*Zoe Madison*
I take a deep breath in through my nose, and out through my mouth as I gently tug on my hair as I grow frustrated with the math equation in front of me.
Math has always been something I have actually enjoyed, believe it or not. To solve something so complex and to focus on getting the right answer, to be sure not to make any mistakes. It was almost therapeutic.
When I told others this they just looked at me like I was insane. Why don't I just join a photography class or something and take close ups of flowers instead? No offense to everyone who loves photography, but math is just more my speed.
My foot gently taps up and down against the bench I sat on, my back resting against one of the arms, on to the beat of the music filling my ears through my earbuds.
I triumphantly smile when I finish the equation, mentally cheering at myself when I finish my homework assignment that was for the last course I chose to focus on today. I'll double check it later when my mind isn't so burnt out.
My phone buzzes with a text from the family groupchat, which does include my un-biological aunt, uncle, and cousin.
Milan: Did you guys hear about that new superhero movie coming out? An actor is finally announced
I roll my eyes, already bored.
Me: no one really stays up to date with movie actors besides you, so no, we didn't hear
Kimkim: Zoe, stop being so passive aggressive
Dad: scolding her before I can? Damn Kimmy, you did it again
Me: stop attacking me and my only decent personality trait
Piper: well I heard about it, and he's decently cute
I outwardly groan. As much as I love my cousin,, she's the type of girl to fall for any basic famous guy with decently attractive looks.
And she doesn't shut up about it either. Do you know how much of 'Zac Efron this' and 'Zac Efron that' I had to deal with, only for it to begin to change every once a month with a new guy?
I think Tom Holland lasted three months though. That was a record for her.
Milan: thank you Piper, for being the only cultured one.
I countdown in my head for the 'I only already know about him because he's cute' text in 3...
2...
Piper: he's attractive, and that's the only reason why I know and care about this
Bingo.
Me: predictable
Piper: only for you babe
Mom: you children have some guts for texting like this over the family gc
Me: well you can't really scold me since I'm off at college now :(
Mom: you wish I was there to scold you
Kimkim: back off Milo, she's an adult now
Milan: when Kimmy is the cool aunt ❤️
Kimkim: I'm your only aunt, don't try to play favorites
Me: well I gotta get back to homework, and I'm leaving before Milan can send a trashy meme, so talk to you guys later
I shut off my phone, no longer distracted by my family that lived a few hours away. I did really miss them at times.
I decided to go to university in New York, and everyone was still back in my hometown in Connecticut. I'm currently a freshman majoring in, you guessed it, Math.
A gust of wind blows a few papers onto the sidewalk in front of me, and I roll my eyes. Of course this has to happen to me.
I take out my headphones and bend down to pick them up, only to get even more scattered as more wind decides to show up.
This is why I rarely study outside. I only did it today because I felt the need for a breath of fresh air after spending so much unwanted time inside various college campus buildings.
I see another hand pick up a few papers of mine, and I look over to see a man, gently smiling at me, and handing me back my papers.
He has strawberry blonde hair, hazel eyes, fair skin, and easily a decently built frame under a lacrosse hoodie that he wore.
"Thank you." I whisper, still trying to take in the sight of the man helping me.
And only then did I realize I was wearing my reading glasses, my dirty white NASA sweater, and some simple sweatpants with my dirty blonde hair in a mess of a bun at the top of my head. My long hair was not willing to cooperate with me, so something simple and out of the way would benefit me greatly. Also I'm almost positive my tan skin appeared almost pale in the cloudy outdoors, and my green eyes standing out like the color usually did.
I usually never look like this and take more time into my appearance, but hey, it was midterms and college is exhausting.
"No problem. I'm Boston." We both stand up as he introduces himself, and I carefully take his hand and give it a firm shake once I get the papers under semi-control in my arms.
"Zoe Madison. I have two first names. It's like an Anne-Marie situation." I look at him and back down to my math homework. I begin to sort the papers out in my hands so that they were back in the order that I just had them in- before the wind skewed them everywhere on the sidewalk.
"Two names?" He questions, his smile growing wider and friendlier.
"Is that such a surprise? I mean, you're named after a city." I narrow my green eyes suspiciously.
"Touché. Anyways, which name would you like me to call you?"
"Madi. Only people that are close to me call me Zoe." I shrug, and sling my bag over my shoulder.
"Darn, I was really hoping I could call you Zoe." Boston jokes, and I give a 'hmph' type of laugh. Although he may be friendly, he certainly was ridiculous.
"Then I guess you just have to earn the right." I grab my bag and put my homework back in it, thankful that I didn't lose any work. I zip it up and sling it over my shoulders.
