2:30 pm, central time.
Five minutes to get to Physics on time, and not get another write up from Mr. Lynch. God what a pain in the patooty that man was. Always complaining about her being either too early or too late for class. Tilly Carter was an incoming junior attending Backupsmore college for one reason and one reason only: Her parents couldn't afford Harvard and she had slipped up on her presentation and interview from her extreme social anxiety and this was the only thing close to home that she could attend at a low fee. Tilly was an exceptional student, with a 4.0 grade point average all seven semesters of her high school career and a photographic memory that helped her study for those pesky midterms. How could she, such a brilliant mind screw up so badly as to get into such a place as Backupsmore?
On this particularly sunny Tuesday afternoon she was battling one of her toughest classes: Physics with none other than Professor Lynch, a bitter and rude old man. She was running through the hallways with her leather tote bag bouncing up and down against her bell bottom jeans and her arms struggling to keep a hold of the stack of books with papers flying behind her into the carpeted hallways. She looked at her watch. 2:33 pm. Yes, she could make it. Just another hall and three doors down. As she lowered her watch she came crashing into someone and they both toppled over on the floor, her books spread astray and her hand on her pounding forehead.
"Hey watch where you're…" She stopped when she came eye to eye with this stranger she had just rammed into. "Going…" She said breathlessly.
"I'm terribly sorry, Miss," He said holding out a hand. This wasn't any hand, it had six fingers attached to it. Tilly took it carefully and the stranger pulled her upright.
He was tall, had a muscular build and long, shaggy, chestnut hair with glasses hanging onto his large nose. He was intriguing, and Tilly was at a complete loss of words. She just shook her head and brushed herself off. She pushed her long blonde hair behind her ears and pushed her large round glasses back onto her thin pale nose. She smiled and tried to muster something, anything.
"Your hand," Nice going, that was rude and awkward, the worst combo in the social world. He jerked it away and smiled nervously.
"I was born with it," He said looking at his feet. "It's a rare birth anomaly. So I guess that makes me a bit of a freak." He said chuckling. Tilly tilted her head and looked at it.
"I think it's bad ass." She said without thinking. She made a note to kick herself in the butt for that one later. Ford smiled at her and it made her stomach burn so she began adjusting her turtleneck neckline. She was sweating heavily under her clothes and she could feel her hands getting clammy. She held out her hand.
"Tilly Carter," She said. The guy smiled kindly and shook her hand gently.
"Stanford Pines, it's a pleasure to meet you, Tilly." He said shakily. She giggled at his politeness, she could tell he was nervous too. Stanford looked at her for a long while and then jolted back into reality. "Your books!" He squeaked. He immediately bent down and helped her pick them up.
"Good god in heaven these are heavy," He said with a strain in his voice. "What on earth…?" He said.
"Professor Lynch." Tilly said sighing as she picked up some papers. Stanford groaned and chuckled to himself.
"Oh," He said. "I had him last semester. He's quite the character."
"He's an asshole," Tilly said. Stanford chuckled again. Tilly liked the sound of his gruff lower voice laughing at something she said.
"For lack thereof," He grunted, grabbing a hold of her large stack of textbooks. Tilly tried to take them back but Stanford shook his head. "Lynch is right down the hall, I can manage." She smiled and felt her entire stomach almost float to her throat with butterflies.
"Thank you," She said smiling adjusting her tote bag.
When Tilly and Ford reached Lynch's class Tilly could feel her heart sink. Her time and pleasant small talk with her newfound crush was coming to an end. What was a girl to do? It was now or never. She took her books and stared at Ford with a burning cheeks till she worked up her courage. She leaned in an brushed a soft kiss against his cheek. It looked as though he'd not shaved in a week or two.
"Thanks for carrying my books, Ford." When she pulled away she didn't even give him time to respond, she rushed away from his tomato red face and sat down in her seat quickly. She looked up and saw Professor Lynch giving her a glare.
"You're late, Miss Carter. For the fourth time this week." The class snickered and he tapped his fingers on his desk. But Tilly didn't care. She had a new mission. Who was this Stanford Pines? She was going to find out and fast.
