“I’m Liam.” He extends his hand to me. I react on instinct and offer him my hand in return. The moment our palms touch, the image I have of him in my head, confident and sure, gets tarnished by the dampness of his palm and the uncertainty in his eyes. When I pull my hand away, he’s back to being that same cool, self-assured guy who sat down, leaving me feeling like I’m reeling from the swift changes.
Beth mentioned she suffered from vertigo more than once, saying that sometimes the world would feel like it was moving too fast while she was standing still. I wonder if this is what that feels like. I certainly feel untethered.
“Are you going to tell me your name, or do I have to guess?” Liam prompts.
“Waylynn,” I supply swiftly. Can he tell I was lost in my head?
“Cool, like the country music singer,” he replies. Not many people my age get the association.
“Yeah,” I agree.
“Your parents must be big fans.”
I chuckle. “You’d be surprised.” No one ever pegs my dad for a classic country fan, but he certainly is. Thankfully, the teacher saves me from having to explain my mirth when she calls the class to attention.
I was dreading math, but by the end of the two-hour class, I’m feeling a little better and certainly more relaxed than I was in English as I waited to be introduced to Gravlin. The TA in this class is a girl with green hair and thick-rimmed glasses. Her smile is easy, and she’s even heading the study group for the first few meetups.
Thankfully, Liam stayed quiet the entire class. He seemed to be just as absorbed in the information that was given as I was.
“Do you have any more classes today? Have you eaten?” Liam asks as we gather our bags.
“No, I had English this morning.”
“Want to grab something to eat with me? What professor do you have?” He starts walking forward once he has his bag slung over his shoulder.
“Um…” I am hungry since I skipped lunch, and it would be nice not to sit alone. This two questions at a time tactic is hard to counter quickly.
“Come on, don’t make me eat alone.” Liam gazes down at me with pleading eyes.
“Sure, where are you going?” I hope he doesn’t leave me alone like Mia did. If he does, I’m going to start taking it personally.
“Wherever. What dorm are you in?” We make it to the exit with all the other students, and I stall a little. Why didn’t I think that this kind of question would come up so I could have an answer ready?
“What dorm are you in?” I counter instead. He gives me a lopsided grin like he thinks I’m avoiding the question because I don’t want him knowing where I live, as if I think he’s going to become a stalker.
“North quad,” he answers easily. “I heard south was the best.”
“They have a lot of choices,” I agree.
“It’s not far, are you good going there?” He’s walking kind of sideways so he can look at me.
“Sure, I can do that.” At least I know how to get home from there now.
“So what professor do you have for English?” he inquires, reminding me I didn’t answer his other question.
“Hilbrand. She seems okay,” I answer.
“Too bad I don’t have her then. I have Wideman, and I’ve heard he’s an ass—jerk,” he amends.
“I would trade you if I could, and cursing doesn’t offend me,” I tell him, since that is the second time he’s corrected himself.
“Why would you trade if she seems okay?” he asks. Dang it, I should probably think about filtering my words if I don’t want to explain them.
“I don’t mind a tough English course, unlike math, and that’s probably why people call him a jerk.” That sounds like a valid explanation to me. I’m kind of impressed with myself.
“Are you an English major?” Liam questions when he hauls the door open to the dorm. I’m surprised how much faster the walk over seemed with someone else to walk with.
“No, psychology. How about you?”
