Lost in each other

Chapter two

Jessie

Kai tells me a little bit about the people from campus on our way to one of the football games. Lilly was busy tonight and couldn't join us. Which would have been a perfect opportunity to get to know her. However now I get some time alone with my best friend. The California Memorial Stadium is bigger than I expected, on the other hand, so is the campus. Everything here is big and very architectural. We get to our seats and wait for the game to start. Just as Rick and Elise told me, Kai informs me about the games being a big deal here. He tells me about going to a few parties where he actually met Lilly for the first time. She is apparently a cousin to one of the guys who always host these parties. It really sounds like fun as Kai describes the events around here. And the thought of me and Kai partying for the first time sounds very fun. He has been living the full University experience and I now realize that I could have done a lot more than what I have in New York. But if I hadn't focused so much on school I wouldn't have had this opportunity. Kai keeps telling me about this party that's coming up next Saturday and that we should go. He thinks that he needs to convince me to go as he tries to sell in the party. I nod agreeing on going. It might be nice to get to know some new people and just relax for once in two years. It's pretty fun to watch the game and to see how everyone in the stadium just enjoys supporting their local team. Rick seems to be very good at this too. Later we coincidentally meet Elise who is with another friend of hers, Liv. They join us over dinner after the game before they head to a party. They insist on us going with them, but I need to catch up with my studies before I can go to any party. And I have already told Kai that I'll go with him to another party, next Saturday. Liv seems very nice and energetic. She is very cute with a lot of tattoos on her arm and a nose piercing. Her hair has grey highlights and it actually looks very good. While Elise is completely different. The sweet and playful girl who tries to be just as crazy but can't. Even if they are this different they seem to be getting along very well.

It's already Thursday and I feel like I am finally managing to coordinate myself around campus. Even if I have seen fifty procent of it during the week. I have never looked forward to a weekend this much before. I am exhausted and I really just want to sleep. As the day reaches its end in school I have to meet Kai on the other side of campus. The part I haven't explored yet. He is the one with a car and I have to adapt. Even if I have my license I didn't feel the need to own a car in New York. So here I am adjusting to Kai's schedule. It will take me a few more minutes to reach the parking lot because the campus is so big. I feel pretty lost but I have my map while I try my best to locate our meet up spot. I stand in the middle of the campanile way trying to indicate which side the campanile the rod is. We really need to plan this better next time. I look down at the map again feeling a lot of people walking past me. If I wasn't so damn shy I would have asked any of them for help. All of the sudden I feel like a big crowd is surrounding me. Some guys are shouting at each other in the middle of the way. And I am too slow to realize what's happening. I was already feeling lost and now I feel completely invisible because these guys don't even bother to let me out of their little circle. Then suddenly a fight interrupts between two of them. Holy shit, I turn around to find a way out but they are all in the way. I look like an idiot. On my first week of school. Never in my life have I been this close to a fight before and I feel smaller by the second. That's when I feel someone grabbing me by my arm. Scared that it might be one of those fighting guys I cover my head.

"Stay down, I'll get you out" a man says. This must be a faculty member. He leads me out of the crowd and pulls me aside to avoid us being too close to the fight that has now escalated. They are a lot more involved in the fight now then before. The campus security run over to the guys trying to split them away. "Hey are you hurt?" The man asks me before I lie my eyes on him. This is not a faculty member. The guy is absolutely gorgeous. He has short dark hair and a couple of green eyes that will rip your heart out. He has a strong jawline and small but filly lips. The fight is long forgotten now.

"Yes.. No I mean I am not hurt" I say straighten myself up so I don't look like a complete fool. He looks back making sure that the fight is over. "Thank you" I say, unable to stare at him until he turns around to look into my eyes. Awkward I look away and pull a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"That's good. What were you doing in the middle of the fight anyway?" He asks me bluntly making me sound like a very stupid girl.

"It's not like I was planning on ending up in the middle of the fight. I was just lost and realized too late what was happening" I snap back quite annoyed by his statement. He gives me a very mischief smile either making fun of me or finding me amusing. He sighs out, noticing the map in my hand.

"You are new here," he says as we both look down at the map. I fold it and put it between my textbook.

"Yes," I respond shortly, unable to say more. No one's beauty has ever struck me like this. If I open my mouth I might sound like a babbling idiot. And for some reason I want to impress him. He is quite tall and very ripped, the black t-shirt exposes his firm muscular arms. I need to stop staring at him before he finds me desperate.

"I'm Kade, Kaden" he corrects himself. He pulls out his hand for me to shake. I slide in my hand in his as he presses softly against my skin with his hand. Something as simple as this is making my knees weaken. I pull away fast not wanting him to think I can't behave myself around him. Which I obviously can't.

"Jessie" I respond. He must think I'm stupid given to my shy behavior. He asks me where I was going when I got lost. I tell him that I am going to meet my best friend on the road behind the observation deck. Kaden offers to walk me there so I don't get lost again. I nod appreciatively. This will give me at least a few more seconds to admire him.

"You know there are easier roads for your friend to pick you up from" he says, making fun of me.

"I wouldn't know" I say, giving him a very small and shy smile. When we get to the road Kai's car is parked there. He must be waiting for me.

"Good luck Jessie" he says before backing away from me.

"Bye and thanks" I say almost shouting at him. To get to talk to him for at least a quarter of a second more. Kai asks me what took me so long to get to the car. I sigh out telling him, it's a long story.

"And what the hell were you doing with Kaden Harris?" he asks, almost sounding upset. I tell him about the fight and that Kaden helped me out.

"He seems like a good guy" I say, happy with the way we met. Him protecting me.

"He is far from that Jessie. He is not good news. If someone could live up to the 'bad boy' criteria, it would be him" Kai says, sounding very serious. Too serious to even ask him what he means by that. I don't know what this guy has done but it seems to be pretty bad for Kai to even react this way. He would never tell me to back off, if it wasn't something behind it. Kai always sees the best in everyone. For some reason I feel angry with Kaden, like he has fooled me. Him pretending to be so kind and nice. 'Saving' me from that fight. But why do I feel like his eyes are telling me another story. It won't matter anyway because I'm not going to see him again. The campus is too big to be running into people coincidental. And Kai doesn't seem to have a friendship with the guy nor does he seem to want to. Still his eyes are reappearing in my head, reliving the moment I saw his handsome face staring down at me making sure I was okay. That isn't someone that just gets a girl out of a fight to hit on her. He didn't even show any interest. Maybe it's because he isn't. Why am I even thinking about his intentions when I just made my mind that I wasn't going to see him again? I better go to bed before my mind keeps me from getting any sleep tonight. As I lie on the bed, he is the last thing I think about before falling asleep.