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Chapter VI: Don't waste your time with politics he said, just chase skirts instead
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Naomi sighed. It had been a week since she convinced herself to talk to the girl. "Math Girl" as Alex had so eloquently dubbed her. The simple task she had set upon was proving to be far less simple than she had expected.
She probably would have given up after the first failed attempt if it weren't for her ever so annoying best friend.
"If you don't talk to her, we're not friends anymore."
"Oh shut up."
"No, I'm serious." Alex's tone cut through the speaker of her mobile.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"If you don't talk to her, I'll never visit. Ever."
"Bullshit."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm calling your bluff."
"Try me."
"Honestly Alex—"
"Just talk to her. It's really not that difficult, look you're talking right now, amazing!"
"Shut up."
"Just walk out of class next to her and make a comment on the lecture. Simple as that, yeah?"
"If you say so…"
"So you'll do it?"
"I didn't sa—"
"Excellent. I expect a full report."
"You're a tit, you know that?"
"Aw, but I'm your favorite tit. Haha, oh that was dirty."
"I'm rolling my eyes at you I hope you know."
"I expect a call after you to talk to her," Alex said ignoring Naomi's comment, "And if you haven't, I'll just hang up."
Naomi went to respond but heard dial tone…the bitch had actually hung up on her. She hit the speed dial.
"You hung up on me?"
"I was just providing a demonstration."
Naomi rolled her eyes at the memory of her latest conversation with Alex. It wasn't as if Naomi hadn't tried, or was dodging the girl. Her plans just never seemed to fall into step. Her attempts were just that, attempts.
Monday: When class ended Naomi made her way toward the door in hopes to reach it as the red head did only to be thwarted by every other student attempting to leave standing in between them.
Wednesday: Math Girl was out the door before Naomi even had time to sling her bag over her shoulder.
Friday: Naomi had decided to take drastic measures and moved herself from her usual spot, across the lecture to be nearer so at the end of class the chances of walking next to each other increased. Math Girl didn't show.
Now it was Monday again. Naomi was back in her usual seat. She always found it amusing how even in classes where seats were unassigned, everyone ended up sticking to the same seat. Not that she was any different, minus her failed attempt last Friday. People were just creatures of habit, herself included.
Naomi had decided to stop thinking about it. If she were meant to talk to Math Girl then it would happen. She laughed at herself realizing she was using Alex's ridiculous nickname for the girl. She relaxed in class for the first time in a week not worrying over what may or may not potentially happen at the end of class. Instead focusing on the lecture, something she hadn't been able to do recently.
This newfound focus wasn't without its reprieves, glancing over at Math Girl every now and again. Naomi was brought out of her latest daydream by a uniform groan from all the other students: the professor had just announced an upcoming exam.
At the end of class Naomi walked down the aisle of the lecture hall to the professors desk grabbing a copy of the study guide on her way. As she reached the door she looked up to find Math Girl a half step ahead of her amidst the flow of students pouring out the lecture hall.
Naomi's heart rate increased. Now or never. She sped up a step.
"Not looking forward to this." Naomi stated gesturing to the study guide still in hand.
The red headed girl looked up in surprise and smiled when her eyes met Naomi's. "Me either. Don't know what's going on in class half the time, really."
"Yeah, it's like he speaking a different language I swear."
"Definitely too smart for his own good." She concurred. To be fair their professor was brilliant, just not the best teacher. He would ramble off equations and solutions as if they were obvious. Then when students asked questions he never understood how students could be confused.
"I'm pretty certain English is his second language," Math Girl quirked an eyebrow as Naomi continued, "Mathematics his first."
She smiled. "Right."
There was a beat of silence.
"I'm Naomi."
"Emily." The red head said with an amused smile.
The two girls stepped outside still next to each other. Apparently headed in the same direction.
"So is mathematics your first language as well?" Emily asked, extending the conversation.
"What?" Naomi said before making the connection to her joke earlier, "Oh, hah, absolutely not. I'm only taking this because I have to, core credit."
"Same. I hate math." Emily sighed, "what makes it worse is I never even took this in college. Thought I had escaped math forever.
"Double in Political Science and Journalism with a Law concentration."
"That's a mouthful."
Naomi nodded, "What about you? What non math focus has caught your fancy?"
Emily looked at her for a moment, "Double in Psychology and Spanish."
"Ah, another overachiever I see." Naomi smiled.
