Root stretched her arms above her head, reaching for the sky. Bending forward, she pressed her forehead to her legs. She'd moved to NYC a week ago and had already explored most of her borough. There wasn't a gym with a good track near her, but her university was huge and their outdoor track was stayed open until the first snow of the year.

She'd never been to the northeast before, or outside of Texas, really, but she was really looking forward to the winter. Looking out over the campus, Root couldn't see too much. It was still too dark. She'd been jogging on the track every day since she'd arrived and she always tried to make it there by six in the morning. It was really early for her, but it helped her start her day and the stretching helped her wake up. Her eight AM class was going to be killer and she needed all the help she could get to make it there.

The campus was so beautiful during the sunrise; all the lights bouncing off the buildings made everything seem like it was on fire. Most of the buildings were made of red brick, only a few stories tall. There were some newer dorms that were bigger, but Root liked how old and comfortable the campus was. Her home town, Bishop, was all old and ugly. It only had a few thousand people and it only took 30 minutes to go from one end to the other, but it had never really felt like home to Root. She'd always wanted to move to a city and see what she could become.

Nothing too exciting had happened since she got here, but she was sure something would soon. Maybe she would join a sports team. She starting jogging slowly, enjoying the cool fall wind. Honestly, she wasn't particularly sporty, but if the right sport came along, she would be willing to try out. She enjoyed using her body and playing a sport would help keep off the freshman fifteen. It would also get her out of her room and off the computer for a little while.

Picking up a little speed, Root tried to decide if she wanted to get breakfast before class. There weren't that many places on campus, but there were plenty coffee shops around. She'd saved a bunch of restaurants in her phone already. When she'd visited the school a few weeks earlier for orientation, they'd made her stay on campus. Now that she was living in an apartment, she really wanted to get the lay of the land.

Root glanced up at the rising sun. Her neighborhood was great, only a few blocks from campus. There were some cool pizza places and 24-hr diners, so she was happy about that. Her weird schedule wasn't going to keep her from eating. She still needed to find a good Chinese place, though.

Today was the start of classes, so she hoped this jog would clear her mind. She was incredibly excited to be an Engineering major. Root was already a genius with a computer, but she wanted to learn even more. It would be a breeze. She knew she'd probably sleep through her first two years, but then she could dig deep and build something really cool.

She finished her first lap, crossing the starting line and starting on her second. Bishop had been a hellhole. Root had barely been able to build anything. Thankfully, her school had had a robotics program and Root had gotten a full ride after she'd won the national competition. If she'd had to stay in Bishop, she would probably have turned to a life of crime, using her computer skills to steal money.

Of course, Root had done a little of that in high school, but now she was in college and ready to start over. She was going to get her degree, get a high-paying job building cool machines, and…get a girlfriend. Root had never dated anyone before and, honestly, she wasn't sure she wanted a real girlfriend. People just weren't that great. It would be nice to have a friend, though.

It didn't help her loneliness that the campus was always empty this early. Until everyone had started moving in last weekend, it had been pretty deserted. Only faculty and a couple of early arrivers like her had been around and Root had most of the campus to herself. When it was quiet, she wished that people would finally arrive, but yesterday, she hadn't been able to find a table in the dining hall. Now, she just wanted it to be quiet again.

Root hoped that the track wouldn't become too crowded as the semester went on. She could avoid other people by avoiding the dining hall, but the track was a great place for her to clear her mind. Looking up, she realized that it was almost completely day time. She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't noticed she'd made a few more laps around the track. She glanced at her watch; it was almost 7. She could do one more lap and still have enough time to go home and shower.

Just as she started her next lap, she noticed a girl stretching by the gate. She was gorgeous. Long black hair tied up in a ponytail and the strongest jaw Root had ever seen. She incredibly fit, her dark tank top showing off thick arms and a ripped back. Root's eyes dropped to her legs, taking in how muscular they looked in her running shorts. Root realized she had stopped running and shook her head. It was too early in the semester to start developing crushes on strangers.

Starting to jog again, Root couldn't stop herself from glancing at the girl across the track. She watched as the girl pulled on a bright red sweatshirt and walked to the track. Maybe the girl would be in one of her classes. She was breathtaking. Root shook her head again and focused on running. After she finished this lap, she was going to head back to her apartment. She could pick up some coffee on the way.

She turned her last corner and glanced at the new girl again. Their eyes met. Her heart stopped. Root tripped and landed on her knees, the rough ground scratching her skin. Root shifted, lifting a knee so she could look at the scrape. She hadn't expected the girl to be looking at her. She had the deepest black eyes. Her knee was red, but she wasn't bleeding. A hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Hey," a husky voice asked, "are you alright?"

Root closed her eyes for a second, cursing her clumsiness. She smiled and looked over her shoulder. Those dark eyes and sharp cheekbones were so close to her now.

"Yeah! I'm great!"

She hopped up and dusted off her knees. This wasn't her first fall on the track. Her long legs loved to trip over themselves.

The dark-haired girl shrugged. "Cool. Be more careful."

Root nodded, pushing loose hair from her face. "Yeah, I will. The track is, um, bumpy."

