Sure, the first day of school for college is the easiest day of the year, but I still don't want to be here.

I just want to be back in high school when everything was easy and you could turn in assignments late or not even turn them in at all and still get an A. And when going to parties was simple and you just had fun with the people you knew. You didn't have to worry about much. Just what to wear to school.

"Gabs?"

I snapped out of my thoughts as Hannah waved a bag in front of me, "Oh, what? Sorry."

She gave me a weird look as she passed me my muffin, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," I tell her. I am. I just want to be done with school already, go far away to law school, and then come back and start my life. This is all taking way too long. "Just tired. I can't believe it's the first day of senior year already. It went by so fast."

Hannah shook her head, "I know, right? It seems like it was yesterday we were starting our senior year of HIGH SCHOOL in our new outfits that we bought and look at us now..."

We looked down at our outfits. I was in yoga pants, a gray plain shirt and some Nike running shoes. She was in the same outfit, coincidentally.

"We're not even trying anymore," I laughed.

I didn't care. Sure, I wear normal clothes 50% of the time, but the other 50, I'm in work out clothes. Do I work out? Yeah, sometimes, but the clothes are just really comfortable and dressing for college is dressing for comfort. Everyone knows that. Well, except the freshmen.

"So where's your next class?" Hannah asks me as we take a seat at one of the table outside Starbucks on campus, "mine's over there..."

She pointed behind me and that sucks. That building has the worst reception. "Have fun with that. Mine is by the student center."

Hannah rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her coffee, "Lucky."

I looked around at the crowded campus. It was always so crowded looking the first day of school. Well, like the first few weeks. But then everyone starts ditching once they get into their routine and campus gets less crowded. There were so many cute boys walking by, so many girls wearing outfits to impress, professors hurrying to class and just students trying to get their education on. Ha. I should probably head to class.

But then I spotted someone. And my heart stopped.

Which was so weird.

"So you do go to school," the hot guy from the party who saved me from that guy tells me as he comes up to our table, "you don't just party all the time."

Okay, it made me crack a smile. This guy has a sense of humor. And he's hot? And he's in school? He even looks hotter than before and it's freaking SCHOOL. He's in jeans, converse and just a plain black t-shirt and it doesn't look like he's trying at all. So hot.

I looked over at Hannah who was smirking a bit and just sitting back. "No, but I wish I was at a party right now." Ahh, lame comeback, Gabs.

But he laughed so maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought, right?

And then Hannah got up. "I should go if I don't want to be late for class," she grabbed her drink and her muffin and stuffed it in her purse, "um, yeah, text me later and tell me where to meet you for lunch."

She shot a small smile at this guy before turning around and walked in the opposite direction this guy came from.

It was just the two of us now. But I had to get to class. It's close, but what am I going to do? Just sit here by myself? No, thank you. "I should go, too," I get up and tell him even though I'm not sure he's paying attention since he has his head turned and is looking at something.

Probably watching gorgeous Hannah walk away or something. Yeah, that's it.

But then he turns back, "Where ya headed?"

"Um, Peterson Hall."

He smiles slightly at me as he puts his phone in his pocket. "Same. Let's walk together."

Oh, umm. No, thank you. But how can I tell him that? We're seriously headed in the same direction and there's no shortcut way to get there. Actually, I think there is and I think we'd be taking it so I'm screwed. It's not a big deal, I just don't really want to make small talk with this guy. And I really don't understand why he would want to make small talk with me. It's just a very weird situation and I can't really believe I'm in it, to be honest.

"Sure," I tell him, against my own will. I grab my muffin, stuff it in my bag as well and grab my drink off the table.

I don't even know this guy's name and we're walking together to class. And on top of that, he's insanely hot and it's making me kind of nervous.

We walk in silence for about a minute and so far, so good. No small talk. No forced laughter that I dread if small talk were to ensue. Just us walking to class together. It's fine. It's cool.

"I'm Troy, by the way," he tells me.

I turn my head towards him and he's giving me a small smile. Troy. What a strong name. I've never met a Troy before. I just smile at him kind of lamely. And then I think about telling him my name again in case he's forgotten. Maybe that's why he told me his so I could just tell him mine. Maybe he thinks he could trick me into thinking I didn't already tell him my name at the party, but nope. I remember clearly. I did.

But I don't want him to feel dumb, so I start to tell him mine...

"Gabriella, yeah, I know," he smiles at me slightly, "give me some credit."

