Chapter 12
925 Words
On Monday morning, which is also Labor Day, I take the campus map that was in my housing packet and get familiar with the buildings. It’s not a big campus, but I don’t want to end up going to the wrong room on the first day of class. I’m taking a mix of subjects because I haven’t decided on a major. I’m still not sure what I want to do after college. I’ve always been good at math and science, but I don’t know what that means for a career. I have kind of been thinking about going to med school like Cody but it’s too early to decide that yet. I haven’t even told anyone I’m considering it. When I get back to the dorm, I knock on Harper’s door, but she’s not home. I go up to Dominic’s room, and he’s not home either.
I return to my own room and call Cody. He answers right away. “Jessica, where were you last night? I tried calling several times.” “I was watching a movie. Sorry. How’s Nate?”
“Good. He’s back home and seems to be doing better. He’s sleeping now but I’ll have him call you later.”
“So if he gets better can you go back to school?”
“No. I start job hunting tomorrow. I haven’t told Dad, yet. He’ll kill me when he finds out, but we need the money.”
“I’ll get a job, too. There has to be something on campus I can do. I’ll send you whatever money I make.”
“No, Jess. This isn’t your problem. Your job is school and that’s it. Now tell me what’s new with you. Did you say you went to a movie?”
“No, I stayed here and watched a movie.”
“With one of the girls on your floor?”
“Yeah.” I don’t like lying to Cody but I know he wouldn’t like the truth.
“I met this new girl from California. She’s on the tennis team. We spent the whole day together.”
“Good. I’m so glad you’re meeting people. Listen, I gotta go. But I’ll call you later this week to see how classes are going. And Dad will probably call you tomorrow, okay?”
“Yeah, bye, Cody.”
After we hang up, I grab an old blanket, a book, my potato chips, and some soda and go find a big shaded tree to lie under. After a few hours of reading, I drift off to sleep.
“Jessica. Wake up.” I felt someone nudging me.
It’s Dominic, sitting beside me on the blanket. “How long have you been out here?”
“I don’t know. What time is it?”
“Six. We have a swim date in an hour. You should stretch a little before we go.”
“Nah, I don’t need to stretch. I’m ready.” I sit up, checking to make sure my book is still there.
“You should at least eat something. What did you do for lunch?” I hold up the empty potato chip bag and my almost empty bottle of soda. “Lunch.”
“That’s it? Let’s go get something quick.”
“I don’t need anything. Besides, they say not to swim right after you eat.”
He stands up, holding his hand out. “That’s a myth. Come on, my car’s over there.”
“No, I’ll get something later.” I grab his hand, letting him pull me up. “Why do we have to wait until 7? Can’t we just do this now and get it over with?”
“I guess we could.” He watched as I finished up my soda. “You know, maybe you could act a little more excited. After all, you get to see me practically naked.”
I stare at him. “Did you seriously just say that?” I shake my head when he doesn’t respond. “Well, someone’s full of himself. Now I’ll make sure I look the other way. Like I really want to see that.”
He gives me a cocky grin. He knows damn well I want to see his nearly naked body. Every girl on campus would like to see that. I pick up my book and take my garbage over to the trash while Dominic shakes the grass off my blanket. We go to my room and I realize that he hasn’t been in there since the night he helped me move in.
“You don’t have much stuff,” he says, surveying the room.
“I don’t need much stuff. I think most people have too many things. It just ends up being clutter.”
“My parents have a TV you could have. It’s just sitting in storage if you want it.”
“I don’t need one.” I go over and wait for him at the door. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
He laughs. “You could at least pretend this’ll be fun.” He goes out in the hall and waits while I lock the door.
“Don’t you want to bring anything?”
“Like what?”
“Change of clothes, shampoo. I don’t know.”
“You’re not bringing anything.”
“All my stuff is already over there in my locker.”
“We’re coming back here after we swim, right? I’ll just change clothes when I get back.”
- Writer