Stanford Pines was a very well rounded young man, with the brain and soul of someone much older than his senior. He came to Backupsmore with a slump in his shoulders and with no spunk in his step. Three years ago, his brother ratted out his science project that could've gotten him into the best schools in the country where he could learn and thrive as whatever he dreamed to be. But all that changed because of his stingy and selfish twin brother Stanley. He had gotten himself kicked out of the house by his Ma and Pa, and he hadn't hear for seen from him since; but good riddance to him, Stanford couldn't care less about his brother after he betrayed him. Now he had to attend a school for ninnies and stuck out like a red thumb.
Ford was on his way back from his late lunch, he had been cramming in an extra hour or two for studying in the library since he didn't have any afternoon classes on Wednesdays. He had picked out a particularly interesting book on the physics of sexual attraction in the brain and the psychology and science behind it from the trip. Ford was making his way back to his dorm and decided to take the short cut. He walked down the north corridor of the science department on campus where most of his classes happened to have been all his years at Backupsmore. He had just turned to a page about the release of endorphins in the brain and the chemical side of love when he heard footsteps coming closer and closer at an alarming rate. Before he could put down his book, a girl came flying through the halls with papers flying behind her. She rammed into Ford and fell flat on his butt with a loud thump.
"Hey, watch where you're…" She said, looking up. She cut herself off and stared at him with large brown eyes. Her hair was long and blonde, teased at the top like a true trendsetter. She wore large glasses that appeared to be two sizes too big for her small little freckled nose and a long pink turtle neck. She was unlike anyone he'd seen here at Backupsmore; she was beautiful. "…Going." She said breathlessly. Being the gentlemen he was, Ford rushed to her aid and got to his feet quickly to give her a hand.
"I'm terribly sorry, Miss." He held out his hand for her to take. She looked at it for a while. Oh good god, surely she was convinced his was a freak. She was silent for a moment.
"Your hand?" He knew it. She thought he was as freak.
"I was born with it," He said feeling beat faster. "It's a rare birth anomaly. So I guess that makes me a bit of a freak." He chuckled nervously. Why did he let those words come out of his mouth again?
"I think it's badass," She said with a smile. Ford looked up from his feet and felt the room lift a little. She was one of the first not to make fun of his extra fingers. He was grateful. She adjusted her neckline in the most adorable fashion and then Ford realized he was staring. "Lucy Carter," She said holding out her small pale hand.
"Stanford Pines, it's a pleasure to meet you Tilly." He said, his voice trembling form nerves. He was never much good at talking to people much less a pretty woman like Tilly. He couldn't decide if he was gassy, elated, nervous or frustrated from sounding so stupid. Stan looked at her and didn't let go of her hand for a good thirty seconds. Then he remembered her items scattered across the floor.
"Your books!" He said in a fluster. He attempted to pick them all up in an effort to save her some stress. They made my hands ache and his back pop. "Good God in heaven these are heavy. What in the world…?" He said struggling to keep them all together.
"Professor Lynch," She said with a dry sigh.
"Oh," Ford said. He remembered Professor Lynch. He had him last semester for advanced psychics. He was quite the character, and not a very forgiving or patient one at that. Ford ended up teaching his class here and there because no one could understand Lynch's dry and boring way of teaching. "He's quite the character." He said.
"He's an asshole," Tilly replied making him chuckle. She was absolutely adorable and she gave Ford butterflies in his stomach. He hadn't been this giddy for a girl since his junior year of high school, at the Fall Formal dance.
"For a lack thereof," He said. Tilly tried to take the books, but Ford wouldn't let her. "Lynch is right down the hall, I can manage," He said with a breathy laugh.
"Thank you," Tilly said with a smile so kind and ever so slight. Once they reached Lynch's classroom, Tilly began to shake a little. Her face was turning red and before Ford could ask her what was wrong, she kissed him lightly on the cheek. It was soft like a bunny and quick but it made his whole body melt just melt into a one giant puddle.
"Thank you for carrying my books, Ford." She said taking her books before he could respond. She had called him Ford. Only Stanley, his brother ever even thought to call him by that nickname. And boy did he like the sound of it. He reached a wall and slumped down it, dazed and a little confused. Who was this Tilly Carter? He now had a new objective besides passing AP College Calculous with Ms. Brown: finding out.