Home Runs and Heart Beats

Chapter Four

Connor was right about Katelyn or, Katie as she likes to be called. She was barely ever around, and when she was, it was only for about five minutes, tops. No seriously, Ella had probably only seen her roommate a total of thirty minutes during the two weeks she'd been on campus.

Most of those interactions involved Katie storming into the room, frantically searching for a change of clothes, and storming right back out. Sometimes, she'd come back when Ella was getting ready for bed, looking for another change of clothes, this time pulling out something along the lines of party wear, and lightly closing the door behind her instead of slamming it. At least, she was being polite.

No words, besides the occasional "Hello" or "Bye" were uttered between them. Which I'm sure would have been any freshman's nightmare, but it didn't really bother Ella all too much.

She wasn't necessarily trying to make friends. She was here for her research, and her research only. She had plenty of friends back home in Miami. (Which she would be going back to, thank you very much)

In some cases, she was actively trying not to make friends, but the student body around campus (save for her roommate) was unusually cheery.

Everybody around Ella–everybody in her classes and at the library– really was trying to make friends, and sometimes she just had to go along with it, lest she come off rude.

One prime example of this was in her media advertising class. Ella had been content to just sit and listen to the professor lecture on and on about the different forms of media and advertising techniques. Was it boring? Yes. Did she listen? No. But that's what cramming right before a mid-term was for. Old habits, die hard.

Until her professor pulled up another slide on the lecture and in big, bold, Ariel font the phrase, 'GET INTO GROUPS OF TWO' was pictured.

Ella internally groaned. She never had the chance to introduce herself to anyone in the class, with her entering in the middle of the semester, most of the students already knew each other and were acquainted. She watched as students around the class began moving their chairs to pair up, chattering away with each other.

This was going to be fun. She unconsciously bowed her head toward her notebook.

"Hey," a velvety, deep voice said from above her. "Want to pair up?"

Ella looked up. There was a guy standing in front of her. From where he was standing, he seemed to be eight feet tall. She blinked. She didn't even recognize him. Maybe he sat at the back of the class.

"Sure," she said slowly, scooting over to let him slide into the chair next to her.

"Ella, right?" He said, taking a seat next to her.

She recognized his voice. He always seemed to be raising his hand when the professor had a question for the class.

"Right," she said.

"I'm Lysander," He said, pulling out a notebook from his book bag. North face. "I'm a media communication major, what about you?"

"Same," she fidgeted a bit before adding. "I took this class as an elective."

He laughed. "So did I. I never noticed you before two weeks ago. Just didn't feel like coming to the first month of class?"

She grimaced slightly. "No, I actually moved here about two weeks ago. I'm here for my thesis research."

He sent her an impressed look. "Wow, they must have really wanted you in the program if they let you join up in the middle of the semester."

Ella looked down, feeling her cheeks bloom with heat.