An: Sorry, I had little writing time.
It was her third day of school, and Lisa hadn't seen House yet. Though if she wanted to, anymore than the tiny bit of her that did, she could have found him like that. She could barely go anywhere without hearing about House. And the little part of her that wanted to see him was slowly shrinking from all the stories. Though that part had won a debate she had had with herself, despite its size. She shook her head and stepped forward to the counter. She was in a bookstore, buying all of the books for her classes. Lisa set her syllabus on the counter and glanced down into her bag.
Greg was at his part time job at a bookstore on campass. He was so bored. Nothing interesting ever happened. Ever. Luckily, his shift was almost over. He heard something hit the counter lightly and he turned around. He saw a course syllabus on the wooden surface. His eyebrows went up and he exhaled when he had finished skimming the page. Someone has something to prove, he said to himself. After a second of consideration, he added, Someone could also be lots of fun. "You are overly ambitious, you have a chip on your shoulder, and you know how to party." He said the last part with almost a trace of admiration.
Lisa scoffed when she heard the judgement of the guy behind the counter. "You're making that up," she accused while she flipped her hair over her shoulder as she looked up at him.
Greg knew that voice. He knew it well. His head snapped up a second before she looked at him, the smirk she was wearing disappearing when she saw his face.
Lisa's heart stopped, and her cheeks felt hot. No, he was not here. He was not selling her books. He was not making incredibly accurate assumptions, or knowing him, deductions, by barely reading a piece paper. She was hallucinating, and had been doing so for the past few days, he wasn't here, he was in Maryland. Yes, hallucinations made sense, she was going to blink, then she would see the face of a total stranger staring at her. She blinked. That didn't work. Her only consolation was that she beat him to regaining the ability of speach. "House," she greeted, hiding every emotion. She saw something flicker across his face, and thought it looked like confusion.
Greg didn't think he had ever stared at anyone or anything like he was staring at Lisa right now. He was speachless, and she was the only one that could do that to him. He had missed her. And he really didn't like when she called him "House". She hadn't talked to him as "House" since they'd first met. But he put away the hurt and confused expression and answered, "Cuddy." It wasn't nearly as casual as he wanted it to be.
When he continued to stare at her without saying anything, she cleared her throat quietly and repeated expectantly, with a slightly accusatory tone, "You're making that up."
He cleared his throat, and not to be out done, looked back at her paper and answered, "Your class schedule is over loaded, but none of your classes are before eleven, and no one takes Professor Lamb's course unless they have something to prove. Cause Professor Seagull covers the same ground, and is the easier grader," he used to round off his analysis.
Lisa opened her mouth, but was cut off when an older girl and her friend walked passed him, smiling flirtatiously and saying in the same manner, "Hey House. I'm having a party later, you should come by."
"Maybe not tonight," he answered.
"Oh come on," she smiled, and turned to face him, "you have to come. It'll be no fun otherwise."
"I might be busy," he explained.
"Try to get out of it." She said, then turned around and kept walking out of the store.
Greg looked back to Lisa, who was looking at her syllabus. "Can you tell me where the books I need are?" She asked, not looking at him.
"What are you doing in 5-"
"House," a muscular looking guy came up behind him and pat him on the back, "your shift's over. You can leave now," Greg could tell he wanted to get rid of him so he could help Lisa. The guy looked at Lisa and smiled, "I, however, am working, and I can help you with whatever it is you need." And there it is.
"I already know what she needs, and where it is," he told the meat head.
He opened his mouth, but was cut off by Lisa addressing House, "I don't want to keep you any longer than you're being paid for."
Greg looked at her, but she didn't meet his stare for a few seconds. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over one shoulder, then deliberately brushed against her when he walked out of the building. When he got outside, he looked around until he found the person he was looking for. He jogged after her, "Hey, Roxie." The brunette stopped walking and turned around, he slowed to a stop in front of her, "I might be able to come to that party." She smiled. "But I need you to invite someone."
