Hey all! Here's the next installment of my college fic! It's Zane-Ami-heavy (yay!), so enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Wal-Mart nor the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Dang, but if I did, I'd be loaded.
Part Five: Tuesday Morning
Groggily, Zane reached into the kitchen cabinet, a steaming mug in his other hand. He clawed around in the cabinet in search of his much-needed caffeine source. He pulled out the box of tea bags, still bleary-eyed, and proceeded to sit at the kitchen table to dunk a bag into the water. Hm, the bag seemed heavier than usual...
"Zane!"
Nevan froze at the kitchen doorway. At least, Zane thought it was Nevan. He honestly looked more like a tall blur with shaggy caveman hair. Zane squinted his green eyes in the blur's direction.
Slowly, Nevan asked, "Um, where are your glasses?"
"Couldn't find them," Zane sighed woefully. "I bet Jed stole them."
Nevan didn't respond.
Zane frowned at the sudden interest in his myopia. "I'll put my contacts on in a minute, just needed to wake up a little first."
A strange noise escaped the caveman blur.
"What?" Zane said, slightly annoyed. He needed his caffeine and some peace and quiet from the surroundings that he hoped were his frat house, but that he, in all honesty, would not be able to distinguish from a zoo if hard-pressed.
Zane lifted the mug to his lips.
"Stop!"
"What is your problem?"
Nevan strode over to his frat brother and took the mug out of his hands. He pulled out the "tea bag" from the water and, taking it by the dangling string, held it closer to Zane's face.
Zane's myopic eyes focused in on the object in front of him and he uttered one sound...
"BLECH!"
Nevan dropped the sock and began to laugh hard. Zane looked like he'd just seen a giant mutant cockroach, he was so horrified.
"WHAT the hell is wrong with Jed? How did his fucking sock get into the tea bag box?"
Nevan stopped laughing for a few seconds, gasping out: "We really need to...haha...start thinking of some creative recipes if all we have in this kitchen are...haha...socks."
"God, I can't believe I almost drank that." Zane shuddered, his OCD tendencies revolted. "I need to go brush my teeth again. Then use mouthwash. Then swallow some rubbing alcohol. Goodbye."
"Wait. I have a better idea." Nevan gingerly picked up the wet sock again by its loose thread. He had an evil grin on his face. "Let's wake up Jed."
Lita toweled off her damp strands of brown hair furiously. Basketball practice had just let out and if she didn't hurry, she would be late for her cooking class. She tossed her blue and white Nikes into her locker, opting instead for more sensible, sweat-free black flats. She double-checked her backpack to make sure she'd packed her newly-purchased white apron.
Lita had joined the culinary arts elective on a whim. She was no professional by any means, just liked dinking around the kitchen once in a while. A few chocolate muffins here, some blanquette de vous with lemon aioli there. Nothing fancy. She'd probably just manage to burn some toast in this class, but hey, you never knew.
As Lita shut her locker, she heard her phone buzz along the wooden bench beside her. A text, her mind registered. Probably from Nevan.
Ignore it, she ordered herself. Make him wait.
And why not? He'd done the same to her last night.
Hey, how'd your physics go? Learn anything yet? Besides Molly's waist size.
That last comment was probably a little obvious. She couldn't believe she'd said it, actually.
Nevan hadn't replied anyway.
Hating herself for being so in love with the jerk, Lita impatiently scooped up her phone to read the text.
Congratulations! You've just won a brand new Wal-Mart gift certificate-
This just angered Lita more. She jammed her phone into her pocket and tugged on a clean tank top. It was January and 70 degrees outside. Unlike snow-loving Serena, she relished it.
She felt, more than heard the buzz as she walked out of the gym. After taking a calming breath, she fished the phone out of her pocket.
Working on it ;)
Ugh. That left an unsavory taste in Lita's mouth. Working on it? Winky face? Was he born a chauvinistic pig or had his frat implanted some sexism chip upon initiation?
Even more ticked off than before, Lita stowed away her phone and sprinted off to class, pushing thoughts of Nevan's hands under Molly's shirt from of her mind.
Pen. Notebook. Great American Short Stories.
Was she missing anything?
Pen. Notebook. Great American Short Stories.
