Erika plopped down next to Justin with a sigh. She was exhausted and not in the mood to deal with anyone that day, especially Justin. It didn't help that he was wearing his glasses today, either. Erika loved it when he wore his glasses. And the red paint splatter t-shirt he was wearing was her second favorite, right behind the black band shirt. They both were just a bit tighter than his other shirts, stretching a little across the back and shoulder blades.
What am I doing? Erika thought tiredly. I don't like him anymore; I'm just attracted to him physically. I can't help that.
Satisfied with her explanation, Erika allowed herself to admire Justin for a moment. Her eyes roamed across his side profile, from his thick, dark hair and soft gray eyes to his pouting lower lip and down his strong, stubble-covered jaw, her gaze drifting to his right shoulder where a long, gold hair was stuck to his sleeve.
Erika's breath caught. The image of Justin walking with a pretty blonde girl toward his dorm the night before suddenly appeared in her head. She closed her eyes, trying to block the picture from her mind, only to find it painted to the inside of her eyelids. She didn't know the girl but could only assume she was a Theater major like Justin.
A sharp pain suddenly stabbed her in her chest and Erika winced.
It's none of my concern anyway. Justin and I broke up almost a month ago; he can do whatever he likes with whomever he likes. But the strange pain in Erika's chest wasn't eased by this thought. She sighed heavily.
"Erika? Are you OK?" Erika opened her eyes to find Justin watching her carefully, concerned. The pain eased a bit.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Erika replied, giving him a small smile. "I'm just tired." On impulse, she reached out and plucked the hair off of Justin's shirt.
"There was a hair," she said by way of explanation. Justin frowned at the hair she held between her fingers, and the pain in her chest eased a bit more.
"Huh. Weird," Justin said indifferently. "Thanks."
Erika smiled, the pain in her chest gone. "No problem."