"I guess." Emily shrugged
Naomi had a smirk on her face.
"What?" Emily asked as the two crossed the parking lot and made their way back onto another sidewalk.
"So you going to psychoanalyze people in Spanish?"
Emily rolled her eyes. "Sure."
"I just…they'd pair perfectly if that's what you were planning to do," Naomi faltered as the girl didn't seem amused. "I was just having a laugh…"
"Taking a piss on my studies?" Emily cocked an eyebrow.
"No, no. I just—"
"And what I suppose you want to be a hard hitting journalist who reports on politics bringing the corrupt to justice with your law background." Emily countered with a straight face.
"Hopefully." Naomi shrugged sheepishly. Wow, she had hit it right on the head.
Emily's face cracked into smirk, giving Naomi a look that caused a supernova to form in the blonde's stomach.
"I plan on travelling after university," she explained still smirking, "maybe some during. And Spanish would be very useful to know for some of the places I plan on going."
Naomi smiled as well; relieved the girl wasn't actually upset with her. "I didn't mean—"
"I know." Emily cut her off. "But hey, you never know maybe I'll have to do some psycho analysis on my travels."
"You never know really." Naomi quipped.
Emily laughed. It was husky and deep and Naomi felt as if that supernova in the pit of her stomach was giving way to a black hole. A pull only Emily could cause.
They entered the door to the first floor of their dorm.
Naomi walked the down the hall past the first stairwell as Emily did. Reaching the far end of the halls stairwell (the one on their end of the hall) she slowed for the stairs surprised Emily had not.
"See you round neighbor." She heard Emily say as she watched the red head continue to walk the rest of the hall and out the door toward the café.
"Later." Naomi replied lamely. A small smile crept across her face. Emily knew they were neighbors. She had noticed her. Naomi turned and bounded up the stairs to her room.
"Boomin' day?" Panda said as Naomi entered their room.
"What?"
"The bonkers smile on your face," Panda explained, "figured you'd had a brilliant day is all. Unusual for a Monday, but happy is happy I guess." She smiled.
Naomi shook her head at her roommate's way of saying things. But she was right, she was happy. She had a stupid grin on her face and try as she might she knew it wasn't going anywhere.
Naomi took out her phone sitting down at her desk.
"Oh, bugger I almost forgot," Panda said slapping her hand to her forehead, "stupid," she muttered to herself, "Sophia was looking for you. Stopped by a couple times."
"Oh?" Naomi questioned, "What for?"
"Dunno," Panda shrugged looking back to her textbook, "Said she'd just come round again."
..
Sure enough Sophia appeared in the doorway not long after.
"Hey, Panda said you stopped by earlier?" Naomi questioned.
"Yeah," Sophia said still in the doorway. She was awkward like that. "I was just wondering if you wanted to walk down to the meeting together, since were ya know leaving and going same places."
"Ah yeah sure." Naomi shrugged. She had completely forgotten about the weekly meeting for the paper. "I'll stop by yours bout quarter till?"
"Yeah, alright." Sophia smiled
..
Later that night Naomi walked across campus to the meeting with Sophia.
The song Super freak invaded the silent evening walk.
"Um I think you're ringing?" Sophia asked as Naomi walked on.
"That's not my ringtone."
"You sure?"
Naomi pulled out her phone to prove her point. Her phone was lit up. The caller ID scrolled ALEX across the screen.
"Sorry." Naomi said to Sophia before hitting answer on her phone.
"You changed my fucking ringtone?" Alex breathed in annoyance.
All she heard was laughter on the other end of the line.
Eventually the laughter subsided and a breathless Alex spoke "Haha, Oh my god, you just figured that out?"
More laughter.
"I changed that the day you left."
"You're so obnoxious."
"How did it take you that long? Priceless."
"I usually just keep my phone on vibrate."
"Dirty."
"Shut up."
"Too good."
"I'm hanging up now—"
"No, no! No, no, no!" Alex interjected, "You have details to report."
"I have no such thing." Naomi rolled her eyes as a betraying smile slid onto her face.
"Are you smiling?"
"No." Naomi said trying desperately to wipe the stupid grin off her face, as if Alex could see it, but to no avail.
"Oh. My. God."
"You're really creepy sometimes you know?" Alex stated.
"Oh. My. God. You are smiling." Alex exclaimed through the line. "You are! You talked to her!"
"Shut up."
"Details. Now."
"Can't."