The girl looked at Root, eyes tracing over her face. Then they dropped, looking Root over before flicking up to meet her eyes. She pushed her ponytail over her shoulder.

"Sure."

The girl took off at a brisk pace. Her hair swung behind her as she ran and Root watched the way her shoulder muscles shifted as her arms moved. After a moment, the girl glanced over her shoulder. When she saw Root staring, she winked. Root jumped, caught, and turned around. It was too early for this. She took a breath and started for the bleachers. Time for coffee.

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Root squinted as she walked out into the sun. Her first class, Feminism in the 1800s, was in the old English building. It was a cool building, but any class in the basement always felt like midnight. It was only an hour long, but Root felt like she hadn't seen the sun in years. She looked around the green, looking at all the other students walking around.

The class was small, only about 15 students, but more than half of the kids were boys. They probably took it to get with girls, but there were no girls in that class that cared about boys. Root had wanted to strangle someone ten minutes in, but she'd stick it out. They were going to read some cool stuff and it was the best option for her English credit.

Not everyone had been bad. The big guy who'd sat next to her seemed ok and he had said he was taking the class because he actually wanted to learn more about feminism. Maybe they'd end up being friends. She glanced at her watch. It was another six hours until her next class. She could probably take a nap before class.

"Hey, Sam," a boy's voice said from behind her.

Root turned around to see the nice guy from her class adjusting his backpack on his shoulders. He was taller than her with broad shoulders and short hair. For an early class, he was dressed nicely in a casual suit. Root would bet good money that he came from a military family. She opened her mouth to greet him, but realized that she didn't remember his name.

"Hey…" she said, smiling awkwardly. "How's it going?"

He shrugged, squinting against the sun. "Fine."

She waited for him to say something else, but he didn't. Fiddling with the strap of her messenger bag, Root sighed. "Cool. What did you think of our first class?"

"It was fine."

"Cool." Root pushed her hair behind her ear. "I, uh, I go by Root. Actually. Not- Not my legal name."

The boy looked surprised. "Oh. Sorry. I'll call you Root. You can call me Reese."

"Reese?" Root repeated. "Like…Reese's pieces?"

"No," Reese chuckled. "It's my last name. I don't really use John."

"Ok." She held out a hand, smiling when he shook it. "Reese, it is."

"Root, it is." He pulled his hand away. "Do you know about feminism?"

Root laughed, shuffling her feet over the rough concrete of the sidewalk. "I general? Or…"

"For class," Reese corrected himself. "I…know nothing."

Nodding over her shoulder, Root started walking across the green. She loved it when a man could admit that he didn't know something. Maybe she really could be friends with Reese after all. They crossed the green together and Root pushed her hands into her pockets.

"We could study together?" she offered. "I mean, I don't know too much about the 19th Century, but I'm a fast learner."

"Sure," Reese agreed, shrugging. "Please hold me accountable."

Root laughed as they reached the sidewalk on the other side of the large grassy area. "It's a deal. We can meet up this weekend and work on our first response paper."

Reese nodded. "Deal."

"Ok, well," she jerked a thumb over her shoulder, "my apartment is that way."

He didn't say anything in response and Root wasn't sure if he was waiting for something or if he was just a silent goodbye type. She pursed her lips, taking a half-step backwards. He was staring at her with expressionless eyes. He might not be the friendliest guy after all.

"There's a party this weekend," Reese said abruptly. "My…friend, I guess, is dragging me to it."

Root waited for an invitation, but none came. She shrugged. "Have fun."

"You should come," Reese mumbled. "Give me your phone. I'll text myself."

She took her phone out of her pocket, unlocked it, and handed it over. It might be a bad idea to go to a college party with a practical stranger, but Root was ready to take some risks. As long as she had her taser, she'd be fine. She could handle herself.

Reese was taking a long time to type in his number, so Root shifted to take in the green. She should spend some time on the grass, reading or something, before it got too cold. Everyone was already wearing hoodies. Apparently, NYC had decided that it would be a cold fall.

She was turning back to Reese when she saw the girl from earlier, longboarding down the sidewalk on the other side of the green. She had changed in the last few hours. Tight black pants, shiny like leather, clung to her muscular legs. She was in a T-shirt, the chill not seeming to phase her, and her hair was up in an immaculate bun.

Root swallowed hard. The girl was so cool, weaving between pedestrians easily, planted firmly despite her high-heeled boots. Her hands were in her pockets and she looked incredibly casual, like she was in a whole different world, one Root couldn't even dream off.

The girl seemed to sense something and turned to look at Root. She smirked at her, keeping her balance on the longboard. Then, she winked. Root turned bright red and turned to face John, who had finally finished texting himself. She snatched the phone from his hand.

"I have to go," she murmured, shoving her phone into the pocket of her jeans. "Text me about the party."

"Sure," Reese said quietly, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He shook his head. "My sister wants to meet up anyway."

Root smiled at him, already walking backwards. This was twice in three hours that a cute girl had winked at her and made her blush. Her heart was racing and she really needed that nap now. Root had come to college to improve her computer skills, not develop a crush on a really hot jock.

She turned around, speed walking away. She waved a hand over her shoulder.

"See you on Wednesday!"