An update before I go on vacation for about two weeks. :) Enjoyyy
I wait patiently for Maya to return to our table during the lunch rush. I haven't seen her all week so she insisted we grab a meal during her hour block after her last class of the day and before her shift at the coffee shop. She arrives with a huff and drops into her seat. "You won't believe the week I had," she starts out. "I had three exams! Three!"
"Already?" I ask through a mouthful of my sandwich.
"Yes! Having two jobs typically isn't too bad except for when it's crunch time and I have to study. Luckily the coffee shop job is lenient with hours because it's work study but Food Mart is ruthless. They try to call me in early every day and each time I say no, I feel like my managers start to hate me more and more," she sighs as she puts dressing on her salad.
"Ouch," I mumble with a frown on my face. "They don't care that you're a student?"
"No, not really," she replies with a shrug. "It's fine. They'll get over it. Anyway, how was your week?"
"Fine...No exams," I say with a small smile. "I caught up on homework and hung out with my friend Aaliyah. I avoided my other friends like the plague."
"Do they ever text you to just hang out?" she inquires as she closes the plastic lid and mixes up her meal.
"No, only from Thursday to Saturday to see if I'm down to drive them around," I grumble quietly. 'We all used to get lunch and whatnot. Maybe it's because our schedules aren't lined up anymore but none of them individually make an effort to hang out with me. Plus, I'm pretty sure there's a group chat that I'm not apart of because where else would they make the plans about parties?"
"Screw them," Maya concludes with a shrug.
"I know. It just made me irritable this week. I had to try my best not to yell at my roommate," I respond with a sigh.
"How is she?" Maya asks with a short grunt.
"You were right about those lounge couches," I complain as I lightly rub my neck. I spent last night on one and they're not big enough to sleep on- that's for sure.
"You still could've come over, Ivy! I was just barricaded in my room," she says in a guilty tone. "The door is literally always unlocked. Just walk in. Asa won't say anything. Speaking of Asa!" She immediately perks up as she stares at me excitedly.
"What?" I reply through a mouthful of food. I wonder where this is going.
"He talked about you!" she cheers, which gets a slightly curious gaze from me. I'm confused as to why I'm supposed to care. "He asked why you weren't coming around."
"How did he say it?" I press with a knowing look on my face. I may not know Asa well but I know enough about him to know that he doesn't express excitement, especially not about me.
"That doesn't matter," she replies with a roll of her eyes. I continue to stare at her and she eventually sighs. "He asked if I got tired of you but I just told him about my exams and he caught on."
"So he didn't actually care that I wasn't around," I summarize with a small nod.
"He asked so that must mean he's warmed up enough around you to acknowledge when you're not around," she remarks with a hopeful smile.
"A grand gesture in itself," I retort sarcastically. "Why'd you feel the need to tell me that anyway?"
"Because I know you think he's cute," she mentions casually with a shrug. My cheeks redden and I gape at her.
"I have never said that, Maya!" I quickly shake my head in denial but her grin doesn't waver.
"You don't have to; I can tell," she giggles as her eyes search my face. I trace my cuticles in slight worry. Am I that transparent? If she can tell, can Asa? That's embarrassing. "Matter of fact, can you say it?"
"Say what?" I retort with a threatening squint. She's not intimidated at all and continues to tease with a childish beam on her face.
"That you think he's cute," she requests with a vivacious coo.
"No, I'm not going to say that," I dismiss her.
"Why not?" she whines before tilting her head. "Do you not think he's cute? Or do you think he's cute?"
"No-," I start only to get cut off.
"So you think he's cute?" she bombards me.
"No-," I attempt again as I clench my fist a little.
"Not cute?" she pesters as she leans forward.
"No-," I try but she stops me once more.
"So he's cute?" she asks and I sigh noisily and drag my hands down my face in frustration.
"Fine! He's cute. Yes. Whatever. Happy now?" I retort out of frustration. She cackles in a satisfied manner and I feel myself growing embarrassed.
"Yes," she confirms and my face reddens substantially.
"Why couldn't you just be a good friend and pretend you didn't notice?" I grumble as I stab at my pasta.
"I had to be sure before I started playing matchmaker," she replies as she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.
"No, Maya," I attempt to threaten with a raised fork.
"You know, I wasn't sure at first. I thought you guys were too different but the more I hang out with you, the more similarities I see," she explains as she squints in thought.
"You are not going to play matchmaker, Maya. His personality is-," I try to stop her but she jumps up from her spot.
"Ooh! Speak of the devil and he shall appear," she gasps as she spots Asa walking through the cafeteria doors. She waves her hand in his direction and he looks up from his phone. He offers her a brief nod before heading to the queue. "He's going to join us."
I glare at her and she smiles back in an innocent fashion. "Why would you do that?" I whisper in frustration.
"Why wouldn't I? You don't like eating with cute people?" she teases with a forced wink.
"I hate you," I exhale. Two minutes later, Asa comes to the circular table and takes a seat.
"Haven't seen much of you this past week," he comments in acknowledgement, which catches me off guard a bit.
