**
Will left his classroom feeling pretty good about himself. His last exam was over. Whether he did well or not, though he thought he did fine, didn’t matter anymore. He was done. Undergrad was over.
It was kind of anticlimactic. It was just over. Today he was a college senior. Tomorrow, he’d be a college graduate.
Will shrugged his shoulders at his own thoughts.
Taking a minute to try harder to enjoy the feeling, to mark the moment, Will took a deep breath and looked to his left so he could stare out the window at the sunny afternoon sky. At the future, Will thought, but the idea didn’t do anything for him.
If he hadn’t taken that moment though, he wouldn’t have seen her.
Lena leaned back on a bench down the hall from his classroom, her head against the brick wall and her eyes closed. She still wore his shirt which would have been way too big for her if she hadn’t tied it up like she did.
The shirt rode up enough for Will to see a glimpse of her smooth, flat stomach. It took a few seconds before he was able to force himself to look away.
Will wondered how she knew where he was and why she would come looking for him. That must have been why she was here, for him. It was way too much of a coincidence.
Her long, brown hair was full and wavy again. Even after getting it wet and letting it air dry, he assumed, it looked flawless. In his apartment as she stole his pillow and left, he got a good look at her face and eyes. Still pale and perfect even after showering, her eyelashes still long and dark. Her crazy blue eyes had a ring of gold in them. They couldn’t be colored contacts.
What a weird girl, he thought as he sat beside her on the bench.
But she was hot, he couldn’t deny that. And he felt weird around her, kind of like a different person all together.
Will liked himself well enough. He was a good student, a good friend, a good son. He rarely got less than a B and gave good advice to his friends and called his mother every Sunday. But he had always known there was something missing. He had no motivation. No drive. No ambition. After college, he would probably get a crappy job and eventually go to grad school. To do what? He didn’t know. Will led a passionless life, much like many people he knew.
He always had a feeling inside that when he died, he’d leave nothing behind. Normal people wanted to leave something behind when they were gone. Kids, paintings, a hospital wing. But Will couldn’t see having kids. He wasn’t artistic. And hospital wings cost a lot of money.
No, Will didn’t think he would amount to much. He’d get a decent paying job, buy a small house. Maybe he’d meet a girl who didn’t annoy him, or maybe get a dog. And that was fine by him.
Or he thought it was.
Since this afternoon, since finding Lena wrapped round that tree, he’d felt differently. Ambitious wasn’t the right word. Maybe it was hopeful. If he ever figured out something useful to do, Will felt like he could accomplish it, whatever it might one day turn out to be.
For no reason at all, Will suddenly felt capable of greatness.
When Will looked over at Lena again, her pale blue eyes were wide open.
“Hey,” he said, his voice higher than normal.
Bolting upright, she scooted away from him in one swift, almost unnoticeable motion.
“Sorry,” Will said, putting his hands up. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
A slight twitch crossed the girl’s mouth, and she relaxed as she exhaled. Will wondered if that was her way of smiling.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, not turning to look at him.
He laughed. “What am I doing here? This is my school. What are you doing here? Do you even go here?”
Lena’s eyes narrowed slowly. She looked at Will as if she was very conscious of her movements.
“No, I don’t. I’m…visiting.”
Will nodded, not believing her. He knew he should push the question. It was too weird she was following him. But she didn’t make him feel uneasy, and Will thought, though he didn’t know why, that if she were a stalker, he’d feel more uncomfortable around her than he did.
Whether it was the anticlimax of finishing college minutes ago or the weirdness of the day, Will decided he didn’t want to see Lena go. He wanted to spend more time with her, get to know her, and soak up the strange feelings she gave him.
“Hey, I’m headed to get a bite to eat. You wanna join? You can tell me about your…your visit,” Will grinned, wondering if she would guess he was teasing her.
“I—” she began, but stiffened as three more students left Will’s classroom and walked past. The guy in the group gaped at her as they passed, which made Will chuckle.
“Come on,” he urged, nudging towards Lena’s arm but not actually touching it. “You’ve gotta eat.”
“Don’t you have to get to your friend’s house?” she asked slowly.
Will stared into her blue eyes and drew his eyebrows in. As if she could read his confused look, Lena added, “I overheard…Spencer.”
From the shower, he thought? But Will nodded, accepting her explanation. It made sense, after all. His apartment is pretty small, and she was in the next room.
“I was gonna grab a bite on my way. And the party won’t kick off ‘til closer to dark. Hey, you could come with me there too, if you want. It’s a good time, and they’re good people. Give us a chance to introduce you…you know…”
“Dry. With clothes on,” Lena said softly, and Will laughed.
“Yeah,” he said, standing up and waiting for her to join him. He was careful not to stare at her, and not to push her into going with him. It seemed like the right way to approach her. She made it clear. She didn’t like being told what to do.
Will respected that.
Harsh Light of Day Page 9