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"Today we're going to change things up a bit," my biology TA says. His name is Scott Keller and he runs the bio labs for Dr. Stein, one of the main biology professors at the university. I'm zoning out completely, my thoughts anywhere but on the course as he speaks, and it isn't until I hear him say "we're switching up lab partners" that I finally snap to attention.
The students around me begin gathering up their belongings and finding other tables to sit at. I stay planted on my stool, felling like a deer caught in the headlights. It had taken close to an entire week for me to get comfortable enough to even speak with my old lab partner, Selena, and I'm startled to find that she goes straight to another girl across the room without looking back.
A chair squeaks against the tile floor as someone sits next to me, radiating an impressive amount of body heat.
"Mind if we pair up?" A familiar voice asks.
I glance sideways to find one of the hockey players Hazel and I had scammed at the Halloween party this past weekend. Alex I think his name was? His lips part into a warm smile, but his brown eyes have a mischievous glint to them that causes a lump to form in my throat.
Usually I have no problem talking to guys. Growing up in an abusive home didn't make me afraid of the world or every man in it; well, it did in the beginning but Nichole and I worked through that and despite a small dose of social anxiety that plagues me every now and then, the confidence I have in myself has grown a considerable amount. But with Alex watching me with his knowing stare, I'm suddenly all too aware of the fact that I'm dressed like the class hobo. My hair is tied up into a messy bun, I'm wearing sweatpants with "Denver" written along the pant leg, a university T-shirt, and beaten up sneakers. Nothing like the skimpy dress I had worn on Halloween.
At the head of the room, Scott begins scribbling instructions on the whiteboard as to how we are supposed to spend the rest of the class period.
"You hustled us," Alex says in a low voice.
I shrug once and rap my fingers on the textbook in front of me. "Gotta pay for my books somehow."
Amusement dances in his eyes, but he doesn't respond. Instead, Alex shifts his attention back to the front of the room where Scott begins directing the class.
We spend the next hour and half going through slides under microscopes and identifying the organisms we find in different pond water samples. I'm pleasantly surprised that Alex does his fair share of the work load and that I don't need to second guess him when he fills int he answers like I had to with Selena.
"You're pretty smart," I tell him as he moves over so I can peek at my sample.
He chuckles softly under his breath, and the minty scent tickles my nose. "Surprised?"
"A little," I admit sheepishly, pulling away from the lens to write down my answer.
"Why? Because I'm so good looking?"
A wave of heat rushes to my face. "I never said that." I turn my head to find Alex sitting so close our noses nearly touch and I back away from him out of reflex.
"You were thinking it," he murmurs, his lips twisting up into a grin that makes dimples appear in his cheeks. There's a cocky air to him now, one that gives me the impression that he's used to women openly complimenting his appearance.
"Does that usually work for you? That smile I mean."
Another laugh rumbles deep in his chest. "Yeah, actually. It almost always does."
I roll my eyes at him and hand him another slide. "You might want to step up your game then. Not every girl is going to fall for that." The words leave my mouth before I can stop them and I bite the inside of my cheek, silently scolding myself.
The last thing I want is for Alex to bring on the charm, but then again, why would he? Hazel and I scammed him out of $200 but why would that create any interest in me? I followed Hazel's lead, that was all. She's prettier than I am too, more of the girl-next-door type of beauty that seems to have men lusting after her left and right. I know I'm attractive as well, every person is in their own way, but I've never been one to hold the interest of the "jock" crowd. And handsome hockey players--like Alexander Woods--fall under that category.
Alex reaches out and twists a loose strand of my hair around his index finger, looping it back behind my ear. "What about that?"
The air feels as though it's stuck in my lungs. My eyebrows pull together as I peer up at him with my best annoyed look.
People around us are beginning to put away the slides and microscopes as they pack up to leave, but Alex stays where he is, his gaze glued to my face.
"Are you playing for the other team or something?" he blurts out.
"Excuse me?"
"It's totally okay if you are," he says quickly, lifting his palms up in defense. "I'm just wondering why you're not interested."
"You never said you were interested in the first place," I argue, exasperated. "A few smiles and slight touching doesn't necessarily mean a guy is into someone."
His brown eyes narrow as he studies my expression. I'm flustered from having been put on the spot, but I do my best to seem cool and collected.
"What if I said I was interested?" he asks, causing my hands to still with a group of slides in my grasp. "Is that what it would take? I have to spell it out for you?"
Of course he would have to, but I don't dare tell Alex that. There's no need for him to know about my total lack of experience with the opposite sex. A guy like him would more than likely only tease me for it. I can dish back flirtatious banter, but growing up with an abusive, controlling father kind of put a damper on dating as a teenager like most kids were able to do. I've never had sex with anyone, nor have I ever been in a relationship. Hazel has set me up on a few dates with some of the guys she knows, but I didn't have any feelings for them so I cut them loose.
