AUGUST 2009 – WHEN THEY MET
The toffee-colored girl standing at five feet and zero inches with a subtly voluptuous body stood in awe of her unfamiliar surroundings. An excited grin covered her round face. All around her there was a commotion as students made their way throughout the many stations surrounding the small amphitheater constructed in Roman architecture. Her dark chocolate, shoulder-length hair was in its natural kinky curls with about three inches of the right side dyed a shade of vibrant purple. It was her favorite color. She wore a hoop in the piercing on the left side of her nose. She got it pierced during spring break in Panama City with her cousins just five months before. They thought it looked great. Her mom did not agree.
The college freshman had chosen to dress in a beige, knee-length sundress made of lace with a skater skirt and a low-cut back. She paired the dress with light brown wedges. The sun was shining bright, and so was her shy ambition. Going to a university six hours away from home wasn't really her choice. If she had her way, she would have stayed close to home. Her mother stressed the importance of building a relationship with her estranged father. He was an attorney and adjunct professor in the historically rich college town, so her mom encouraged her to apply to the university. When the acceptance letter arrived, the college newbie was hesitant to confirm her attendance. Learning that she wouldn't be alone gave her the courage to do it. Now, thanks to her mom's persistence and her six-foot-two athletic best friend, she's one of the small university's newest students.
Quad had arrived on campus three weeks ago because he was a football player and the team had summer training. Quad spent his free time, when he wasn't hanging with his new teammates and other athletes, letting his best friend know just what she had to look forward to in college. That was the reason she decided to move into her suite-style dorm on Thursday with the rest of the freshmen instead of on Monday, two days before classes started, as her mom suggested. Now she was supposed to be meeting Quad near the amphitheater so that they could enjoy the university-sponsored welcome back festivities being hosted on this hot and sunny Friday in August. She looked around at the mass of people while shading her hazel eyes with her long-fingered hands from the sun's glare. It didn't take long for her to spot him. He was on the approach flanked by two people she didn't recognize.
"Wynn!" Quad exclaimed. His large arms wrapped around her waist picking her up off her feet in a tight hug. She laughed while silently hoping that her dress wasn't rising and giving everyone a flash of her white cotton thong. "I missed you," Quad admitted while setting her free.
She rolled her eyes at his comment. "If you really missed me, then you would have helped me move into my dorm yesterday." Her lips pressed together as a knowing glint filled her eyes.
He had promised the night before that he would help her move, but he didn't make an appearance on the day of. Wynn, her mom, and her uncle had difficulty moving her boxes into the dorm on the fourth floor. Luckily, her dad made an unexpected appearance with his two sons nearly an hour into the adventure. It took all of them multiple trips to the parking lot before her belongings were unloaded. By the time they had finished, her mom and uncle had to hit the road so they could arrive home before it was too late. Her dad left soon after giving her money to order a pizza and extending a vague invitation for her to join him and his family for dinner whenever she was settled. She unpacked on her own and didn't get done until well into the night. If her so-called best friend hadn't broken his promise, she would've gotten finished a lot sooner. She also probably wouldn't have slept so late this morning that she nearly missed breakfast being served in the cafeteria.
Quad scratched the back of his neck. "Um, I meant to come to help you, but I got tied up with something important." Before she could question him about what could possibly be more important than being there for his best friend, he turned to the people who were with him. "I want to introduce you to some people. Wynn this is my teammate Luke and his girlfriend, Nicole."
Wynn turned her attention to Quad's friends and felt her breath slip from her lungs. To her immediate right was Luke. Fine didn't seem to be the appropriate word for the exceptional specimen standing before her. She had always had a liking for tall guys with green eyes. Both of which could be used to describe Luke – the olive-toned Adonis. Quad was tall, but Luke was definitely taller. He was also more muscular; she could practically see his washboard abs through the thin white t-shirt he wore. He had a head full of subtly wavy dark blond, nearly brown, hair. His chiseled facial structure with his sharp handsome features made him too attractive for his own good. If he thought he was God's gift to women, Wynn couldn't say that she blamed him. She wished she could snap a picture to send to her cousins. They would never believe her when she told them about the man standing before her. He definitely was not a boy.
