A bloodcurdling scream rang out through the hallowed halls of Bastion Library. Instead of being paralyzed in fear or running to the aid of whoever cried out, most of the college students present simply laughed. One or two even added their voices to the cry. It was mid-December and finals week. The stress was getting to some more than others.
"I bet they have Professor Saxxon for chemistry too," I grumbled more to myself than anyone specific. That didn't stop the people at my table from overhearing and chuckling. The six of us had been sitting next to each other for almost two hours with barely a word said. I'd seen some of them around campus, but I didn't know any of them.
"Or Profession Griggs for micro economics," the short and stocky guy next to me added.
"Or..." began one of the two girls who were clearly together. Everyone at the table laughed yet again, interrupting her. I was betting her and her friend were roommates. They were both blond, but the speaker was lithe with pale hair while her friend had a fuller built and golden blond locks. Neither was particularly tall or short, but the pale blond was probably an inch or so taller than her friend.
There were multiple libraries at our school, but Bastion was the closest to the freshman dorms and I was pretty sure everyone at my table was getting ready for their first set of college finals. You could tell by the burnt out look in each of their eyes.
"Either this college has an overabundance of bad teachers or we just aren't used to the pace," the third guy sighed. He was blond, thin and on the tall side. "And I thought college was going to be just like high school except with parties every night."
"Right," the stocky guy snorted. "I mean, I knew it would be harder, but not like this."
I closed the cover to my laptop with a little more energy than usual, drawing everyone at the table's attention. "I've been studying the same stuff over an hour and none of it is sticking. I'm hungry and tired. I'd say it's time for a break."
"I'm with you," the tall blond guy said, closing the book he was studying. The other guy closed his laptop as well.
"I could use something to eat."
"How about you ladies?" I asked. "Are you in?"
"Why not?" the pale blond smiled, but then looked at her friend to make sure she was okay with it too.
"Sure," the golden blond agreed, beginning to clean up.
That left the third girl at our table who hadn't said a word yet. She had dark hair and deep brown eyes that somehow came across as both sexy and innocent at the same time. She was definitely the curviest of the three and exactly my type. Frankly, half the problem with my studying tonight was because having her at the same table was just too damn distracting.
"How about you?" I kept my voice even so that my interest wouldn't be obvious.
"I think I'd better keep studying, but thanks anyway," she replied. I did my best to hide my disappointment.
"We'll be at the student union if you change your mind," I offered before walking off with the others. I couldn't stop myself from glancing back at her just before we left the library. She was watching me, or maybe it was us. I blushed in either case and waved before walking out.
My four new friends ended up being a pretty interesting group. We hung out at the student union for an hour or so before breaking up, but not until after we agreed to meet again the next day at around the same time. The break obviously helped us all. The two girls were going back to their room to quiz each other while the guys decided to go to the gym. They asked if I wanted to go along, but I turned them down. Break time was over and I needed to go back to studying.
During the meal I had the feeling that the pale blond was growing interested in me. She was pretty and had a decent sense of humor. I could do a lot worse, but I didn't follow-up. I couldn't get the brunette from the library out of my head.
I thought about going to my room to study, but my roommate would be there and that wouldn't be conducive to getting anything done. Benny was a good guy, but he was one of those naturally intelligent guys who didn't need to study. I think he had an eidetic memory. He refused to admit it, but when I asked him questions in on the one class we shared his answers were often from right out of the book, word for word.
Benny also happened to be addicted to gaming and frequently would convince me to join him for a quick game. That inevitably morphed into a wasted night and right now I couldn't afford any more of them.
The library was still packed despite the fact that it was getting late. I guess it made sense. Finals began in two days. I couldn't stop myself from going by the table I sat at earlier. I smiled to myself when I saw that the brunette was still there. She had her head buried in her notes. I would have sat near her, but unfortunately a group of guys had taken the rest of the seats at the table. That was probably a good thing in the long run. It let me focus on studying instead of her.
I moved across the room looking for somewhere to sit when a guy left one of the small alcoves right in front of me. I quickly took his place. The alcoves were in high demand because they offered a sense of privacy. An hour later I was buried in my chemistry notes when I felt a presence hovering nearby. I looked up to see the brunette watching me. I felt my heart skip a beat, and then it start pumping double time.
It's not like she was beautiful. She wasn't, at least not in the classic sense, but there was something about her that spoke to me. Part of that was definitely her body. She was the type of girl that looked overweight in the heavy sweatshirt she was wearing until you looked closer. Sure, her breasts were on the large side and her hips flared out, but I was betting her stomach was as flat as my own. It was a very enticing look to me, not that her body was the only thing that caught my interest. I liked her smile, especially when her eyes lit up. They seemed to draw me in.
"Do you mind if I study with you?" she asked when she had my attention. "The guys at my table are more interesting in talking then studying."
"Still not ready to take a break?" I asked in reply as I made room for her. She smiled and entered the alcove.
"I'm almost done for the night. My break will be the walk home."
"Home?" I asked in surprise.
"I'm a townie," she grinned as she settled in. A townie was what students called the people who lived in the town surrounding our campus. It was not meant in a positive way, mostly because it was usually used for those high school students who liked to crash our parties uninvited.
There were all kinds of stories going around about guys who either ended up trapped into marrying a townie because she tricked him into getting her pregnant or guys who ended up in prison for sleeping with a girl from town who was underage. I had no idea if any of them were true, but the message was clear. Stay away from the locals. They could be dangerous.
"Maybe technically," I replied, knowing my interest in the brunette was too intense for me to ignore it despite the stories. "But I'm pretty sure you go here."
"And how would you know?" She was looking at me with those deep brown eyes of hers. They were laughing at me for some reason.
"I'm observant," I replied neutrally, but then I added, "Besides, it's not like I could miss someone who looks like you." She tilted her head, giving me an intense look.
"Very smooth," she finally said. "But then again, college guys usually are."
"I'm Will Barone, what's your name?" I asked, ignoring her comment. She hesitated so I added, "I did agree to share my alcove with you."