Should it be notebook, pen, Great American Short Stories? She didn't know. She'd never taken an English class at Crown before. Were the professors anal? Did they judge you based on the arrangement of your class supplies?
"Hey there."
Her copy of Great American Short Stories flew off Amy's desk as she gave a start (and a squeak). Blinking rapidly, she turned to find herself face to face with...her biochemistry TA?
"Hiya." He grinned wide, revealing an uncannily bright smile.
Uh, was she in the right classroom?
Amy looked around suspiciously, wondering if she had mistaken a chemistry lab for an English seminar. Zane rushed to reassure her.
"I swear I'm supposed to be here. I'm an English major. And I promise I'm not stalking you." He grinned at her again, holding out the book she'd dropped.
Tentatively, Amy accepted it. Was that last comment supposed to make her feel better?
"Amy, right?"
She nodded, shyly meeting his gaze.
He smiled wider, if that were possible. Amy casually wondered if that were the only expression he was capable of.
Had she been aware of the thoughts running through Zane's head, she probably would have been a bit more understanding. Or, well no, just more freaked out.
I can't believe we're in the same class! This is crazy. God, she's pretty, though. I didn't know anyone's eyes could be so damn blue...
"...Zane?"
"What?"
"No, that's your name, right?" Her damn blue eyes looked at him uncertainly. Fringed by a sweep of black lashes, they seemed to hesitate the longer he stared into them.
"Yeah, it is." He didn't register that he was still staring.
She averted her gaze. "So, um, you're an English and Chemistry double major?"
"Oh, no, English and PoliSci." He laughed at the adorably confused expression coming to her face. "Yeah, it's a trip. I'm a chemistry minor, if that helps?"
"I see...how do you do it all?" she asked, not without admiration.
Zane shrugged. "Lots of AP credits?"
That surprised a laugh out of her, and drew an answering smile from him. And Amy realized that she actually liked his smile. A lot.
Which was good, because he liked her laugh. A lot.
"Hey, I'm in this frat-"
"Sigma Mu."
"Yeah." He looked surprised. "How'd you know?"
Realizing that now she was the one coming across as a weird stalker, she murmured, "Uh, it was on your T-shirt, um, yesterday."
He didn't attempt to hide the smile on his face. "You remember what I was wearing?"
Feeling a bit flustered, and wanting to avoid eye contact again, Amy bent to fish her reading glasses from her bookbag. Something about him made her nervous.
As she rummaged through the books, her hand came into contact with a case. She pulled it out, only to realize that it was black and sleek and not brown like her own glasses case.
"What the...?"
Zane looked over and exclaimed, "My glasses!"
"Your glasses?" Amy said, puzzled.
"Yeah, what are you doing with them?"
"Um-"
"I mean, I know you wanted an excuse to see me again, but stealing doesn't seem like the best option."
Without thinking, Amy swatted Zane on the shoulder.
The contact was light, brief, but it made them both look up at each other. She had done it so casually, like she'd known him for a long time.
Looking away, she handed the case to him. "The case must have fallen into my bag in lab yesterday. It was open and on the floor."
Zane nodded. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Then said, "I was just teasing."
"I know."
"Thanks for finding it."
"You're welcome."
He stared down at his own desk and said, rushing the words out: "I bet you look cute in glasses."
Amy reddened, but chose to ignore the flirtatiousness of the comment-coming from her TA, no less!-as she said: "How did you know that I wear...?"
Turning towards her, said biochem TA leaned in unexpectedly. Something caught in Amy's throat, and thoughts of Zane's TA-ness flew out of her head. She realized instead that Zane had beautiful, green, smooth like sea glass eyes. "Because," he said in a low voice, "You already have your glasses on." He lifted his finger to tap the glasses sitting on her head.
Amy blushed harder. Zane smiled, softly saying, "Good excuse to look through your bag, though."
Before the girl could sink even farther into her chair, the door opened.
"Good morning, everyone, my name is Professor Diaz. Welcome to Creative Writing."
The two jerked their heads up at once, like children caught misbehaving.
"I always like to start the first class with a tongue-in-cheek writing exercise. So today your writing prompt is "meet-cutes." "
The sandstone walkway leading to Crown's student center was alive with people. Tables and deep blue booths lined either side of the plaza, and spilled over with graduate students bent over their novels or laughing co-eds sporting sunglasses.
