Title: All That I Am

Part 1: Conversation for Two

Author: Rissa85-stargazing85

E-mail: rissa85@collegeclub.com

Rating: PG13 (perhaps R later)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Sweet Valley University series or its characters.

Author's Note: I've introduced a new character in the series. A certain Maria Slater. Pause please, because some will remember the Maria Slater from the Senior Year Sweet Valley High series. But…no. It's the same name, different gal. This Maria is only alike, perhaps in study habit and name. Everything else…? Is an original masterpiece. (Hm, yeah right.) Another note is that this story begins to take place around Book 3, What Your Parents Don't Know, and it is alternate universe because William White is not interested in Elizabeth-but for lust. He's interested in my original character in mind and flesh.

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William White. Maria Slater rolled her eyes, as she sat across from Elizabeth. The library was a comforting place for her, and luckily she found that Elizabeth was just beginning to leave. Inconspicuously, William was diverting his attention between her and Elizabeth. And upon seeing his behavior and hearing slight rumors about him, she was beginning to feel uneasy.

"Psst." Maria looked around, seeing her whisper brought uncharacteristic attention to her. She lowered her voice; "The enigmatic Mr. White is sliding his eyes toward you."

Almost imperceptibly, she was witness to the faint flush of Elizabeth' cheeks, then her turquoise eyes blinked rapidly. "I have to…go meet Tom somewhere."

Startled, Maria nodded passively. "Okay…well let me help you get your books." She aided Elizabeth in gathering her books, and waved her hand slightly to signal good-bye. Then she sat; rolling her shoulders and began to open her book, her pencil sitting next to it, neatly sharpened to a leaded point.

A hand with perfectly cut short and shaped cuticles and nails closed her book shut, the sound surprising her, albeit not pleasantly. Her pencil, with her name engraved on the side, slid to the floor. And warily she looked up, into the piercing, searching ice-blue eyes of William White.

Danny and Bryan had warned her of him, between the three, they began to have suspicions that he was perhaps a supremacist, and closet racist, perhaps a chauvinist also. And since Maria was against all and every one of these attributes, she wished no more to see or hear, nor talk about the enigma, which was called William.

Appalled as if she had discovered someone had slashed her tires, she drew her most amiable expression, which for him, was one of sheer boredom. Her tone was drawling, for she had a Southern accent, but also monotonous. "Why, Mr. White…" she trailed off, "…how are you this evening?"

He took in her dark hair curly and cascading over her right shoulder and her soft honey-colored eyes. Strange how this girl was of people he'd hate to associate with, be seen with, but her intoxicating smile was alluring him. A faint idea crept in the back of his mind that perhaps the smile was too saccharine to be sincere, but he shook the thought off swiftly, his arrogance wouldn't allow for that.

Her smile turned quickly into a balanced grimace, and he continued. "I'm quite all right. May I take a chair?" he gestured toward the one Elizabeth was sitting in. Maria began to shake her head, in the negative, but quickly and fluidly he slid into the seat.

"Mr. White, I am studyin' and…" she broke off as she flipped through the pages for her pencil. William watched her, twirling it around in his left hand all the while. Her pretty face formed a small pout; her drawling accent and polished manners convinced him she had hailed from the Southland. And indeed, upon looking her up on the school records, she did hail from the South. Alabama- to be exact.

"May I please have my pencil, sir?" her voice dripped with mock respect.

"Go with me." His voice was steady and slightly seductive. "I'm having trouble with…biology myself. Perhaps you could tutor me, Ms. Slater?" his voice was suave with the same mock respect.

She began to shake her head, thinking of an excuse not to and began to open her book, still pencil-less. But he was quick and closed it shut again. Her temper began to show slowly, like an engine that is first shoveled with coal slowly then ignited with roaring flame and heat. "Sir, I ain't…wantin' to be hostile. But I've got studyin' to do." Her accent winding its way into her speech.

"Please," he asked quietly, his blue eyes sincere and full of emotion. "I want your help. It's been recommended by Peter Wilbourne, and I'm wondering who it's been that has helped him in getting an A on the last exam."

She heard his subtle praise and flattery, and she felt herself wavering until she looked up into his blue eyes, and became lost. "All right. But get your biology text, and be here again in 10 minutes. I'm busy."

***

He wanted to listen to her drawling voice, he felt himself deferring to it. The pleasant yet monotonous tone of it wrapping around his ears and settling in the air between the two. Her hazel eyes following the text and her glossed lips mouthing each word precisely, he could see it was a slight struggle to proper pronounce words which her accent would slip over with occasion. Then he would have to follow along and ask her again before she would catch herself, and sourly repeat the word again.

Maria looked up, hearing the loud whispers of a few girls, namely Theta sisters, whom she pledged to, and Alison the vice-president had unofficially announced that she would become a member. No doubt, they were whispering about her and William White, to whom she barely acknowledged they were sitting rather close. And even though the smell of his cologne was inebriating, she moved over a good 12 inches or so.

William's ice-blue eyes looked up from, what she could see were her clear-polished and rounded nails to her face. "How can I follow along if you move half-way across the library?"

"Because, Mr. White, you have your own book." She ended simply.

