Emma Barnes is a shy sophomore with a predictable life. Struggling with anxiety and focusing on her parent's aspirations of her becoming a doctor, she keeps to her two best friends and studies. However, the night she makes a deal to go to a frat par...
I offer my umbrella to Luka and we walk outside together into the whipping rain. It comes down like pitchforks stabbing. I huddle in closer to his side trying to avoid getting pelted with water.
"What year are you?" Luka questions me, cars aimlessly buzzing past us on the sidewalk.
"Just a sophomore," I reply and have to by-step a massive puddle. I turn back to him. "What year are you?"
"Really? Same here! Wow, we have so much in common," he responds enthusiastically.
I stifle my smile wanting to laugh because we have like two things in common but he seems so delighted. We stroll into the dining hall shaking off the raindrops and swipe our meal cards.
"Over here," he murmurs and directs me to a long table in the back. I notice that Jess, Ray, and Becky from last night are already sitting there talking amongst each other. I stop for a second faltering, trying to conjure a reason to dodge the situation. Nothing comes to mind to save me, so I force myself to keep going.
"Hey, look who I found again," Luka announces to the three of them.
"Oh hey, Emma!" Jess smiles warmly at me and Becky and Ray wave at me while holding hands.
"We didn't properly introduce ourselves yesterday, I'm Rayna but you can call me Ray and this is my girlfriend Becky. It was an exciting night so I can't remember if we said our names," Ray mutters with a small laugh.
I offer a shy smile and sit down apprehensively with them. "You did, or well Jess did, but yeah it is nice to meet you again," I respond.
Jess leans in closer to me to whisper. "Jared isn't here, because he needs his beauty sleep or he's a complete grouch."
I giggle. "Oh, right. I remember him from last night. Is he your boyfriend then?" I ask. They seemed to dance pretty close to each other throughout the night.
Jess snorts on her drink and then beams out a laugh. "Nope, we are just friends," she replies shaking her head and waves it off. "So what major are you Emma?"
"I am a biology major on track for pre-med."
"That's awesome. That's probably how you know Luka. I am Criminal Justice and so is Ray," she tells me.
"Yeah I am the odd one out," Becky jokes. "I am a Poli Sci major."
"Those are all great majors," I comment sheepishly attempting to maintain the conversation.
"Yep. Ooh! Are you greek?" Becky asks her raven-black hair falling to the side as she spins to me.
I pause a little bewildered by the question. "Um, no. I am Italian and British actually."
Jess chuckles. "She meant are you in a sorority," she explains.
"Oh, oops," I whisper my face reddening in embarrassment. I softly clear my throat. "No, I am not. Are you guys?"
"Yeah, we are in Delta Sigma Theta," Becky answers.
"That's cool," I respond. "I am not really into Greek life. My best friends are though. My friend Jamie is trying to get into a sorority right now."
"You should totally tell her to join ours," Ray adds and plops a grape in her mouth. "It's the best." Luka emerges from behind me with two glasses of water and silverware in his hands and places one of each in front of me. I glance at him not even realizing he ever left.
"Stop talking and let her get some food," Luka states to us all. I open my mouth ready to say it is okay when the three of them wave at us to go. Luka immediately makes a beeline for the food pulling me along. Since it is 10am, it is still mainly breakfast food, but I grab some waffles and eggs and steer back to the table with Luka and his two fully-stacked plates of food.
As I sit and eat, it surprises me how effortless it is to talk with all of them. They somehow drag it out of me. Luka is the funny one always sliding in a wise comment, Jess is incredibly sweet making me feel like I already belong, and Ray and Becky are down-to-earth and laidback. We end up sitting around talking for about an hour before we all pack up.
"Ooh, let me have your number Emma," Jess exclaims and I pass it off to her. After the exchange, the three of them head off leaving Luka and me to walk again. Thankfully, it looks like the rain stopped showering cats and dogs so Luka and I make our way back outside.
"So I am off to James Building to catch up on some sleep I didn't get last night. But we should do this again," he remarks.
"That sounds good," I say with a nod and I swivel to face him. "We could do this every Friday if you like?" I offer, feeling noticeably bold suggesting it, but also eager at the same time.
"That's probably not a good idea," he retorts a grin forming on his face. "I sort of lied when I said I didn't have class before. I had another class at 10 and I skipped it."
"What!" I say covering my mouth. "You skipped? Why would you do that? Oh my goodness," I say astonished. "What class, maybe we can find someone who went or you can email the professor?"
"Nah, it's cool. It's only syllabus week so it is not like we did anything too important." He waves it off completely carefree and I continue to stare at him like he is nuts.
"What?" He responds innocently. "I wanted to hang out with my mysterious but super adorable dorky friend. Can you blame me?" He winks, his eyes glistening in amusement. Then, he salutes me. "See you later Emma." He strolls back in the opposite direction towards the James building.
I continue to stand there a few moments after, slowly processing the bizarre twenty-four hours I just had. I shake my head before smiling and turn around to my dorm.
*** *author's note* Thanks for continuing 💕
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