ChapterSeven
Mara
“What was that?” Emma asks before taking the seat across from mine.
“Sorry.” I quickly realize I’d walked off with River when he took my tray.
I’d been so shocked by what played out that afterwards I wandered over to an empty table and sat down. I’d come to the dining hall to have lunch with Emma at the end of our last class. Normally I go home to eat because the dining hall is overwhelming. I picture myself having one of those moments on TV where the person can’t find anywhere to sit and people glare at them or move their bags into a seat next to them so they won’t sit at their table with them. When Emma asked, I knew I’d at least have someone to sit with. I’ve enjoyed the small conversations we’ve had before and after class since school started. We actually have two classes together.
“Listen, let's always have an understanding that if a hot guy comes up to one of us and starts piling food on our tray while knowing what we like to eat without us having to say it, we let the other go with no hard feelings.” I snort a laugh. That does sound pretty awesome when she puts it that way.
“It’s not like that.”
“It sure looked like that.” She opens her soda and leans closer to me. “Now tell me everything.”
“We’re kind of related.” Her face falls, and there’s disappointment all over it. “Not by blood. His older brother married my older sister.”
“Oh, that doesn’t count.” The smile returns. “He kind of looks familiar, actually. I swear I’ve seen his face and not from school.”
“My brother-in-law is Felipe Andora.”
“Oh,” she says, putting it together. “You’re a Flores and that’s River.”
“Yeah.” I snag a fry off my plate. When I meet people, I never offer up my last name unless they ask for it.
A mix of things can come along with it, and I don’t want to get any extra special treatment even if I kind of already do. I try not to for the most part because I don’t want to give people another reason not to like me here. As a freshman, I’m actually supposed to live on campus or at home. I’m not sure what was said or how it was taken care of, but I got to stay in Felipe’s building that sits practically on campus.
The Andoras are a very well-known family. Some of the gossip around them is good, and some of it isn’t great. It’s strange actually because not long ago it was Felipe that people tried to gossip about, thinking he was some kind of player, and his father was held in such high regard.
Over the last five years, that has shifted completely. That must be hard for River. He’s really caught in the middle of all that. Why has that never dawned on me before? I know he talks to Felipe but is still close with his parents too. Felipe would never make him choose. I’m not so sure the same could be said about his mom and dad.
“Cool, I only know that because I’m actually trying to get dual citizenship and I’ve been having to learn so much history.”
“That’s awesome. You think you’ll stay after you graduate college then?” Emma moved here her last two years of high school on a foreign exchange program. She was offered a scholarship here, so she stayed.
“I’d like to, but I’ve heard it’s hard to get citizenship here. And it’s pricey.”
“I’ve heard that too. Unless you marry someone from here.”
“I don’t see that happening. There’s not a lot of hot men filling up my tray with food, if you know what I mean.” She wiggles her eyebrows, and I burst into laughter.
I change the subject back to a paper we both have to write. It’s not that I’m opposed to a bit of advice; I'm just not sure where River and I really stand, and I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I’m still not sure what really happened last night.
He claims I ditched him, but I mean, I was already home, and we’d called it a night. I did, however, make it impossible for him to get into contact with me. I’d gotten into the shower so I wouldn’t hear him knock if he did. I think a part of me worried that he wouldn’t and then I’d have to face that.
“I want you to turn your head slowly after I say this. Don’t go snapping it around. Get what I’m saying?”
“Sure, I guess?” I have no clue what she means, but I go with it.
“Do you know the guys sitting at your three o’clock?”
Ah, I do know this move. I give it a second before I turn to take a glance. When my eyes finally land on them casually, they all quickly look away, except one of them, and the guy winks at me.
“Not a clue,” I tell her.
“Good. I’ve overhead two of them before running their mouths. I think they have a class close to mine on Tuesday and Thursday mornings over by the north side of campus. They get their morning fix at that little coffee stand there. All they talk about is who they banged the night before. Don’t let me hear your name one morning.”
I cringe. The idea of someone talking about me with his friends the next morning after something so intimate makes my stomach turn. That’s all kinds of messed up.
“Not gonna happen. They aren’t even my type.”
“What is your type? Tall with dark hair, knows what you like to eat and has possessive eyes?”
“Possessive eyes?” I laugh as I shake my head.
“I know what I saw.” She winks at me.