Without commenting on her obviously checking him out, he extended his hand. "I'm Luke." He re-introduced himself in a voice that was satin smooth and deep. An intrigued smile pulled at his lips as he subtly looked Wynn over from head to toe. Quad had mentioned his nerdy best friend who was "cute" and "nothing special to look at." Standing face to face with her now, Luke was sure Quad had to have been referring to someone also because the person he was meeting was beautiful in a nearly classical way. Her round cheeks and expressive eyes casted an innocence about her that he wouldn't mind tainting. It was too bad that he would probably never get the chance. She was Quad's almost sister, so she was off-limits.
Wynn giggled at his words. "Really? You look more like a Nicole," she flirted surprising herself and Quad too. He cocked his head and watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. Suspicion had his mouth twisting and his nostrils flaring. He opened his mouth to intervene, but Nicole beat him to the punch.
"Nicole would be me." She smirked while placing herself in front of Luke. The snobbish girl had luscious jet-black hair, an oval-shaped face, and dark blue eyes filled with coldness. When she spoke up, it caused both Wynn and Luke's attention to drift to her. It was then that Wynn remembered Quad had introduced the girl as Luke's girlfriend. Nicole placed a hand on Luke's arm, claiming what was hers. "And you would be?" She questioned with a slight roll of her neck. Nicole and Luke hadn't been a couple for long, but she was already used to the eager eyed girls that smiled in his face while secretly hoping for more. He was a hot meal that everyone wanted a bite of.
Wynn took a step back, sensing the girl's threatening tone. "I'm Wynter, but all my friends call me Wynn," she introduced herself with a polite smile. The southern charm in her voice usually made her likable to everyone she met.
Nicole pursed her thin lips. "Nice to meet you, Wynter." With the mere inflection in her voice, she was making it known that the two of them were not friends and they never would be. Nicole saw Wynn for what she really was ... a threat. It was no secret that Luke got bored easily in his romantic entanglements. Everyone expected him to drop Nicole as soon as summer ended, but somehow, she had managed to stick around. She had fought like hell to keep him looking only at her. Judging by the curious gleam she saw in his eyes now; he was thinking about making Wynn his next fling. Nicole could not let that happen.
"I didn't mean to offend you," Wynn said as her eyebrows pulled to the center of her forehead.
Nicole scoffed and turned up her face. "You don't have the power to offend me."
"Okay, Nic, you can put the claws away." Luke gave an apologetic smile before placing his long arm around Nicole's slender shoulders and pulling her into his side. "There's no need for a catfight today."
"There better not be," Nicole grumbled with a roll of her eyes. She didn't waste time leading Luke away from the new girl.
Quad nudged Wynn with a frown pull down his mouth. "What was that?"
Wynn's eyes widened. "What?"
"You flirted with Luke in front of his girlfriend. Since when are you that kind of girl?"
"I'm not," she assured him. "It was a momentary lapse of judgment."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Don't let it happen again," he ordered. He didn't particularly like having her show that kind of attention to someone else. "You ready to have fun?"
"Um, yeah. Let's do it." Wynn quickly realized that she would be paired with Quad for the night's festivities. The arrangement would do nothing to aid her attempts to get over the all-consuming crush she'd had on him since their junior year of high school. A crush that he was clueless about as far as she knew.
Wynn still remembered how it developed. Quad had come over one day and bragged about being with Shelina Cooper, giving vague details about how they had fooled around. He was like a kid that just bought a bag of his favorite candy. She'd let her disgust be known. Quad responded by claiming that she would enjoy the things he did to Shelina. Jokingly, Wynn challenged him to prove it and he did just that. They didn't go all the way, but they went far enough that Wynn assumed their friendship wouldn't be the same. It was her first time dabbling in anything sexual. It meant something to her. She thought it meant something to him as well. She was wrong. The next day she got to watch as he made out with Shelina in the school hallway. She didn't talk to him for nearly two weeks and even then, he had to bring her favorite candy and agree to go bowling, something he hated to do but she enjoyed.
The four college students made their way toward the free t-shirt line. Wynn looked around at the diverse student population buzzing with activity. This wasn't the place she imagined herself in a year ago, but maybe she would enjoy her time at the university after all. It seemed like a good school and the campus wasn't too big for her to navigate.
"Quad, do you see Aaliyah?" Luke questioned.
Quad shook his head in response. "Not yet."
Wynn looked up at him. "Who is Aaliyah?" She questioned with genuine curiosity. She didn't know anyone by that name.
