"Welcome," the professor says as I walk in my statistics class. He looks young for a professor. This is probably his first year teaching, which explains why he's eagerly standing at the door greeting people.
I go to the back of the room and sit in the last row. I'm hiding in the back because I plan to spend the lectures studying for my other classes. I don't need to pay attention in this class. I doubt I'll even study. Statistics comes easy to me. So does math. I've always been that way. Growing up my teachers kept telling me I should be an engineer or statistician or do data analysis. All of those jobs sound really boring but I don't know what else to do, so for now I'm on the data analysis track because apparently it's the job of the future.
"The Calster!" I hear the guy in front of me yell. I look up and in walks Cal, wearing black shorts and a white polo shirt. He's dressed like he's heading to the golf course. He golfs constantly so always has a golden brown tan which makes his blond hair look even lighter and his teeth look whiter.
"Hey, man," Cal says to the guy as he takes his sunglasses off.
This can't be happening. This is one of the largest universities in the country. Out of all the classes, and all the times they're offered, how is it possible Cal ends up in THIS statistics class?
"I didn't know you were taking stats," the guy in front of me says.
"I didn't either." Cal sits down next to his friend, not even noticing me in the row behind him. "Found out last week I was supposed to take a math requirement this semester and this was the only class still open."
"I'm sure there were others," I mutter.
Cal hears me and turns around. "What the hell you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too, Cal," I say, rolling my eyes.
"Birdie, this is my buddy, Stone." He nudges his friend. "Stone, this is Birdie. She's Taylor's friend."
The guy turns around, looking me up and down.
"Hey," he says, before turning back to Cal. "You'll be at the party tonight?"
"Plan to," Cal says, taking his laptop from his bag.
"You need to move back in the house," Stone says. "Hasn't been the same without you."
When Cal went back to college after his brief golf career, he joined a fraternity, which in my opinion made him even more obnoxious. He started getting attention from all these sorority girls who I'm sure only wanted him because he's rich and semi-famous from being on TV. All the attention went to his head and in the few times I saw him last year, all he did was talk about whatever girl he was dating, like I cared. I responded by telling him about all the guys I'd been out with, and then we'd end up fighting.
"Alecia was there last night," Stone says.
Alecia is Cal's on- and off-again girlfriend. As of now, they're off but she keeps finding ways to reel him back in. I met her last summer at a dinner party and she made rude comments to me all night. I gave it right back to her but she didn't seem to care. She hung on Cal like she couldn't hold herself up and kept kissing him at the table. It was disgusting.
Cal opens his laptop. "What'd she want?"
"She's helping with the party this weekend."
"It's her sorority we're doing this with?"
"Yeah, I thought you knew. We talked about it at the last meeting. Anyway she was asking about you."
"What'd she say?"
"She wanted to know if you were seeing anyone."
"Why does she care? I'm sure she's found someone new by now."
"She looked fucking hot, man. I can't believe you gave that up. Why'd you dump her?" Stone asks. "You never said."
"She was being a bitch to my friends." He glances back at me and I quickly look down and pretend to be reading something on my phone. By 'friends' he means me. He broke up with Alecia soon after that dinner, and as far as I know, they haven't spoken since.
"That's it?" Stone says. "Alecia's a bitch to everyone. You just have to ignore it."
"I don't put up with that shit. If she's a bitch to me I'll deal with it, but acting like that to my friends? Even after I told her not to? I don't put up with that."
"Good afternoon, everyone," the professor says. "I'm going to begin class by taking attendance."
Attendance? Seriously? I find a game to play on my phone and focus on that as he calls out names.
"Birdie," I hear Cal whisper.
I look up from my phone and whisper back, "What?"
His eyes dart to the professor. "He's calling your name."
"Agnes Finkels?" the professor says in a really loud voice as people in class snicker. "Agnes, are you here?"
"Back here." I raise my hand. "And the name's Birdie."
"What was that?" the professor asks.
Everyone turns and looks at me and I feel my face blushing. I'm usually not easily embarrassed but I am when it comes to my name. My real name is Agnes but I don't want anyone knowing that, which is why I go by my middle name. Both names are from my grandmothers. Birdie was my grandmother on my mom's side.
"It's Birdie," Cal says to the professor in his loud deep voice. "Her name is Birdie."
The professor looks down at his class list. "Then who's Agnes?"
"Her," Cal says, pointing to me. "She goes by Birdie."
I kick the back of his chair. "Stop talking for me!"
"Then speak up. Why aren't you saying anything?"
I ignore him and look back at my phone as the professor continues with the names.
"Callaway Tuckerman?"
Cal raises his pen in the air. "Right here."
The professor smiles at him. "Care to share any golf tips? My short game could use some work."
"Sure," Cal says. "Anytime."
"For those who don't know," the professor says, "we have a professional golfer in class. The son of golf legend, Lou Tuckerman."
Everyone turns to look at Cal. Some of the girls are smiling at him. It's so annoying. He'll probably get five girl's phone numbers after class because of that dumb comment by the professor. He didn't even get it right. Cal used to be a pro golfer. He's not anymore.
