"Hi Dylan." I gave him a friendly smile and continued checking his groceries.
"Hey Jesse, how are you?" He said, smoothing his scruffy black bangs out of his eyes.
"I'm doing fine. I have a calculus test and a philosophy essay due this week."
"College kicking your ass, huh?" He gave me a mischievous smile and winked at me. His eyes are green with gold flecks and are covered by long dark lashes. They go well with his crooked smile and dimples. His hair is always in disarray, falling across his eyes.
"Nothing a bit of knocking my head against the wall won't cure," I replied. He laughed.
"Be careful with those brains. I wouldn't want them to go to waste." He grabbed his bags and headed toward the door. He turned back and waved, and was gone.
I had known my older brother Jamie's best friend for years. They had met in 6th grade and had been getting in trouble together for almost as long. Jamie and Dylan had both bailed me out of trouble a few times too, most recently in high school, with a prank involving the boys' locker room and a whole hell of a lot of spiders. I still smile every time I think about it. They'd convinced the principle that one of the janitors had ruined their science project and freed their spiders. To this day, Mr. Whitman thinks that spiders mate at the speed of light if you don't watch 'em.
Dylan had been coming in a couple of times a week for the two months I'd worked at the Bag n' Save. I was trying to pay for college as best I could and had needed the job. Jamie had gone away to college after winning a softball scholarship but Dylan and I were stuck at the local state college which was cheaper by far.
The next evening I was walking back to my dorm worrying about the load of work I had when I felt someone's hands on my waist. I whipped around and relaxed when I saw it was only Dylan. "Jeez, you scared the pants off me!" I said.
He laughed and patted my head. "You scare too easily," he said.
"Foo, you try being a helpless woman walking alone at night."
He gave me a skeptical look. "You? Helpless? I highly doubt that. Anyway, you know I'll always protect you." He put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed. I suddenly realized how tall he is. About 5'10 to my 5"4. He's lanky with a narrow waist and slightly wider torso.
"You? Protect me? I highly doubt that," I echoed back at him. "I could take you," I said and shrugged off his arm.
"I'm not even going to answer that," he said and rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.
I opened the door to my building. "If you'll excuse me, some of us have work to do." I gave him an unconvincing saintly look and turned to go in.
"Are you going to the Delta Phi party on Friday night?" he called after me.
"If I have time, maybe," I called back and slipped inside.
My roommate Amy was looking out the window at his retreating figure as I came in. "That guy's always hanging around. You two have something going on?" She asked suspiciously.
I laughed at her raised eyebrows. "That's my brother's friend. He watches out for me."
"Yeah, and your ass as you walk away."
I swatted her shoulder. "What are you going on about? You think every girl gets as much attention as you do?" Amy is 5"7, blonde, and thin with big boobs. I have long brown curly hair with reddish highlights when the sun hits it. I generally wear it up in a bun because I can't be bothered to deal with it. I have a more modestly sized chest and a slightly more padded ass than Amy.
I thought about the upcoming frat party. I'm usually not much of a partygoer but I'd been working really hard lately and figured I needed a break. Oh what the hell, I said to myself. I'll go.
That following Friday, Amy decided I would be her personal project. She gave me a short red dress with a neckline just grazing the top of my breasts. She applied some eyeliner and mascara and ordered me to wear my hair down.
"Oh Jesse, you look great!" She gushed.
I looked at myself in the mirror. "Yeah, I guess." She rolled her eyes at me.
"Dylan is going to have a heart attack when he sees you," she said.
"Right, and I'm the Grim Reaper. Excuse me while I look for my scythe and black cape," I retorted as I walked out the door.