Page 15 of Under His Protection
“Thanks,” she says. “I’m Andrea, and this is Christian.” She gestures to the blond guy at her table. He’s in the process of inserting earbuds in his ears.
“What?” he says a bit too loudly. I’m sure he can’t hear us because of the music blasting in his ears. It’s loud enough I can hear it five feet away.
“Don’t mind Christian,” the girl says. “He’s a dork.”
I laugh. “I’m Haley. It’s nice to meet you.”
“If you want to form a study group, count me in,” she says. “This is my second time taking this class. I have to pass it this time, and I need all the help I can get.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
After class, I return to my dorm room to get a head start on homework. The room is empty—Melissa must be in class still—so I have the place to myself.
A while later, I’m sitting on my bed reading my history assignment when I hear a key in the lock.
The door opens, and Melissa walks in. “Haley, hi!” she says, slightly winded. She’s wearing a track suit and sneakers, and there’s a gym bag slung over her shoulder.
“Hey. Did you just come from gym class?”
“Track practice. I’m here on a track scholarship. We’re holding open tryouts this week. Any interest in joining? It’d be nice to have a friend on the team.”
I laugh. “Trust me, you wouldn’t want me. I have two left feet.”
After Melissa grabs a bottle of tea from the mini fridge, she plops down onto her bed, unscrews the cap, and takes a long drink. “I’m parched. We ran five miles today. Seriously, you should consider joining track. It’s good exercise and a great way to meet new people.”
“Thanks, but I’ve met my quota for meeting new people already.”
She laughs. “I can relate. I’m an introvert too.” After she downs half of her bottle of tea, she recaps it and puts it back in the fridge. “I’m off to the showers. See you later.”
Not long after she leaves, I get a text message from Philip. I’ve been so tempted to text him all day, but he’s working, and I don’t want to interrupt him.
Philip – I hope your day is going well
Me – It is. How about yours?
Philip – Fine. Jake has me staking out a bank comptroller suspected of embezzling a small fortune. Right now I’m watching him eat a burger and fries he got at a drive-thru. What are you up to?
Me – I’m reading my history assignment
Philip – That sounds fun→insert sarcasm here. Can I see you tonight? I’ll come by your dorm if that’s ok
Me – I would love that.
Philip – How about 6? I’ll take you out to dinner
Me – that sounds perfect
Philip – will your roommate be there?
Me – Probably LOL
Philip – ok I’ll behave this time
I still blush at the memory of Melissa walking in on us when we were making out on my bed. It’s probably a good idea for both of us to knock before we walk in. Just in case.
Chapter 6 – Haley
Later that afternoon, I walk over to the library to check out a copy ofJane Eyre. It’s on the list of elective reading options for my Brit Lit course that the instructor e-mailed to us ahead of class starting tomorrow. I left my copy at home. We’re supposed to pick one book from the list and write a paper on it. I’ve read that book at least half a dozen times, and it’s one of my all-time favorites. I figure I might as well get a jump start on that assignment.