Oh. How embarrassing. "No, yeah, I... sorry." It was pretty much all I could say. I wouldn't have been offended if he hadn't remembered. We were at a party, he was probably drunk so who cares. It happens.

"What class do you have?"

"Art history."

He smiled at me, "Me too." Ohhhh great. "No, just kidding. I already took that. You'll like it. Well, if you're into art."

I'm interested in it, but I wouldn't say I'm into it. Wait. What if he was in my class? Would that have been a good thing? Are we going to become friends or what? "Yeah, it's cool. Maybe I'll be into it after this class then."

Troy sort of just nods and before I know it, he's opening the door for me to enter the building and I'm walking through it.

I turn around to wait for him, which I don't know why, since he stopped and said hi to some guy. I tried to make it obvious that I wasn't waiting because that would have been embarrassing, so I crouched down and lifted my sock up a bit, adjusting my shoe.

And by the time I stood back up, he caught up to me. "I guess I'll see ya after," he tells me and I'm not sure he will, but I think it's just something to say.

Yeah, maybe. I smile at him and sort of nod as he walks away and I turn to the right and head into the classroom.

Man, he's so hot. Even when he's walking away.


"So who was that guy?"

Of course Hannah's going to ask me about it. "What guy?" I played dumb as I dipped my chip in guacamole and carefully brought it over to my mouth.

Hannah rolled her eyes as she grabbed some chips with guacamole as well, "You know who."

Right. Troy. The guy who I actually did end running into after class. He wasn't waiting for me, but the second I emerged from the classroom, he was walking up. If I hadn't been paying attention or he hadn't, we probably would have literally ran into each other.

And then we walked out together and to the parking lot since we were both done for the day. I learned that he's not from here exactly, but he doesn't live far. Laguna Beach. It's about an hour away without any traffic. He says he likes it here and that he's glad he left home even though it's not that far at all. It made me feel a bit embarrassed that I didn't leave home, but he didn't think anything of it. Just said something along the lines of, "it's not for everyone" meaning leaving home and yeah, I agree. It definitely wasn't for me. So here I am. 5 minutes away from my house having Mexican food with my best friend.

"Just some guy," I tell her, "I met him the other night at that party and then just ran into him at school. Weird."

Hannah looked intrigued. "Gabs, he's HOT. Are you going to get at that?"

Huh? Girls "get at" that? I thought it was a guy thing. "No, Han, I hardly know the guy. We've had a conversation of like ten minutes total. That day at the party AND today. He's just this guy."

"A really hot guy," she added, "come on. Live a little."

Live a little? What does she want me to do? Hook up with him? "Han, he's WAY out of my league. There's no way I'm 'getting' at that."

Hannah rolled her eyes as she grabbed her coke and slid it in front of her, "Oh please, Gabriella. You're fucking hot. And any guy would be lucky to have you. If it's not this guy, find someone else and have FUN. Seriously. It's not all that bad."

Maybe she's right. I know I'm a relationship girl, but it's college. Do I seriously think I'm going to find my soul mate here? Probably not. I should have fun.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin."

She smiled, "And that's where I come in, obviously. You meet someone at a party, flirt, I know you're good at flirting, you're not shy at all. And then bam, make out. On to the next one. No strings attached. Before you know it, you'll be a pro."

Like her? She was an excellent hooker upper. If that's even a word. She knows how to get a guy and then casually just leave them. I was kind of jealous.

"I don't know, Han, it's not really me and you know that."

"I know," she sighed, "and I know it's been three months since you and Brian broke up, I just feel like you're in a rut and maybe getting back in the dating game will be good, you know? You never know who you'll meet. Maybe someone you'll date for a little while."

Hmm maybe. I don't know. It's not me and I don't want it to end in disaster. "I know how to flirt, but I definitely don't know how to pick up guys."

She laughed, throwing her head back, which I don't know why. It wasn't that funny. "You're one of those girls who won't even need to pick up the guy, they will pick you up. Trust me."

I do trust her, but maybe not in this. In every other aspect of my life, yes.

"Come with me to a party this week. It's a frat party, but that's the best way to meet guys. I promise."

Ugh, I guess. "Fine, but if I'm not feeling it, I'm leaving and you can't be mad at me because at least I'm giving it a chance," I tell her, grabbing some more chips, "but I'm probably going to fail miserably."

"Eek!" she clapped her hands together, "this is going to be so much fun. I can't wait!"

Uhhh, I can. I can for sure wait. Ugh.