves the phone in his pocket.

"Don't you want to answer that?" I ask.

"Nah, it's no one important." He answers coldly and I give him a small smile before scribbling down a few ideas of my own. 

After an hour of putting together all of our ideas we finally seem to have something good enough to return.

"We're finally done." I blurt out.

"Yeah . . . I guess we are." He says with a surprising smile.