So I apologize for the late review but here it is. Yay! I have finally gotten close to catching up on my homework and I wrote this while I was taking a break from coherant thought so I doubt this is my best work but I felt I should try and give you guys something since you seemed to actually show an interest in this story which made me super happy so thank you guys so much.
Again I make no promises for when I update next but enjoy 3
"Oh my god you did not do that to that poor boy." Kate was nearly in tears with laughter and Rick was right there with her.
"I swear it's true. He couldn't eat bananas for months afterwards." Another fit of laughter brought Kate to lean against Rick for support and he gladly held her shoulder to support his own laughter. Once their teary amusement subsided, Kate reluctantly pulled herself away from Rick. It was like they had known each other for years; they had been talking for what seemed like days about everything and nothing and they could spend an eternity just watching each other. All in all, their perception of time was a little off.
"That is terrible."
"What can I say" he shrugged in mock pride "my first year of college was a pretty bad one." Kate's green eyes widened at that comment. First Year? How old was he?
"Umm…" Should she ask? It wouldn't hurt "how old are you?"
"How old do you think I am?" He leaned forward and spoke in a conspiratal tone. Kate scrunched her face in an amusing fashion.
"I don't want to guess. I'm terrible at that." Rick smiled understandingly. He could not get over how cute and perfect she was.
"I'm twenty-one." Kate almost chocked on air. Five years apart. That didn't matter when you really liked someone right? Well that didn't matter to the people who liked one another – not necessarily her parents. "How old are you?"
"Younger than that." She immediately responded. He didn't hesitate in the slightest as he leaned forward and placed a casual hand on her knee. She didn't feel threatened or pressured by his hand their. It just felt comfortable and she couldn't help but blush.
"Well I don't mind dating a younger woman. Unless you have a problem dating an older man." He spoke in that conspiratal whisper that brushed against her ear and lifted the hairs on the back of her neck.
"No I-" Did he just say what she thought he just said? "Did you just say 'date'?" She chocked out after a moment.
"Well if you say yes." He offered.
"Yes." She replied quickly with way too much enthusiasm. "I mean…" she recovered but not before Rick burst into laughter.
"You make me laugh, Alison. I like that very much about you." Alison; that's right. She wasn't 'Kate, High School student', She was 'Alison' College freshman. That thought brought her crashing back down to reality. She couldn't be dating Rick. He would never date a High School Junior. It was the moment between feeling so very wrong and so very right. Why couldn't it be one or the other?
It was too late though, Rick was holding out his hand. Why?
"Give me your phone." He commanded casually and Alison saw no reason to refuse so Kate turned it over to him. He began furiously typing for a minute or two before he returned it to her. "There, now you can call me anytime you want." He declared triumphantly. Had he just put his cell phone number into her cell phone? She didn't know what to feel about that little twist. Regardless, she thanked him and put her bulky black phone in her pocket once again. Returning to a subject she was growing rather fond of thinking about – even if it could never happen.
"So back to this dating business…" She mused lightly.
"You know nothing is official until we seal it with a kiss." He leaned in ever so slightly.
"Really? So when I kiss you it automatically makes us a couple?"
"Something like that."
"Strange rule…" She whispered, ghosting his lips. "I like it." She was millimetres from his lips and she could feel the tiny hairs on his upper lip tickle her as his hand came up to cup her cheek. This was it, she could not believe it, she was about to kiss an older man – a college man.
That's when she heard it.
That high pitched squeal of delight that ruined everything. Jessica was a squealer and Kate, by now, knew it by heart. That was definitely Jessica's and she was definitely having too much fun. Turning her head in the direction of the sound, breaking her moment with Rick, she suddenly stood.
"Jessica?" She uttered to herself, causing Rick to leave his trance and stand with her.
"What's wrong?" He spoke in her ear to be heard over the blaring music.
"My friend Jessica, the one I came in with" she turned to find Rick dangerously close to her but it didn't faze her. She was in 'friend mode' now and nothing was going to stop her from rescuing her friend from herself. She got like that sometimes. She would get in a 'mode' and nothing could get her out of it – not even a really hot guy who was seriously interested in her standing dangerously close in her personal bubble. "I need to find her now." She announced as she ventured into the crowd. She was barely a foot across the threshold when she felt a hand grasp her wrist. She turned to look back at Rick who looked almost nervous.
"Is that her?" He pointed to the other side of the living room where a crowd had gathered around a pool table. Sure enough, there was Jessica… basically performing a strip tease for a crowd of College guys. Kate needed to get her out of there now before she did something illegal.
"That's her. I have to get her home." Nodding in understanding, Rick entered the crowd and swiftly pulled Jessica closer to the edge and picked her up by her waist to lift her off the table, causing a series of protests to erupt in the crowd. Ignoring all of them, Rick practically carried the giggling mess that was Jessica and placed her in front of a stunned Kate.
"Wow. Thanks." She uttered, taking the now passed out teenager from his arms and slinging her under her arm.
"Do you need a ride anywhere?"
"No thanks, I'm good." Kate spoke hastily. All she needed right now was to get Jessica home. "I should get going. Goodbye Rick; it was nice meeting you." She dragged Jessica out by her arm as she slumped lower and lower against her friend and was out the door before Rick could react. He watched as crowds of people covered the distance between him and the door.
What had just happened?
Had he just been ditched by the most perfect girl in existence? Life was so cruel. It took a long moment before he slumped his shoulders and sighed. He shuffled his feet around the room until he found himself back to the spot where he had fallen in love – the couch in the back room. There were still very few people there but he found it comforting. He looked down at the plushy cushion and sighed once more. How had the night gone from almost perfect to utterly disastrous in the blink of an eye? He should never have tried to kiss her – that was his down fall. If he had just waited until their first official date to make a move; she deserved that much. But no; his 'ego' had to work before his head kicked in and now she was gone and he had no way of finding her.
He slumped down on the couch but immediately shot up when his butt came in contact with something small and sharp. Leaning over to look at what the offending object was, he lost his breath.
He picked up the front of a diamond stud and examined it. He remembered seeing Alison wearing it when they were talking. It must have fallen off when he had tried to kiss her. That stupid kiss.
Enclosing his fingers around the earring, he closed his eyes.
He was going to find Alison no matter what the cost.