"Funny that you mention that," Maya starts as she gives me a brief glance. I try to deliver a telepathic message to her paired with a pointed look but she flat out ignores my pleas. "We were just talking about you, actually."
I stare at her with slightly wide eyes. She better not say anything. "Really?" he asks as he squeezes a ketchup packet onto his burger.
"Yeah, about how lame you are," Maya informs him with a large smirk and he nods.
"Well you're not wrong about that," he shrugs as he puts the bun back on the burger. He turns his gaze back to me as he prepares to take a large bite. "I thought Maya got sick of you."
"Not yet," I reply as I give her a hard glance. I can tell she knows what I'm trying to say; if anyone's getting sick of anyone, it's me of her.
"It's taking her a little long, huh? It took me all of ten minutes," he comments back as he takes a bite of his burger. I glare at him as he chews.
"You didn't even know my name," I remind him as I grab my drink and take a sip..
"Didn't have to," he replies with a quick wipe at his mouth with a napkin. "You just rubbed me the wrong way the first time we met."
"Gee, thanks," I mumble back as I shoot a glance at Maya, who looks too entertained.
We all make small talk until eventually, Maya and I have to leave. She has to work and I'm meeting Aaliyah and one of her friends at the library to study. Once I collect the trash, I glance at Asa with the goal of saying 'bye' but he cuts me off. "See ya, Ivana," he ends the conversation with a somewhat satisfied smirk.
I glare at him. I know he knows my name. It's been a month. He can't just not know it. He's said it plenty of times. I decide to play along with his stupid game. "Bye, Asiago," I retort as I clutch the trash tightly in my hand.
He lets out a small chuckle before raising a hand and shooing me off. I can only glare in response, knowing good and well that if my hands weren't full, I'd flip him off.
+++
"Look who it is," Aaliyah comments a half hour into our library study session. I look in the direction her eyes are gazing in only to find Asa with a large textbook in front of him. His laptop is propped open beside it and he works diligently. I turn my attention back to my notebook and offer a quiet grunt in response. "I didn't know he wears glasses."
"Who is that?" her friend Trina asks and I only shake my head in response.
"No one," I say dismissively with my eyes locked on my work.
"Well, No One is cute," Trina comments as she nibbles her lip. I raise and drop my shoulders carelessly.
"Sure, I guess you can say that," I reply as I try to focus back on my homework. I don't know much about him but I feel like he probably wouldn't ever want to be called 'cute'.
"Ex?" Trina continues to pry with her head twisted in my direction. She's cool for the most part; it's just that she has no sense of privacy.
"No," I answer her as I brush my hair out of my face. I really wish I could close it like a curtain so she'd leave me alone.
"Ex hook up?" she interrogates while tugging at the bottom of her hair.
"No," I scoff while tapping my pen along the side of my textbook. There's no way I can read and entertain conversation at the same time. I try to seem interested in my work in hopes that she'll realize and shut up.
"Crush?" she continues to question.
I laugh at this one and I'm pretty sure I hear Aaliyah release a giggle or two. You'd probably get a different answer if you were to ask Maya. "Nooo," I drawl out dramatically.
"Crush who rejected you?" she proposes in a slightly sympathetic tone. I put my pen down and look up at her with a flat expression on my face.
"Friend," I give in to her incessant questioning. "He is a friend of mine...I guess. Acquaintance is probably a better word."
"Is he a freshman?" she continues to pry.
"No, he is not," I assume. I actually don't know his year but I think I'm correct in my answer.
"Would he date a freshman?" she pesters. I squint at her but she's too busy staring at Asa to notice my look of annoyance.
"I don't know," I retort. I shift my gaze from her to the boy across the room. He abruptly looks up and locks eyes with me. I expect him to look away as if he has no idea who I am but he offers me a slow nod. I give a small smile in return, complimented with blushing cheeks. I quickly return to my notes and close my eyes. "Can you guys stop staring at him? I'm not going to hear the end of it later."
"You can tell him that I think he's cute," Trina concludes, which earns a laugh from Aaliyah.
"Sure thing," I grumble as I duck my head lower. "Now can I get back to studying?"
+++
I lug my laundry back up the steps to my dorm, groaning loudly as I do. I got all the way to the laundry room before I realized I forgot my detergent. So to avoid having my clothes stolen or misplaced, I have to bring them back. At this point, I want to just wait until tomorrow to wash them. I reach for the doorknob when I hear something inside the room. I press my ear to the door and my face falls slack when I hear Danica doing unholy things. I huff noisily before turning back to the stairwell. I drag my clothes back downstairs and into the parking lot before shoving the bag into the backseat of my car.
I sit in the driver's seat and text Maya, who tells me to just come over and do my laundry there. I speed over to her apartment fuming silently. I slam my car door and head upstairs, dragging my clothes with me. She greets me with a smile as I pull my belongings into the living room. Asa walks past me before stopping and glancing at my laundry bag. He looks to Maya and then back to me. "You're moving in?" he asks with raised brows.
"No," I retort. "I was sexiled while doing laundry."
"Your roommate sounds like fun," he comments as he heads back to his room.
"Come on, I'll bring you to the laundry room," Maya says as she grabs her bin of clothes. "I have to do mine, too."
