A Different Side (University Park #4)

by C. M. Doporto

I lifted my eyes from the screen. That was even better.

  Me: That’s fine. See you in an hour.

  Lexi: See you then.

  I shoved my phone in my pocket and crossed the street to the student union. It was the closest place to Charter Hall where I could get something to eat and not be late to my tutoring session. I sat at a small table in the back, hoping no one noticed me. Most students left me alone, or at least the guys did, but girls seemed to hover around me like bees waiting to suck the nectar from the stem. My stem was getting tired of being the attraction of the season. Maybe I really was ready for a change.

  “Your sandwich is ready.” The guy behind the counter held up a sack.

  I got up and took the bag from him. “Thanks.”

  I sat down, unwrapped my sandwich, and caught sight of three girls. I quickly looked away, hoping they didn’t see me. Wishful thinking.

  “Raven, what are you doing?” Abby and her friends headed toward me.

  Great.

  I wanted nothing more than to ignore them. “Hey.” I gave a slight wave. The Silicone Triplets, their coined name around PHU, wore short, micro-mini skirts and toddler-sized tops that barely covered their breasts. “They allow students to dress like that in class?” I withheld the laugh dying to escape.

  “Funny.” Abby twirled her long, dark locks around her index finger, while giving me a pouty look. Her lips were swollen red. Either she’d just had them injected or just finished sucking on something…maybe both.

  “What, you don’t like this look?” Nicole adjusted her shirt, making sure her belly ring showed. I had to admit, it was sexy.

  “I guess.” I shrugged as I took a bite of my food.

  “Are you ready for the game Friday night?” Abby asked as she leaned against the table, giving me a clear shot of her cleavage.

  I took a hard swallow. Why the hell did girls constantly do this to me? “I’ve been practicing.”

  “Good. Because we are betting on you to win.” She rolled her pointed fingernails along the top of the table. My skin goosed over, recalling how she left huge scratches on my back. Being in bed with these three girls was freaky and I vowed never to do it again. Completely different from Macy, Jennifer, and Shannon — the Silicone Triplets were into S&M and that really wasn’t my style. Looking at them, you would never know.

  “Is that so?” I held the water bottle to my lips and took several gulps.

  “Thirsty?” Paige smiled at me.

  “And hungry.” I shoved the sandwich in my mouth, hoping to disgust them.

  “I know how to fix that.” Paige popped her gum and then played with it using her tongue. How she did that without getting it caught on her tongue ring was beyond me. Then again, she knew how to do some freaky things with her tongue. If Lexi weren’t on my mind, it might have enticed me. But it didn’t.

  “Yeah, so do I.” I continued eating, not giving in to her antics.

  “Are you going to the Kappa Sig party afterwards?” Abbey asked after an awkward minute.

  I shrugged. “Not sure. Depends on how the game goes.” And that was the truth. If we lost, which I didn’t plan on, I wouldn’t be going to any parties. Maybe I needed to stop going to parties and drinking altogether — make a change for the better.

  Abbey sighed. “Oh. I thought maybe you could pick us up after the game.” She dragged her nail along the table as she strode closer toward me.

  “Um, not sure about that.” I quickly crossed my arms and sat straight. “I’m usually tired after the game.”

  Abbey traced her finger along the sleeve of my upper arm as she walked behind me. Leaning over, she whispered, “Don’t worry. We’ll do all the work this time.”

  Paige and Nicole kept their devilish smiles fixed on me. These girls were trying to intimidate me. It wasn’t working, or so I told myself.

  A laugh launched from my throat. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll pass.”

  “Are you sure?” She grazed the edge of my ear with the tip of her tongue. My spine tensed, but I didn’t flinch.

  How did I get involved with these girls? I shook my head internally. It was my own fault. This was the world I had created and now I had to live in it. Would it ever change?

  “I’m positive.”

