“Tell me everything,” Allison demanded. “All of it. How was orientation? How was campus? Did you meet any of your teachers?”
Michael chuckled. “Settle down, Suzie Q, with your tirade of questions. Let the girl breathe.”
Allison sat down next to Michael and the two of them threaded their hands together.
“Are you breathing now?” she asked.
I snickered. “Has anyone seen Clint? I went upstairs to find him, but he wasn’t there.”
Michael shrugged. “He said he had something to do before you got back from your orientation. But we haven’t seen him yet.”
Allison nodded. “He said he was going to join us around eleven or so.”
“Rae! Hey!”
I turned around at the sound of his voice. I got up from my chair and rushed for him. I jumped into his arms, smiling and laughing as his bare torso caught me. His legs were clad in a pair of board shorts, just aching to get wet.
He kissed my cheek and my heart exploded with happiness.
“Oh, I’m so glad to see you, Clint.”
He murmured. “I thought your day wasn’t done until three.”
I shrugged. “The tours were pretty pointless. So, after lunch, I decided to walk around campus before coming back.”
He squeezed me tight. “Well, I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me, too.”
I committed how I felt to memory. The feel of his touch. The warmth of his skin. I tried erasing all those things the girls had said at lunch as he peppered my cheek with kisses. He set me down on my feet and I looked up into his eyes. Into the loving, tender, gracious eyes of the boy I loved. Clinton Clarke. The boy I’d once hated, but who was now in my corner. The boy who had my back, no matter what.
Those girls are wrong. I could never give him up.
“So how did orientation go? Was it as boring as you figured it would be?”
His question ripped me from my trance, and I found myself not wanting to talk about it. Instead, I took his hand and slowly walked us toward the pool. I slipped my shirt off, watching as his eyes danced down my body. I grinned as I took another step toward the edge. I held my arms out, ready to do a back dive off the side.
Before Michael crashed into me, sending me hurtling with him into the pool.
“Gotcha!”
I shrieked. “Michael!”
We fell into the water and I heard splashing all around me. I clamored for the surface, emerging with a massive smile on my face. Allison’s laughter followed her into the pool. I felt a pair of arms around me before Clint popped up. He smiled brightly with his face dripping wet, and I wrapped myself aroun
d him. My legs around his waist. My arms around his neck. Getting as close to him as I could before our foreheads fell together.
“You’re not avoiding my question, are you?” he asked.
I heard the worry in his voice. “I’m not. It was just--I mean, orientation. We toured one of the dorms. Ate food in the cafeteria.”
He chuckled. “Was it terrible?”
“Actually, it wasn’t half bad.”
“What about the dorms. As small as you figured?”
I shrugged. “Maybe not as small. I’m just glad there’s no communal hallway bathroom.”