Interdimensional Love

Chapter 1

Reading is torturous for me.

I don't think it's torturous in the sense that it is to most people - I don't hate reading. It's not the lack of sensation or the boringness of it all. In fact, it's the opposite. Books are the constant reminder that I live in a world that is not fictional. A world that is composed of the same day to day actions that vary in slightly different ways. Don't get me wrong - I have a good life. I'm not like dying or in poverty or anything. I have a mom and a dad. A somewhat stable homelife. A secure future - I'm premed at a nice liberal arts school in a nice area.

But there's always this hole in my stomach. I feel achy, alone, anxious for people I don't even know. I long for experiences I won't ever have.

And that's all because of stupid books. Stupid, wonderful, beautiful, life-changing books. Books with secrets and lessons and philosophies and underlying meanings. Books with too much descriptive narration and funny side characters and cool statistics. Any book, good or bad, has affected my life in some way. I slam my book closed in frustration and shove my glasses back up my face. It lets out a resounding bang against the wood of the library table and I wince at the noise. After sitting in a basically silent library for two hours any kind of noise feels like a fractured eardrum.

"Everleigh?" I glance up at the sound of my name. A boy is standing next to my desk. I recognize him from one of my classes - he's usually surrounded by his group of friends and a bunch of girls. They're the ones who are laughing really loud all of class, but they're not mean or anything. Just annoying. 

"That's me," I respond - I keep my voice to a whisper. He flashes a smile - his teeth aren't blinding white but not yellow either. They're normal, I guess. He's tall - he towers over me and my desk. His hair's blonde and kind of long, and straight. It's a pretty color. Similar to mine but... oh my god, are those grown-out frosted tips? Oh lord - I'm not a fan of the whole fake cool-kid attitude so definitely not. I probable shouldn't judge him based on a hairstyle, but then again, why not. 

"I'm Wyatt - I think we have a philosophy class together." he continues. I get a flash of remorse for my instant judgement, but it leaves almost instantaneously when he flips his hair back away from his forehead. Less flipping, more like aggressive tossing. It could be compared to the after-effects of a seizure. But I'm pretty sure he's convinced he's the best thing since sliced bread. That stupid smile and the blue-eye twinkle thing? Yeah, no way do I trust this guy. "I was really confused about the assignment Mr. Mackerel posted - do you mind helping me out a bit?"

"Oh yeah, sure." the assignment WAS pretty hard. Took me an hour.  "But we can't do it in here - no talking allowed, it's the quiet area." I finish seriously. His smile turns a little mocking. 

"Quiet area?" his voice is teasing. Internally I roll my eyes - this tone is definitely his ladies man voice. It's at this point I'm supposed to be blushing and twirling my hair.

I'm not the blushing or twirling type, though. 

"There's people studying here - talking's pretty much prohibited. We can go to one of the common rooms or something." I offer. He isn't affected by my lack of blushing or twirling - his demeanor never changes. His stance remains easygoing, his eyes sparkly. Eyes sparkly? What am I, twelve? I need to use better adjectives in this ongoing monologue that is my brain.  Oh, he's said something and I wasn't listening. "Could you say that again? Sorry." Stop saying sorry all the time, Everleigh. 

"Oh yeah - you're good. I just said sure, we can go to a common room. But I was thinking like the diner or something because I'm hungry as fuck." Wyatt says nonchalantly. The diner to study? Maybe he's a Gilmore Girls fan or something. Whatever.  I put my book back into my bag and nod before hoisting my bag onto my shoulders.  We walk out the library doors, Wyatt chatting the whole time. He's used to talking a lot, I presume, and probably also used to shy girls. The thing is, I'm not shy. I just don't feel the need to fill every second of every day with words. 

"...have a boyfriend?" Wyatt's voice cuts into my brain. 

"What?"

"Don't you have a boyfriend? Jonathan or something. He was in my calc class last year." 

"No - we dated for a couple weeks but...well...you know." I shrug, run a hand through my loosely curled hair. Jonathan was some kid I met in my economics class. He was the definition of what a perfect boyfriend for me should be. We were compatible. He was smart, funny, chill, just nerdy enough to be interesting, sorta tall...and my hear just wasn't in it. No feelings whatsoever. I went through the motions because I've never had a boyfriend before and I wanted to see how it was...but the truth is, I honestly don't think I can feel love in the way that I want to. Not the way Mr. Darcy loved Elizabeth or Feyre loved Rhysand. And I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to truly feel that way about any REAL boy. 

Wyatt's still talking. "...kinda weird anyway. Obsessed with like Minecraft and shit. Not that gaming's weird or anything just like...Minecraft?" 

I nod nonchalantly "Mm-hmm." How far away is this diner? 

"Wyyyyyiiiiiiiitt!" I hear a shrill girly trill that makes me cringe. A girl practically skips out of her dorm building, her miniskirt flaring dangerously high on her upper thighs. Her legs are very very long. Her eyes are slanted and narrow and a gorgeous brown color. Her ethnicity is definitely somewhat middle-eastern but I'm not sure specifically from where. 

"-which doesn't really make sense because he's a fucking hockey player...oh, Hey Cameron!" Wyatt's ramblings are cut off again when Cameron bounces over to us and hugs him. 

"Where you going?" she asks. She hasn't even looked at me yet - I almost laugh out loud. 

"I'm really confused about philosophy and Everleigh's helping  me out." Wyatt answers. Cameron final looks over at me and smiles a toothy shiny smile. 

"Hey," I say, smiling. Her smile drops for half a second and she looks at Wyatt then back at me. Something in her eyes change. She looks at Wyatt like they have a special inside joke, and he smiles at her seemingly oblivious. The look said ugh sorry you're hanging out with this girl! Her skirt's below her butt and she wears glasses and has a brain. how boring. 

"Hiiiiiiiiii! I'm Cameron." she flashes me another bedazzling smile. I keep my face friendly but internally I can FEEL her attempt at dominance.  

"I know. You tried out for the lacrosse team last year right?" flexing MY dominance. She didn't make the lacrosse team last year. I did. 

"Yeahhhh but, you know. Sorority and sports is just...too much for one person." she drawls. She turns her head back to Wyatt-done with me already? I'm not succumbing to your stupid petty girl ways. "You coming to the thing tonight?" She obviously doesn't want me to know there's a party going on. Not that I want to go. Beer, idiots, and Cameron galore for five hours? Nooooo thank you. I have a new Holly Black book to finish and I want to finish Friends season 5. 

"The Alpha Phi party? Yeah, sure. Ev, you going?" Ev? I like it, kinda. Only my close friends call me Ev. He's not a close friend, Everleigh, he's just a boy either trying to feed his inferiority complex or trying to make out with you. There's no other reason for a boy to be this flirty, right? Maybe he's just nice. He asked me about the party. 

Cameron's fuming - this was supposed to be something to hold over my head, not something to bring me closer to her special friends. 

Truth be told, I don't really want to go to this thing, but if it means intruding on her stupid group then maybe I will. 

"Yeah, sure." I say, shrugging my shoulders. What's the worst that could happen?

A lot. Actually.