teacher.
“If he is, sign me up!”
“What if he teaches Econ or something equally boring?” My mind won’t stop creating worse and worse scenarios, derailing my hopes for any sort of relationship with this guy. Not that I even know his name.
“I don’t care, as long as I can stare at him for the semester. Hell, I’ll change my major for him.” She looks at me briefly, but then does a double take. “Oh, crap. You do like him. I can see it in your eyes.” As boy-crazed as Julia is, she’d never go for a guy she knew I liked.
I open my mouth to deny it, but I can’t. She knows me too well.
“Okay, fine. You can have him, but we need to find someone equally hot for me. And soon.”
She makes it sound so easy, as if my thinking this guy is gorgeous is enough to make him mine. My life doesn’t work that way. Hers does.
“Noelle?” Julia elbows me again, and I realize I’m staring at him. More importantly, he’s staring back. “You’ve certainly got his attention.”
I do. He won’t take his eyes off me, and not in a creepy stalker way. His eyes are full of warmth, and his lips are curved in a smile. I’m not imagining the connection between us.
“You should talk to him if the dean ever ends his droning.” She rolls her eyes in the direction of the dean, who is pointing to a pie chart, as if anyone in the room gives a shit.
“What would I say? I don’t know anything about him.” That old Van Halen song “Hot for Teacher” pops into my head, and I cringe. Please, don’t be a teacher. God, I wouldn’t be able to handle it if he were.
“Then you’ll have plenty to talk about.” Julia gives me a devilish smile.
I sit through the rest of the dean’s lecture, which takes until lunchtime. The man must like the sound of his own voice, and I’m willing to bet he’s the only one. I can’t complain too much, though, because my mystery guy and I get to continue flirting—well, with our eyes at least.
“I’m starved,” Julia says, as we get up from our seats and make our way to the door. People are shoving to get out of here. I can’t blame them. If I never see the dean again, it will be too soon.
I peer over heads, trying to see if my mystery guy is still there or if he got trampled by the crowd. My heart sinks when we reach the doors. He’s gone. He didn’t stay to find out my name or to continue our flirting in a more up close and personal way. Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe I was just kidding myself. There were a lot of people in the room. He could’ve been smiling at someone else. But I don’t believe that. I know he was looking at me, and that means that it could’ve just been a game to him—a way to pass the time during the boring lecture.
I follow Julia and the crowd to the cafeteria, worrying that college will turn out to be exactly like high school.
Chapter Two
I force his image from my mind as we enter the cafeteria, which turns out to be an enormous gray building that is easily the size of the street I live on. The ceiling is covered in flags of every country. Obviously the school wants to portray the image of uniting people around the world, though I doubt many students are really international. Timberland is a great school, but it’s not exactly Ivy League. People don’t come from overseas to go here.
Julia nudges me. “Hey, I have to go to the bathroom.”
“I’m going to get in line. I’m starving.”
“You’re not coming with me?” She looks at me like I’m leaving her to walk into a den of hungry lions.
“We’ll be in college soon. You really need to learn to use the bathroom on your own.” I playfully pat her shoulder. “Like a big girl.”
She laughs. “You’re so lucky I love you.”
“I know.” Julia doesn’t like anyone teasing her. I’m the only one who can get away with it.
“Save me a spot in line.”
“Sure.” I head straight
“If he is, sign me up!”
“What if he teaches Econ or something equally boring?” My mind won’t stop creating worse and worse scenarios, derailing my hopes for any sort of relationship with this guy. Not that I even know his name.
“I don’t care, as long as I can stare at him for the semester. Hell, I’ll change my major for him.” She looks at me briefly, but then does a double take. “Oh, crap. You do like him. I can see it in your eyes.” As boy-crazed as Julia is, she’d never go for a guy she knew I liked.
I open my mouth to deny it, but I can’t. She knows me too well.
“Okay, fine. You can have him, but we need to find someone equally hot for me. And soon.”
She makes it sound so easy, as if my thinking this guy is gorgeous is enough to make him mine. My life doesn’t work that way. Hers does.
“Noelle?” Julia elbows me again, and I realize I’m staring at him. More importantly, he’s staring back. “You’ve certainly got his attention.”
I do. He won’t take his eyes off me, and not in a creepy stalker way. His eyes are full of warmth, and his lips are curved in a smile. I’m not imagining the connection between us.
“You should talk to him if the dean ever ends his droning.” She rolls her eyes in the direction of the dean, who is pointing to a pie chart, as if anyone in the room gives a shit.
“What would I say? I don’t know anything about him.” That old Van Halen song “Hot for Teacher” pops into my head, and I cringe. Please, don’t be a teacher. God, I wouldn’t be able to handle it if he were.
“Then you’ll have plenty to talk about.” Julia gives me a devilish smile.
I sit through the rest of the dean’s lecture, which takes until lunchtime. The man must like the sound of his own voice, and I’m willing to bet he’s the only one. I can’t complain too much, though, because my mystery guy and I get to continue flirting—well, with our eyes at least.
“I’m starved,” Julia says, as we get up from our seats and make our way to the door. People are shoving to get out of here. I can’t blame them. If I never see the dean again, it will be too soon.
I peer over heads, trying to see if my mystery guy is still there or if he got trampled by the crowd. My heart sinks when we reach the doors. He’s gone. He didn’t stay to find out my name or to continue our flirting in a more up close and personal way. Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe I was just kidding myself. There were a lot of people in the room. He could’ve been smiling at someone else. But I don’t believe that. I know he was looking at me, and that means that it could’ve just been a game to him—a way to pass the time during the boring lecture.
I follow Julia and the crowd to the cafeteria, worrying that college will turn out to be exactly like high school.
Chapter Two
I force his image from my mind as we enter the cafeteria, which turns out to be an enormous gray building that is easily the size of the street I live on. The ceiling is covered in flags of every country. Obviously the school wants to portray the image of uniting people around the world, though I doubt many students are really international. Timberland is a great school, but it’s not exactly Ivy League. People don’t come from overseas to go here.
Julia nudges me. “Hey, I have to go to the bathroom.”
“I’m going to get in line. I’m starving.”
“You’re not coming with me?” She looks at me like I’m leaving her to walk into a den of hungry lions.
“We’ll be in college soon. You really need to learn to use the bathroom on your own.” I playfully pat her shoulder. “Like a big girl.”
She laughs. “You’re so lucky I love you.”
“I know.” Julia doesn’t like anyone teasing her. I’m the only one who can get away with it.
“Save me a spot in line.”
“Sure.” I head straight
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