Ken didn't count himself amongst any of this group, as he wasn't lounging around, but instead making a beeline for the bookstore. The problem with the bookstore's location in the student center was that he always had to weave his way around so many...well, students to get there.
The worst of the lot, though, were the tablers.
Rain or shine, there were always bunches of student groups tabling outside the building. There they stood, toothy grins pasted to their faces, imploring you to buy their cookies, think of those oil-soaked pelicans, to please promise to attend some a capella group's Valentine's Day concert. And so on and so forth. He needed an econometrics textbook, not a lecture on interfaith conversations!
"Excuse me!" Just keep walking, Ken. "Excuse me! Donate a dollar for a kiss?"
His feet went rock-solid.
Ken swiveled to meet a pair of laughing blue eyes. Coyly, Mina leaned forward, over the table and sorority banner.
"That seems like a dangerous offer," he said slowly.
"Got your attention, didn't it?"
Ken shrugged. "I guess that's one way to make your table stand out."
"Better than selling rice krispy bars, Kenny."
"I happen to like rice krispy bars. And don't call me Kenny."
Mina laughed, and moved around her sorority's table to talk to him properly. She wore cutoffs and had arranged her hair in a loose braid that hung over one bare, elegant shoulder. Ken was a tiny bit glad that no other students had heard her offer. Momentarily forgetting his textbook, he asked what cause she was championing now.
"The oft-overlooked white girl."
It was a very good thing Ken wasn't drinking anything at the moment, because he was sure he would have pulled a spit-take. The things Mina said.
She laughed. "Our sorority has a small carnival and student concert coming up next week and we're just flyering for it. If you're interested." She handed him the bright blue advertisement.
"And?"
"And what?"
The corners of his lips twitched.
Mina gave in. "Okay, yes, it's for a cause. If you must know it's for the drug rehab center on 51st."
"There it is. Such a Mother Teresa."
She scoffed. "Would Mother Teresa host a kissing booth for her cause?" Mina challenged with a mischievous smile.
Ken paused. "Well, she was a resourceful woman. Don't tell me you're actually doing that?"
"Maybe," sang the girl.
The image of Mina making out with a line of unsavory frat boys and engineers sprang into his head. For some reason, it made him feel uncomfortable. He concluded that it was just because he didn't want her to feel she had to sink to that to make money; it was a feminist thing, really.
The object of his internal feminism spoke up. "So will you drop by?"
But Ken had already began to shuffle his notebooks together and look in the direction of the bookstore. "Uh, I have to grab a book from the bookstore, actually, so I'll see you later."
"Bye, Kenny."
"Have fun."
"You know this is going to be awkward when you have to walk back from the bookstore past my table again right?"
Ken ignored her and kept right on walking.
"You're so cruel," sighed Serena to her boyfriend. The two stood at the other end of the walkway, having watched Mina and Ken's exchange. "I could get those two together in a heartbeat."
"Serena-"
"I won't, I won't. But your need to deny your friends love and happiness might be a topic for your therapist."
"I don't have a therapist."
"There's another possible topic."
"Of course I want all our friends to be happy. These are people's lives, though, Serena, and I think if it's meant to be, it'll happen. Besides, Ken and Mina were just talking, not trying to make out or something."
"Well fate sometimes needs a helping hand. Whatever, let's not talk about this. I gotta help Mina table."
"Yeah, I have class. See you later. And cheer up." He squeezed her hand. "I bet that everything will work out great-and you won't have to lift a finger."
He walked in the opposite direction. With another dramatic sigh, Serena considered that it was a really good thing her boyfriend was at least good-looking.
Zane had been in Amy's company for no more than a couple of hours since they'd met. But those few hours were enough to convince him that he wanted to know her.
A few minutes into the class, he'd panicked. Not because he had a very lovely girl sitting beside him (though yes, on occasion that did panic him), but because he realized he hadn't come to class with the right bookbag or the right books.
Glancing over at his expression, Amy immediately shifted her anthology over so he could share. She did it so subtly, in fact, that he didn't even see it till she tapped a finger to the page they were on.
"Thanks," he whispered.
