Chapter 12 #2
I look up toward my professor and smile stiffly. “Of course, sir.”
I pack up my belongings and slide my bag over my shoulder before walking down the auditorium-style classroom to apologize for my tardiness. “Dr. —” I don’t even finish saying his name when he cuts me off.
“I don’t tolerate tardiness in my classroom.
This is a graduate-level course and you’ve been in school long enough to manage time appropriately and arrive on time.
See that it doesn’t happen again.” He stops talking and looks back down at the papers in front of him, and I’m not sure if I should respond or wait for him to say more?
After ten seconds of silence I’m about to speak up when he looks back up at me and says, “Is there something you wish to say?”
I stand there with wide eyes, my mouth opening and closing like a fish. “I, uh, I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”
He nods once and looks back down at his papers.
I guess I’m dismissed? I turn and make my exit, feeling like a scolded child.
I don’t know whether I’m more embarrassed or annoyed, but my stomach flips and I kind of want to throw up after that interaction.
Awesome. I was just reprimanded by a professor on my first day back to college.
What am I even doing here? Am I too old for this?
I had a good life back in Moraine. I liked my job, I knew everyone around me, Sunny was happy and content, and I didn’t even have to pay rent because we lived with my parents.
I shake my head and let out a breath as I push open the door and step into the hallway.
Before I can sink deeper into my internal tale of woe, someone touches my arm and says, “Hey.” I look up and see pen guy from class smiling at me. Was he waiting for me? Surely not. This guy is like twenty-two, tops.
“Uh, hi,” I say, reaching for the pen in the side pocket of my bag. I offer it back to him. “Thanks for the pen save. All mine decided to become hide and seek champions today.”
He smiles and nods. “Keep it.” Um, okay. I’m not one to turn down a perfectly good pen, thankyouverymuch. I slide it back into my bag and thank him as I turn to walk back through the maze of hallways to the exit.
“I’m Brody,” he says as he slides into step next to me. “Hi, Brody, I’m Alis.” I give him a small smile and leave it at that. I really don’t have anything more to say now that I’ve thanked him for the pen, so I’m not sure why he’s walking next to me.
“New here?” he asks, apparently wanting to continue this non-conversation.
“Yep.” I am incapable of talking and walking when I’m unfamiliar with my surroundings. I need to find my way out of this building so I can meet with Dr. Matthews, and I’m not a cougar so I don’t really want to flirt with Mr. Young Buck here.
He chuckles. “My, my, you’re quite the chatty Kathy. Wanna tell me anything more about yourself?” Nope. Not really.
I stop and turn to look at him. “I’m sorry; I’m not trying to be rude.
This building is confusing as hell to navigate and I’m just trying to concentrate so I can make it back to the exit without walking in circles …
or into a wall.” Also, I was just called out by my professor so I feel super awkward, and I avoid meeting new people when at all possible, especially men. I leave out that last part.
“No worries. I got you. I’m heading out also.” I nod and we resume walking. Brody takes my nod as an invitation to continue conversing, so I just go with it. Not every guy that talks to you is interested in you, Alis. He’s probably just a nice guy wanting to get to know a new student.
“So, this is your first semester at Middle Peak. Are you new to the area or just to the school?”
“New to the area. I moved here a little more than a week ago for school.”
“English, right?” I want to make a snarky comment about him being a stalker, but considering our class is only offered to grad students in this specific program, I try to remember his question is more duh than intrusive.
I nod. “Yeah. You?” Looky looky; we can both ask stupid questions.
“Same. This is my second year. After this semester I’ll finish my thesis and will hopefully graduate in the spring.” We reach the front door and he opens it, gesturing for me to walk ahead. I nod my thanks.
“Nice. I should be graduating next December, but that’s only if Dr. Matthews will let me write my thesis and take my last seminar courses at the same time.
She seemed fine with it when we worked through my transfer credits, but I know profs usually prefer students to focus solely on their thesis in their last semester, so who knows.
I may end up graduating later instead.” That’s a heck of a lot more words that I thought he’d pull from me.
“Where’d you transfer from?” he asks.
“I’m not exactly a transfer student, but kind of?
I took some time off and am just now able to get back into the swing of things and finish.
Dr. Matthews pulled some strings to transfer in old credits so I wouldn’t have to start from scratch.
” Atta girl. Way to sidestep that question.
With him studying English I knew as soon as I said Grant University he would have gone all fanboy about Dr. Ryan.