"It wouldn't matter," I tell him before turning on my heel to carry our tray of slides to the back of the room.
When I return back to our table Alex is still there and has already wiped our microscope down and zipped the cover over it.
"Why wouldn't it matter?" His tone is light, but the look on his face tells a different story. He's trying to pry, searching for answers I don't feel comfortable explaining to him.
"Because I'm not interested." I snatch my bag from up off the floor and shrug on my coat. It's a half-lie. I mean, honestly, who wouldn't be interested in a guy like Alex? He's appealing to the eyes, and the mind.
"I can respect that," he says softly.
My heart flutters in my chest at his words. What kind of game is this guy playing?
"I'm sorry about the money," I tell him earnestly. "I can pay you back if you want."
"Don't bother, Mabes." He sticks a large hand out in front of himself, waiting patiently for me to take it. "Friends?"
I snort in response, but participate in the cheesy gesture of friendship anyway. I can't help but wonder if any woman has ever turned him down before.
✖️✖️✖️
I watch as Mabel leaves the lab and I can't tell if I'm more baffled or amused by our interaction. No one has ever flat out rejected me before like that and it leaves an odd, sinking feeling in my chest. My head is telling me maybe she just isn't into guys who play sports, she could be more of an intellectual type rather than physical, but I hadn't brought up hockey once. The plan that I had to seduce her in my own little game pretty much went down the toilet. Sure, Mabel responded to me touching her, but she didn't show any other signs of interest.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I stuff my book back in my bag and head out into the hallway. Mabel is about fifteen steps ahead of me, her dark hair bouncing on top of her head as she walks. Out of reflex my attention lowers to her ass and it's anything but disappointing, even in sweats. I groan internally at the sight of it in all of its round, perky glory. This woman is obviously smart, beautiful, witty...completely unlike most of the air-headed girls I'm usually around and she wants absolutely nothing to do with me. Hell, that only makes me want her more.
Feeling a rush of excitement flow through me, I quicken my pace so I'm walking next to Mabel. It doesn't take long for me to reach her and when I do she halts in her tracks, her green eyes flying to my face.
"What are you doing?" Alarm rings clear in her voice, and she flinches away as though she's afraid to stand too close to me.
How odd.
"Dinner?" I give her the lazy grin she swore didn't effect her, but I watch in amusement as it most certainly does.
Her pale face flushes pink and she drops her gaze to the floor. "I told you I wasn't interested."
"Dinner as friends then?" I rephrase.
Mabel sighs. "Don't you have hockey practice or something to be getting to?"
Okay, so she already knows I play hockey. "We had it earlier on in the day."
She rolls her eyes and starts walking again, faster this time in an effort to get away.
Thankfully my legs are much longer than hers and it's easy to catch up. "If anything I figured you owed me at least one dinner with the amount of money you managed to hustle from my friend and I."
She stops again, and I see her temper flare up as she narrows those soft green eyes at me. Bashful Mabel is hot, but angry Mabel is sexy as hell.
"I'm not going out with you," she spits back, her voice dripping with irritation.
"Want to study together then?" I'm thoroughly enjoying goading her. It's just too easy to get a rise out of her.
Mabel reacts accordingly, letting out an annoyed huff. "I have an A in biology, I don't need to study with you."
"Come on, it'll be fun. I've never had a girl friend before."
She laughs and for some reason my chest tightens at the melodic sound of it. "I'm sure you've had plenty of girlfriends."
I can't help but roll my eyes. "Not girlfriend, female friends. I've never really had a platonic relationship with a woman."
Mabel sucks her lower lip between her teeth as she bites down and peeks up at me from under her dark lashes. "Seriously?"
"Yes," I answer honestly, and suddenly I'm the one who's nervous. There's something about Mabel that's pulling me in like a magnet.
"Just to study then?"
"I thought you had an A in bio," I tease, bumping her shoulder lightly.
"I do, but how do you think I maintain that kind of grade?"
"Your social life must suffer a lot. Stein is a harsh grader."
Mabel's eyes shift back down to our feet and a silence fills the air between us as other students rush past us to get to the parking lots. They move around us, but I think it has more to do with my appearance than hers, and I begin to wonder if I weren't here with her if she would've been swept away by the stream of people.
Finally, after close to a two minute pause, she speaks. Her words are so soft that I don't quite catch what she's said though.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I said okay. We can study together." Mabel raises her voice this time, her posture straightening as she meets my eyes.
A victorious laugh threatens to bubble up from my chest but I choke it back, clearing my throat audibly. "Great. Your place or mine?"
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*gasp*
Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship?
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