This fiction is co-authored by UKChuckster and AuditoreanGhost.
Enjoy!
Chapter IV: Glasgow Calling
The group disbanded as the clock drew nearer to noon. Michael and Miranda had to leave for some Law-related module. They used so much legalese, that Chuck and Sarah couldn't even understand a single word that they were saying. However, that blade had two sides; Michael couldn't understand a word that Morgan said either.
Chuck and Sarah rolled through the now busy hallways of Stanford, venturing for their next class: a Historical Literature module. The lecturer had already made them purchase a book by Mika Waltari, a WW2 era Finnish writer. His most renowned work, The Egyptian, had been chosen as the first book to be analyzed. They would probably need to write an essay about how Waltari described the situation of an Egyptian man in Ancient Times. Although the book was a really hard one to read, the teacher wasn't going to give any mercy. Four weeks, eight hundred pages.
Chuck and Sarah wandered into the much similar amphitheatre that their history module was in. Sarah rolled to the all-access seat near the door as Chuck sat down next to her. Something in Sarah made her rejoice as he sat down next to her out of instinct, she didn't need to ask him anymore. She gave him a minor grin as a 'thank you' as he looked on her. She didn't know how but she was falling for him so hard and very very fast. She had barely known him for twenty-four hours and here she was, looking straight at his deep brown eyes.
Sarah looked down at her pad, after giving Chuck a wide smile. Her right hand moved slowly as she wrote some words.
"So Chuck.." Her pad said as she show it to him. "Is there someone I should know about?" As Chuck's face displayed confusion, she quickly withdrew her pad to write on it once more. "People like Jill? Or any jerks?"
As Chuck's face lighted up in recognition, Sarah's lips formed a slight grin. It was always nice to see Chuck so happy. Chuck's attention quickly turned towards his notepad as he wrote.
"There's 1 guy you need to worry about" Chuck wrote, pointing at him. "That's Daniel Shaw. He is Jill's current boytoy, if you can say that. His father, Haytham Shaw is our lecturer for today. Did the word reach Harvard about her 'bargaining'?" Chuck said, forming the quotation marks in the air.
"Yeah, they told us something about her having sex with a teacher.. I think that was eight or nine months ago.." Sarah wrote, before her face lit up in disgust. Her gaze lifted upon him. Her face showed the absolute definition of a disgusted face.. A textbook example. "Is Haytham the teacher she 'bargained' with?" She wrote, barely even looking at her words. This has got to be the most disgusting thing she has ever heard.
"Yes, he is," Chuck wrote back to her, only to see her face turn white from disgust.
"Let's forget that ever happened, Sarah..." Chuck said, placing his hands on Sarah's. She instantly looked down on his hand, which was slowly caressing her palm with it's thumb. She still couldn't put the words on how much that meant for her. She enjoyed being touched.. but only Chuck could elicit the increase in heartbeat. Her gaze rose from his hand to his deep brown eyes. They seemed so sincere and honest. They reminded her of her fathers eyes, which she could spend hours looking at back when she still was a kid. Sarah gulped and slowly turned her attention back to her notepad.
"It's okay, Chuck.." She wrote, gazing upwards towards him. She then gathered her strength and courage to form three words that could change her life.. "I li..." Only to be interrupted by a certain couple.
Chuck's back was tapped by none other than Cole Barker, nicknamed 'The Scotsman'. Next to him was his fiancée, Catherine. A stunning long brunette with a similar build to Alex.
"How ya doing, mate?" Cole asked, patting Chuck's back. Chuck jumped of his chair in surprise as his hand hit him.
"Cole..." Chuck gasped in excitement, barely catching his breath. "Catherine." He added, as he spotted her looking bewildered at him.
"Relax, Charles" Catherine said, certainly trying to calm him down. "Who is your friend here?" Catherine asked, motioning towards Sarah. She instantly blushed as their eyes focused on her. She wasn't used to people staring at her so intently.
"This is Sarah, Sarah Walker. She's from Harvard and I'm her chaperone for this semester," Chuck said, out of instinct. He had already gotten used to introducing her with those words.
"Nice to meet you, Sarah. I'm Cole, Chuck's last chaperonee and this is my fiancée Catherine." As Sarah's gaze turned towards her pad, Chuck quickly used sign language to convey a message to them. 'She can't speak, uses her notepad for communication' He rushed the sign language so only, Catherine could comprehend what he was trying to say. Sarah's gaze turned back up, she swore he could see some happiness there.
"Nice to meet you, Cole.. Catherine" She wrote before she shook hands with the both of them. Cole and Catherine sat on the next seats from Chuck, just before their teacher arrived.
A tall dark haired man walked through the amphitheater below with 2 large books on his right hand.
"Good afternoon, students. My name is Haytham Shaw and I'm your professor for this Historical Literature Module. Your first assignment is to read and analyze Waltari's Egyptian. I expect eight pages without any pictures and no plagiarism!" Haytham said, emphasizing on the final word.
