“Where you heading next, Miller?” Brennen asks, looking at his watch. “There’s still over an hour before we have to get ready for practice.”
“I have to run to the bookstore to pick up my books. Teacher’s already assigning homework.”
“Already?” Brennen asks, appalled, and I nod. “Damn, bro, that sucks.”
“Tell me about it,” I mutter.
From my peripheral vision I see someone approach Olivia, and I turn my head to catch Delilah looping her arm with Olivia’s, and now walking with us. “Hey, girlie,” Delilah greets her friend. “Since when do you hang out with football stars?”
“We’re just walking together, Dee,” Olivia states with a slight eye roll.
Delilah shrugs. “Ready to start MCAT prep?”
“Yep. We’re meeting Quinton in the computer lab, right?” Olivia confirms.
“Correctomundo, but his class doesn’t get out for another thirty minutes, so guess who gets to stand in that long-ass line with me at the coffee shop,” Delilah sings cheerfully.
Olivia lets out an exaggerated groan. “Really, Dee? It’s way past noon.”
Delilah grins. “Really.”
“You’re going to get an arrhythmia from the amount of coffee you drink,” Olivia mutters. “See you, guys,” she announces to me and Brennen before she veers to the left with Dee, toward one of the campus’s coffee shops.
“See ya, partner,” I call after her with a wave.
“Ready to hit the bookstore?” Brennen asks.
“No,” I admit honestly, but we head there anyway, Brennen deciding to pick up his books for the semester too.
Four
Bold
I jog up the steps of the science building two at a time, my heavy backpack beating against me with every jump. Damn, my back and quads hurt from practice yesterday—Coach has been really drilling our asses since the first game of the season is this weekend.
On the second floor of the science building, I head toward one of the large lecture halls for my anatomy class. Finding the correct room, I walk in, and my eyes automatically scan the area for one person in particular.
Toward the center of the fifth row, I spot Olivia sitting with Delilah. I take the stairs to the fifth tier, sliding into the row and claiming the seat next to Olivia.
“Ladies,” I greet them, hooking my backpack onto the back of the chair before taking a seat.
“Hey,” Olivia greets me with a surprised smile.
I take a quick glance around the large lecture hall that’s already halfway full. “I swear, if we have to do introductions in this class . . .”
Olivia laughs, shaking her head. “I hope not.”
“If we do, I still got your back if you got mine.” I grin.
“Deal,” she agrees. “Bronx Miller, exercise science, NFL.”
“Very good,” I praise her, pleased she remembered everything I told her about myself from lab. “And Olivia McCausland, pre-med, cardiac surgeon, weirdo who can twist her fingers in an inhuman way.”
She grins. “Nailed it.”
“You told him you’re a freak?” Delilah chimes in teasingly.
“Actually, she told our whole English class,” I say.