"Who?"
"Do you know Lucy Young?" Greg knew that Lucy went there, she had acctually been sort of glad when she first saw him, but had stopped talking to him when he started...dating, a lot of girls.
"Uh," she shrugged, "kinda."
"I need you to invite her." He knew that if Lucy got invited, Lisa would come, and he knew that, because Mitch had told him Lucy came around with a cute brunette. The same one that whistled at him.
"Um, OK. Any particular reason?"
Greg shrugged and started to walk away backwards, "I heard she was fun at parties."
"Lise!" Lucy exclaimed when she saw Lisa walking out of the bookstore. The younger girl had been in that store probably 15 minutes longer than necessary thanks to the jock that told her a book she needed had been "misplaced", and had filled the time with hitting not at all subtly on her, and checking out her ass. She really wondered why men were put on this earth sometimes.
She looked up from her plastic bag at her friend. "What?" She asked when her friend got to her.
"Nothing," the blonde shrugged. "You were walking, I'm bored, it seemed like an affective way to get your attention. So, I'm hungry, what about you?"
"Uh, I guess I could eat."
"Cool. Follow me." Lucy led Lisa to a small café, swinging Lisa's book bag at her side. When they got there, they were seated outside. "So how are your classes? Sorry, I've been kind of neglecting you."
She smiled, "It's fine. I've been finding my way around fine. And they've been OK."
"I still can't believe your ridiculous schedule."
Lisa smiled, "I'm ambitious." They talked until the waitress came and took their orders, then the talking continued. During their meal however, Lisa just sort of moved her salad around her plate while they talked, and Lucy ate.
After they'd finished, and gotten the check, the girl from earlier at the bookstore stopped beside their table when she saw Lucy as she was walking into the café, and they were standing up. "Hey," she pointed to the blonde, remembering what House told her, "I'm having a party tonight if you want to come."
Lucy looked at her thoughtfully, "Have we, ever really talked?"
Roxie gave her the same look, "I don't think so. I just heard you were cool."
Lucy shrugged, "OK."
"You're friends with Breena and Paul, right?"
"Yeah."
She nodded, "I know them."
Lucy chuckled, "Everyone knows Breena and Paul."
She smiled, "So true. So, I'll see you there?" Lucy nodded, and Roxie walked inside.
"Who was that?" Lisa asked.
"Roxie...something. She's kind of a whore, but she throws kick ass parties. So, this is perfect, you'll have an awesome party as your first college one."
She gave her an unsure look. "Hey, I'm going to take this in," Lisa held up the bill, "then I have to go."
"OK, but you have to go to the party with me."
"We'll see," Lisa said, pulling open the door, causing Lucy to roll her eyes. Lisa stood in the small line behind Roxie.
"I don't know you, do I?" She asked.
"No," Lisa shook her head. "Freshman."
She pursed her lips, "I still feel like I should know you."
"Well, I'm Lisa."
"Roxie," she introduced. "Are you coming tonight?"
"Maybe, depends on somethings." Roxie nodded. "I'm just curious, if you don't know Lucy, why would you invite her?"
Roxie took a step forward as the line moved. "Um, House wanted me to. I'm sure you know him, freshman or not."
"Yeah," Lisa nodded, "I, I've heard stories. Is he going to be there?"
"Yep, I was surprised, he doesn't go to many parties the first month of school. Not sure why." Roxie asked for a table for two inside.
The younger girl nodded, and put her bill on the counter as Roxie started to walk away with the waitress, "I think I might come."
"Cool." She sat down at the table she was shown to across the room from Lisa. Lisa started to walk out of the small café when a very cute guy walked in, Roxie smiled at him and he walked to her table.