Quad didn't hear her because he had spotted the perfectly sculpted, caramel-toned girl with loose coiled, shiny black hair, and lips that looked like they were made for kissing. "There she is!" He exclaimed before jogging toward her.
"There who is?" Wynn's voice was filled with confusion. She felt like she was missing something important.
Nicole smirked. "Aaliyah is Quad's girlfriend." Satisfaction filled her eyes as the smile dropped from Wynn's face.
"When did you get a girlfriend?" Wynn questioned catching up with the happy couple. Disappointment filled her. Her best friend had a girlfriend, and he hadn't even bothered to tell her. They told each other everything, even the things they didn't want to know about each other.
Quad chuckled. "I told you about Aaliyah after we met at orientation."
Wynn folded her arms across her chest. "No, you didn't." She fought the urge to pout. Pouting was for children who didn't get their way. She was not a child.
"Are you sure? I could've sworn that I told you."
"You didn't. I wouldn't have forgotten something like that."
Aaliyah rolled her dark eyes and clutched Quad's hand. "It doesn't matter. Let's go." She pulled at her boyfriend's hand wanting to lead him away.
Quad didn't budge. "Hold on, babe. You two need to meet. Aaliyah, this is my oldest friend, Wynn. Wynn, this is my girlfriend, Aaliyah."
"It's nice to meet you," Wynn said with a forced grin. It was anything but nice to meet the girl that had somehow locked Quad into a relationship before the semester had even begun.
Aaliyah stiffly nodded her head in acknowledgment. "Alright, I've met her. Can we go now?"
"You're so damn impatient." Quad shook his head with a playful smile and allowed his girlfriend to pull him away.
Wynn watched with a twisted mouth. It didn't take a genius to see that this day was not going to go how she thought it would. Heck, she was beginning to believe that the next four years weren't going to be anything like she hoped for. In the short time that her best friend had been here, she could see that he was changing. It wouldn't matter how nice the college was if she ended up being alone.
For two hours, Wynn walked behind the two couples with her head hanging. She felt like the odd one out. The fifth wheel. She wasn't included in their conversations. No one asked if she was hungry when they passed the row of food booths. In fact, she stopped to grab a slice of pizza, and they continued walking without her. She managed to run and catch up without them ever realizing that she had been left behind. She endured the awkward grouping until she had enough. It was time for her to part ways with the double date.
She stopped walking as they neared the stage where a live DJ and hype man were. She called out to her friend. "Hey, Quad." He either didn't hear her or didn't care to listen. "Quad." She tried again, but he still didn't hear her. "Quad!"
Luke nudged him. "Hey, Wynn is calling your name."
"Oh, what's up?" Quad turned to her with a smile on his face undoubtedly because of his girlfriend who hadn't said more than two words to Wynn.
"I'm going to go," she announced while trying to hide how pathetic she felt. This was supposed to be their chance to catch up after not seeing each other for nearly a month, but he had forgotten she was there.
Quad frowned, "Why?"
Casually she shrugged her shoulders. "You're busy, and it's not fun walking around by myself."
"You're not by yourself." His thick eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Don't go." Quad reached out for her.
"No, let her go," Nicole muttered turning away from the conversation. Aaliyah nodded her head in agreement.
"Be nice," Luke urged. His focus remained on Wynn. Quad hadn't noticed it, but it was obvious that she was sad. "You should stay. We'll stop ignoring you. Right, Quad?"
Quad quickly nodded his head. "Yeah, my bad, Wynn. So, are you staying?"
Aaliyah pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest as she glared at her boyfriend. "If she wants to leave, then let her. I don't know why you invited her anyways."
"I second that," Nicole snickered.
With a scowl, he turned his attention to his catty girlfriend and her friend. "You both need to chill. I invited her because she's my friend."
Luke took a step towards Wynn. "Ignore them and stay."
Nicole scoffed and shoved at his chest. "Excuse you?"
"Not now, Nic," he grumbled.
Wynn shrugged one more time before turning to leave. "I'll see you later." The words were said so softly she doubted anyone heard them.
She returned to her dorm and wallowed in self-pity. She tried to call her cousins, but neither of them answered. They were probably busy getting settled into their own dorms. Her suitemates weren't home either not that she would have talked to them about her problems. She didn't know them. They had briefly introduced themselves during yesterday's move-in, and she shared the pizza with them, but that was all of the interaction they'd had so far.
