Whatever, it didn’t matter. I had to keep my distance from Alex whether I wanted to or not. It was much easier that way. Better for both of us.
But it was hard to do that when we’re in the same communications class.
I transferred to the school only a few weeks after the semester started. The normal deadline was a week before that, but my friend and I received special permission because of our athletic scholarships.
While I had been at the school for over a month now, I had only attended this class three times. Out of the five courses I was taking, communications was the least important. That was until I saw the email about a group project starting soon, so I had to start showing up.
On the first day I attended class, I spotted Alex sitting in the middle with perfect posture, next to two guys I didn’t recognize. He did not notice me because I sat behind him, staring at his back like a creep. I was seeing my best friend for the first time in years—of course, I was shell-shocked.
Today, however, Alex definitely took notice of me. By the time he made it into the room, I was already in my seat. He entered the double doors, and his eyes scanned the room for his friends, but instead of finding them, they landed on me.
Alex wasn’t the same short, sensitive kid I remembered from grade school. He grew taller, his facial structure matured, and he finally grew the leg hair he had been begging for. He even changed his hair from the kept-up modern quiff his parents insisted on to brown curtain bangs just long enough to fall over his eyes. They really brought out the freckles painted all over his cheeks.
I stole glances at him throughout the lecture, praying the professor wouldn’t do something ridiculous like call on me because I had no clue what the guy was lecturing about.
How was it that, out of all the colleges, Lone Star State University was the one that Alex attended? It was an insane coincidence, or terrible luck. Maybe both.
Alex turned his head over his shoulder, and I froze. He had already caught me staring, and I had missed my chance of normally looking away. This was torture, but I couldn’t have him thinking I was actually watching. I pressed my lips together and raised an eyebrow, silently asking, “What are you staring at?”
He blinked twice, slowly, almost like he was trying to figure me out. It didn’t take long before he was facing forward again, elbow propped on the desk and his head resting in his hand, once again engrossed in the lecture.
“Hey,” someone whispered. “Aren’t you River Moore?”
I looked to the girl speaking beside me, unsure of how she knew my name, but not unsure enough to ask. She had a wide smile plastered on her face as she twirled her auburn hair around her finger, and she wore a bright pink LSSU Cheer tank top.
“Yep,” is all I respond.
“I’m Lola,” she greeted. “You just joined the basketball team, yeah?”
“You’ve noticed?”
“Duh. Everyone’s talking about you, you know? Well, at least everyone on my team is. We always talk about the transfers, and we pay attention when we get to sit in on your practices. You and Carson are amazing.”
A proud smile graced my lips. “Thanks, Lola.”
“Of course.” She leaned closer to me and lowered her voice. “Some girls on my team and yours are having a small get-together later today. You and Carson should definitely come.”
“We have practice tonight,” I replied.
She nodded, already expecting me to say that. “We’re hanging out after.”
“Do you give all basketball players such a personal invite?”
“Just the cute ones.” She winked. “I like blondes with man buns.”
The blonde with a man bun would be my closest friend—basically my brother—Carson.
Did I want to spend the evening with people that I barely knew? Not entirely, but the alternative was another night of watching romance movies with Car like we were a couple. I had to pass on that—he enjoyed spooning and always made me the little spoon because he was a damn giant.
And I desperately needed a distraction from Alex.
When I asked Lola how many people were coming and where it was, she responded by putting my number in her phone and texting me the details. The professor ended classes early, and students were walking out of the doors before he could wish us a good rest of our day, Alex included. He didn’t look back at me once, like I expected him to, and it made my chest tighten.
Lola’s voice broke my attention. “See you there.”
“I thought you had another class?”
I waltzed into the house and immediately kicked off my shoes before finding the pantry. Searching the cabinets like a madman, I mumbled, “Yeah, I skipped.”
