THE RAIN
"Be sure to read the chapter on Newton's third law before class on Monday. Have a good weekend."
As the middle aged professor finished his lecture, the sudden rustle of activity stirred me from my thoughts. I blinked a few times, glancing around at the hundred or so other students that filled the lecture hall, before reaching up to brush my hair back behind my ear. As I folded my notepad closed, I frowned briefly at the empty page. I had done it again. I missed an entire lecture. It wasn't that I was disinterested in the subject, but I couldn't seem to stay focused, recently. Not since I found Todd with-- a shiver ran down my spine as I shoved the notebook into my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I didn't want to think about it. Good riddance to both of them.
I waited until the crowd had mostly left the lecture hall to make my way out, but I found most of them gathered still under the breezeway outside. Rain poured down, creating rapids along the edges of the steep sidewalks and small ponds in the grass. Most huddled near the edge, staring as if they expected it to stop any second. I glanced at my cell phone and sighed-- ten minutes to make it across campus, and it certainly didn't look like it was going to stop any time soon.
As I stepped up to the edge of the breezeway, I tugged nervously at the hem of my denim skirt. I wasn't dressed for running and even less so for running in the rain. I could feel the rain splash against my toes, strapped into my wedge heels, and I chewed on my lip as I considered which book to sacrifice as an umbrella. Physics finally won. It had the most surface area.
With a deep breath, I raised the book over my head and strode out into the torrential downpour. My shoes splashed through the puddles at a light jog even as I felt the heavy drops pelting my shirt, my legs, and my face. I cut through as many covered areas as I could, but by the time I arrived at my next class, I was soaking wet. My hair lay flattened against my cheeks like a drowned rat, and the air conditioning hit me like a wall of ice as I stepped through the door. Goose bumps crawled across my skin. I tried to shake as much water as I could off of my book, but it was almost as lost of a cause as I was. Finally, I gave up and stuck it back into my bag, planning on opening it up to dry it out later; however, when I looked up, I was surprised at my reception. The hallway outside the classroom was filled with guys-- some that appeared barely old enough to be in college and some that appeared to be in their mid thirties. Nearly all of them were staring at me.
I smiled back nervously, reaching a hand up to comb my fingers through my soaking blonde hair in a vain attempt at looking presentable. Was I in the wrong place? Had I stumbled into some kind of guys only class?
THE HERO
"This should help."
The voice came from behind me, a deep, intoxicating sound that made me gasp in surprise. As I turned around, I felt a jacket being slipped over my shoulders. The fabric of the sport coat was heavy and easily swallowed my frame, but the liner was warm and comforting. I clung to the lapels, greedily keeping the warmth inside, and I smiled up at a clean cut, mid-twenties man that stood several inches above me. He wore a friendly smile on his lips, and his deep green eyes seemed to stare right through me. My lips parted, though it took me a moment to coax the words out.
"Thanks. I was freezing."
A soft chuckle came from his lips as he nodded his understanding. "I know. We could tell." His friendly smile twisted in to a mischievous grin as he nodded towards the rest of the group in the hall. I glanced back towards them, most of whom had gone back to idle banter or reading their books. The show was apparently over. When I looked perplexed back towards the man beside me, he gestured towards the jacket. "You might consider carrying an umbrella or wearing something other than white. This is Florida, after all. It's going to rain almost every afternoon during hurricane season."
Panic struck me suddenly as I opened the jacket enough to look down at myself. Just as he suggested, my shirt had become all but transparent and showed most of my tanned torso as it clung to my body. A tiny school logo and my white lace bra was all that protected my breasts from wandering eyes, and my nipples still stood out against the thin fabric of the polo shirt. My cheeks flushed instantly, and I spun quickly to face the wall, unable meet his gaze again. "Oh my god," I whispered, one hand reaching out of the jacket to shield my eyes. "I am so embarrassed."
"Hey, don't sweat it. Just think-- you'll probably never see any of these dorks again. They're all in computer programming with me. What class are you looking for?"
I hesitated. I didn't want to answer. I didn't even want to admit it, now. "Computer programming."
For a few seconds, silence hung in the air. I finally pulled my hand away to look up at the man, who seemed to be crossed between shocked and amused. "What's so funny?" I demanded.
"Nothing," he said, holding his hands up in front of him innocently. "It's just-- you don't strike me as a programmer."
"Why? Because I forgot my umbrella?"
"Oh, no. That's not it... at all."
I could hear my heart pound in my ears as his eyes bore into mine. I tried to look away, but I couldn't. My hand rose nervously to brush my hair back behind my ear.
"My name's Kyle. I'm the TA for this class," he finally broke the silence, stretching his hand out.
"I'm Ashley," I responded, placing my hand into his. His grip was gentle, his hand big enough to wrap completely around mine, and the warmth of his skin sent a shiver down my spine.
"Ashley, why don't you go home and get some dry clothes on? You can bring my jacket back during my office hours, and I'll get you caught up on what you missed."