Resigned to spending a day alone in the cold suite, she curled up on the university provided charcoal gray suede mid-century modern sofa in the common space with a black throw blanket that was handed out on move-in day. At least the college knew that the dorms were perpetually cold. The blanket had the university's emblem sewn into the bottom right corner and was long enough for one person to use. She lifted the black remote off the university provided black faux wood coffee table and turned on the flat-screen smart television hanging on the farthest wall between the two tall windows. The dorms had clearly been remodeled to fit in with the modern style of current society. The university had done its best to make the place feel like home. The furniture was decent and there was plenty of sunlight. Wynn was grateful for that.
To live in a suite-style dorm like the one she was in, cost an additional $500 per semester. Luckily, Wynn's scholarship covered her living expenses or she would be in one of the traditional hotel room-style dorms. There was a kitchenette to the left of the door when you entered with a full-sized refrigerator, stove top without an oven, full sink, and cabinets. There were three bedrooms and one bathroom. Each bedroom had a height adjustable twin-sized bed, desk, and a plain dresser. The walls were plain, and the floors were tiled concrete. It would take a lot of decorating and personalizing to make it into a place she would be comfortable living in for the next nine months. It seemed like she would have plenty of time to do it since her so-called best friend was too busy to remember she existed.
~~*~~
Wynn was three hours into her Netflix binge-a-thon when her cell phone sounded. She lifted it from the arm of the couch and saw that it was her mom calling.
"Hey, Mommy," Wynn answered the call faking enthusiasm.
"Hey, love. How's your day been? Have you seen Quad?"
Wynn sat up on the couch. "My day has been fine. I hung out with Quad earlier, but he had plans with his girlfriend, so we parted ways."
"He has a girlfriend. He's only been there three weeks. Lord, I hope he isn't up there letting some jersey chaser sweet talk in his ear. I know Mandy raised him better than that." Mandy was Quad's mom. She and Wynn's mom have worked together for twenty years. That was how their kids became friends.
Wynn let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know anything about her other than she's pretty and definitely his type."
"So, you've met her," Kim assumed.
"We met briefly. She seems... alright."
Kim grunted with disapproval. "That's code for you don't like her. You don't like any of Quad's girlfriends."
Wynn scoffed and shook her head even though her mom couldn't see her. "That's not true. I like Keyla. The others have all been ... unpleasant to be around."
"You're not wrong about that," Kim grumbled in agreement. "I'm going to ask Mandy if she knew about this new one. Keep an eye on him. You know Quad tends to get himself into trouble. Do you have your class schedule yet?"
"Yeah, it was on my online portal this morning," Wynn answered. "I got into all the classes my advisor told me to select."
"Well, that's good. Make sure you go to the bookstore on Monday. Your scholarship came with a $300 voucher for books and your Dad promised to deposit another $300 in your student account for them. College textbooks are expensive."
Wynn rolled her eyes with an amused grin. "Yes, you've told me that before."
"I just want to make sure you remember," Kim fussed. "It felt strange waking up without you here today. The house was quiet without your loud music playing."
"My music does not be loud. You just have the hearing of a dog," Wynn counterargued. She stayed on the phone with her mom for over an hour catching up on their lives in the short time they'd been apart. It was an adjustment for both of them.
It wasn't long after she ended the call with her mom that her cousin, Dejah, called her. "How's college treating you, newbie?" Dejah was a year older than Wynn. She was attending college at a university only three hours from their hometown.
"The campus is nice and my suitemates seem nice," Wynn answered.
"That's good," Dejah commented. "I'm in a single room this year. I cannot do the roommate thing again."
"Did you help Gabby get moved in?" Gabby was Dejah's younger sister. She was the same age as Wynn and chose to go to the same college as her sister.
"Yeah, that brat is moved in," Dejah huffed. Dejah and Gabby were half-sisters. They had the same dad, Wynn's uncle, but different moms. They were close when they were younger, but when Gabby's mom married a man with a nice job and a little extra money, Gabby started acting like she was better than her sister and cousin.
"I still can't believe she chose to go to Alabama A&M with you. You would think a college like that would be too ghetto for her," Wynn commented with a humored lilt to her voice.
Dejah smacked her lips together. "We'll see how long she lasts here. Anyways, have you seen Quad?"
Heavily Wynn sighed as she responded. "Yeah, I saw him today. We were supposed to hang out, but his rude girlfriend got in the way."
