Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The rest is my doing. Please do not repost the story without authorization.
Word Prompt: Juicy
Dialogue Flex: "Why did you let me sleep so late," she asked.
Not beta'd.
When the Dartmouth campus comes into view, Edward's bad mood and the limitations he's placed on our friendship are forgotten. It's all I can do to breathe and absorb my surroundings. The campus is magnificent, and finally being here is surreal. Six months have passed since I found out I'd be coming, but I don't think I l believed it was true until now, when I see the bricks, glass, and steel with my own eyes.
"I'm ashamed to say that I don't even know where to drop you off. It never occurred to me to ask what program you're in. Wow, nice job, Edward," he says.
"Who's Edward?"
"Sorry, that's my given name."
"You really do have multiple personalities." He smiles, and I laugh. It's such a relief to let go of the tension that's surrounded us since our disagreement. "Can I ask where 'Masen' comes from?"
"I'm named after my father, and people would confuse us. I hated being called 'Eddie,' so my mom started using my middle name instead. It just kind of stuck."
The car passes the Thayer School of Engineering. I can see a cluster of buildings further ahead, but there are too many to name. In time, I'll know them all, and the thought fills me with excitement. I'm so ready to be here, to begin living my dream.
"You can drop me at Sanborn Hall," I tell him.
"An English major, I should have figured." He smiles proudly, as if he's learned some big secret.
"Why should you have figured that out?"
"Well, your ability to quote fine literature, for one."
"You consider Dr. Seuss fine literature?"
"Don't you?"
"Well, there are important lessons to be learned in Dr Seuss's stories, even if they're expressed in silly rhymes, but I think the average person would consider names like Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, Tolstoy, or Dostoevsky when they think of fine literature."
"Well, I'm not your average person."
"So I'm learning."
"Listen, about earlier—"
"Don't worry about it, Eddie."
He looks away, simultaneously rolling his eyes, shaking his head, and smiling that uneven grin that should be illegal. All three things together make him ridiculously irresistible. He's right; I am into him. And it's a little unnerving to realize that he figured it out before I did. It doesn't make sense that the attraction is so strong, that I'm incapable of hiding or controlling it.
"Don't call me Eddie, brat. And let me apologize."
"Absolutely not. You haven't done anything to apologize for. And just because I'm dying to hear the juicy details of your life doesn't mean you owe them to me." I wink. I'm not sure why. It felt right, so I went with it. "Besides, it really was just an idea. This," I say, motioning between us with my hand, "whatever this is, be it friendship, comity, or rapport, it will figure itself out."
"Jesus, woman! Will you just let me say sorry?"
"No can do. I'll take a rain check. You can save it for when you actually fuck up. Chances are we both will."
He pulls up in front of the Sanborn building. It looks a lot like all the others—a raw umber brick façade with white windows—but the breezeway makes it stand out. It calls to me in a familiar way, and for the first time in a long time, I'm certain I'm where I belong.
"I think you somehow know me better than everyone else at this school," he says. His quiet voice holds a hint of sadness.
A/N: The night slipped away from me tonight. I'll try to get the reviews replies done tomorrow. I hope you can forgive me my time mismanagement :)
You can follow me on Twitter: (at sign)picklewinkle
And about the last line… I can't remember why I stopped writing there, but there was a reason. Maybe it was just to point you in the direction of the next scene, but it's not as ominous as it sounds. Just trust me :D
I had some wonderful theories shared about yesterdays turn of events. My lips are sealed.
Reviews are love.