She has the same lost, sad face Jayson had this morning when I yelled at him, and my guilty conscience has been eating me up since. I can’t be the reason for that look on two people’s faces today. “I’m sorry, Meredith. It’s been a crazy morning. It’s very nice to meet you.”
She beams at me and I notice how pretty she is. Dark brown hair cut in a pixie bob, chocolate brown eyes, and a heart-shaped face with a creamy complexion. And she’s tiny, around five feet tall.
“Small world. I told you we would run into each other again, Wildcat.”
I look up and the guy I met at the beach weeks ago is grinning down at me with a cheeky grin. Am I on everybody’s radar today?
“Trevor, remember?”
“Yes. The hermit crab guy. Nice to see you again.”
He’s dressed about the same as when I met him on the beach, except this time I can see his eyes which are a very unnatural shade of blue. The guy really is good-looking, twin dimples and all.
“Do you guys know each other?” Meredith asks from beside me.
Trevor aims his dimpled smile at her, and I can feel her sigh. “We ran into each other at the beach. I’m Trevor.”
“Meredith. Nice to meet you. I was just asking Elizabeth about doing a study group. Do you want to join us?”
Trevor shuffles past me and sits down in the seat next to Meredith’s.
I stutter, “Wait, I never said I would—”
“That sounds great. Count me in,” Trevor replies. He takes out his phone. “Here’s my number and email.”
He and Meredith look at me expectantly. Well then. I guess I’m going to be part of a study group. We exchange contact info and chat a little bit more before we have to stop when the professor and three older students walk in. Meredith takes a group selfie of the three of us and forwards it to me and Trevor with the message: “Study buddies.”
“Welcome everyone,” the professor vocalizes as he walks across the raised stage, a lapel wireless microphone clipped to his jacket. “This is one of the larger classes on campus so please bear with me. My name is Professor Hallenger and this is Contemporary American Literature, course 105. If you did not sign up for course 105, you are in the wrong room.”
About seven people stand up and walk out. Professor Hallenger continues, “Because of the class size, I have three graduate teaching assistants to help me and they are also here for you to ask questions if I am not available. Terry, Francine, and Sarah, please hand out the semester syllabus to each row.”
The three TAs stand up and start passing out stacks of papers down each row. For the rest of the class, Dr. Hallenger goes over his office hours and what books we will be reading this semester. We also have a major paper to write that will be worth sixty percent of our final grade. Since this is a Monday-Wednesday-Friday class, it’s only fifty minutes long and Dr. Hallenger dismisses us early. I decide to wait outside on the steps for Ryder to arrive.
Trevor and Meredith both amble beside me as we exit the auditorium. “What day do we want to do the study group?” Meredith asks us.
“I’m available Wednesday or Thursday evening,” Trevor replies.
“Me, too,” Meredith remarks in kind. “Elizabeth?”
“I can work in a Wednesday or Thursday. Nothing too late, though.”
“How about Wednesday at seven? I can reserve one of those study rooms in the library.”
Both Trevor and I agree, and Meredith tells us she’ll go over to the library today and text us the study room number later. We have to push through groups of students gathered around the main doors to exit the building and I stop at the bottom step to wait for Ryder. The summer sun is hot today and the humidity is high. Beads of sweat are already forming along my temple and down my back.
“I’ve actually got a ten-thirty class, so I need to bolt if I’m going to have enough time to grab something to eat. Talk to you guys later.” Meredith gives me a giant hug and I have to bend down to accommodate her small stature. “So great to meet you today, Elizabeth. I have a good feeling that this is going to be a great year!” Her enthusiasm is contagious and I wind up smiling with her. She hugs Trevor and leaves.
“There’s a party this weekend at one of the frat houses.”
Is Trevor asking me out?
“Elizabeth!” Ryder’s voice rings out as he approaches. He jogs over and without thinking I plaster myself to him, arms going around his middle. Like this morning, he kisses the top of my head. “How was class?”
“It was good.”
I forgot Trevor was still with me until he clears his throat. “Hey, man. I’m Trevor.”
“Ryder.”
