I was going to murder Ross Nathaniel Dant. That little piece of shit knew I was busy in my room with Inez yet he still let Everest come up to my room. Everest wasn't expecting to find a 6'1 tall blonde wearing just a t-shirt in my room from the look on her face and I wasn't on planning on her running into Inez at all.
Inez is on my Human Genetics class, I've known her for a while now though. I met her in my sophomore year through O'Connor. She was best friends with O'Connor's girlfriend at the time. Inez is a gorgeous girl, she's the outside hitter of our volleyball team and she's been the only girl who I brake my rule with from time to time. With her, everything is simple, no strings and no complications. So when I ran into her at the parking lot on campus we talked and we ended up under my bedsheets.
Now, whilst I finished getting dressed and I cleaned up my room to the point where it looked decent I thought of the many ways I could apologize to Everest for the awkward encounter but I couldn't find the right way. After a good ten minutes, I figured my room couldn't get any more decent than what it already was so I walked downstairs to find Everest.
To my surprise, I didn't find the usual shy girl sitting in a corner all by herself. Instead, she was playing video games (FIFA to be exact) with O'Connor, Becker, and Dant in the living room and she was pretty good at it. In fact, she was kicking Dant's and Becker's ass.
"Bro, it was about time you came downstairs," O'Connor said whilst he tried to take the ball away from Becker. "Not that I'm complaining though, Everest surprisingly makes a great partner. A much better than you if I'm being honest."
I chuckle at my best friend's comment. "Aren't you guys supposed to be at the Tavern?"
"We were on our way out but Jonathan asked us to wait for him. He just came back from basketball practice, he's in the shower." Dant replied.
"Goal!" Both O'Connor and Everest shouted out of the blue. Everest had scored the winning goal to the end of the match and Dant was not happy. "Bet you weren't expecting that one Dant. How does it feel to take an L for the second time in a span of just two weeks?"
"That was clearly outside and you know it Green," Dant complained. "Becker and I deserve a rematch, not right now but some other time when you come by."
Dant's comment earned a laugh from Everest. "I'll play with you again when you stop being a sore loser Ross."
Everest spits sassily as she got up from the black leather couch that sat in the middle of the room. O'Connor and Becker began to tease Dant and I couldn't help but laugh. This girl was definitely something else. "Are you ready to get started?"
I nod and she follows me back upstairs to my room. Everest's small figure stood by the door and I realized that after what had happened a few minutes ago she wasn't comfortable with sitting on my bed. I pulled Stensby's desk chair next to mine so we could sit near my desk instead. "You can put down your things wherever you're comfortable with."
Everest gave me a small smile and she put her mustard yellow backpack on Stensby's bed. "I brought you some of my old graded quizzes and most of the notes I could find. They're not much, but I bet it will make it a little bit easier for you to understand the class."
"It's okay, don't worry about it much. With you agreeing to tutor me is more than enough, thank you." Everest nods handing me a big blue folder and then she sits in the desk chair next to me. Connery this is your time to apologize I thought to myself. "Before we get started, I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. I didn't mean for you to find me with Inez the way you did."
"You don't have to apologize, Connery, it's okay," Everest reassures. "I should've checked in with you before dropping by and I know Dant was just being a dick. No surprise there."
I let out a chuckle. "Did you take political science with Professor Darnley too?"
Everest nods. "Unfortunately yes, you would think that for having the chance to enroll my classes before any other student on campus I would've chosen a better professor but I decided to take the class last minute and he was the only one available."
"How did you survive the whole semester? The guy is terrible." I sigh as I look back at all of the boring lectures I have had to endure ever since the semester started. "I didn't even know I had to take political science until recently that's why I enrolled in his class. He was the only one left."
"He's not that bad Connery, you just have to get used to him." Everests shrugs. If it only were that easy. "What is your major anyway? Political science is an elective requirement for most majors."
"He's not that bad? I beg to differ." I exaggerate. "Biology."
Everest looked shocked, I guess she wasn't expecting that answer. "Biology huh? I pictured you in everything else but that."
"Your not the first one to say that actually." I get it all the time. I'm used to it by now.
"I thought you would've picked a less complicated major," Everest says and I can see she's having a little bit of trouble finding the right words to say. "I didn't mean it to sound like I think you're dumb or anything like that. I'm sorry, I don't know where my head is today."
Everest's cheeks flush with a light shade of pink and I laugh at her embarrassed expression. "I understood what you meant to say don't worry."
Everest sighs in relief. "Why don't we go ahead and get started with the first chapter."
After a good hour, a lesson on the cold war, and Plato's philosophies (besides being bored out of my mind) my brain stopped processing the information and Everest was growing to be a little impatient with me. If I didn't know any better, I bet she would've loved to smack Plato's republic into my brain with the textbook she was currently holding.
"Can we take a break?" I plead.
"Connery, we've only been here an hour and we've taken two breaks in the spam of that same hour." Everest debates putting the textbook down on my wooden desk. "You've got to do better than that if you wanna pass Darnley's class."
"I know," I admit. "I'm just tired of sitting in this very uncomfortable chair. Can we go somewhere else?"
"Where do you suggest we go at this hour?" She raised her eyebrows at me. I had the perfect place in mind but it involved a vehicle to get there.
"I have a place in mind, but you have to trust me." Everest gives me a look.
"Trust is earned Connery." Ouch.
"I promise you I won't waste your time."