"Nuh-uh girl, say more words."
"There was a back-to-school thing at the amphitheater and Quad invited me to go with him. Only he failed to mention that his teammate, Luke, Luke's obnoxious girlfriend, and Quad's flavor or the week would be there too."
Dejah hummed. "So, I take it his new crew is no good."
"Luke was nice," Wynn interjected. "He's also really good-looking. Before you ask, he's white so he's not your type."
"Girl, you know me well," Dejah laughed. "Tell me about Quad's new chick. What's her name?"
"Aaliyah. She's light-bright and stuck up. Just how he likes them. We just met today but she already doesn't like me. She was less than interested in our introduction, and she told him to let me leave because she didn't know why he invited me in the first place."
"Did Quad let his rat-faced girlfriend diss you like that?" Dejah questioned. Attitude leaked through her voice. She wasn't Quad's biggest fan as it was. Her cousin may have thought he hung the moon, but Dejah always suspected that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. He did everything he could to keep Wynn single, but he had a new girl on his arm every other week. It was a classic case of 'I don't want you, but no one else can have you.' Dejah tried telling Wynn that she needed to let go of the toxic friendship time and time again, but she just wouldn't listen.
Wynn laughed lightly. "Rat-faced? You've never even seen her."
"I don't care. She was rude to my cousin, so in my eyes she's ugly," Dejah insisted. "Just wait until I come to visit you. If she tries that when I'm around, it'll be on and popping before she can blink. I don't even know why you waste your time with Quad. He's a loser, and he's not even cute. You're a ten. He may be a six. It's past time for you to cut him off."
"You are painting it on thick. Besides, I told you that I'm moving on. He doesn't see me as more than a friend, so it's time for me to return the favor."
"You need to do one better and find a fine ass man to occupy your time, then drop Quad like hot garbage."
"I can't just drop him. We've been friends forever."
"That doesn't mean you're supposed to stay friends. People outgrow each other and you outgrew him a long time ago."
Wynn chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated her cousin's words. Dejah didn't like Quad, so her opinion was filled with bias. Wynn didn't believe she was outgrowing their friendship. Today hadn't gone how she expected but tomorrow could be different. It was too soon to give up. It was too soon to cut off her best friend. He was there for her when even Dejah wasn't. There was no way she could turn away from him. Not now.
~~*~~
It was after seven when Quad called requesting that Wynn come to his suite where an impromptu party was taking place. Hesitantly, she changed out of her now wrinkled dress into a pair of cropped jeans and a light gray cropped tee with black sandals. She walked the five-minute walk to the athletic dorms and waited for Quad to come and let her into the building after she sent a message informing him of her arrival. Surprisingly, Luke was the one to jog off the elevator and push the glass door open for her.
"Quad couldn't be pulled away from Grand Theft Auto," he explained as they walked back to the elevator to journey to the sixth floor. "How do you know him anyway?" Luke inquired. Quad referred to Wynn as his friend, but he never said how they met.
Wynn stole a glance at Luke. "We've been friends all our lives. Our moms work together and are friends," she explained. "How do you know him?"
Luke licked his naturally red lips drawing her attention to them. "Every freshman on the football team is assigned a senior advisor. I was assigned to help Quad," he informed her.
Wynn's arched eyebrows rose in a questioning manner. "You're a senior?"
Luke nodded his head. "Yep. I graduate in May."
"What about ... um ..."
"Nicole and Aaliyah," Luke interjected. He could tell she was uncomfortable mentioning them. "Nicole is a senior like me. Aaliyah is a junior. The two of them are kind of a package deal. I'm sorry about their behavior earlier. They don't take kindly to new people."
Wynn's lips pressed together. "You shouldn't be apologizing for them. They're grown women. They're responsible for their own behavior."
"You're right about that." Luke gave a slight chuckle. He watched her warily before folding his arms and cocking his head. "Why did you leave?"
"What?" Wynn was caught off guard by his question.
Luke shifted his weight onto his right leg. "You left earlier, why?" he clarified.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Because."
"Because why?" He waited patiently, clearly expecting an answer.
"It felt like y'all were on a double date, and I didn't like being the fifth wheel."
"You weren't the fifth wheel. You were invited."