When class ends, I hurry to pack up my stuff. This is my last class of the day and I want to go home and sleep.
"Birdie," Cal says, catching me before I leave. "See you at four?"
"I didn't think you wanted to today."
"Why wouldn't we? It's every Tuesday."
"Yeah, but there's a lot going on the first week of class. I thought we'd skip this week."
"What are you guys talking about?" Stone gets up from his chair, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.
"I'm giving her swimming lessons," Cal explains. "We meet every Tuesday at my parents' house. Use the pool out back."
"You swim?" Stone asks, his eyes scanning over my body.
I can tell by the way he's looking at me he thinks I'm fat. I'm not fat. But I look fat when compared to the stick-thin girls who go to his frat parties.
"I'm learning to," I tell him. "Believe it or not, curvy girls can swim. And walk. Run. Play tennis. It's amazing, really."
"Birdie," Cal mutters.
"What?" I smile at him. "I was just explaining this to your friend because he clearly didn't know this until now." I turn to Stone. "Oh, and in case you're wondering, I look amazing in a bikini."
I walk off before either one of them can say anything. As I'm walking to my car I feel a lump in my throat. I'd never admit this to anyone but it hurts when guys look at me the way Stone did just now. Like there's something wrong with me because I'm a few pounds overweight.
"Birdie!" I hear someone say.
Turning around, I see Isla running up to me. "Want to grab a coffee?"
Isla and I got to be friends last year when we were going to school in Tucson. We both transferred to ASU- Phoenix this year to live at home and save money. She's in my movie review class, which we both took thinking we'd just have to watch movies. She, too, was disappointed to find out we have to write reviews.
"I was gonna head home, but sure, I have time for coffee."
"How was class?" She walks beside me as we head to the coffee shop near campus.
"Fine. It's stats, so it'll be my easiest class."
"I'm so glad I don't have to take that again. If you hadn't tutored me I would've flunked for sure."
"Hey," a guy says to Isla as we pass him. He smiles at her.
"Hi!" she says, smiling back.
This happens all the time. Guys are always looking at Isla. Smiling at her. Asking her out. She looks like a ballerina. Tall and skinny with long legs. She actually studied to be a ballerina but got hurt and had to quit in high school. But you can see her years of training in the way she carries herself. She's very graceful.
At the coffee shop Isla gets in line while I go to get a napkin to wipe up whatever mystery liquid spilled on my backpack.
"The creamer's out," a guy says to me as he grabs a lid.
"Um, okay," I say.
"Could you get me some soy milk?" a girl asks.
"Me?"
"Yeah. And my friend said you need to refill the creamer."
"Um, yeah, you'll have to ask someone else. I don't work here."
"Oh." She laughs as she walks off.
That's strange. Why would she think I work here?
Back in line I notice Isla smiling at me.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're dressed like the employees."
I look around at the workers, then down at my black yoga pants and maroon t-shirt. I DO look like l work here. That's embarrassing. I normally dress better than this but I was really tired this morning and just threw this on without really thinking about it.
"What can I get you?" the guy at the register asks. He's wearing a shirt the same color as mine and black jeans.
"Caramel latte," Isla says.
"Same," I tell him.
The guy smiles at me. "I like your shirt."
I laugh. "Yeah, I didn't realize I was basically wearing your uniform."
"Looks better on you," he says, giving me an even bigger smile. "Haven't seen you here before."
"This is the first time I've been here. I transferred here from Tucson. So did Isla." I motion to her but he keeps his eyes on me.
"Can I get a name?"
"Birdie," I tell him.
"For real?"
"Yes. Ending in e not a y." I spell it out for him.
"Cool name." He writes it on a cup. "It'll be right out."
"We still need to pay."
"It's on me," he says. "Anyone who shows up in the uniform gets a free coffee. And one for a friend."
"Thanks!" Isla says.
Isla and I find a seat in the back.
She leans across the table. "That guy is totally into you! And he's hot! Why didn't you ask him out?"
She's right. Why didn't I? When a guy shows interest I always ask him out but today I didn't even think about it. That's weird.
"Not sure," I say. "I guess I just wasn't feeling it."
"You don't think he's hot?"
I look at him at the register. He's average height with thick dark hair wearing hipster glasses with black frames.
"He's not bad," I say, "but I don't know. I guess I'm looking for something different."
"Like what?"
I shrug. "I've kinda been into blondes lately."
"Like the hottie you were talking to yesterday?"
"What hottie?"
"I saw you talking to a guy after class yesterday. Tall. Athletic. Blond hair. Really tan."
"Cal?" I laugh. "I've known him forever. He's Taylor's brother. You remember Taylor. You went out with us last year over Christmas break."
"Yeah, I didn't know she had a brother. So you two are just friends?"
"I guess you could call us that, although most people who know us would say we're more like enemies."
"Didn't seem like it yesterday. You had your arm around him."
"That was nothing," I say, shaking my head. "Cal was just feeling down about something and I was trying to make him feel better."
"So it sounds like you ARE friends."
"Sometimes, not always. He's giving me free swimming lessons so I have to at least be nice to him until that's over."
"You don't know how to swim?" she asks, sounding surprised.
