AN:
Hello lovelies! I've met my goal of getting a new chapter up within a week, and it turns out I did kick my exams' asses!
To the reviewer who asked about self harm, the trigger was mostly for upcoming chapters, though I did make reference when I wrote about Jane looking with a mixture of longing and fear to where her knife was hidden. It will get more explicit than that in chapters to come.
I love and appreciate every review, follow, and favourite... but does anyone know how I can directly reply to reviews?
Thanks again!
I hope you like it:)
...
It's been five hours, and still Jane cannot stop thinking about the girl.
This is ridiculous. What's wrong with you?
She has finished unpacking and is sitting, restless, in her desk chair.
Those eyes though…
Stop it. Shut up.
She needs to distract herself. She knows that the rest of the freshmen are fully engaged in Frosh Week activities but she hadn't had the heart (or the budget) to spend so much money on such a frivolous event. She doesn't need to go to all those parties. She definitely doesn't want to get caught drinking underage and put a blemish on her otherwise clean record (an accomplishment for someone from her neighbourhood). She starts chewing on her thumbnail and risks a glance out the window. She's impossibly high up and can see the entire campus. Squat liberal arts buildings, shiny science complexes, the vast Lawn full of freshers, and beyond that the forest and river.
I wonder if the girl is still there.
Goddamnit Rizzoli.
Jane is interrupted from her thoughts with a knock at the door. "Yo Rizzoli! Open up!"
Frost.
He probably wants me to go to the events. What'll he do when I say I can't?
Shoulders squared, Jane pulls the door open.
Frost grins in greeting, "Finally. What took you so damn long?"
"Oh shut it."
"So. Going to the barbeque?"
"Didn't know there was one." Frost glances down at her conspicuously bare wrists, unadorned with a fluorescent frosh week bracelet.
"Oh c'mon, you're not doing Frosh?"
Jane shrugs, "Not my thing."
"Fun isn't your thing?"
She shoots him a glare and he raises his hands in surrender. "Either way, the barbeque is for all first years, whether you've bought a frosh kit or not. So are you coming?"
Jane sighs. She had promised herself not to spend money on frivolous things. She bought a meal plan. She can't just buy extra food whenever she wants to.
"Come on Rizzoli. How can you say no to free food!?"
"It's free?" She asked in surprise before promptly clamping her mouth shut. She didn't want anyone's pity.
Frost didn't react though, not the way she expected him to. "Well duh, come on."
He grabbed her elbow and dragged Jane out of the room.
...
Despite her initial misgivings, Jane ended up enjoying the barbeque. No one commented on her bracelet-less wrists and for two hours she joked with Frost and found out that he was in her criminology class. Too soon though, buses arrived to transport those with bracelets to a nearby lake for an activity camp. Frost, noting her discomfort, offered to stay behind with her, but Jane vehemently refused, leaving him to enjoy the day he had paid for.
Once the majority of freshmen headed for the buses she found her glance drawn to the forest edge where she had seen the girl earlier that day. She had been pointedly ignoring it for the duration of her time with Frost but could not help herself now that he was gone. To her dismay (or relief?) she could see no one at its edge.
Jane turned resolutely back to the residence complex.
It wasn't until she reached the 17th floor that she realized she didn't have her room key. Frost had dragged her out of the room before she'd had a chance to grab it. Chewing her lip she approached her door slowly. Hoping against hope for some miracle. She knew the doors locked automatically.
But maybe they malfunction sometimes?
Jane put her hand on the doorknob but it didn't turn.
Damnit.
She huffed in frustration and tried again, this time kicking the door angrily, stubbing her toe in the process. She hopped awkwardly and grabbed her foot, nearly falling down in the process.
Damnit.
"I don't think that kicking the door will improve the situation."
Jane whirled around and saw that she had approached.
Oh God. Did she really see that?
It was the girl.
"I locked myself out."
"Yes, I can see that. Is your foot alright?"
Her voice was soft and her eyes concerned.
Oh sweet Jesus.
For a moment Jane blanked, but then slowly put her foot back on the floor and straightened up. "Oh, um, yeah. It's fine."
"Good."
Jane could see the girl swallow and glance around. She seemed uncomfortable. Jane hadn't replied yet.
"Sorry I bothered you."
Oh.
"No! I mean, no. No. You didn't bother me. Do you, um, know how I can get my door unlocked?"
The girl smiled, "Oh, yes! It was in the welcome package. There is a master key at the front desk. In the event of locking your key inside your room you must go and request entry. The first time it is free, but if it happens again there is a fee of 25.00"
"What'd you do, memorize it?"
The girl's face fell. "I... I have a rather good memory."
Shit. I'm messing this up so bad.
Jane swallowed, considering. "You're lucky. I wish my memory was that good."
The girl looked up again, a hesitant smile forming on her face.
"I'm Jane, by the way."
Yes, that was definitely a smile now.
"I'm Maura, Maura Isles."
Maura.
"I should go get my door unlocked..." Jane trailed off. Unwilling to end her conversation with the girl. Maura.
"Yes, of course. I was just about to go downstairs myself. Would you like to take the elevator together?" Maura's voice had a twinge of nervous hope that Jane, quite frankly, found adorable.
Wait. What?
Ignoring that thought for the moment, she simply grinned and gestured elaborately toward the elevators.
Score. Another smile.
Once inside the elevator though, Jane's mind went blank. The silence was very nearly awkward until Maura broke it, "What are you studying?"
"I'm about to start my bachelor in Criminal Justice."
"Oh! You're a first year?"
Uh oh.
"Er, yeah, yeah I am. I took two years off though, to, uh, work."
"That explains it then. I was quite certain you were older. I'm in my fourth year of pre-med."
Jane swallowed again.
Well that's not intimidating at all.
Unable to think of anything else to say, she just asked stupidly, "So you're, um, going to be a doctor?"
At this moment, the elevator reached the first floor of the residence complex and they stepped out together.
"Actually, I have been taking several electives in forensic pathology. I feel far more comfortable with cadavers than I do with live patients, so I intend to be a medical examiner."
Even more intimidating.
"That's really cool."
"Do you think so? Many people find it quite strange."
"Nah, I think it's great."
They were standing awkwardly in the lobby of the complex. Jane didn't want to say good bye, but she also wanted to be alone so she could figure out why her heart was racing. Finally deciding she jerked her thumb towards the desk, "I should get them to unlock my door."
"Yes, of course," Maura smiled, "It was lovely to meet you Jane."
Something funky was going on in Jane's stomach, and her heart leapt upon hearing Maura say her name.
What the hell is wrong with you?
"It was good to meet you too."
...
Back up in her room Jane flopped on her bed.
What the fuck just happened Rizzoli?
...
Yay! A longer chapter!
If you have any suggestions, requests, or commnets please review :)
Thanks for reading!
R&D.