"Quad invited me so we could catch up, but he forgot I was there. The four of y'all were doing your thing and I was walking behind you. Plus, it was obvious Nicole and Aaliyah didn't want me around, so I didn't see a point in sticking around." She shrugged her shoulders.
"Yet you came tonight."
"I'm not sure about this either," she admitted almost shyly.
"Hmm." He pondered her response as the elevator doors opened. "Hopefully, this will be different." Luke led her to the right and down the hallway that looked like it belonged in a hotel before they stopped in front of a red door marked 615.
"I hope so too," Wynn mumbled.
Before opening the door, Luke looked down at Wynn. "Just stick with me," he instructed. There were already a lot of people present and he didn't want her to get lost in the crowd. If that happened, he had no doubt that she would leave again while feeling ignored by the one person she knows at the university.
Wynn nodded, following him through the door. There were people everywhere. Some were sitting on the sofa identical to the one in her suite, but most were standing. The only light source was a tall lamp in the corner of the room and the light flooded in from the kitchenette where more people stood around. The doors to all three bedrooms were closed, and there was a line forming outside of the bathroom. It was her first college party, and she wasn't sure what to make of it.
"Do you want something to drink?" Luke shouted over the loud music. Wynn nodded her head not sure if he would be able to hear her. Luke led her to the kitchenette. He shoved his way through the mass of bodies, opened the fridge, and pulled out a wine cooler. "Here, it doesn't have a lot of alcohol." He handed the glass bottle to her.
She frowned looking at the bottle like a ticking bomb. "I'm not twenty-one yet."
"There isn't anything non-alcoholic unless you want to drink water from the tap. I strongly advise against it." He could see her hesitation. It only confirmed what he already knew, Wynn was good. He had no clue how she'd become friends with someone like Quad. "I won't let you get wasted," he assured her. He hadn't been drinking a lot lately so he would be able to keep an eye on her.
"Thanks." Wynn accepted, using her shirt to twist the cap off. Luke shrugged and leaned against the counter. He watched her as she looked around seeming to take in the scene. Her dark eyes held a curious light to them. Her manicured eyebrows were drawn toward the center of her forehead and her nose slightly wrinkled as her lush lips pursed. Wynn noticed his intense stare and shrank back. "You're staring. Do I have something on my face?" She worried, placing her free hand over her mouth.
Luke chuckled and shook his head. "No, you're just...interesting to watch. There's something about you that makes me curious."
"What would that be?"
"I don't know," he murmured the words thoughtfully.
"Well, let me know if you figure it out."
"Oh, I'm sure I will," he commented. "There is one thing I can't figure out thought. How are you friends with Quad? You seem like the quiet and innocent type. Definitely not the kind of person who runs in the same circles he does."
"I'm not that innocent, and Quad didn't always act how he does now." Luke cocked his head and waited for further explanation. Wynn sighed, setting her bottle on the counter behind her. "There was a time when his idea of a fun night was us staying in the house, watching comedy movies, and eating chocolate covered popcorn. That changed when he joined our middle school football team and became a lot more social."
"And you stuck by his side all this time," Luke assumed.
"Of course, we're best friends." A proud grin stretched across her face. She obviously valued her friendship with Quad. Luke wasn't so sure the feeling was mutual.
"Did you ever play any sports?" he questioned wanting to change the subject.
"I played soccer throughout middle school and high school."
"You didn't want to play for college."
She shrugged her shoulders. "Not really. College sports kind of steal the focus from academics, and I need great grades to get into law school."
Slowly he nodded his head. "That makes sense. Was soccer the only sport you played?"
"No, I also played basketball until my tenth-grade year, but I let it go because I was not very good."
"More of a book nerd?" Luke teased. "I can see that." Wynn radiated intelligence.
She rolled her eyes. "While I admit that I do love to read, I didn't spend all my free time sitting around getting lost in a good book."
"Oh, is that so?"
"I did theater, took very advances classes, national honor society, student council, and student affairs committee which should be the same thing, but for some odd reason they weren't at my school."
His eyes widened. "You were a busy person."
She chuckled. "I guess you could say that. What about you? Did you do anything extraordinary?" Her voice rose in pitch as she teased him.
Luke took a sip of the beer he had gotten for himself before he answered. "The first thing you should know about me is that I went to private school. A Christian private school to be exact."
"Oh, so you're one of those guys."