Greg was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest. The party was in full swing, and he was bored. He had no interest in drinking, which was new, any of the people that wanted to talk to him, and no attention what so ever went to the drunken co-eds that kept talking to him. The music was loud, the people were annoying, and he was getting impatient. If he'd actually look at a clock, he'd realize he'd only been there ten minutes. Greg had noticed that he didn't like interacting socially at the beginning of the year, he just liked to stay home, but October 1st, he was at the biggest party there was.
"Dude," Robby stood beside him awhile later, beer in hand, "you've been standing here for like fifteen minutes, and even though I'm astounded you're even out of the house, you're not enjoying this." He smiled and his eyes followed the two hot girls that walked passed them, giving flirty smiles. When Robby looked at House's face, it was the same annoyed expression. He rolled his eyes, "Man, you need to lighten up," he shoved his drink into his friend's hand, "and go do what you do best."
"Insult stupid people?"
"Exploit drunk girls and get hammered!" He exclaimed before walking away, presumably to do just that.
House put the beverage on the mantel next to his head, and crossed his arms again.
Lisa walked into the house with Lucy and Carly. Her first college party. Wow. She wasn't sure that she'd ever seen so much alcohal in one room in her entire life, and that wasn't even all of it. She was standing in the living room, and she could see into the kitchen from there. Even more liquor. Lots more. "Do you want a drink?" Lucy yelled so Lisa could hear her over the music.
"Sure!" She yelled back.
"Follow me ladies!" Carly grabbed their hands and pulled them to rest their wrists on her shoulders. She led them to the kitchen, then opened a cupboard and pulled out a martini mixer. "You like vodka?" She asked Lisa, not having to raise her voice as much.
"I think I'll start small," she answered. Carly stuck out her tongue and started to mix a drink for herself.
"Carly likes to get black out drunk," Lucy explained to Lisa.
"Yes I do!" She confirmed. "But I don't like doing it when I have class in the morning. So I will join you in your wimpy drinks," she grabbed three plastic cups and filled them with beer, "then gradually work my way up." When she handed Lisa her cup, she said, "Pour all your drinks yourself. And don't pick up your drink if you put it down, and it's surrounded by identical cups, it's asking for badness. Just get another one." She glanced into the living room, and saw Paul talking to the hostess. Carly smiled and excused herself.
Lucy smiled at her, then looked at Lisa and said, "Let's go find cute guys!"
Lisa nodded, "Let's do it." She and Lucy walked out of the kitchen. Lisa didn't know why House being here made her want to come, but it did. Not that she was going to admit that to herself...or the fact that she was looking for him.
OK, Greg said to himself, there's Carly. And there's Lucy, so... His eyes fell on what he had been waiting for. He thought about his Endocrinology class earlier today, and felt like a complete idiot for not seeing her sooner. She was the girl that always sat in front. He looked away when they started walking toward him, Lisa was talking to Lucy so she didn't see him when she passed, and he grabbed her arm and spun her so her back was against the wall like his, then let go. She looked around in confusion when she was being spun, then looked at his face, and rolled her eyes. He looked down at her as if he was seeing who was there. "Oh my god!" He said with a obviously fake surprised look and tone. "I didn't know you were here!"
She sighed, "What do you want?"
"Hey, you came to stand by me," he pointed out, despite his faulty logic. Lisa was about to say something, but when he took her cup, and drank out of it, she just rolled her eyes.
"There's a drink right there," she pointed to the one on the mantel by his head.
"You don't drink mystery cups. This isn't a middle school sleep over."
"I assumed it was yours, being by your head and all."
"Well you assumed wrong." Sort of. She leaned back against the wall with her feet farther in front of her, and her palms on the wall, looking forward. "So, you having fun?"
"Was. Until this ass made me stand by him."
"Liar, you'd just gotten here, and I'm the most fun thing at this party."
"Obviously, standing here against this wall, tons of fun," she agreed sarcastically. Lisa turned sideways and looked at him, "Were you watching me?"
He rolled his eyes, Yes, "Don't flatter yourself, I happen to look in your direction when you came in."
