Chapter 4 Brock
Brock
My next class that morning was Chemistry, which was held in a massive auditorium with room for at least a hundred students.
I was sitting somewhere in the middle rows, idly taking notes while the professor droned on about the grading scale for the class.
I already had all this info on the syllabus, so it was pointless for the professor to repeat all of it.
Instead, I chuckled to myself about what had happened in the first class of the day.
I couldn’t imagine matching with my professor on Tinder. What an insane situation. I kind of felt bad for Jace, but selfishly I was enjoying the drama from a distance.
Nothing would happen between them, obviously. But it was still fun to laugh about.
While my current professor—an older man with a gray mustache—droned on, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Since we weren’t learning anything important, I decided to take a peek.
Kerry: How’s the first day of class going?
Me: So far, so good. Something hilarious happened in my first class. I’ll tell you about it at sibling dinner on Sunday.
Kerry: Ohh, you’re such a tease! I hope it’s juicy.
Me: Trust me: it’s really good.
Kerry: I know I’ve told you like a BILLION times already, but I want to say again that I’m so happy you’re going back to school. You deserve it, Brock.
Me: It’s not a big deal.
Kerry: Yes it is! Six years ago you put your whole life on hold for our family. I want you to know I will never forget it. And I want to make sure you know how much I support you now.
Me: Thanks, Kerry. It’s nice to hear that, even if it is for the billion-and-first time.
Kerry: I’m proud of you, Brock.
Kerry: Mom would be proud, too.
Me: I know. I’ve got to go. Love you.
Kerry: Love you big brother <3
My throat was tightening with emotion at her text. I stared at the message a few seconds longer, then shoved my phone in my pocket and wiped away the tears that were trying to squeeze free from my eyes.
I knew Mom would be proud. I didn’t need Kerry to remind me.
After class, I went to the University’s main cafeteria to get lunch. My Freshman tuition included a meal plan, which meant I had fourteen complimentary meals per week. Two a day, or three per weekday if I wanted to do my own thing on the weekends.
Compared to the past five years, it was nice not having to worry about my food budget. Or lack thereof.
I scanned my student ID at the door and then piled my tray high with food. The main cafeteria was huge, but it was almost exactly noon, which meant it was pretty full. I was about to grab a seat at an empty table when I passed someone I recognized.
Stopping, I put my tray down across from him. “Small world. Anyone sitting here, Tinder Casanova?”
Jace looked up from his chicken sandwich and groaned. “I had just stopped thinking about that situation. So, thanks for bringing it back up.”
“My pleasure.” I dropped into the seat and started wolfing down my own food.
“Are you a Freshman?” Jace asked.
“Guilty as charged.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” he said slowly, “but you look like you’re thirty.”
“Ouch dude. I’m twenty-six.”
“No shit? I’m twenty-seven. Spent some time in the Army, and now I’m going back to school on Uncle Sam’s dime. What’s your excuse for the late start?”
“Already had a false start,” I explained. “I was a student here for two years. I was on the basketball team.”
“Oh shit. Like, you didn’t just ride the bench? You actually played?”
“Yeah. I had a scholarship. That was eight years ago, though.”
Jace whistled between his teeth, then took a sip of his Sprite. “What happened?”
“I had to drop out,” I said while focusing on my food. “Personal stuff. Now I’m back for round two. This time I’m focusing on academics rather than athletics. It feels weird starting in the spring semester, but better late than never, I guess.”
“You flamed out, huh? Too much partying, or couldn’t handle being a student athlete?”
I shrugged. “Something like that.”
Thankfully, he didn’t push me for more details. Today was emotional enough for me without having to tell my sob story to a random guy I’d just met.
“So, how’d the rest of the conversation go with Professor Carrington?”
He groaned. “It didn’t really go at all. She ran away from me like I was swinging a chainsaw.”
I laughed out loud. “Can’t blame her. She can probably get in trouble for flirting with a student like that.”
“She didn’t know I was a student when we exchanged those messages,” Jace said. “Nothing happened.”
I stared at him while he picked at his food. “Why does it sound like you wish it had?”
“I don’t.”
I shrugged, and let the silence stretch for a little while.
