“On three.” Dakota looked at me to count us off.
We shouted ‘Dalmatians’ on three and broke apart with all intentions to win this silly game.
I’m sure it wasn’t the original creator’s intention, but Haley’s Night was a perfect way to get a feel for the campus layout.
Our team hurried across the leaf-covered sidewalks. I lingered in the back, trying to commit the more prominent buildings to memory. Since the sun dipped under the horizon, taking note of places became more difficult. Once the sky went from blue to orange, black iron lanterns lining the street came to life. The soft glow of the yellow light mixed with the refreshing fall air made me want to walk a little slower.
I jumped a little when I felt a hand on my shoulder. My gaze had been on the evening sky so my guard was elsewhere. Dakota removed his hand as soon as he saw he’d startled me. “Sorry, Emmy. Not trying to make that a habit.”
I laughed, hoping he’d see I wasn’t actually terrified. “That one’s my bad. I should have been focusing.”
“You okay with splitting up into smaller groups?” He stepped close to me and held up the map again. Despite the cool air, Dakota’s sleeves were hiked up a bit, revealing veins running down his arms. He felt as warm as the sunset when I leaned close.
“I’m thinking we create three groups of four and tackle the outer edges of campus. North, south, east, and west. How does that sound?”
He peered at me, brown eyes full of genuine wonder. I wanted to shrug like it was no biggie, but the look on his face told me he wanted my actual opinion. Someone probing for my thoughts without me having to offer first was a rarity. My heart fluttered a bit.
I nodded. “Since we’re going for the small fountains, splitting up sounds like the perfect idea.”
“Great.” He grinned at me and then told the others to divvy up the paint supplies.
Dakota placed me on his mini team, which made me raise a brow but remain wordless. I wouldn’t dare complain since I preferred staying near the one person I knew I liked. But it seemed a bit odd not having your co-captain spearhead a group. Especially when I realized there were walkies-talkies involved.
Dakota caught me eyeing him and offered it to me. “Want to shout codes to the rest of the captains? I could teach you the more important ones.”
I smiled a bit while studying his outstretched hand. “Very tempting, but you better keep it. I’m sure you’re not as scatter-brained as I am.”
“It’s not as hard as it looks,” he promised. “Once you hear Yara screaming through the other end every few seconds, you catch on quick.”
“You guys scream into walkies often?” I asked, fishing a bit to sus out his vibe with the others. If I wanted in with this group, I needed to know who was who in terms of personality and dating. And Yara was gorgeous so maybe she was Dakota’s type? If that was the case, I would have to be careful not to swoon too hard over him.
It wasn’t like Dakota gave me special attention, anyways. I’d seen him flash the same kind grin he’d given me to a dozen people since he showed up tonight.
“We’re both on the emergency team for the campus.” He glanced over his shoulder to see if our other two teammates were keeping up. The girls in our group were both brown-skinned with hair that reached past their waist. They talked excitedly with one another in a comfortable way only close friends could.
Dakota asked them if they were alright and they answered back, ‘we’re fine,’ in unison, singsong voices. After he told them he was glad to hear it and turned back to me, I heard the soft noise of shy giggling. Dakota didn’t seem to notice.
“Emergency team?” I asked.
“Did you guys have one back at Amber U?” He readjusted the bag of paints thrown over his shoulder. “I thought all large campuses had one.”
“Not that I can recall.”
To be honest, I hadn’t seen much of campus since I spent most of my free time with Tyler at his off-campus apartment. Which was another reason why I wanted to get a good foothold at Westbrooke. A new school meant a new reputation. I could be anyone, and I wanted to be the girl who knew about everything worth knowing.
“It’s half student-org, half part-time job.” Dakota took a turn that led us to a brighter side of campus. The sidewalks winded around trees that were wrapped in fairy lights. We moved past colorful buildings with murals that looked straight out of a New York city art house.
I took note of how far this side of campus was in comparison to where we started. All the art buildings were here, which meant this was where I’d take most of my classes.
“We mostly take requests from students who want an escort around campus when it gets late,” Dakota explained. “We’re trained in CPR and first aid in case something serious happens — it rarely does. Most of the team’s made up of aspiring EMTs.”
“Wow, sounds important. Is that what you want to be?” I could imagine him in the back of an ambulance, driving through the city and saving lives on a daily basis.
“An EMT?” He laughed when I nodded. “Nah. I mean, it’s an incredible job, but it’s definitely not for me.”
“How come? Seems to fit your vibe.”
“My vibe?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “What is that, exactly?”
