What We Take Away

Chapter 6 | Zac

September 12th, 2005

It's one of those mornings where I manage to wake before my alarm. It takes me all of three minutes to brush my teeth and get dressed. I sling my gym bag over my shoulder and skip down the stairs, leaving Swan Hall and its still-sleeping residents behind.

There's a grin on my face even though there's a light drizzle. It was a great weekend, and I'm still riding that high.

After going to Eddie's Tavern, our group decided to spend Saturday tailgating and going to the first football game of the year. In the vein of school spirit, Mohan and I used several tubs of green and silver body paint on ourselves. We even sprayed my hair green and his silver. I wore my lucky Aviators and a pair of black shorts and tied a plastic silver tablecloth around my neck like a cape. The paint was a bitch to remove later, but it was worth the eye roll from Cass. And then last night, several of us attended an outdoor film on the Lawn. I honestly don't remember what the movie was about since I spent most of the night trying to make her laugh.

My face heats as I recall the way she looked the night our floor went out for dinner – hair long, bare-shouldered, and that pretty smile... she was completely oblivious to the fact that every guy at the table was staring at her, including me. Did she dress up to impress someone in particular?

I try to ignore the nagging in my head as I cross the bridge over the train tracks and continue down Crescent Drive. Even if she was trying to impress someone, why do I care? She's entitled to do whatever she wants with and for whomever she wants. There's no doubt I was physically attracted to her from the start. But the more I spend time with her, the more I want to know her. She's intriguing and honest, and I'm drawn to her in a way that feels alarming...

Ahead, the Crow Sports Center complex looms into view. The drizzle changes into rain, and I pick up my pace. It's too soon to feel this way for someone. Cass and I have only been friends for a week, whereas Amy and I knew each other since middle school. It's probably just hormones at this point. Besides, I don't want to be in a relationship again for a long time, especially with how shitty it was to break up with Amy. Reaching the entrance to the sports center, I push the doors open and step inside.

I stamp my feet dry and take in the view. The lobby is vast and sparkling clean, opening to the second and third-floor balconies. A shining glass case of trophies line an entire wall to the left, showcasing the highest achieving awards athletic teams have brought home to Copper Hill over the last fifty or so years. I skip down the stairs to the lower level, where the student athlete weight rooms are located.

My clothes are damp, but I'm sufficiently warmed up for my lifting routine. I shove my bag in the corner of the weight room along with my teammates' stuff and walk towards an open bench near Jesse.

"How was your weekend?" Jesse asks in between back squats. The weight room echoes with the sound of heavy plates and thudding music. A pair of dumbbells rest on the floor next to the bench. I grab those and start my workout.

"Good. I hung out with people from my floor. You?"

I expel a breath while pulling the dumbbell up, completing a row. Inhale, repeat. The familiar smell of oxidized metal and sweat fill my nostrils as I work through my reps.

"Went to help my girlfriend's grandmother clean out her basement," Jesse grunts as he lowers himself again.

"That's generous. How long have you guys been together?" I ask.

"I've known Kayla pretty much all my life," Jesse grins. "But I didn't ask her out until last year." He tilts his head at me. "Get yourself a heavier weight. Don't cut corners."