As we walk to the coffee shop, I get to know Jill better. She came from Wisconsin, the cheese state. When she first arrived here at Berkeley, she wanted to turn back around in her hatchback convertible and go back home.
Her roommate, Tana, is a real big slut, Jill's words not mine. Last night, Tana had a threesome with one guy and a girl. It went on for hours and hours, Jill hide under her covers blasting Taylor Swift's "Red" album on repeat. Even then, it didn't cancel out the noise.
Fast-forwarding through all the Tana this and Tana that, she tells me how she's lactose intolerant, ate some ice cream from the career center, and almost shit on herself in the room. She swore it said Dairy Free on the sign.
Speaking of a sign, the Coffee shop sign comes into view. The line that was wrapped around the corner only hours ago is non-existent. Now, only a few kids sit inside, mingling with each other or doing school work. Jill and I stand in line observing the menu.
"So, what are you going to get?" asked Jill. She whips out her Visa card that has Darth Vader on it.
"Just a dark roast and danish. I don't want to eat too much, my sisters making Tacos for dinner tonight." Each night, one of them cooks for the whole house. Carlee made Chinese food on Saturday, followed up by Daniel making spaghetti, which was pretty average by the way. And tonight, Bridget's making Tacos, which is the only thing she's good at.
"Mhm, sounds delicious. I'm just getting a cameral frap with two cookies. I woke up this morning craving chocolate."
We order our food and drinks, wait for 5 minutes, grab our goodies and find a two-seat table on the middle side of the café. As I put my sugar and cream in the coffee, Jill takes a huge bite out of her cookie and starts talking.
"Hey, how come I've never seen you in the dorms?" She questions, a drizzle of chocolate slides down her lip, she licks it up with her tongue, that's also pierced.
"Did that hurt?" I point to the ball piercing in the middle of her tongue.
"Not really, well at first it hurt like a bitch, but it feels like getting your ear pierced, just in your mouth. Now, why haven't I seen you around the dorms? Wait, are you one of those rich kids that bribed the dean and got a single dorm?"
I slowly sip on my hot coffee, "Hell, I wish. My parents have money, my mom is a lawyer, and my dad's a doctor. Were like "The Cosby's", minus the plethora of kids."
I explain what happened, "When I sent in my application, the system shut down and they never got it. The school sent out an email talking about it, but I don't check my email."
"Who the hell sends an email. What is this, The Paris Hilton era?"
"Exactly." I laugh. "Anyway, I'm staying with my sister and her roommates until I get a room." I take a bite out of my Danish, the soft dough seeps into my mouth creating a flurry of flavor.
"Oh my god! Please tell me it's not only girls."
"No, it's girls and boys. Besides my sister, there are two girls named Carlee and Monica. For the guys, there's Daniel, Doug, and Andreas." The chocolate cookie falls out of her mouth, those grey eyes bulge open.
"Andreas Chen?" I nod, confused by why she's so excited. "The sexy Asian guy on the football team, you're so fucking, lucky dude."
"Yeah." Her face is now bewildered.
"You've got to be kidding me, Eliza. Can I call you Eliza?"
"I prefer it."
She continues, "Ok, Eliza, let me tell you who you're living with. Andreas Chen is like the best Cornerback this school has ever seen, and it's the hardest position to play in football. Some people say he may be drafted into the NFL this upcoming season. Besides being a football phenomenon, he's the guy everyone wants. When I went to the showers this morning, I overheard some girls chatting about him. One said his dick was as long as a free breeze bottle, and that he's so good in bed, he sent a girl to the hospital."
"That is so not true, the sending a girl to the hospital part." I knew that Andreas was a player, the comment that Monica made a few nights ago confirmed it for me. He's an attractive guy, with memorizing eyes, a great body I can see how girls can't resist that. I found myself being sucked into the atmosphere of Andreas Chen, but I would never get with him. He's a Junior, I'm a freshman and I'm not into one-night stands. Sleeping with a random stranger, so fucking weird. You could be sleeping with a potential Ted Bundy.
"IT IS ELIZA! I swear on Ariana Grande's ponytail, it's real. Hey, see if you can get a photo of him with no shirt on, I heard he has an eight pack." I choke on my coffee. "Oh, and he can fight off a bear."
"I'm not doing that Jill, and he's just a guy. Also, he's not that strong, I attacked him a few nights ago, and couldn't fight me off."
Her food and drink are now abandoned, "Wait, you slept with him?" She whispers.
I gasp, "Hell no." I sigh, "He broke into the house at night, I thought it was a burglar, and attacked him from behind. Turns out, he forgot his keys. When I tell you I was so embarrassed. Ever since then, I've been avoiding him and have been successful." I brag.