  Nicole and Paige crossed their arms in unison, shooting me their pitiful duck faces. They looked scarier than the defensive line up from last week. Behind those beautiful faces lured an animal in each of them dying to eat me alive.

  “That’s what you say now.” Abbey straightened. “We’ll catch you at the party. I’m sure we can help you change your mind.”

  I inclined my head. “Who knows?”

  Abbey smirked. “Catch you later, Raven.”

  “See you later, girls.” I waved at them and then devoured the rest of my food. I looked at my phone. I had less than ten minutes to meet with Lexi and had no idea what I was going to say.

  ∑

  Chapter 9

  I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

  The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

  ~Nelson Mandela

  I paced up and down the sidewalk, rehearsing the question in mind.

  So, Lexi, I see that you have a ring on your finger. Do you have a boyfriend?

  I couldn’t help but notice the ring on your left hand. Are you engaged?

  It all sounded stupid and I couldn’t figure out why I was so worked up over it. It was no big deal. I’d messed around with plenty of girls who had boyfriends. There was even one time I hooked up with some girl in the bathroom at a bar only to find out she was celebrating her bachelorette party while we were screwing. But it was a big deal. I never willingly tried to ruin someone’s relationship. I did have some ethics and morals I adhered to, regardless of what I’ve done or was known for doing.

  The door to Charter Hall opened and hit me in the arm.

  “Oh my gosh.” A short girl stumbled back. “Are you okay?”

  I rubbed my arm, working out the bruise that would soon appear. “Yeah. I’m good.”

  “I didn’t see you there. Do you need in?” She kept the door open with her petite body.

  I flashed her a smile. “Yes, I have a study session.”

  “Come one in.” Her green eyes softened. “Just make sure you check in with the front desk, okay?”

  “Of course,” I nodded, “thanks.”

  “Sure.” She bounced out the front door, adjusting her backpack.

  I walked to the front desk, but didn’t see anyone. I thought about texting Lexi to let her know I was there, but grabbed a seat across from the piano. Memories of Lexi playing and us singing a few days ago inundated me. It was probably one of the best times I’d ever had with a girl. And it wasn’t sexual, which was weird. I mean, was that even possible? Maybe I was starting to learn how to have a relationship with a female.

  I leaned forward in the chair, resting my arms on my thighs. Words continued to tumble in my head, making no sense. A couple of girls shuffled in and out of the dormitory and I kept a keen eye out for Lexi. I checked my phone, making sure I hadn’t missed a call or text when the door opened again. Lexi walked in, running her fingers through her wind-blown hair. I tried not to stare at her, but she was so damn beautiful.

  She had on a PHU V-neck tee paired with jeans that accentuated her shape. Even though she was thin, she had curves in all the right places. I could only imagine what she looked like naked. I smiled at the thought and then pushed it aside. She smiled back at me and every muscle relaxed, putting me at ease. My brain turned to mush and the ring on her finger was forgotten.

  “Enjoying the warm weather today?” She glanced at my legs and then gave me a once over. Yeah, she was checking me out too.

  Score.

  “When it’s nice outside, I take advantage of it.” I stood and watched as her eyes traveled up and down my body. She wasn’t done checking me out. The muscles in my legs we
akened and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Every time I got close to her, my body did weird things. Things I wasn’t used to. Things I didn’t understand. But for whatever reason, I welcomed it.

  “So, um, let’s grab a room.” Her eyes darted away from me and she scurried past me.

  I followed her to a small study room, next to the main sitting area. She closed the door and suddenly the room became ten times smaller. It was just her and me in that eight by eight room. Her presence was comforting and I felt so close to her. Not only physically, but emotionally. A magnetic-like force drew me to her and there was no denying what I was feeling.

  We tossed our bags on the table and I took out my paper. “You’ll be proud of me.” I handed her my work.

  She eased it from my hand and glanced over it. “You already typed your blog post for the week?” A look of surprise and satisfaction covered her face.

  Finally, I had done something right. “Yep.” I sat opposite her.

