The Art of Recovery

*FLASHBACK* Do You Even Lift?

So this is a flashback to when Noelle met Nick. I will include one for Ash soon, don't stress. This is her freshmen year at NYU, and she's at the gym with Ash there.

Enjoy!!!

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I swing my legs against the moving strip of treadmill, sweat pooling on my legs and running down to my ankles. I bit my lips as I increased the speed. Ash chattered on about some class project that sparked her interest. She was animations major with a minor in Art history. We share the class, and we were partners. I like her well enough, but she's really talkative. Not my type, but she's funny.

"Hey are you almost done? We need to do the collage and the paper with cited sources. C'mon...." She drawled, her whining barely penetrating my mask of sweat and determination.

"Yeah, five minutes" I say.

"Two."

"Three." I say, trying to bargain. She could unplug the treadmill. She's done it before.

"Fine.." She pouted, and glanced out the window. "Hey, you see that cute guy outside? He's short but that's minor. Anyway, do you think you could talk to him for me? I mean you're good at talking to people. I've seen you sweet talk professors to give you extra credit. Please!" She pleaded, practically dragging off the moving treadmill and across the blue tile floor.

"Nonononononono, please Ashley. Don't make me do this. He's going to think I'm a weirdo! What if we have classes together next year? He'll look at me weird! Ash-" I stop as we come into his earshot. She shoves toward the bench that the guy sits on. Now that I'm looking at him, I realize he is kind of cute, in that snarky kind of way. He has light brown hair, and dark sunglasses on. He has a red tank top shirt and khakis. His ear buds are plugged in, as he reads a book on.....Psychology.

So he's a smart one. I never appeal to those kind but it's worth a shot I guess.

I sit next to him, the sweat on my forehead has somewhat dried, and I smile at him. "Do you major in psychology?" I ask.

He unplugs an ear bud, and answers without looking at me. "Yeah, what about you?"

"Oh I'm in Art History and Classics but I've minoring in Psych. What made you want to major in it though?"

"It's fun to be able to justify how people act and why, but it mostly just makes me look smart." He says looking at me and grinning. "I'm Nick, and you?" He raises an eyebrow.

"I'm Noelle, where are you from?"

"San Francisco, you?"

"I'm from San Diego, wow seven hour drive to and from." I said a little surprised. I didn't expect a California guy in New York. "I guess I'm not the only fish out of water."

He laughs. "Yeah, I miss the Sun."

"Same, and the beach,"

"And nice people,"

"With accents I can understand,"

"I feel that in my soul," He chuckles.

I look up at the sky, and my eyes widen as I focus on the sunset. The Sun drifted away from the grey clouds, and their borders were filled with light. I involuntarily sighed.

"You know you're just looking at the Sun passing into another hemisphere. Our huge Sun that is the star of our not so huge solar system in the Milky Way, which is only one of the galaxies."

I glared at him, but I couldn't help but smile at him. "Why is it the smart ones that spoil the sentimental moments. I haven't seen the Sun all day, and you just made it look like a tiny speck. Jeez."