"Mhm, still doesn't explain why you're standing here. To me," she said before he could start to argue, "it looks like the perfect place to watch the door. Please don't start stalking me again," she requested before walking away. He stayed where he was for a few moments, loving and hating how she did that. Greg pushed himself off the wall, then walked out of the room to go find her. Just because she asked, didn't mean he was going to listen.
He found her in the kitchen, filling up a new cup, and talking to a guy. He immediately knew he had to put an end to that. "Another one already?" He asked, leaning over the counter next to her, pretending he didn't see that she was talking to someone. "Looks like someone's unhappy with the selection," he mumbled loud enough for her and the guy behind him to hear.
"I had two drinks of the other one before a cocky jackass contaminated it." She raised an eyebrow at him.
"You know, you're never going to get laid if you're afraid of cooties." He leaned sideways so he was facing her, "Lucky for you, I can accommodate any need."
"And lucky for me, I'm not scared of cooties." She started to turn, but stopped and leaned in to say in his ear, "I wasn't flirting with him. Stop being jealous, and stop following me."
Before she could walk away, he turned his head slightly and whispered, "Said the girl in my Endocrinology class."
She pulled back slightly, so their lips were almost touching, "So are a lot of other people." She took a step back, smiling at the guy sweetly while she turned to walk away. Greg continued to stare after her. She had to be doing this to get his attention, she knew that's what he liked.
Finally, he said, "You had no shot with her anyways."
Lisa rubbed her forehead and went to find Lucy, having lost her when House grabbed her arm. Stop thinking about how close his lips were to yours, she mentally chastised. But it was nice... Lisa jumped when cold liquid hit her stomach. "Oh my God," a girl looked at Lisa with wide eyes, "I am so sorry."
Lisa sighed, looking down at the wet spot caused by the alcohal spilled on her, "It's OK." She looked at her, "Do you know where the bathroom is?"
"It's down the hall. I'm so sorry."
Lisa smiled, "It's fine." She started down the hall to look for the bathroom. She looked into a room to her left. Jackpot. She went into the small bathroom and closed the door behind her. Lisa turned the tap on low, and grabbed a wash cloth, running a corner under the water. She started wiping her shirt. She had only been in the room for a couple of seconds before the door opened. Lisa looked up to tell the person that she would be out in a minute, but rolled her eyes when she saw House. "I thought you were done following me for tonight."
He looked at her like she was out of her mind, "I'm never done following you."
Lisa didn't respond right away, reminded of something she didn't like to think about. "You're reusing material," she pointed out. "You already followed me into the bathroom. Speaking of which," she looked at him in the mirror, noticing that he'd closed the door and was standing behind her, "get out."
"Why?"
"Number one: You're annoying. Number two: It's the bathroom, you idiot." She looked back at her shirt and kept wiping.
"There you go, lying again."
"Yeah," she scoffed, "that's me. Queen of the liars."
"Oh, in that case I would gladly be your king." He nodded.
She looked at his reflection, "I thought you already claimed that title." She held his gaze for a long time. "Now get out," she ordered.
"But this is a perfect place to hook up."
She gave that breathless laugh she did when she was annoyed and rolled her eyes, "There is no perfect place for us to hook up."
He put his hands on the edge of the sink and leaned forward, "I could think of a couple places. One of them isn't too far from here." He wasn't making a joke, he wasn't being stupid, he was reminding her of the time they went to Michigan. Lisa watched her hands as she laid the washcloth over the edge of the sink, then dried them. "So," he said, his lips right next to her ear, causing her to force her breathing to remain normal, "would you like to see how much we've changed?"
Lisa took a step back, bumping his shoulder in the process. She turned to walk out of the bathroom, but he leaned against the door frame, blocking her path. She sighed in frustration, "Move."
"Why?"
"It's a bathroom."
"Afraid people will talk?" He joked, leaning in slightly.