"Exactly," he chuckled. "I played football, obviously, and somehow kept my ground beef of a brain intact enough to be an honor student. I also did about three semesters of student government before I let it go, much to my parents' dismay. They were already planning my 2032 presidential campaign, so you can imagine the disappointment when they realized that I had no political aspirations. That was about it for me."
"You were pretty busy too," Wynn commented while picking her bottle back up and taking a sip. The music shifted, and a popular Rihanna song came on. She began to mouth the words while barely moving her body. It was enough for Luke's eyes to stray to her hips. He licked his bottom lip, shook his head, and looked away. They were people dancing, including Nicole with the only Italian basketball player on campus. He watched them long enough to see his so-called girlfriend press her silicone filled booty into the guy's crotch trying to tease a reaction from him. It was typical of Nicole's behavior. She fussed and yelled about Luke being committed to her, but she rubbed all over another guy's dick the first chance she got.
Luke rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Wynn. "We should go dance," he suggested. There were people scattered around dancing to the music. About six guys were standing in front of the thirty-two-inch flat screen while one played the latest Grand Theft Auto video game on the PS4.
Wynn agreed to dance with Luke. He stepped out of the kitchenette and walked about five steps, before grabbing her hand and pulling her back to his chest. He held onto her waist and moved his own hips in sync with hers. Wynn rolled her hips and whined her waist to the rhythm of the music. They danced for three songs with his hands gripping her tighter and tighter as their movements became more sexual. It was when Luke was holding onto Wynn's hand with their arms stretched into the air as he watched her whine her body into his that Quad found them.
His expectant grin turned into a scowl as he stomped over. He yanked his best friend away from his teammate. "What the fuck, bruh? You have a fucking girlfriend, and it's not Wynn." His voice was loud, drawing attention.
Luke shook his head. "Calm down, dude. We were just dancing."
Quad folded his arms tightly across his chest. "It didn't look like dancing to me. It looked like you were dry humping my best friend."
Wynn chose that moment to speak up. "Quad, please calm down. You're being dramatic and that's usually more my style." She placed a hand on his arm.
He shook it off. "You don't want to start with me right now."
Her mouth popped open. "We were just dancing. You've done it before."
"What I do and what you do are two different things," Quad snapped.
Luke rolled his eyes. "What's your deal? We're here having a good time." He opened his arms something like a shrug.
Quad's nostrils flared. He turned to Wynn. "You need to go."
"What?" She was baffled. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"Come on, man. Don't be like that. She can stay." Luke reached forward towards Wynn, but Quad slapped his hand away.
"Get the fuck out! Leave!" He barked at Wynn.
She jumped back with wide eyes that searched his dark, angry ones. "Are you serious right now?"
"Deadly." His chest rose and fell as he glared at her.
"You know what, screw you, Quad. I don't want to be around you anyways." With her head hung, Wynn turned and left. Luke looked after her with a longing expression.
~~*~~
Wynn didn't have time to dwell over Quad's rude behavior. She spent Saturday getting familiar with the campus because Sunday she was busy. Her father had invited her to church followed by lunch with his family. Wynn was nervous. She hadn't interacted much with the man since her sixteenth birthday. He showed up at the party, gave her the keys to her car, and left all in less than an hour. Even when he showed up to help her move into the dorm, he hardly said more than five words to her. Wynn didn't know the full story of what happened between her parents. All she knew was that her dad was hardly ever around growing up. Her mom always told her that he was busy with work. He was an attorney with the largest firm in the state and his job kept him too busy to visit her often. Wynn had inherited that interest. Her college concentration was pre-law and she planned to go to law school.
Lionel Grant stood tall outside of the white plastered church waiting on his estranged daughter. He wore a pale blue seer sucker suit with off-white loafers. His salt-and-pepper hair was cut low to his round head. His mocha skin was wrinkled from age. He looked like a typical southern gentleman...only darker.
When Wynn walked toward the red church steps, her dad stepped down. "Hi," she awkwardly greeted him.
"Hey," he responded, keeping his hands clasped in front of him. "We should go inside. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves by being late." Together they walked inside the sanctuary and joined Lionel's family pew. Lionel had a wife and two sons that Wynn didn't know much about. The wife, Cindy, was from South Korea and used to be a teacher. The sons were named Jerry and Lionel Junior. Wynn thought they were in middle school, but she wasn't sure. She didn't talk to them much on Thursday.