"Ah. Where shall I start then? By complimenting you, or asking you for a cup of coffee?" He tilts his head, watching me patiently as I put my homework away.
"Preferably the compliment, because I don't like coffee." I scrunch up my nose at the thought of the bitter liquid.
He goes pale at my confession, and I give myself a pat on the back. Mentally, of course.
"Well, you are one of the prettiest girls I have ever seen. Would you like to go grab tea with me?" Boston tries, and I do everything in my power not to laugh. He was quickly breaking down my annoyed and exhausted attitude, plus i'm starving.
"You realize this is New York, not Britain, right?"
Boston looks a little stunned, and I let out my laugh, which seems to calm him slightly.
"Sure, I'll join you for some tea. Just as long as you don't get me coffee." I openly agree, not sure why I'm trusting a stranger, but he seems kind enough to me- and he's offering me free food. That I don't ever usually pass down.
He nods, beginning to walk towards the direction of a local cafe that is on campus.
"So, Boston, do you go to school here?" I ask, awkwardly trying to make conversation with this stranger, now turning friend.
I see him nod. "I do. I'm a sophomore, and not quite sure what my major is yet. You?"
"Freshman, and I'm majoring in mathematics." My fingers fiddle with the strap to my bag slung across my shoulder.
"Math. I don't know why you majors try to torture yourself with that." He shakes his head, and I hold back a sigh.
Another typical response.
I should probably be used to it by now though. It will always keep happening.
"At least I'm not a philosophy major. It could be worse." I decide to joke around with him, and he laughs.
"Now that I agree with. At least it's not an option I'm looking into."
"What are the options you're looking into?" I ask curiously, playing with the little strap cords on my backpack. Doing so usually helped soothe my anxiety, and meeting new people usually induced it.
"Finance or Pre-Law. I have a knack for money and what to do with it." He shrugs, and I snort.
My cheeks immediately go red, embarrassed that I had just done that in front of Boston, a guy I hardly know.
Boston doesn't notice, or at least he pretends not too. Either he thinks I'm weird and doesn't mind, or he just doesn't notice that I'm weird.
"Well if you ever need help with math, just let me know. I have a knack for that." I grin, and he lets out an amused breath when he notices me copying his vocabulary.
"Well in order for you to help me, I'd need your number." He puts is hand in his lacrosse hoodie pocket, pulling out his Android.
"Okay, first, you're trusting a random New Yorker with your phone?" I question, and he shrugs.
"You don't seem like you're from here. If you were you wouldn't be doing school work on a bench outside on a windy day." He looks back at the bench that's pretty much out of view now, and I carefully take his phone from him.
I look down at the screen and see that he had already turned it on and opened it to a blank contact page.
"And second, an Android?" I raise a brow, and he rolls his hazel eyes.
"I don't need you to judge me. I'm just as a poor college student as you are." He puts his hands in his pockets, looking down at his phone in my hand.
"Now are you going to put in your number or not?"
"Continue to be demanding and I might just chuck it at your face." My smile falls off my face, a fake serious demeanor taking over.
But he doesn't know me well enough to know that it's fake.
He puts his hands up in defense, and then drops them to open the cafe door we had just arrived at.
I walk in as he hold open the door, him right behind me.
The warm air quickly envelops me, the strong smell of coffee invading my cold nose.
"While you put in your number, if you want, what do you want me to order for you?" Boston comes to my side, asking me as he looks at the menu above the counter.
"A hot chai tea." I watch him carefully, noticing that he has freckles along his pale skin, but they are very faded and hard to notice since winter has set in and there has been less and less sunlight.
He looks back at me and nods, walking over to the counter.
I tap his phone screen, making sure it doesn't die on me and then look up and around the cafe for an open table.
When I see one by a window, I immediately walk over to it and sit down, looking at his phone once more before deciding to put in my number.
I put in my name, making sure it's only Madi, and not anything else ridiculous, such as 'sidewalk bench girl' or 'crazy math chickadoo'
Although that would be quite funny.
Once I press save, I shut down his phone and set it on the other side of the table where I can only assume he would take a seat at.
A minute later, a hot cup with light steam coming out of the lids hole is set down in front of me, and I wrap my hands around it carefully.
The cold numbness in my fingers quickly begins to de-thaw from the warmth from the drink set in front of me. Considering how hot it was on my hands, I'll wait another few minutes before I take my first sip and spare my tongue from burning.
Boston looks down at his phone, and notices I had put in my number.
"Does this mean we're officially friends?" He tilts his head, sipping on his warm drink as well. I had no idea what he had ordered, and I couldn't tell if it was coffee either because my nose had already adjusted to the coffee smell the cafe had.
"I guess so."