"Can I use some detergent?" I ask as we exit the apartment.
Nearly two hours later, we trek back upstairs with our freshly washed clothes. We simultaneously drop them onto the floor and ourselves onto the couch. Admittedly, doing laundry alongside her was much more fun than it'd have been to do it by myself. She stands up once she catches her breath. "I'm going to shower," she excuses herself. "Do you want to stay for dinner?"
"Sure," I reply and she nods before dancing her way to her bedroom.
Just as she enters the bathroom, Asa exits his room. His eyes fall on me and he exhales dramatically. "You're still here?" he jeers.
"No, I'm a ghost," I proclaim sarcastically from my spot stretched out on the couch.
"So you're dead?" he theorizes with a pleased look on his face.
"And I'm going to be haunting this apartment for eternity," I declare as I fight back a yawn.
"Well it's a good thing it's only a year lease," he claims with a sigh of relief. "Where's Maya?"
"Shower," I answer as I scroll further down my timeline.
"Am I right in assuming you're staying for dinner?" he presumes with a quirked brow.
"Yes you are," I affirm with a small smirk.
"Gross," he hisses as he drops onto the recliner. "You need to talk to your roommate. I'm sick of seeing your face."
I stare at him in slight surprise. He sounds surprisingly serious. "I'm sick of seeing yours, too," I bite back weakly.
"Here's an idea; stop coming to my apartment if you don't want to see my face," he suggests as he flips through the channels.
"I'm not here for you!" I counter with a sour look on my face.
"Yeah we all know you're here for 'friendship' with Maya," he quotes with an eye roll.
"Shut up, Asiago," I crack and he lets out a quiet chuckle. He watches a half hour of television before heaving himself up from the recliner.
"I hope you like tacos," he mutters as he walks to the kitchen.
"You're cooking?" I observe in slight surprise. I pull myself into a sitting position to watch him stroll off.
"No I'm going to pull a Molly Weasley and use a spell to whip up some fine cuisine," he articulates while rolling up his sweater sleeves. I decide to follow him into the kitchen and watch this disaster take place. Besides, It's not like I have anything better to do.
I watch from my spot propped against the table as he washes his hands. "You know how to work a stove?" I harass with a growling stomach.
"Better than you ever will," he assures me in a somewhat challenging tone. I scoff and tie my arms across my chest curiously. "If you're just going to sit and watch, make yourself useful and cut up the veggies."
I approach the sink, wash my hands, and gather the produce from the fridge. "I'm not allowed to use these at home," I jest while turning the sharp knife over in my hand.
His eyes flit from my face to the weapon in my hand and he lets out a comical scoff. "Do whatever you want; just make it as slow and painful as possible," he insists, which gets a small chuckle from me.
We work for ten minutes in absolute silence, moving around each other fluidly. It isn't until I turn around to grab another tomato from the fridge that I realize he's staring at me from his place in front of the stove. "What?" I wonder nervously. I struggle to remember what I was doing. Fridge. Tomato. Right.
"Question," he starts and I glance at him nervously. "Why is it that whenever you're with people in public, they feel the need to stare at me?"
I knew it was coming. "You mean the girls in the library?" I request as I return to the cutting board.
"And the dining hall," he adds as an afterthought.
"They think you're cute." I decide not to lie.
"And that warrants staring?" he questions as if not surprised that people find him good looking. Conceited asshole.
"Clearly, if that's what they're doing," I retort as I risk an annoyed glance at him. "That reminds me. They have a question."
"I probably won't answer it," he assures me in his usual flat tone.
"Would you date a freshman?" I relay with a curious glance back at him. Half his face is twisted up in distaste and his hand is running through his hair.
"That's like asking if I'd date a baby. No, I would not," he concurs without skipping a beat.
"The average freshman is 18," I remind him with a weak shrug. "It's legal."
"That's practically a baby," he dismisses yet again.
"So I'm a baby?" I inquire as I turn to throw away rejected pieces of vegetables.
"You're only 18?" he recites in a slightly shocked tone.
"Soon to be 19," I further explain. "Next month actually."
"Gross," he mumbles before turning back to the stove.
"How old are you?" I decide to ask.
"Not 18," he scolds as he stirs the meat in the pan. I stare at the dark locks of his hair before sighing and shaking my head. So much for getting to know him. All I know now is that he thinks I'm gross, which is not exactly new information.
By the time Maya gets out of the shower, we've set the table and put the food out. "You guys cooked...together?" she observes as she allows her eyes skim over the kitchen.
"She didn't cook anything. She just cut vegetables...rather slowly, might I add," he disregards me without a second glance. I glare at him as I put the shredded cheese onto the counter.
When he turns to get something from the fridge, Maya's eyebrows bounce around suggestively. He returns to the table and places drinks in front of each of us. I'd thank him if I thought he'd acknowledge it. Sometimes, he's really nice and funny but other times he's an asshole. I keep my gaze on him absentmindedly until he clears his throat. "Stop looking at me before I get nauseous," he blurts, which receives a short scowl from me.
Every time he does something nice, he counters it with something mean. I purse my lips as I stare at my plate. "Shut up," I grumble in defeat.