“Sure, yeah! That sounds great! I was just going to go to the cafeteria, unless you have somewhere else you’d rather go? I have meal points there.”
“Oh, nope, the cafeteria is perfect with me. As long as non-students can eat there?” I questioned.
“Yep! We’re allowed to bring guests. Should be no problem at all.”
“Awesome, let me just pack up my guitar and we’ll go.”
I turned around to put my guitar back in my case and locked it up with the money I’d gotten today. While my back was to her, I let out the grin I’d been holding back.
6
Emily
I could
n’t deny that since I’d met Kaitlyn, I’d been thinking about her. She’d definitely been a constant fixture in my thoughts lately, though I’d been doing my best to avert my attention.
I’d been doing a pretty good job of it, too. I knew how badly I needed to be focusing on school right now.
Even though I’d been regretting the fact that I hadn’t gotten Kaitlyn’s number, I’d told myself that was a good thing. That I needed to turn my attention to school and away from girls.
I hadn’t realized how much of a blessing it was that no woman had gotten my attention before. It truly was. It was very hard to get someone off your mind once they got your attention. Like, extremely fucking hard.
And I barely even knew Kaitlyn! She was just a cute stranger from a bar. Imagine if I actually started dating someone… yikes.
So when I’d left class and seen Kaitlyn sitting on the curb playing her guitar, it had felt like both a blessing and a curse. It had been what I’d wanted to happen so badly, but really, I should’ve just kept walking.
That was what I’d told myself when I’d first seen her. Don’t do it, don’t talk to her, you’re finding it hard enough to focus without adding her into your world.
And I really was. Even in class a moment ago, I’d found myself drifting off in my thoughts and fantasies rather than paying attention to my professor during a crucial lecture. I was less motivated than ever to study. One night this week, I hadn't even bothered. I’d just watched movies with Abby and eaten junk food.
I guess I was just so done with school. After years and years of making it my number one and, many times, my only priority, I didn’t want to do it any longer. I was tired. I hadn’t had enough fun in my life, and hanging out with Kaitlyn at the bar had reminded me of that.
And that was why I’d ultimately decided to walk up to her. Because I deserved to have a little fun, right?
But now we were walking to the cafeteria together, and I was starting to doubt myself. I’d been planning to eat in the cafeteria and study. It was supposed to be my broccoli cheddar soup, my textbooks, and me.
That sure as hell wasn’t happening now. I couldn’t focus on anything but Kaitlyn as we made our way over there. Which was weird, considering it was a very picturesque walk, and I often found myself distracted by the flowers that surrounded the sidewalk and the lush greenery of the trees.
Today my surroundings might as well not have existed. Nothing seemed to exist outside of Kaitlyn’s gorgeous face.
“So, how have your first few days at Rosebridge been?” I asked her.
“Honestly? They’ve been fantastic. I’ve been really enjoying this place, and I’ve been making somewhat okay money performing here at Beasley, so I’m happy. I mean, as happy as I can be, all things considered.”
“Right.” I nodded sadly. “How are you holding up with all that?”
It was selfish, but I was really hoping she’d say she was holding up well. If she wasn’t and she still missed her ex, that meant I might not get a shot with her.
Which would be good, I guessed. I didn’t need a shot with her. I didn’t have time to date. I needed to focus on school; I absolutely had to. I could date when I got a job.
“You know, surprisingly well,” she answered, to my delight. “I’ve been keeping busy here, and my ex hasn’t called me, so I’m just feeling really free right now. Ready to build a whole new life, you know?”
“A whole new life?” I didn’t know why, it just seemed like weird phrasing to me.
I knew that she was moving to an all new place, of course, but did moving towns really constitute having a whole new life?
“Yeah, I’m in the rebuilding stage of my break-up. You know, when you have to scrap all the plans you had with your ex so you can try to make some new plans of your own?”