Selena sat at her desk. Her laptop screen glowed brightly in the darkness of her dorm. She read and re-read the words on her Facebook screen. 'Meet me at the library at midnight.' She knew it was crazy to even consider it, but she had had a huge crush on Tyreese Jackson since the very first time she had seen him. It was the first day of summer school. She was taking a couple of classes at the local university as part of a gifted and talented program at her high school. She was seventeen and would be a senior when school started back.
Ty was the talk of the university and the town. His father was a former NBA great and it was said that Ty held even more potential than his All-Star Hall of Fame sire. Not that she had known that much about the sport, but it was hard to miss the tall and powerful young man. But it was not just his size, it was his presence. Although an average student, he was friendly to everyone and had a great sense of humour.
Selena had spent that summer three rows behind him; watching him almost as much as she was engrossed in the lectures about sociology. With just one more year to decide, she was torn between majors: English or sociology. Something about the ways that human society interacted with one another captivated her; especially the sub-cultures such as her own proud Latina heritage.
That had been almost eighteen months ago. Selena was now a freshman at the same university, although in complete honesty she would likely graduate in just three years thanks to the credits she received from the gifted and talented program. She had chosen sociology in the end, but minored in English; because she found the two subjects were often inseparable. The literature of a society often reflected and explored its greatest triumphs and most appalling failures.
The fact that Ty Jackson was also had a sociology major had absolutely nothing to do with her decision to attend this university or her major. She had though learned a great deal about the sport of basketball. The sad truth was that she knew her dream man saw her as nothing more than the smart study buddy and 'little sister.' Her fears had been confirmed a couple of weeks back when she gathered the courage to trade her customary jeans and t-shirt for a short skirt, printed top and even wedge sandals that had added almost four inches to her demure five foot two inch petite frame.
She had been invited to 'hang out' with Ty and a few other friends. She saw it as her chance to get his attention; but she should have known that her slim, almost flat chested young body that still made her look several years younger would have little chance to attract her dark god's attention with the stacked blonde hanger-on's that surrounded him constantly and offered far more experience. But when Ty had looked her from head to toe and politely said that she looked 'cute,' all her hopes were crushed. 'Cute' was not the adjective she had hoped for.
Of course, she had laughed it off and continued in her role as unofficial study buddy and tutor to Ty. It had been her unique position in his life since that first summer class. He had approached her after class one day after another of her inquisitive exchanges with the professor. He had begun complimenting her with a smile that she was the smartest in the class, and then he had asked if she would mind helping him with his studies from time to time. She had almost stammered her response; she was so surprised and pleased. That was the beginning of their friendship.
Straightening the papers on her desk, Selena looked at the red numbers on her clock: 11:45. If she was to obey, Ty's mysterious summons, then she should leave her dorm room soon. She had an eight o'clock class and should head to bed, but she knew she would instead traverse the campus to meet her friend. Although if he needed her to proof-read the paper that was due on Monday, it would have been far easier for him to simply email it.
She hoped that she was not being called upon once again to play confidant about the latest blonde bimbo in his life. Why did he always ask her what she thought of them anyway? It was not like she could actually tell the truth; 'She is stupid and just using you because she knows you will play professional basketball one day.'
Grabbing her sneakers from where they were neatly arranged by the door, she slipped them on as she grabbed the key from the hook. Thankful that one advantage to being part of the honors program at the university was that she was offered one of the prized single rooms; she did not have to cope with the clutter of another person. With a sigh, she closed the door and headed across the campus to meet the one man she feared she would always love...and never have.
***
Ty nervously paced back and forth in front of the university library. He was pretty sure that Selena would come, but he was not so certain what he would say when she did. How do you tell your best friend that you think something is changing? That you might be falling for her? Shaking his dark shaved head; 'might be falling' was not quite the truth. Ever since that night when she had shown up for pizza dressed like...well dressed like a woman...he could not get her out of his mind.
He had hoped that she would wear the outfit again, but in the couple of weeks since then it had been more of the same old jeans, t-shirts and ponytails. But he could not forget how she had looked that night. For a short girl, her legs had looked incredibly long when showcased in that short skirt and heels. Her small breasts had almost driven him to distraction that night. He had wanted several times to reach out and touch the tiny buds; to find out for himself if she were wearing a bra. Her hair too had looked so different when worn down. It flowed about her light bronze skin like a mahogany picture frame around a master piece.