The class read snippets of short stories. In keeping with the theme of "meet-cutes" they were particularly interesting themselves in the openings of stories and pieces of literature.
Professor Diaz, a middle-aged woman with an enviable frizz of dark hair, was sharp as a tack, guiding them through interesting interpretations of the opening lines of short stories.
"Now, why don't you all give me examples of opening lines you, personally, have found particularly engaging or striking?"
Immediately, a hand shot up. Professor Diaz nodded in the direction of a tall boy with large, hipster glasses. He spouted: "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
The professor said, "Yes, Anna Karenina. That is a very famous opening line, of course. And what was your name?"
"Todd."
"Todd. That's a very good example of a well-known opener. But I'm actually interested in lines that resonate with you all, not just ones people have told you are significant."
Todd looked rather offended.
"Any other lines?"
Anxious to show a certain someone his aptitude for literature, Zane prepared to raise his hand. Then he realized that the certain someone had gotten there first, albeit with a shyly raised hand.
"Yes? What was your name?"
"Amy."
"Go ahead, Amy."
She stammered out: "I was just going to say...it's not exactly a Western classic, or even in English, but the opening line of "Love in the Time of Cholera" I found lovely."
There was a noise. Todd, it seemed, didn't find her example very inspired. Zane shot Todd a dirty look that instantly quelled him, though. Todd fell silent. Trust him to mess with the girl with the overprotective boyfriend.
"Do you know if off-hand, Amy?" asked Professor Diaz.
She nodded. "It goes, 'It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.' "
"And why is that a powerful opening, do you think?"
"I would say because it immediately sets this tone for 'fate', the unruliness of circumstances and emotions. And that follows the novel's love story throughout. There's a decided flavor, I guess you could say, of bittersweetness in that one line."
"And," Zane put in, "it marks one's lack of control over whom one loves." Amy looked his way, confused. Her TA winked at her.
Professor Diaz raised her eyebrows at the pair, but nodded. "Yes, I think that's a nice example. Thank you. Anyone else?"
The class ended a few minutes later and Amy rose, putting away her things and making sure none of Zane's belongings and slipped in this time. Zane sidled up to her.
"Love in the Time of Cholera?"
Amy shrugged, avoiding his amused look. They walked out of the seminar classroom together, though she hadn't planned to do that by any means.
"You know, Ms. Pre-med, I've just realized something."
"What?"
Zane looked pleased as he said: "You're a romantic."
Serena was bored with the tabling. People had stopped taking the flyers and since Mina had ignored Serena's advertising-savvy advice of changing into a tube top and mini-skirt to help the process along, they were at a stand-still. Literally, standing still behind their table.
Innocently as she could, Serena leaned toward her friend. "Mina."
"Serena."
"What do you think about Ken?"
"Hm? He's cool."
"You don't like him?"
Mina eyed Serena. "Like him? I mean...I've never thought of it really."
"Really? But you're Matchmakers'R'Us!"
"What?"
"Uh, nothing, just a name Darien...nothing."
"I dunno. Don't get me wrong, he's gorgeous."
"Mhmm, go on."
"And smart and motivated and all that."
"And you flirt with him like crazy," Serena egged her on.
Mina looked conscience-stricken for a moment. "You don't think I've been giving him the wrong impression?"
Serena sighed. "No, I think he knows it's a joke..."
"Good." Mina stacked the blue flyers together for the twentieth time. She then smiled to herself and turned to Serena as if making a decision. "To tell you the truth, Sere, I'm kind of interested in Andy..."
"President of the frat, Andy?"
"He's so cute and sweet."
"But is he gorgeous and motivated?"
Mina laughed. "In his way. Why, what does it matter? It's not as if Ken's head-over-heels for me. He thinks I'm some vapid blonde." She shrugged. "Not that it matters, he's entitled to his opinions."
Serena thought back to Ken standing at the table talking to Mina. He'd been practically glued to the spot.
"Yeah, you're probably right," Serena said lightly. She continued calling out to people walking by, inviting them to the sorority carnival, the biggest bash of the year! After the sorority semi, of course.
But she didn't miss the curious look that had appeared on Mina's face. Her interest was peaked.
I'm having a great time writing this story, and I hope you all are enjoying it, too! Please review!