I placed my half-eaten sandwich down and took a sip from my water bottle, trying to forget about what he had said, and washed away the lump that had formed in my throat, but there was no escaping it.
“It was yellow?” one of the other girls asked as she took a bite of her banana, and that was it for me, my stomach lurched. If this was how bad I was at the talk of pus, how was I ever going to be a vet? I wasn’t, I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t fake this anymore. I gave a half smile as I gathered my things and stood.
“Oh, Clare. You leaving already? I haven’t finished telling you about what we did to clean the wound.”
My eyes widened. I didn’t speak much at these lunches, in fact I didn’t know what they were talking about half the time. I was so out of my element that I would just nod where appropriate. But Glenn had never spoken to me directly before. Honestly, I was surprised he even knew my name.
I looked around at the others, all eyes on me. I nervously nodded my head. I didn’t like being the center of attention, it made my tummy fill with butterflies.
“I just remembered, I had to speak to a professor about an assignment.” The collective understanding from everyone at the table had them nodding their goodbyes as they continued to eat, and Glenn picked up his story where he left off. I walked away and dumped my food in the trash. There was no way I could stomach that anymore, even the crisp cool air wasn’t helping my stomach.
I slung my backpack over my shoulder, put my beanie back on and started toward my dorm. I didn’t even think I could stomach being in class for the rest of the day. The week…the year.
I kept looking out for Bagheera as I walked past the bush he would hide in. Even though I knew he wouldn’t be there. I couldn’t keep the thoughts of Frankie out of my mind either. I hadn’t seen him all week. Truth was, I had looked everywhere for him.
I actually felt like a bit of a stalker in the way I tried to find Frankie, to be honest. I asked Vicki for directions to the frat houses, which didn’t help much. If anything, she questioned me more on why I wanted to go to them. She even tried to join me on my little quest to find him yesterday.
“This has to be a guy you like… What’s he look like? Is he hot? What’s his name?” She asked so many questions I couldn’t even speak a word before she opened her mouth again. I freaked out that she might know him and tell me he was out of my league… or even worse, that she’d had sex with him. He was so hot, it wouldn't surprise me if she had.
So, I told her I had to study at the library, but before I could leave, she begged me to come to a party next Friday night. “I promise to take care of you, and we can leave when you want.”
She asked me many times in the past, promised me the same thing before, and I never said yes. But… well, something strange happened. I nodded. I actually agreed to go to my first college party with Vicki. She squealed so loudly that I reminded myself to never say yes to her in public again.
I walked aroundto the entrance of the dorm. I took a deep breath and adjusted the weight of my bag on my shoulder. I was almost back to my safe space. I was gonna call my parents and tell them I was coming home. They had to agree. I just couldn’t do this anymore. There was a time to admit failure, even though I knew they would be angry and upset. They had no choice but to let me come home.
I looked up to see someone sitting on the front steps to my dorm. He was hunched over, a black hoodie covering his face. His hands clasped together in his lap over his dark jeans.
I paused where I was standing, thinking back to Sunday morning and how I was almost attacked. It had made me jumpier and more aware of my surroundings since. Like you go through life being safe and never seeing the danger, but once you have experienced it, it really keeps your senses sharp.
When the guy lifted his head and deep chocolate eyes fell on me, my heart started to beat faster and my breath caught in my throat.Frankie.
“Hey, Clare,” he drawled as he stood up at his full height. Oh god, his voice was just as I remembered. So smooth and deep. He pushed his hoodie back. He was wearing a black beanie today. And, well, more clothes than when I first met him. Wasn’t sure if I was happy or disappointed.
“Hi,” I squeaked out, my eyes widening at the slow grin he gave me. I stumbled forward as he reached out to catch me, but I straightened up before he touched me. How humiliating, tripping over my own feet at the sight of him. I looked down at his hands, unable to meet his eyes, and they were clenched into fists before he stretched them out again. He finally slid them into his jean pockets.
He leaned back against the handrail and scuffed his foot on the pavement before crossing it over the other. I fiddled with the strap on my bag and looked up at him. His eyes danced over me. Of all the days he saw me, I didn’t dress nicer. He had seen me in barely anything and now he was seeing me dressed up in all my comfy oversized wear and… Fuck.Oh crap.
“Nice hoodie,” he commented with a lazy smile.
I didn’t know what to say. My mouth dropped open and I wrapped my arms around my middle. I was wearing his hoodie. I hadn’t washed it since that night—I liked the way it smelled. Of him. Now he must think I was crazy… a crazy person who was wearing his clothes.Shit.Iwasa crazy person. Who else would do that?
“It looks good on you.” He smiled at me, showing me his white teeth. I took a deep breath, pushing my hair behind my ears as I looked away. He was just being nice, but still… It gave me butterflies as I shuffled on my feet.
I pulled at the hem and nodded. What did I say to that? I had practiced a speech in my head in case I did see him this week, so I wouldn’t clam up and sound silly. But all of that went out of my head as soon as I saw him there. He made me speechless and flustered. My cheeks heated the longer we were in silence.
He pulled one of his hands out of his pocket and scratched the small scruff of dark facial hair on his cheek.
“I thought I would come by and tell you how Bagheera is doing. I didn’t have your number. I guess we didn’t get a chance to exchange them the other night.”
Hearing about Bagheera snapped me out of this weird reaction. He was just here to be nice and I was acting like an awkward girl. He had come to tell me about my kitty… Well, he used to be my little cat and that was all.
“Oh, how is he? Is he alright? I can pay for any vet costs. He would need shots and to be neutered.”
Frankie pushed away from where he was and came closer. Smiling down at me, he held his phone out and showed me a photo. It was of him laying on a bed, topless, and Bagheera on his lap. My mouth opened and closed. I didn't have words.
“He’s doing great. He is a little bed hog though. But I don’t mind. And don’t worry about the vet stuff. I already booked him in for next week.”
He took his phone back and I sighed in relief. At the fact this guy knew about animals. He knew what he was doing, and I shouldn’t have assumed he didn’t know these things. And at the fact he took his phone away so I didn't have to ogle his chest anymore. Bagheera was a lucky boy.