"I almost drowned as a kid and ever since then I've been scared of the water. For years I wouldn't even go near it. I'm better now but I still don't know how to swim. I'm saving up to go on spring break this year and I don't want to be the only one who can't get in the pool so Cal offered to give me lessons."
"That's nice of him."
"Yeah, but it's not going well. All we do is fight."
"About what?"
"Everything."
"Two caramel lattes," the guy from the register says as he sets them in front of us. He sits beside me, holding his hand out. "I'm John. Forgot to mention that up front."
"Hey, John." I shake his hand.
"Hey, I was talking to my manager and she's looking to hire a couple new people, just part-time. Any chance you'd be interested?" He smiles. "You already got the uniform."
"You're offering me a job?" I glance at Isla, who's smiling at me.
"You should do it," she says. "You were just saying you need a job."
"What's it pay?" I ask John.
"Twelve an hour plus all the free coffee you want."
"Huh." I pause to consider it. "How many hours a week?"
"As much as you want. I'm guessing you go to the college?"
"Yeah, so I'd have to work around my class schedule."
"That's no problem. Almost all of us are students who work here. My manager's really flexible. So what do you say?"
"Don't I need to apply first?"
"Yeah, I'll get you an application." He stands up. "Just fill it out and leave it at the register. I'll take care of it from there."
I wait until he walks off, then turn back to Isla. "Guess I got a job."
"Yeah, I guess. That was easy."
I lower my voice. "You think he expects something?"
"Like what?"
"Sex?"
She laughs. "No, but he'd probably like a date with you. At least one."
"I just pimped myself out, didn't I?"
"Kind of, but why not? The guy's hot, and he really likes you. I know he doesn't have blond hair but you can get over that, right? You dated guys with dark hair all last year. What's one more? And hey, he may turn out to be the guy of your dreams."
"I don't think so." I sip my latte, thinking of the dream I had last night. Stupid Cal was in it. We were in the pool, but instead of my usual red one-piece suit, I had on a bikini. Cal was teaching me to float in the deep end. He was holding onto me and then all of a sudden he pulled me against him and kissed me. I woke up before anything else could happen.
Actually, that wasn't a dream. Cal kissing me? That's a nightmare.
Why was I dreaming about Cal? And why would I be kissing him? I might be losing my mind. There's no other explanation for this. I admit I've had moments over the years where I was slightly attracted to Cal, but then I came to my senses and was back to hating him.
"You're thinking about John, aren't you?" Isla asks as she sips her latte.
"No. Why?"
"You had this dreamy look on your face, like you were thinking about..." She smiles. "Doing things with him."
"Actually I was thinking about the next monster truck show. It's in a few weeks. Want to come?"
"No, but I bet John would go."
He appears at our table. "Here's the application. Like I said, just fill it out and bring it to me when you're done."
I look over the form. "Are you just doing this to get my phone number?"
He laughs. "I hadn't thought about that."
"Question for you," Isla says to him. "What do you think of monster truck shows?"
"Never been to one but it doesn't seem like something I'd like."
"But you'd go, right? If someone you liked asked yo
u to?"
"Um, yeah, I guess."
"Great!" She checks behind him. "You have someone waiting in line."
He leaves and I get out a pen and begin filling out the form. "Way to be subtle there, Isla."
"I had to step in. You weren't doing anything. You're usually so take-charge when it comes to this stuff. You would've asked him out at the register and had a date for tonight."
"I told you, I'm not feeling it with this guy."
"Because of his hair color?"
"It's not that. It's just—never mind." I scribble down my address and continue to the list of questions. "Have I ever been arrested." I look up, tapping the pen on my lip. "Do you think they'd count the time I got drunk and ran naked across the quad to my dorm? They handcuffed me but I wasn't actually arrested. And it was the campus police. That doesn't count, right?"
"I'd leave it off." She sips her drink. "You got two dates out of that, didn't you?"
"Three, but I could've had five. The two guys I turned down had girlfriends they forgot to mention when they asked me out."
"Pigs," she mutters.
"What about when I threw deviled eggs on Jordan's car? He charged me but then dropped the charges. Does that count?"
She laughs. "Birdie, you have done some strange things. I mean, deviled eggs? Why not regular eggs?"
"They were leftover from that event I catered. They were going to be thrown out anyway."
Last year I worked for the college foodservice and had to do a lot of catered events. One of them was at a frat house where I met Jordan, this guy I went out with a few times. Turns out he wasn't just dating me but three other girls too. I was so pissed I egged his car with deviled eggs.
Isla leans across the table at me. "You have someone else. Or you want someone else."
"What?"
"That's why you're not interested in John. There's someone else. There has to be! There's no way you'd turn down a guy like him unless there was someone else you wanted. So who is it?"
I look up from the job application. "No one. There's no one else."
"I don't believe you."
I don't either. I keep telling myself I don't like Cal but then why can't I stop thinking about him?
Chapter Four
Cal
Birdie's been on my mind all week and I have no freaking clue why. The girl irritates the shit out of me. All we ever do is fight.
Kinda Hate You: An Enemies to Lovers College Romance Page 3