AN: Thanks to everyone who wished me a good vacation! I've had a great few weeks, but I was ready to get back to this little mess of an AU. Sorry it took a while and if you're waiting for We Danced, sorry that's taking a while too. I've had a crazy, non-stop summer. But after my birthday this week, things will be settling and fall will be falling, and I'll be back to my normal routine.
As always (even if I forget to mention it), thank you for reading and reviewing. It means a lot to me.
Sam watched her from where he was leaning on the podium, pretending to read. Professor Boyko had gone over some midterm etiquette before excusing himself and making sure Sam collected every last test by the time class was over. So, he stood where he usually took roll and while the class kept their eyes on their tests, his eyes rested on Andy. She was calmer than he expected her to be and she even smiled at him when she entered the room—something he hadn't seen since their dinner the week before. In fact, she'd barely looked at him since they had dinner the weekend before.
She was stressed, though. That much was obvious. And her being preoccupied was better than her blatantly ignoring him or being rude to him. He was a freshman once; he knew what it felt like to be carried away with tests and the pressure that came along with them. Granted, he never took tests of any sort as seriously as Andy was taking her midterms. He found her intensity charming, really. Though, he did miss her regular charm—the charm that kept a smile plastered on his face every time she spoke to him.
When a student cleared their throat, he had to take his eyes off of Andy and stand taller to accept the test being handed to him. "Have a nice weekend, Bobby," he said. Bobby nodded and quietly left the room while Sam watched him. As his eyes scanned the rest of the class, making sure they were looking at nothing but their tests, he stopped short at a pair of brown eyes smiling at him—just her eyes. She was amused and he was confused. She finally chuckled to herself and looked back at the paper on her desk, but Sam's eyes stayed glued to her.
He was a grown man—twenty-four years old—he had no right to be fawning over anyone the way he had been fawning over Andy. Since the day he met her, he was consumed by thoughts of her. He remembered the scent of her shampoo long after she walked away from him, he ran her words over and over in his mind, and he saw her eyes when he closed his own. It was only the end of October, but it was like she had always been a part of his life. And as more and more students came to him with their completed tests, he had a hard time looking away from her.
She was one of the last ones to hand him a test—there were only two other students behind her. When she stood up and tossed her bag onto her back, he stood straighter and smiled at her. "How'd you do?" He asked, placing her test on top of the pile.
She looked behind her at the last students before answering him. "I'll be better once I get some one on one with Boo," she said, smiling at him. He'd forgotten that he promised her time with his dog as some way to wind down from her midterms, but he didn't hate the idea of her coming to his apartment. Even if it was for Boo and not him.
"He's free tomorrow," Sam told her and she nodded. "You know where I live. Meet me there at noon?"
"I'll meet him there at noon," she smiled and he rolled his eyes. All of a sudden her face turned serious and she bit her bottom lip. "Maybe. I don't know."
"What's wrong?" He asked, quietly, as he accepted another student's test. She waited for him to leave the classroom before stepping closer to the opposite side of the podium.
Andy hesitated, hating that she felt like she couldn't talk to Sam. His eyes were worried as he waited for her answer and she just wanted to tell him that she knew about his date the week before. She wanted to tell him that she couldn't go to his apartment and hang out with his dog because it would only make her fall harder for him. And she couldn't afford for that to happen if he was falling for someone else—someone who Oliver's girlfriend thought was perfect for him.
"Andy?"
"I will…" She hesitated again, trying to read into the look on his face. She wasn't sure when, but she was certain that his feelings had changed. He was very good at being just friends with her and apparently had no problem going on dates with girls—women—who weren't her. Whereas she hadn't even looked at another guy since she first kissed him. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay," he nodded, worry still etched into his face. "Are you okay?"
"Great," she promised, her voice too high for her own ears. "Bye," she said, turning away quickly while running her hand over her face.
She was crazy. It would make complete sense for Sam to move on—he was an adult with adult plans. And she was just a freshman. Of course he was dating other women because Andy wasn't even a woman herself. Sam deserved someone who understood his lifestyle and got along with his friends. He deserved someone who didn't eat cold pizza in bed while she watched The Bachelor on Monday nights. He deserved a grownup.
As much as she believed all of it to be true, she also knew that she wasn't ready to give up just yet. Because he may have only gone on that one date the week before and if that was the case, then she could still have a shot. And Andy wanted a shot. Sam wasn't like Tanner and he wasn't like Matt. He was the kind of guy she could be herself with—her whole self. She wasn't even sure why that was, but it was completely true. She was comfortable around Sam in a way she never was with her old boyfriends and she was beyond glad that her midterms were over and she could be herself again. You know, at least until finals.
As she made her way into the dining hall, it struck her that she'd see Sam there once he collected that last test. She remembered what it was like before her tests—how they'd eat lunch with their respective friends and then walk to the Mulaney building and hang out in the hallway before their next classes. CJ 101 was her last midterm, so it would only make sense that things would go back to normal. Too bad, she got weird before saying goodbye and then told him that she would see him tomorrow.
"What's going on in that head of yours?"