"What do you mean you can't?" Alex implored.
"Walking to a meeting now—"
"With who?" Alex seemed to get the hint; Naomi wasn't alone to disclose such information.
Naomi looked over at Sophia who quickly looked away. "Sophia."
The brunette snapped her head back up to look at Naomi again.
"Yes, Effy's roommate." Naomi answered before rolling her eyes. "I'm hanging up now…Yes, I'll call you later. Ugh, yes, I love you too."
Naomi shoved her phone back into her pocket.
"Sorry bout that."
"It's fine." Sophia shrugged, "Who was it?"
Naomi looked at the brunette again. "Alex."
"Boyfriend?" Sophia asked.
Again Naomi rolled her eyes. Why did everyone assume that?
Naomi laughed, "Alex is a girl."
"Oh." Sophia said giving Naomi another curious look.
..
The meeting went by fast, as it usually did. Naomi was at a table with Sophia and the other two freshmen that had decided to fully commit to the paper, Sarah and Brandt. Sarah was a boisterous girl with blue eyes and huge 80's blonde curly hair. Brant, a scruffy fit boy with dark brown wavy hair and brown eyes. Sarah played on the university women's rugby club and did the sports articles. Brandt did the photography for the sporting events.
The four of them got on really well. Naomi found herself becoming friends with Sarah, even agreeing to go to a rugby match. Naomi was certain Sarah was one of those people that got on well with everyone and Brandt was basically a puppy in human form. Sophia got on with them as well, though Naomi couldn't help notice the looks she would receive every now and then from Sophia when she and Sarah would joke around. Naomi always dismissed it, assuming she had conjured it in her head.
At first Naomi had been surprised to learn that Tony Stonem was the Editor in Chief of the paper. Though she was quickly learning to never be surprised by the Stonems. She also hadn't understood why he segregated all the freshman writers together. Different upper classmen would go over things with them, but he always kept them together. It seemed stupid, but she was beginning to think he was a genius. Instead of each individual wanting to prove their worth to the paper, they were working as a team and lifting each other up. This made each of them individually better and the paper as a whole better. It also cemented their commitment to the paper, ensuring their desire to stay on once they were upperclassmen themselves.
The four freshmen walked back together, Sarah and Brandt living in the freshman dorm next to theirs.
As soon as Naomi opened her computer Alex messaged her.
Alex: Where have you been?
Naomi: In my meeting…like I said I would be. Relax.
Alex: I have been waiting for details all night!
Naomi laughed.
Naomi: There aren't many details to share honestly.
Alex: Details. Now.
Naomi rolled her eyes. That stupid smirk creeping across her face again and she regaled her story to Alex.
Alex: So Emily huh? I think I like Math Girl better.
Naomi: hah. Shut Up. I like Emily.
Alex: Yeah you do.
Naomi: I didn't mean it like that! You know what I meant.
Alex: Yeah I do. ;)
Naomi: Stop it. I'm straight remember?
Alex: So straight. So straight you obsess over a girl before you even knew her name.
Naomi: I'm not gay! She just…I can't explain it. She just intrigues me.
Alex: Uh huh.
Naomi: Shut up.
Alex: So have you friended this girl on Facebook yet?
Naomi: No. Why would I? I barely know her. She probably wouldn't even accept my friend request.
Alex: Naomi are you serious? You know her name, her major, that she plans to travel to Spanish speaking countries, she hates math, and she knows you're neighbors. I've friended people off of a drunken conversation I don't remember.
Naomi sighed.
Naomi: Why do you want me to friend her so badly anyway?
Alex: Because I want to see what this girl my best friend has been so intrigued by looks like.
Naomi: So basically you want to Facebook creep her?
Alex: Exactly.
Naomi rolled her eyes.
Naomi: How am I even going to know if I'm friending the right girl? Do you know how many Emilys there probably are?
Alex: Are you serious? How are you in University? Honestly. It's called her picture. And her bright fucking red hair.
Naomi: Okay fine. I'll friend request her. But not for you to creep her. But because what you said before makes sense.
Alex: I don't care the reason as long as you do it.
Naomi: You're horrible.
Alex: You wouldn't know what to do without me.
Naomi shook her head as she searched through Facebook. Sure enough there she was, the third Emily down, bright red hair. Emily Fitch. She played the girls name in her head a couple times. Fuck it, she thought, and clicked the friend button. Why the fuck not?