Haytham went on lecturing as Sarah was conversing with Cole. Cole had been offered a place on an exchange programme from Oxford a year ago. He had been reluctant at first, but decided to come here in end, probably a result of se words of 'encouragement' from his parents. He had met Catherine in Oxford, and she managed to get a place on the programme as well.
The lecture ended after Haytham lectured them about Waltari's earlier works, not even mentioning the Egyptian in his speech. Maybe he was doing it deliberately, so the students couldn't get any advice from him. It really wasn't something that you could expect from a professor. Usually they gave some advice concerning their assignments, albeit subtly. That was true for Professor Marston. Once he used invisible ink to hide his advice concerning some WW1 analysis they had to do a long time ago. The analysis was on Germany ciphers, so it wasn't entirely cheating...
Chuck and Sarah were sitting in the library waiting for their new found friends. Cole and Catherine said that they would need to hurry back to Chemistry.
Jill yet again approached them, although this time her buttons were done.
"So, Chuck" Jill said as she sat down on the other side of the table. Chuck reluctantly lifted his gaze from his notepad. Sarah looked up, only to see Jill again. She sighed...
Again? She thought.
"What is it, Jill?" Chuck asked.
"Why are you still hanging around her?" Jill asked, motioning for Sarah.
"Why wouldn't I?" Chuck asked, raising his voice slightly. "What are you? Jealous?" Chuck dared to make that ultimatum.
Jill gasped for breath. Did Chuck just call me out for being jealous? "I'm not jealous. I'm just a bet-" she tried to say, before Chuck clenched his fist on the table. He couldn't take it anymore, so he resorted to taking his stand on the matter. Sarah gasped for breath, as she had never sawn Chuck anything like this.
"Jill.. What do you want?" he asked.
"It's simple, Chuck," Jill said, mirth reaching her face. "I want to take you on a date."
Chuck turned his gaze back on the table, sighing so audibly that the whole library could hear him.
Sarah spotted Carina entering the library, already spotting them. Sarah's hands started immediately to use sign language "SOS/Jill/Date with Chuck/SOS. Carina understood the message and sneaked behind Jill awaiting Chuck's words.
As Chuck raised his gaze from the table, he saw the considerably taller Carina behind Jill. He didn't want to spoil her ambush so he went on conversing with Jill.
"Jill, I don't want to go on a date with you," Chuck replied, calmly. He didn't even cringe, that was the amount of truth in his words. He could say those words with utter conviction, without any second thoughts.
"Why not? I'm a beautiful, successful and desireable woman, Chuck," Jill said, visibly pulling her stomach inwards to enhance her assets.
Chuck laughed a bit, which caused Sarah to grin. "Well, Jill you're lacking only one thing."
"What is it, Charles?" Jill said, closing the distance between them. Sarah signed Carina to hold herself just for a minute.
"You're not by any means more beautiful than Sarah Walker," Chuck said, looking closely at Jill. He wanted to make a point, so he pressed on. "Jill, I'm at no means interested in dating you. I would date Sarah ten times over before you," Chuck said, pretending not to notice Sarah's hands flying to cover her mouth. Sarah wasn't expecting such a forward reveal from him.
He would actually consider dating me?! This is just perfect! She thought, almost drowning in happiness.
"Chuck!" Jill's troubled voice shattered the silence. "Why?!" Her voice trembled. Chuck grinned inwardly knowing full-well that this would start something.
"It's because I don't give damn if she can't speak or walk. I would date her regardless of that," he said, rising from his chair. "And with her I dont have to worry about her cheating on me with Haytham Shaw!" Chuck raised his voice, slightly, just enough so others couldn't fully hear him well enough for it to counted as evidence, but loud enough to start plenty of rumours.
Jill backed away just to ram into Carina, whom turned her around grabbing her shoulders tightly. "Jill. If I ever see you trying to seduce Chuck, I'll break you. Okay?" Her angry voice came into realisation. After Chuck had told her what she had done, she too had started to hate her. Jill tore herself off Carina's grasp, walking hastily towards the exit.
Sarah turned towards Chuck, smiling shyly at him. Should I ask him about that? Or should I just kiss him?
Chuck knew that he would have to explain that. She beat him to the punch.
"You would date me over Jill?" She asked, with a large smiley next to her handwriting.
"Yes" Chuck wrote back, giving her a similar smiley in response.
Sarah sighed in contempt, straightening her stance. She smiled at him, still weighing her options. She still could just give him a kiss and that would probably kickstart their relationship but didn't she want to go slow? She has barely known him for a day, but there she was, he had chosen her over Jill.
"Chuck..." She wrote, looking up at him quickly. "I know I've used these words many times today, but I assure you that this time I can't express how thankful I am for that" Sarah wrote, seeing Chuck's lips form a little smile.
I'll take you up on that offer, Chuck. Not today, but someday... Sarah thought.
I'll ask her out someday. Just not today... Chuck thought
A/N Thanks for all of the reviews! We hope to publish the fifth chapter before 21st of December. See you! AG