  She eased into the chair and with her eyes fixed on my paper, she used her left hand to search through her backpack. She pulled out a pen and clicked it once. “This is great, Raven.” She made a few circles. “I’m so proud of you.” She handed me back my paper, keeping a perfect smile on her face.

  I took the paper from her. My eyes skimmed over my blog post and it didn’t take long for the satisfaction to fade away. Several marks covered the paper and I cringed at the silly mistakes I’d made. I should have caught this — this was basic grammar stuff. I felt like an idiot.

  “Is something wrong?”

  I shook my head. “No, I just want it to be perfect.”

  She leaned forward, getting closer to me. “And it will be. Just give yourself some time. We’ve only been meeting for a few weeks and look at the progress you’ve made.”

  I twitched my lips to the side. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  “So, is that it?”

  I glanced at her. I wasn’t ready to leave, we had just started. Besides, I needed to ask her about her ring, which I quickly noticed. “Nope. I have a report due in a few weeks and I thought we could get started.”

  “Okay.” A tiny sigh escaped and I sensed some uneasiness.

  Was she tired of helping me? Or did she not want to be around me? Maybe I needed to show her I was taking the initiative and doing what she expected of me — prove her tutoring helped.

  “You’ll be glad to know I already read the material.” I handed her a book titled Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington. I had totally skipped the library and went to the bookstore to buy it. All to avoid seeing Beth. If that didn’t show change and dedication, then I didn’t know what did. I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair.

  “Great. Do you have the specifics about the paper?” She set the book in the middle of the table and I gathered she expected more of me. “What the professor wants you to do? Because I doubt she wants a basic book report.”

  “Yep, it’s all right here.” I handed her the syllabus.

  “Okay.” She reviewed the assignment and then slid the paper back in my direction. “Let’s start with a basic outline and incorporate the argument you’d like to make while keeping in mind the language the author uses to advance the viewpoint of the story.”

  “Damn, you make this sound so easy.” I slumped into the chair. I hadn’t impressed her. In fact, I hadn’t even scratched the surface of what needed to be done.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t forget I’m an English major, studying to be a teacher.”

  My head lifted. “I didn’t know you wanted to be a teacher. I know you like to read, based on all the books you have on your Kindle, but I thought you might want to be a writer or something.” I winked at her, hoping to gain some points, so she’d want to help me.

  She shrugged. “Even though I love to read, I don’t necessarily love to write. I figured I’d be good at helping others.”

  I leaned forward. “And, you are.”

  Our eyes connected for a second, reconnecting that close, intimate feeling. She immediately tore her gaze from me. “Thanks. I think—”

  High-pitched voices and sounds from the piano drowned her words. “What the heck is all that?” I turned my head to determine where it was coming from.

  A choir of voices filtered through the door from the main foyer. It sounded like something from Phantom of the Opera with dark, ominous tones that made it impossible to hear one another. We wouldn’t be able to discuss my paper.

  Great.

  Lexi tossed her pen on the table, clearly perturbed. “Shit. What do you want to do?”

  I stared at her for a moment. Ignoring all the warnings that said don’t do it. To ask her if she was engaged or had a boyfriend. For one day, I wanted to avoid what I knew was probably true and find out if there was something more to this tutoring relationship. I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat, and said, “We could go up to your room.”

  Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. Wrong suggestion.

  Damn it!

  “Um, I’m pretty sure Delaney will be coming home any minute, so we won’t have any peace and quiet. And the study room on my floor is always occupied by a group of foreign exchange students, so that’s out. We could always try the library. Oh, but you said you don’t like the library.” Her eyes darted all over the room as she rambled various options. “Since it’s warm outside, we can head to the book store. There are tables under the awning.”

  Clearly, my suggestion made her uncomfortable, which confirmed my intuition. But why didn’t she just tell me? I latched on to one of her flailing hands. “Relax. If meeting in your room makes you uncomfortable, then we won’t.”

