True North by Allie Juliette Mousseau Page B

with me. I hadn’t been much fun before, but now I was a real downer.
    “ Class dismissed.” The words broke through my thoughts.
    It was my last class for the day so I grabbed my pack. My stomach growled, reminding me I needed food. I took off to the nearby Subway for my favorite—grilled chicken with provolone and avocado. After I ordered my sandwich, I saw an empty table and decided to eat my food there and knock one of my homework assignments out. I sat down and situated my laptop, notebook and text. Earbuds in to close off everything else, some Linkin Park and I was good to go.
    Thank you, Art History! Something I loved. Maybe I’d be able to get my mind off of him.
    The sandwich was good and the homework was easy. Midway through the assignment I startled at a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and some guy was moving his lips at me, so I took out my earbuds.
    “ A little loud you think?” he asked.
    “ Probably.” It was Scott Terrence from math. “What’s up?”
    “ Place is kinda packed. Can I share your table?”
    “ Sure,” I said, organizing my strewn stuff so he’d have space.
    He sat down and unwrapped his sandwich, and the smell of onions wafted around my head. “So how are you liking classes?”
    “ Fine,” I answered vaguely as I clicked on a site about Michelangelo’s David.
    “ What’s your major?”
    “ Art and autistic studies.”
    “ Interesting combination,” he replied between bites.
    “ Yep.” I took a drink of my Coke.
    There was a brief pause, then he said, “Well, Scott, tell me what your major is.”
    I cocked an eyebrow at him and he answered himself, “Electrical engineering, thanks for asking.”
    “ Sorry, I’m focused on this paper,” I said with a half-smile.
    “ Yeah, I could tell that about you,” he said with a tone.
    I looked up from my screen. “Is that supposed to be snarky?”
    He smiled. His teeth were perfect. I rolled my eyes.
    “ You know you really do need to cut loose every now and again,” he suggested.
    I studied him. He was definitely cute. He had blonde meant-to-be messy hair and a real laid back look to him. His red t-shirt was crumpled, and he wore a black leather wrist band and a small black hoop in his left ear. He took a huge bite of his sub, smiling at me as he chewed. Obviously cocky too.
    “ There’s a party tonight at Kappa. Want to go?”
    “ I’m not dating,” I said, going back to my project.
    “ Oh my God!” he said loudly.
    I looked around us, freaked at his volume.
    “ Did you really think I was asking YOU out for a date?”
    “ Please shut up!” I hissed.
    He leaned in. “I might be able to if you say yes.”
    “ I’m not up for any parties.” The last one sucked.
    “ But what about the baby? Would you deny our child its …”
    “ Fine! Fine,” I hollered out, trying to ignore the fact that everyone was looking over at us now. “I’ll go, but just this once, got it.”
    “ Deal.” Scott smiled and ate the rest of his sub in one bite.
    “ And just be aware that I will never share another table with you—ever again.”
     
    “ Wow! I can’t believe you said yes.”
    “ Yeah, well, he mortified me in front of a million people.” I told my dorm roommate Lara. “I promise not to have any fun.”
    “ HA! Scott Terrence is hot as hell, I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun!” she laughed.
    “ Come with me,” I whined. “It won’t be as awkward.”
    “ Can’t. Professor Johnson is giving a mega-quiz tomorrow first thing in the morning.”
    “ What parallel universe are we in?” I shimmied into a clean pair of jeans and a white peasant blouse with fringed sleeves, layering the blouse with a grey sweater short-sleeved sweater. Usually I was the one staying in while Lara went out.
    “ Oh my God, you look like nun!” she blurted.
    “ Shut up.”
    “ Why don’t you just slip into some chainmail?”
    “ Got any?” I obviously exasperated her.
    “ At least put on some makeup!”
    “ The last