Jill's eyes land on the door, "Well, might want to rethink that. Andreas Chen just walked in." Looking over my shoulder, Andreas walks in with the same guys he was talking to on the quad, adding on three more guys. They're so big, like walking boulders, he has to at least be 6ft 3 or something. Since their presence is wide, all the girls gaze at them, whispering to their friends.
"Oh fuck." I mutter. I hide my face with my hand, "What is he doing?" I ask.
"He and his friends are ordering at the counter. They don't notice you." If I just stay in this position for a few minutes, maybe he won't see me. Unless he and his friends are planning on staying, and to my luck, an empty table is two tables down from ours.
"Are they ordering to go?"
It takes her a few minutes to answer, "Uh, I think so yeah." Hopefully, in a few weeks, a dorm opens up and I can move out in the dead of night, never to be seen again. "Oh no."
"Oh no, what?" She doesn't answer. "OH NO, WHAT!" My voice comes out a little too loud, which triggers Andreas to look at me. Our eyes connect, he looks surprised. Damn, oh damn.
"It's too late now." No shit Sherlock. "He's coming over here." I hear loud footsteps thud in my direction. The thuds remind me of "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe. Each thud sends not guilt, but a jutting pain in my abdomen.
"Jill, really quick, get that rope, tie it around my neck and hang me from the ceiling," I say with all seriousness.
She pats my now sweaty hand, "I'll be fine, just act normal."
The footsteps get even louder, "Do you not know me? Right, you don't we only met 5 minutes ago! Let me key you in, I don't do good in awkward situations, I'm a sarcastic freak. I almost strangled the guy for god's sake, what follows up after that, an arm-wrestling match? I don't think I can do this Jill, please get that fucking rope and tie- oh HI Andreas, nice seeing you around these fine parts."
Jill giggles in her hand, I glare at her. "Fine parts? He questions. "Aren't you from Boston?" The steam from his coffee circulates the air around us.
"I am, yes. Don't know why I said that." I scratch my head.
Jill can fill the awkwardness fanning the air, "I need to call my mom, so I'll leave you two to talk." She gets up.
"Jill, don't you dare-." It's too late, she's already on the other side of the café, dialing her mom's number. I don't think this is going to flourish into a friendship.
"Dre, get your ass over here she doesn't want you." One of his friends says he's got shaggy brown hair with piercing blue eyes.
He waves his friend off, "Shut up bro. I'll be over there in a minute." He takes over Jill's seat. "So, how have you been liking it so far here at Berkeley?"
"Uh, fine. I don't enjoy the constant walking, and feeling like shit once I go home."
He smiles, flashing his white, straight teeth. I always hated people with straight teeth, dumbass genetics. Like most Americans, I needed braces. My teeth were all over the place, it was like a roller derby in my mouth. His skin is amazing, I bet it feels like silk. And don't get me started on his body, it's built like a Greek God. I wonder what his parents look like? This guy has talent and looks, I wonder if he's smart too. He must be he is Asian; oh god is that racist or something? I've never met a dumb Asian, so it must be true. "Ahh, I hated that too, you'll get used to it. If you want, you can have my bike, I don't use it anymore. It's a Schwinn 10, top-notch."
My hands warm against the hot mug, "Thank you, I'll be glad to take it."
He leans in closer, if his hands move an extra inch, they'll be touching mine. "I haven't seen you around the house that much. Bridget told me you've been leaving early, and I bet I can guess why."
My breath sticks in my throat. "College has been kicking my ass."
"It's only the first week, Elizabeth." His voice deepens. "What could be kicking your ass, I know what's kicking mine."
"I'm sorry about that." I blurt out. "In all fairness, someone breaks the glass in the house, you'll most likely think it's a burglar." On his neck, I could see a red bruise. "Sorry about that."
He shrugs, "It's fine, I might have to thank you for the bruise. My friends think I fucked a girl that likes to choke me." I laugh.
"Cool friends."
On the other side of the café, the curly-haired boy speaks again, "Dre, come on. We've got practice, coach will beat us silly if we're late." He's standing by the door with the other guys.
Andreas looks over to me, "I hate to go, but..."
"Oh yea- I get it, it's fine. I wouldn't want to be the person keeping you from your team." He drinks the rest of his coffee and throws it away. I crane my neck once he gets up from the seat.
What he does next makes my legs squeeze together. His arms grip the table, trapping me in-between him. His lips lean down to my ear, I can smell the coffee on his breath. "I'll be seeing you at the house, Elizabeth. There's no point in hiding, I'll always find you." Those plump lips of his graze my ear, he backs away and walks out the building with his friends.
"What in the hell was that!" I jump as I hear Jill speak behind me.
"I don't know." My eyes never leave him, he walks down the concrete, his friends joking about something. No matter how hard I try, I can't get Andreas Chen out of my mind. He's captivated my thoughts for the rest of the evening.
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