  “Oh, no… it’s not that.” She eased her hand from mine and then waved off my comment, like it was no big deal. But it was and for whatever reason, she wasn’t divulging any information. There was no sense in pursuing this any further. Lexi was engaged and didn’t want to tell me.

  “Why don’t we wait until Tuesday to discuss it? I’ll start thinking about my paper and try to work on the outline.”

  “Okay, that works.” She let out a big breath, as if a huge weight had been removed. If I caused her that much stress, it wasn’t good. “Are you sure you don’t want to meet before then?”

  I crammed my papers and book into my backpack, feeling like a complete idiot. Josh warned me and I didn’t listen. Like always. “Tomorrow night’s the big game, so I’ll probably be too hungover to meet on Saturday and too tired on Sunday. Are you going to the game?”

  “Um, I don’t know.” She cleared her throat. “I think Delaney has to do something with her family…” her words dwindled to a low murmur, and I knew she was making excuses.

  “No, you have to go.” I leaned across the table, determined to see if she’d confess. “It’s the biggest game of the season. And, when we’re done kicking UT’s ass, we’re going to party our asses off. It will be one party you don’t want to miss.”

  She threw her head back in laughter.

  “What?” I ran a hand over my head, confused at her reaction.

  “Did you forget…I don’t go to parties?”

  “Bullshit.” I slapped the table. “I’m inviting you to this party, even if I have to pick you up myself.”

  “Really?” She got up and walked out the door.

  I swung my backpack over my shoulder and followed her. “You think I’m joking, Lexi, but I swear, I’ll be here in your lobby after the game, stalking you.”

  She laughed harder. “Don’t make promises unless you’re willing to keep them.” She glanced over her shoulder at me, appraising me from head to toe. Why the hell did she keep flirting with me? I was so damn confused.

  I rubbed my hands together. Game on. “I love challenges.”

  “Hold that thought, will you?” She pivoted around, pointing her finger at me. I skidded to a stop, nearly crashing into her. “I have a grammar handbook I’ve been meaning to give you. I’ll run up and get it.” S
he darted toward the elevator.

  “Okay, I’ll wait here.”

  The elevator opened and she rushed in. My shoulders dropped and I sighed. I needed to ask her and get it over with before I drove myself crazy. How freakin’ hard could it be? Seriously? When she returned, I would just say it and find out once and for all.

  I leaned against a post in the foyer, listening to the glee club or whatever club it was practicing their ensemble of various music pieces. The girl playing wasn’t as good as Lexi and the guy singing sucked. I knew I sounded better than him, but whatever. At least they were trying and weren’t afraid — more than I could say for myself.

  I turned when I heard a door slam. Lexi stumbled into the foyer, completely out of breath and wide-eyed.

  I rushed to her. “Is everything okay?” I extended an arm, offering to assist her, but she maintained her footing without my help. “Looks like you just saw a ghost.”

  “Worse.” She clutched a hand to her chest and gasped for air.

  I leaned forward and whispered, “You saw a dead body?

  “What?” She shot me a weird look while taking several deep breaths.

  “The only thing worse than seeing a ghost, is seeing a dead body.”

  She blinked several times, as if trying to comprehend what I said. Her breathing steadied, but a look of shock remained on her face.

  “Oh. Well, I didn’t see any dead people or ghosts.” She checked behind her.

  “Then what happened?”

  With hands on her hips, she said, “I think my roommate’s screwing my brother.”

  I cocked a brow. “Screwing as in doing him wrong or fucking him?”

  “Um…” she hesitated for a moment, as though not wanting to tell me. “Having sex with him.” She nodded as she continued looking over her shoulder.

  I laughed. “Is that a bad thing?”

  She sucked in another deep breath. “She kind of sleeps around.”

  “Kind of or does?” I needed clarification. Based on the number of guys I’d seen her with, I knew the answer, but I wanted to know her take.

  She glanced at the floor and then looked at me. “She does sleep around.”