“Firstly,” Isaac says, “show some fucking respect, that’s my girlfriend you’re whistling about. And secondly, it’s got nothing to do with the fact that she’s a Victoria’s Secret model.”
He’s met with a chorus of, “Bullshit!” and, “Like fuck it doesn’t!” from most of the others.
I chuckle, at least I’ve found something similar between here and Winbrook, although no one there is dating a supermodel, just our equivalent, the head cheerleader.
“What about you, rookie?” Jordan asks. “You a one-woman man or you like to play the field.”
All attention turns to me. I’m grateful my new friend is trying to include me, but did he really have to start with this question?
I morph my smile into a sly grin and shrug. “I like to keep my options open!”
“Yeah you do!” Joel shouts, slapping me on the back. “Fuck settling down, unless it’s with a Victoria’s Secret model!”
He nudges me and winks, but I don’t laugh, so far I haven’t found him to be particularly funny.
“Joel, don’t you have a girlfriend?” Jordan asks. “Shouldn’t you be on Isaac’s side?”
“Nah, she’s fun for now, but I don’t see a problem with keeping my options open too.”
He nudges me again, but honestly he just sounds like a dick. I glance at Jordan who shakes his head, telling me not to bother arguing, it’s a waste of time.
“Whatever you say, man,” I tell Joel, hitting him on the shoulder. “Anyway, I’d better get going. It was fun to meet you all, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”
As I leave the locker room, I’m followed by a mix of, “See ya!”, “Catch you later,”, and “Next time, bro!”, but the question Jordan asked me still rings in my head. It’s not the first time something like that has happened, and it won’t be the last. My answer about keeping my options open is as honest as I can be without telling people the truth. It means I don’t feel too guilty for lying to them, but it’s vague enough that I at least feel a tiny bit true to myself. And it’s not a complete lie, after all, I am keeping my options open.
My parents are waiting outside the center for me, and both pull me into a hug when I reach them. I could take the train, but they’re determined to make this as stress-free as possible for me, so they’ve offered to pick me up fromcampus on Friday night and drive me to Tynerston every other weekend, then take me home after Sunday practice. Their car is definitely more comfortable than the train, and it means I get some quality time with them.
We held off on me coming to Tynerston as long as possible, even though I was drafted, I wanted to focus on my studies and make sure I did enough to graduate. This final summer semester is all I need and then I’m done, but training had to happen before the pre-season games, so we agreed to this routine of every other weekend.
“How was your first session?” Dad asks, taking my bags and placing them in the trunk.
“The hardest session of my life,” I say, “it’s in a whole other league compared to WU. This routine of every other weekend is going to be tougher than I thought.”
“But you’re happy?” Mom asks.
“Yes, Mom,” I say, pulling her into another hug. “I’m happy, I promise.”
“Good.”
“Come on,” Dad says, “let’s get you back to Winbrook.”
“Yes,” Mom says, “I want to meet your new roommate.”
Oh shit, I completely forgot I’m going to arrive home to a new roommate. Great, another person to hide myself from.
Chapter 2
Donovan
Itwasunexpectedhavingmy first night in the new dorm alone, but it was also kind of nice to be able to settle in and get used to the space without needing to make small talk with another person. I’d spent some of Saturday afternoon exploring the campus, locating where all my classes are and finding some coffee shops and the dining hall. Tynerston is a modern campus whereas Winbrook is very ‘old money’, all stone and statues everywhere, with immaculately kept grounds. It’s not my type of place, but I can see myself being happy here for the next few months.
The campus was busier than I expected, thinking not many people would stick around for the summer semester, but Winbrook was full of students looking to get extra credit, all to help with their job applications further down the line. This is where you come if you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, their science and academic programs are strong, as well as their athletics program, which is why it’s so popular with student athletes. Tynerston is more of a humanities and arts focused campus; full of people who dream of being writers and artists.
After a good night’s sleep, and visiting a nearby cafe for brunch, I spent my Sunday unpacking and settling in as best I could, before chilling with some reading. I’m so lost in my book that I jump when there’s a knock at the door. Immediately I worry it’s Kate, wanting to invite me somewhere, or flirt some more, but not wanting to be rude, I make my way over and open it.
Holy shit.
My mouth drops open as I stare at the man standing before me. I say man, he’s obviously a student here as he’s wearing a Winbrook U varsity jacket over a white T-shirt and jeans, but he’s tall, and broad, and the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.
