Page 50 of Paper Stars Rewritten
After Lit class this morning, Ryder treated me to a picnic lunch in a quiet, shaded public garden located next to the biology building. When I saw him waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs of Mason Hall, basket in one hand, a single yellow rose in the other, my silly girlie heart swelled with what felt like love. I’ve been falling for Ryder since the moment he approached me in the student center, my memory be damned, because my feelings are real. I felt them that day. I’ve felt them every time we’ve spoken. I’ve felt them every minute he’s near me. I definitely felt them when we kissed. And I feel them now.
Ryder and I spent our secluded hour talking about everything and nothing, our hands continuously touching one another in some way because we both couldn’t stop ourselves. His lips would find a sensitive patch of skin on my neck to nuzzle. My lips would feather kisses along his cheekbone. When we finished eating the lettuce wraps he made for us, he laid his head down on my lap and told me stories from when we were younger. Because I can’t remember them, I asked him to tell me about his mom and dad and two sisters. Ryder explained his plans to finish college with an MBA and take over his dad’s auto garage. I laughed at his stories of Brea and her obsession with American Girl dolls. I felt exhilarated when he told me about a race he did against Elijah at the Fields on his motorbike, and how he tried to impress me by performing a backflip on his bike at the finish line. Unfortunately, our time ended too soon, and he walked me to my next class with a promise to call me tonight after my study group.
“…and I think we need to include something about the political attitudes of climate change deniers to give us a good contrasting argument to make for our presentation.” Meredith is talking to Trevor as they walk in. “Oh, hey, Elizabeth. Hope we aren’t late. Are we late? I’m so sorry if we’re late!”
“Right on time. I was early.” Meredith is like a whirlwind of motion. She’s removing her bag and taking out all her stuff while continuing to chat away.
Trevor sits down beside me. “Hey, Wildcat.”
“Hey, Trevor.”
He leans over to whisper in my ear, “Is she always like this?”
“I only met her a few days ago, but so far, yes. But she’s too adorable so I don’t mind,” I whisper back.
“Are you coming to the party this weekend?”
“Undecided. Can I bring some friends with me if I do?”
“Is it that guy that waits for you after every class?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Yes, along with some other friends of mine. Would it matter?”
“Are you telling me you’re off the market?” He gives me his twin-dimpled smile and I roll my eyes.
“You guys ready to start?” Meredith interrupts our hushed discussion.
“Yep,” I tell her. “I’ve already found a few articles I think would be interesting, and of course there’s always Al Gore’sAn Inconvenient Truthwe could watch.”
“Ooh, that’s good. I love movie nights. How about we split up the reading.” She pulls out a stack of about seven papers she printed out and hands half of them to Trevor. “Elizabeth, you read the ones you found and we can read these. We can take notes on things of relevance and interest and discuss them together. I think we’ll need another study session since the assignment is due next Friday. What about this Friday?”
“I’ve got a date on Friday,” I blurt out before I realize I’m saying it.
“What date?” Trevor asks me when Meredith shouts, “I knew it! It’s that hot guy you’re always with isn’t it? I knew you were lying when you said you guys were only friends.”
I blush feverously and busy myself with flipping through printouts.
“Oh, my God, you’re blushing like crazy!”
“Can we please just drop it,” I plead.
“Meredith, chill,” Trevor tells her. “If Elizabeth wants to talk about it, she will. It’s none of our business anyway. We’re here to work on the assignment, not discuss her love life.”
“Oh, fine,” she pouts.
“Thank you,” I say to Trevor.
“No problem. But I guess it’s now safe to conclude youareoff the market. A shame, really.”
“And why is that?”
“I think you already know.”
I think I do from the look he’s giving me.
For the next two hours, we get through most of the papers and part of the book and agree to meet again tomorrow night and next Tuesday and Wednesday as well. Trevor offers to create the presentation using our notes since he’s the most computer-savvy of the three of us.
“You girls want me to walk you out?” Trevor asks us as we pack up.