Everests debates on whether or not to trust me on this one but in the end, she complied. "Fine, but you better not be wasting my time Matthew Connery. I should be sleeping, I have an exam tomorrow as you already know."
"I'm not," I grin.
Everests shoves my textbook and her notebook in her backpack and she follows me downstairs. Instead of walking out the front door, I lead her to the back of the house where O'Connor's motorcycle stood. "Why are we going out the back door Connery? Isn't your car parked out front?"
"It is," I reply.
"Then why are we going out through the back door?" Everest asks confused until she sees O'Connor's bike. "You're delusional and crazy if you think that I'm getting on that thing."
I let out a laugh. Delusional and crazy? I don't think so. I just want her to have fun for once. "C'mon Everest, when was the last time you did something fun completely out of your comfort zone for once?"
"Are you insinuating that I'm no fun?" Everest raises her eyebrows and I nod. "I'm going to pretend that I wasn't offended by that."
"Yes," I reply. "Now, you can prove I'm wrong but it might involve you wearing a helmet."
Everest stops and gives it a thought but after a couple of minutes she had the black helmet on and she got on the bike with me. I was going to ask Everest to hold on to my waist before I pulled out of the driveway but she already had her arms tightly wrapped around my waist and the bike wasn't even on. "If I'm hanging on too tight let me know, I hate motorcycles but I hope you do appreciate the lengths I go to just to prove a point."
Midway through the ride Everest rested her head on my shoulder and she wrapped her hands a little bit tighter around my waist, I would be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying it. But just as I thought about it I shook off the thought and I focused on the road ahead.
To be honest, I wasn't quite sure why I was taking Everest to my safe spot. I call it my safe spot because it's the place I go when the noise gets too overwhelming. Being in the public eye has its perks. You get the chance to meet new people especially the people you've idolized since you were a kid and you get to work with brands on sponsorships. But most importantly you get to show everyone the result of what it really takes to get to where you are. Some people appreciate and admire your work, others just stand and criticize like they know what it's like.
Don't get me wrong, I love swimming. The adrenaline that comes along with it, is what I live for but sometimes when I feel like I'm drowning from all the noise I just wish I could turn it all off and be just a normal college kid.
But who would I be then?
"Connery, we're in the middle of nowhere, what are we doing here?" I roll my eyes at Everest's impatience.
"I told you to trust me didn't I?" I ask and Everest nods handing me the helmet. "If I wanted to kill you I wouldn't do it myself just so you know, I would hire someone to do it for me, you're a piece of work."
Everest's jaw drops. "The thought didn't even cross my mind you jerk."
I laugh at Everest's offended expression. We walked a few minutes until we reached the spot. It was peaceful like it always was, the only sound you could hear if you could hear any sound at all was the sound of the crickets chirping. "Are you just going to stand there?"
Everest walks towards me as she takes in the view. She was silent, I was too when I found this place. "Do you come here regularly?"
We both sit down on the big rocks near the water. And I reply to Everest's peeking curiosity. "I do, more times than I would like to admit."
"What's wrong with coming here often?" Everest asks confused. "If I were you I'd be coming here every single day, it's so peaceful here."
"This is my safe spot, I come here to escape the noise. It can be a little overwhelming most of the time." Everest frowns. She probably wasn't expecting to hear that one. Most people don't expect to hear it either, not that I share it with people but most of them think it's all glory from where I'm standing but they'd be surprised if they really knew. "But enough about that, why don't we finish up the second lesson."
"I have a better idea," Everest smirks standing up and I give her a very confused look. "Let's go for a swim."
"Everest the water is freezing at this hour." I protest.
"So?" Everest raises her eyebrows as she begins to take off her clothes. "I thought you said I needed to live a little."
I tried not to stare at Everest's captivating figure, but it was impossible not to. She was standing in front of me in just a nude bralette and lace underwear plus on top of that, she was being a tease. I would be lying if I said it wasn't a big turn on but my mother raised no liar. So while Everest walked towards the water, I quickly took off my hoodie and sweatpants. I ran towards her and I picked her up throwing her over my shoulder.
She began to laugh. "Connery put me down. I changed my mind, I would rather be sitting on the rocks explaining Plato's theory to you."
"It's too late to back down now Everest," I said before I threw Everest into the freezing cold water. I broke off into laughter once I saw her face when she swam up to the surface.
"If it wasn't for the fact that going swimming was my idea, you'd be dead by now." Everest playfully glares.
She caught me off guard when she jumped towards me and playfully pushed me underneath the surface but it wasn't long before I overpowered her. We spent a good twenty minutes playing around in the water before we got tired and we decided to lay down on the ground near the shore looking at the starry bright sky.
"Did you know that a star's light travels the universe long after it dies?" Everest says out of the blue and I turn my gaze towards her shaking my head. "I hope I get to be that someday, a light that lingers on even after I'm long gone."
Everest turns her gaze towards me and we just laid there, the two of us with nothing but the sound of our hearts beating. And for some reason even with a starry sky full of shining stars I was staring at her.
A/N
I loved writing this chapter, I hope you did too! I've been writing a lot of authors notes lately but I couldn't miss the opportunity to thank you once again for all of your support. We've reached #1 on crime drama and we've surpassed 200 reads! It may seem like something small but I'm forever grateful to you guys for loving this story as much as I love writing it.
Btw I also changed the cover, do you guys like it better than the last one?