"It sounds better, and I understand it more when I listen to you read, then explain it to me." He pressed.

"It feels a bit stuffy in here." He noticed her fleeting gaze, then placed his hand on hers, enjoying the contrast.

"I know, I've noticed it." She stressed the syllables.

He noticed her voice, and winced. "Your accent sounds better, Ms. Slater."

"Perhaps that is the closest uttering of a compliment I've heard you give." She smiled reluctantly.

"Going back to my comment, it is a bit stuffy here." He shifted.

Maria nodded; hopping that would be a cue to end the study session. "It is…" she gathered her text and gripped the papers, placing them in a binder with her calligraphy-like writing. "I…"

"Ms. Slater, would you please help me study elsewhere? My room, perhaps, only for a quarter of an hour more? Then I'd walk you to your room, if you'd like?"

His convincing and winsome smile stripped her of her power and she acquiesced.

***

The light switch flipped, as William entered first, then Maria who hesitated before leaving the door open. Much to her dismay he closed it, quietly behind them. The room was quite tidy. The beds made up neatly, with a frame of a watercolor of a beach, a redwood desk, and a night stand on either side of each bed. On the middle night stand lay a very expensive-looking gold watch, and while William muttered something or other about the messiness of the room, she laughed and questioned that she may look at the timepiece.

She bent down, on her knees, her legs carefully tucked behind her, mindful of her short Jean skirt. It was a beautiful watch with tiny diamonds encrusted on it and in it. It must have cost a fortune. And impressed, she stood, noticing William was nowhere around.

Flashes of a secret society encircled her brain, and she hesitantly walked toward the door. Until she heard his voice. "Perhaps you are uncomfortable, Ms. Slater?"

"Ah, no. Not at all, I…I was, looking at this elaborate set of books." She turned gesturing at the bookcase behind her.

William emerged from the bathroom, with his shirt in his hand. His muscles clearly defined and her jaw nearly dropped. She quickly averted her eyes, and stared down at her hands, not trusting herself to fumble with a book. He was searching for something, and the quietness of the room seemed to be audible. She went to the desk, and leaned over it, a stack of papers in a corner. She tilted her head, focusing on it. Notes. Notes of startling familiar hand-writing, photo-copied. Her handwriting. The notes she had let Peter Wilbourne copy. William had them.

"I see, Ms. Slater." His expression was one of amusement. "Your notes are famous in our circle." His face was inches from hers, over her shoulder. She noticed he was wearing a flannel shirt now, a dark green.

"That must be another one of your compliments?" her speech was exact.

She turned, his eyes piercing hers. "The text?"

He held it for her, "Here."

She looked around, for the desk had only one chair. But noticing this, he replied. "Sit down here." He gestured toward his bed, "Where we can study."

Tentatively, she did, he sat next to her, as she began to explain the difference of ATP and ADP, dealing with photosynthesis and the formula for glucose. Her perfume was startlingly close and sweet-smelling crisp and cool. And her drawling accent became so apparent, he knew she must be doing it on purpose. But not heeding her she stopped.

"Mr. White?"

He gave her a questioning gaze. "I'm sorry. Your accent it's…"

"Annoying? I know it's…" he brought his finger to her lips.

"It's lulling."

Uneasily, and heedful of his seductive undertones, Maria stretched, attempting to gather her things quickly. "I…need to go, it's completely slipped my mind. Bryan is helping me…" her mouth stopped before her mind could catch up with her hastily thought falsehoods. All the while, William carried an expression he usually bore in deep concentration or thought. One of watchfulness, analysis, and searching. His eyes bore holes into hers, and seeing his eyes that were looking at her but not AT her, she felt near invisible. What was with the atmosphere around him? It was chilling, ominous. And very, very uncomfortable.

"You must tell me, then, how are you and Bryan acquainted?" his smile was gleaming. "I've seen you two together."

She was almost certain she heard a slight jealous undertone, but that was silly. The enigmatic, sophisticated, alleged white supremacist William White, harboring a fancy for little old her, a slightly radical black girl from Alabama. The irony of the situation was not lost on her, and thinking of it she did something very odd in his expectant silence. She laughed, her white teeth showing and lighting her face.

"You're so much better to be around when your not thinking or studying. I do believe you might have some fun somewhere within your body. Perhaps we should explore it?" his suave voice wafted its way to her ear, along with his accompanying cologne. He gripped her waist, settling her smoothly on his bed. His fluidity and suddenness was so startling, she did not seem to have time to react to it. She was slipping, her self-control was slipping. All in favor of Mr. White.

"I'll only hold you for a few minutes more, perhaps you would like to dine with me? Tomorrow morning perhaps? It'd please me greatly if you could accompany me, Ms. Slater."

She winced inwardly, he was not her abstraction of an attraction. Not with all the rumors flying about on his character, he was anything but. But his pleasing blue eyes, and masculine cologne, and his searching gaze, which seemed to open all in her soul out to him in clear view was dangerously disarming. The air was still as she bit her lip, debating on her decision whether not to go brunching with him tomorrow, when she had nothing planned but…of course to study.

At length, the idea of brunch won out, and feebly she replied. "It..it seems nice to invite me. I accept."

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