Wynn spent the morning and afternoon with her father and his family. It was odd. She didn't know how to carry herself. It was clear they had money. They lived in a named community with wrought-iron gates and security that greeted you when you arrived. The large, two-story house had a stucco exterior and was painted a pristine creamy-brown color. It had a circular front, tall white columns, and vast windows that flooded the spacious interior with natural light. The driveway curved and went downhill. Wynn gasped and nearly wrecked her car into a tree when she saw the tennis court in front of the house. There was a four-car garage, an outdoor dining room, a pool, six bedrooms, and four bathrooms.
Wynn was equal parts impressed and distressed. Her mother raised her in a lower-middle-class neighborhood, with a car that barely ran, and a yard that was mostly dirt. They didn't live in total poverty, but they didn't live in the lap of luxury. She knew for a fact that her father never financially contributed. It made no sense to her how he was comfortable knowing one of his kids was living well below the standards that his other kids were used to. It was unfair, to say the least. Wynn went to public schools all her life. Her brothers were enrolled in a private academy. Wynn got new clothes twice a year, for Christmas and for the beginning of the new school year. Cindy had just gone shopping yesterday. Wynn didn't have her own spending money unless she got a job. Lionel junior was complaining about the spending limit on his credit card. Their lives were a further reminder of why she didn't belong here.
"This is for you." The slender woman with jet black, bone straight hair cut into a sleek bob, handed over two medium-sized gift bags to Wynn. "We couldn't make it to your graduation because of a prior commitment, but we bought you something," Cindy informed her.
"Thank you." Wynn accepted the gifts with a forced smile. She was uncomfortable. She wanted to return to her dorm and forget her father and his family existed.
"You can open them now, Wynter," Lionel informed her. Wynn pulled the lavender bag into her lap first. She moved around the white gift paper and pulled out a black leather backpack. It was clearly designer and high-end. The zippers were a bright gold color. There weren't any side pockets. It was on the small side, but at least a couple of books would fit inside of it.
"Do you like it?" Cindy questioned. "I saw it and thought it would be perfect. Even in college you still need a backpack."
Wynn smiled politely. "It's nice. Definitely better quality than the one I already have. Thank you." Inside the second bag was a teal tunic blouse and khaki colored, stretchy pants. Wynn thanked her dad's wife a second time.
"Did you get settled into your dad?" Cindy asked as they sat around the outdoor dining table.
"I did. Everything is unpacked and where it's supposed to be," Wynn responded.
Cindy nodded her head. "Do you have an area rug or curtains?"
"Not yet."
"Tell me what color scheme you want and I'll buy those for you. I want to make sure that the dorm feels like a home."
"Oh, um, you don't have to do that."
"Nonsense, I want to," Cindy insisted.
Lionel chuckled. "Cindy loves to shop. You better get used to her buying you things."
Cindy grinned and waved off her husband's words. "As a matter of fact, you can meet me at the home goods store so we can picture something out together. What's your schedule like Wednesday?"
"It's the first day of classes, so I won't be free until after one o'clock."
"That's perfect. Do you want me to pick you up on campus?"
"No, I can drive myself." Wynn didn't know what to think of her stepmother. The woman is nice and welcoming. Wynn knew Cindy didn't have anything to do with Lionel's distant relationship withy her, but she still wasn't sure if she should like her.
It was a little past two in the afternoon when Wynn headed back to campus. Her father made her promise to come back next Sunday. Her mom wanted them to bond, so she would try. She didn't see it going very far. Her father clearly lived a life much different from her own. She didn't know how to fit in.
When she got back to her suite, she pulled out her cell phone ready to send Quad a message complaining about the day she had endured. Wynn stopped short, remembering what happened Friday night. She had never seen her best friend so angry. Worse yet, Wynn couldn't figure out what had set him off. Granted, Wynn probably shouldn't have been dancing with Luke the way she had. He had a girlfriend. Of course, he didn't seem to mind at the moment. In fact, Wynn vaguely remembered seeing Nicole dancing with someone else. That was none of Wynn's business though. Besides, Luke's relationship status still didn't explain Quad's behavior. It wasn't like he was Wynn's boyfriend. He didn't really have a reason to be angry. Disappointed? Yes. Angry? No. Wynn hadn't talked to Quad since that night. She had learned long ago to leave him alone when he was in a bad mood. Eventually, he would suck it up and apologize. He always did and she always forgave him.