“Okay, I do,” he finally admitted, tossing down his sandwich. “You saw her, man. She’s a smokeshow. And we had this insane chemistry. Even just chatting on Tinder, it’s obvious there’s a spark there. I was looking forward to going out with her.”
“I guess it’s not meant to be,” I said. “Although a relationship being forbidden makes it super fucking hot.”
“Is that why you dropped out six years ago?” he asked.
“It’s not. I hooked up with the athletic assistant when I was a senior in high school. I was over eighteen, and she was twenty-one, so there wasn’t anything creepy about it. But the way we had to sneak around…” I smiled. “It was a fun two months while it lasted.”
There was a kid sitting two seats over from Jace, and he turned to us and cleared his throat. “Hey, I hate people who eavesdrop, but I haven’t been able to stop listening since I heard you say Professor Carrington. You matched with her on Tinder? Seriously?”
Jace glared at me. “Now look what you’ve done.”
“Sorry.”
The newcomer slid his tray over to sit directly next to Jace. “I’m Cam. I’m in Professor Carrington’s Criminology 204 class. She was all flustered today. Late for class, forgot her laptop. Like something really rattled her this morning.”
I gestured. “That would be our friend Jace here. The professional rattler.”
“Shut up.”
Cam ran a hand through his messy blond hair and grinned. “I thought she just had first-day jitters, but shit, now I can’t blame her. You said you two didn’t do anything, though?”
“Nothing happened,” Jace said.
“You didn’t go out on any dates or hook-up or anything?”
Jace gritted his teeth. “It’s none of your business, but correct. And if you breathe a word of this to anyone…” Anger flashed in his eyes.
Cam made a zipper motion across his mouth. “My lips are sealed, amigo. I’m good at keeping secrets. I like hearing them, though.”
He took a bite of broccoli from his plate. I did a double-take when I saw. “You like your veggies, huh?”
“What?” Cam glanced down at his place, which was almost entirely broccoli covered with shredded cheddar cheese. “Broccoli is good for you.”
“It’s the most boring food you could have chosen here,” Jace said.
Cam scoffed. “Broccoli isn’t boring. It’s sexual and exciting.”
I glanced at Jace, and we both started laughing.
“You’re a funny guy,” Jace said.
He spread his hands. “Spread the word far and wide.”
There was a commotion at one end of the cafeteria, and we all turned to look. A basketball player had walked into the room and was exchanging greetings with a cluster of other athletes, all high-fives and fist-bumps.
I turned away and tried not to curse under my breath.
“You know that guy?” Jace asked.
“I know of him.”
Cam leaned forward. “Hey, come on. You can’t tease us like that. Why are you glaring at Joshua Davenport like he stole your girl?”
“Joshua Davenport?” Jace asked.
“He’s the star forward on the basketball team,” I explained. “I still keep in touch with one of the assistant coaches, and he’s told me a lot of nasty stuff about him.”
“Like what?” Cam pressed.
I glanced around to see who was nearby. I didn’t like gossiping, but I would make an exception for that asshole.
“He’s a sociopath,” I whispered. “He has hidden cameras in his bedroom at the frat house. He records all the women he sleeps with, then posts the videos online. I heard it happened to three girls last semester.”
A dark look entered Cam’s gaze as he watched the man across the room.
“Holy shit,” Jace said. “He hasn’t gotten in trouble for that? Isn’t that, like, illegal? Revenge porn or whatever?”
“He’s good at blurring himself out, along with anything that would identify his room. Besides, he’s the school’s golden boy. The University won’t do anything to punish him. At least, not until the basketball season is over.”
“Interesting,” Cam said while idly typing something into his phone.
Jace scribbled in a notebook and then tore out two small pages. “Here’s my number. If you guys ever want to get together to study, or if you miss class and need notes, hit me up. I don’t really know anyone else on campus.”
“Yeah, for sure,” I said.
“Uh huh,” Cam muttered while packing up his stuff. “I’ve got to go take care of something.”
“Remember: don’t breathe a word of the situation with the professor to anyone,” Jace warned.
Cam shouldered his backpack and grinned. “No problem. Like I said, secrets are kind of my thing.”
As he left to drop off his food tray, I wondered if he could be trusted.