He looks at me, obviously confused. “Old credits? I thought all credits transfer as long as you took the courses within the last five or six years. You shouldn’t have had any issues transferring in unless your school had accreditation issues or something.”
I laugh. “No accreditation issues. And you are correct. My transfer credits are from nine years ago.”
Brody’s eyes go wide. “Wait, what? Were you a child prodigy or something?”
“Now Brody, didn’t your mom teach you it’s never okay to ask a woman her age?” I smirk up at him and cut him off as he’s about to apologize. “I’m just kidding. Not a prodigy. I’m thirty.”
He’s shocked. “Thirty? You don’t look thirty.”
“Thanks? I guess?”
He smiles and looks me up and down. “Definitely not thirty. I would have guessed twenty-four, twenty-five tops.”
I chuckle and fold my hands under my chin, fluttering my eyes like a smitten cartoon character. “Why Brody, that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to little ‘ol me.” Where the hell did that come from? Gosh, I’m so awkward.
He nudges my arm. “I doubt that. Surely all the guys tell you you’re beautiful.”
Oh no. He’s flirting. Abort! Abort! “Uh, maybe? I don’t know.” How am I supposed to respond to that? I don’t want to compliment him back because that will send the wrong message. No, sir, I am not interested in dating you.
“I’m twenty-five, in case you were wondering.” I wasn’t, but knowing he’s older than twenty-two makes this conversation a bit less unnerving.
I offer a stiff smile, but don’t say anything.
We spend the next few minutes walking in silence.
I wish I could say it’s comfortable, but the awkward cloud surrounding us is so thick I might choke on it.
I stop as we approach the building that houses Dr. Matthews’ office and look up at Brody, trying and failing to look calm and cool.
“Well, I have to get going. It was nice meeting you, Brody. I’ll see you in class, yeah?”
He runs his hand through his tousled dirty blonde hair and nods, smiling. “Yeah, definitely. See you in class.”
I turn and latch onto the door pull, but Brody stops me as I pull it open. “Hey, Alis?”
I look over my shoulder at him. “What’s up?” Please don’t ask me out. Please oh please oh please do not ask me out.
“Wanna meet for lunch sometime this week? I could show you around campus and we could grab a bite at Nico’s?”
“Nico’s?” That was the wrong answer. I didn’t say no and now he thinks I want to have lunch with him.
He nods. “Yeah, Nico’s pizza. It’s the closest thing to legit New York pizza you’ll find on this side of the country.
” Well now, there’s the one word that could change my mind: pizza.
Pizza is to Alis as ice cream is to a teenage girl with a broken heart.
You simply cannot have one without the other.
Brody seems nice, not creepy. Maybe he’d be down for living in my friend zone?
I mean, he didn’t ask me to dinner — he asked to show me around campus and meet for pizza.
Friends do that kind of stuff. So do nerdy student government kids in high school when the new kid shows up.
I’m the new kid. He’s the not nerdy but definitely enthusiastic class president.
“Yeah, that sounds good.” I mentally scroll through my schedule this week and find a few hours free on Wednesday. “I could do Wednesday at 10? Show me around a bit and we can grab lunch after?”
His face lights up. I hope that smile means “yay, new friend!” and not “pretty girl like boy!”
“That works for me. Give me your number and I’ll text you to meet up.” How do I say no without sounding like a total bitch? Wait, I’ll see him that morning in class.
“I gotta run, but we can make a plan Wednesday morning in class? See ya then!” I turn back toward the building and walk through the door before I can hear his response.
I’ve been here less than two weeks and have had two different guys ask me out.
Aside from tourists, I haven’t had one flirty comment tossed my way from a man my age in nearly a decade.
That’s what happens when you live in a small town where everyone knows each other and the only single men are tourists or like brothers.
The few times a year I headed into the city I always had mom and Sunny in tow.
Very few men try to pick up women with their mother and child in tow at Old Navy and Pottery Barn.
Does having lunch with a man communicate that I’m interested?
Or is it normal for single men and women to have lunch together, strictly platonic?
Brody didn’t try to touch me, so that’s good.
Maybe he’s not interested in more than friendship.
Wait, I think he nudged my arm at one point.
Maybe he’s just being nice to the new girl.
Maybe he’s gay? Or, better yet, maybe he’s in a committed relationship and his girlfriend will join us on Wednesday so I won’t have to question whether or not anything I say or do can be misconstrued as flirting!
Or, maybe you should stop overthinking everything and get excited about pizza. Noted.