Andy held her hand over her heart and gasped for breath, but when she turned around and saw the amused smile on Sam's face her arms fell back to her side. "Don't ever do that to me again," she warned, but Sam just laughed at the amusement in her voice.
"Seriously, what's going on?" He asked again, tapping his finger against her temple.
"There's just a lot on my mind," she shrugged, pulling on the straps of backpack. They walked to the end of the line together and she looked up at him. "You got out of there pretty quickly."
"Yeah, that kid finished as soon as you left," Sam explained and she laughed. "What?"
"Bobby," Andy said and his brow furrowed. "His name is Bobby. The first guy that passed in his test was Brad. You called him Bobby."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm always sure," she said, realizing that they had already fallen back to their regularly scheduled programming—ribbing on each other and making the other person crack a smile without much effort.
"So what are you doing for Halloween tomorrow night?" Sam asked, letting Andy shuffle in front of him as a group of seniors plowed by. She turned to face him and took a step backwards to follow the line forward.
"I'm not big fan of costumes," she told him. "I might just stay in with a couple of scary movies. I think Gail and Chris are going to a party in the apartment on campus and Trace is probably hanging out with Jerry. Maybe Dov will hang out with me," she shrugged. He could tell that she wasn't really concerned about her plans—or lack thereof. She could go in or stay out on any given night and be perfectly content either way. It reminded him of himself. But she was far better at making friends than he was, so she flourished at parties and in bars. He'd yet to see her on one of her sacred nights in.
"Yeah, Oliver and Zoe are having a thing," he told her and she quickly turned away from him. "They want me to go."
"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, smiling quickly and falsely over her shoulder as the line inched forward again. He stepped closer to her, so her back was against his chest and he leaned his head toward her ear.
"You're doing it again," he said quietly and he heard her shaky breath.
"You've got a busy day tomorrow, huh?" She asked, stepping away from him. He followed her and held her against his chest again. If she wasn't going to look at him, he needed a way to see what was going on in her face—her eyes, especially. He let go of her upper arm when he was confident she wouldn't step away again. "You, me, and Boo. Oliver and Zoe's party. You're a popular guy."
"Andy, will you tell me what is wrong, please? Why won't you look at me?" He asked and her eyes closed. "McNally."
"I told you, Sam," she said and he could hear the fakeness seeping through her words. "I've got a lot on my mind. It has nothing to do with you."
She made a point by looking up at him, dead in the eye, and forced a smile. "You're a pretty terrible liar," he said with a soft smile. He just wanted her to be honest with him. He craved it, actually.
"We're surrounded by a hundred people we don't know," she whispered harshly and he finally took a step away from her. She turned her body toward his again and looked square at the space between their feet. She smiled quickly, but it was closer to a grimace, and then looked up at his face. "I promise that what's wrong with me is about me. Don't worry about it. I just need to relax and take a breath. Maybe I shouldn't come over tomorrow."
"Maybe that's exactlywhat you should do," he insisted. "Maybe it's what we both need."
Sam looked up finally, away from her face, and noticed that the lunch lady was attempting to get her attention. When he nodded past her head, she turned around and smiled a genuine smile before placing her order. He didn't hear what she said because he was too focused on the slump of her shoulders and the clenching of her fists. He barely noticed when she walked away and left him alone with his lunch choices.
When he grabbed his sandwich and looked at her table, she was noticeably missing while her friends sat and studied for their final midterms of the week. Oliver was still sitting at his regular table, so he sat down with him and sighed before reaching for a chip.
"She knows about the date with Hannah," Oliver said quietly and regretfully. He must have seen them talking in line. He must have seen the looks on their faces.
"Does she know that I did that as a favor to your girlfriend?" Sam asked slowly, thinking about every time her face went blank throughout their conversations. "That it meant nothing and that I told Hannah as much when I dropped her off?"
"You told that girl that it meant nothing?" Oliver asked, amused and horrified. "That's a little harsh, Sammy."
"Not in so many words," Sam shrugged. "I just told her I had a good time, but wasn't looking for a second date."
"With her," Oliver amended and Sam looked up slowly from his food to his best friend. Oliver's face was sympathetic and Sam knew he could see how he felt about Andy.
"Right, with her," he nodded.
"Maybe I was wrong about you and her, Sammy," Oliver admitted and Sam shrugged his eyebrows, silently asking for him to elaborate. "I told you to take it slow because of how much she liked you. I may not have been considering how much you liked her. Or the fact that you guys would be good together and good for each other."
"Maybe," Sam said, considering his words. "I don't know. Maybe not," he shrugged.
"I'd like to think I know you pretty well, Brother," Oliver said and Sam laughed. "And I see the way you look at her. You're not going to hurt her, not on purpose, and probably not by accident. I think you're the more vulnerable one in this situation and that might scare you."
"Yeah," Sam said, stretching out the word. "You have no idea what you're talking about," he lied and Oliver nodded, his eyes wide. They both knew Sam was lying.
"Just forget what I said last month, okay? Do what you think is right. Be with whoever you want to be with," Oliver insisted as he stood up with his empty tray. "Later, Sammy."
"Bye, Ollie."