She stared him dead in the eye and answered seriously, "Yes." That made him stop for a moment. "Now, if you're quite finished," she shoved his shoulder and walked out of the small room. House's head tipped back slightly, and he turned. "Hey!" She exclaimed when his fingers closed around her arm. House opened the door and pushed her into the empty, dark room. Lisa turned to see him leaning against the closed door, with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at her expectantly. "What the hell?" She demanded.
"I want to talk."
"I'm not in the mood for any more of your euphamisms." She turned her head away from him.
"Not a euphamism," he shook his head.
"So you're not letting me out of here, until we talk?" She asked incredulously. He simply nodded. "About what? The weather?"
He looked down, and braced his hands on the door while he shifted his feet, "How've you been?" Came his quiet inquery before looking up.
The question surprised her so much, that her mouth opened slightly, at loss for words. She looked down and sat on a table near her. "Fine," she lied. Lisa looked at him, "You?"
He nodded, "Same." She knew he was lying, it was obvious in his voice, and she hoped that her answer wasn't as transparent as his. "How's everyone else? I haven't been home in awhile."
Her gaze dropped back to the floor, "Zoey and Ian broke up, but they're really close, she's going to photography school." She hesitated, "Jason and Miranda split, he went to Florida on a football scholarship. They," she paused again, "they didn't want to deal with a long distance relationship."
"What about Ali?" He asked after a seemingly very long silence. "She terrorizing anyone new?"
"No," Lisa shook her head. "She's in New York. Performing arts."
"I thought Riley was in California?" Greg didn't talk to him often, but he knew that much.
She nodded, "Stanford."
He nodded to himself, "Right on Beñuelos." They were quiet for awhile. "What about you? You with/recently broken up with anyone?"
Her eyes snapped up to his, "That's none of your business."
"Well I gotta know. Need to know how much game I have to bring to the table if I'm going to get you to compromise your morals. It would also be tremendously helpful if I could get a head shot, and brief character summary if you are dating someone. Also where he's going to school."
She exhaled slowly through her nose, crossed her chest and turned away from him, "Can I leave now? We talked."
"Nope." He denied.
"What do I have to do to get out of this room."
"Talk to me," he repeated.
"We talked," she insisted. "I'm done talking."
Her back straightened when she felt him standing behind her. "I'm not done," he said in a low voice. His hands moved to the table by her hips on both sides. "I want you to talk to me."
"You only want to know about things that have nothing to do with you." Her voice came out unintentionally soft.
"Whether you're dating someone or not has everything to do with me." She felt her eyes close when he put his hand on her hip and started to turn her around. She managed to open her eyes before he saw her face, and then she realized how close they actually were. Greg was looking down at her, his nose was almost touching her forehead. "You don't want to tell me, because you really do want to tell me. Cause you miss me."
She opened her mouth to object, "I don't want to tell you, because you get jealous over noth-"
But he cut her off, "Don't lie to me Lisa." She hated that her mouth instantly shut. He took his right hand off her hip, and watch his thumb trace a line up her neck, hearing her gasp softly, and feeling her heart beat faster. "How many guys did you date? How many times did you compare them to me?" He dipped his head a little more, "How many times did you wish they were me?" Lisa's eyes closed, and it took everything she had not to whimper. Genuinely, Greg smiled as he closed his eyes, and said before kissing her, "I love that I can still do that to you."
Her eyes opened. While he had really meant it, it sounded smug to her, and she just got the mental image of being another notch in his bed post. Before his lips got to her, she put her hands on his chest and shoved. Harder than she thought she could. He stumbled backward and looked at her in confusion. She was breathing heavily, and glaring at him. "I am not your plaything," she told him forcefully. "And I am not a girl that will give you everything because you're Greg House. And I will not, be a notch in your bedpost." She stormed passed him out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
An: Did you guys reallyy think I was going to get 'em together right now?