100 Challenges
25 – Strangers
By: Lily Handle
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Author's Note: So, there's a big thing on livejournal, a community called Fanfic 100 has 100 prompts for fanfiction writers who sign up for a certain fandom and write about the characters using these prompts. I liked the idea so much I found a list of all 100 prompts and figured I'd try it with the Hope Series, since I don't have a livejournal. I'm starting at a random number picked by my roommate. The first number is 25, Strangers!
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Taking a deep breath, college freshmen Hope Chandler prepared to make a fool of herself. Certain things must be sacrificed, she thought, climbing the stairs to the upper levels of the library stacks after the boy in her biology class. She usually tried to sit behind him in class, not wanting to be too obvious as she copied his notes. She was having a difficult time keeping up in the class, but this boy never seemed to have any problems with the course. So, after failing her second test, Hope had a plan. She would chat the genius up and convince him to tutor her. Oh, sure she could go to the tutoring center, but then what if her tutor was bad? That would be a total waste of time. Especially since she knew the perfect tutor was somewhere in the third floor stacks. Grabbing a tiny slip of paper normally used to write down call numbers, she pretended to be looking for a book as she walked up and down the aisles when she was actually looking for Bio-boy. He looked more like a jock than a biology genius, Hope thought when she found him looking through a tattered copy of The Evolution of Man. Plastering a perky smile on her face she faked confidence as she approached the boy.
"Hi!" She said brightly, but not too loudly since they were in a library, "Hope Chandler. Normally I don't waltz up to strangers like this, but I was kinda wonderin' if y'all would like to head over to The Brew for some coffee?"
The boy regarded her curiously, like he didn't quite know what to make of her. Which happened to Hope a lot, oddly enough. Still, since she wasn't getting any response she pressed ahead.
"I actually have a class with you, so it's not like I'm some weird stranger or anything," She continued pleasantly, "Biology lab 116, Thursday mornings with…"
"Professor Reynolds," The boy answered, giving her a reluctant smile, "Yeah, I remember you."
"Good!" Hope mentally clapped her hands together, "Then you'll have no problem with joinin' me for coffee, my treat. What's your name by the way?"
"Hank McCoy."
She held out a hand to him, "Well, Hank, do I have a coffee buddy?"
He took her hand and gave it a solid shake, "I guess you do, Hope."
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Author's Note: A little peek back into Hope and Hank's past together at college! Now, I'm not going to do these in order. I'm going to ask random people to pick numbers for me! Wolvie's Fan has dibs on picking the next number, but keep an eye peeled fans, I may ask you to pick!