Campus Crush novel Chapter 4

::Alexandria Deberry as Ava Norris::

Preview week flew by very quickly. I hardly ever saw my roommate unless he was coming back to go to bed or waking up in the mornings.

I could tell he'd been going to parties but now school had officially started.

I had a 10 am class this morning that I was looking forward to. It was Psychology; one of my favorite subjects.

"What's your major?" I heard Nash say from across the room. I slowly pushed my blanket off of my body before I answered him.

"Um, Anatomy."

I saw him squint in confusion. "Anatomy?"

"And Physiology. It focuses on the scientific study of organ systems, tissue structures, and whole bodies together with their cellular and structural components and dynamics. I'm going to become a surgeon... hopefully."

"Okay... I did not need to know all that, geek." He got off of his bed, wearing only a pair of boxer briefs.

With a light blush, I turned my face away. "Um, w-what's your major?" I quietly asked.

He huffed out a breath. "Criminal Justice."

"Oh. I thought you were here on an athletic scholarship."

He whirled on me. "Why? Because I'm not smart enough to do something else with my life other than football?"

I shut my mouth, staring at him with wide blue eyes.

"No, be honest," he continued, his eyes narrowing. "You think my brain is empty and useless and all I can do is play football like a machine. Like every other god damned jock. I mean that's what everyone tells me."

"I-I just thought-"

"Oh, you 'thought.' Cool." He glared at me as he pulled on a shirt. He was about to walk out of the room before I forced myself to snap back.

"You assumed I was gay." I swallowed, standing up. "I get to make assumptions too."

"I didn't assume you were gay. I asked; there's a difference," he shot.

"And if I was? That would make you uncomfortable, wouldn't it?"

He glared at me, his lips pressing together tightly.

I folded my arms, finding amusement in his gratuitous rudeness. "I'm asking, aren't I?"

His eyes searched mine for a few seconds before he opened the door and walked out without looking back. I sighed, sitting back on my bed to control my pounding heart. I swear, simple social interaction was enough to send me into cardiac arrest.

::

Thankfully, my class wasn't too far from my dorm. I saw students pouring into it and realized this was going to be a large class. No wonder it was situated in a teaching theater.

"Please swipe your student ID card as you enter!" I heard the professor call out. I was feeling a little anxious since this was my very first college class. I remember my father advised me to sit in the first couple of rows because that would urge me to pay attention. Also, he said a person who sat up front was less likely to cheat during an assessment and more likely to pass.

"N-no..." was my response, but I spoke too soon,

Our professor's eyes met mine and in that same second, his tongue swept across his pink lip to wet them slightly. I was captivated. Hypnotized.

"Yes..." I changed my answer as he looked away and continued speaking, walking towards the other side of the room as he did so. Even his walk commanded attention.

"No fair, I wanna get eye-fucked!" she whined to me. A guy in front of us seemingly overheard and turned to look at her, a grimace on his face before he slowly faced front again.

"Casper?" My name escaped his delicious lips.

What was wrong with me? I couldn't think like this. Had I somehow 'caught' whatever was affecting Ava?

"Casper Niely?"

"Uh, yes sir?" I partially raised my hand.

He nodded at me and marked something on his clipboard. "Casper, next time, just say here. Okay, uh... Jacqueline O'Peck?"

My cheeks burned as I shrank into my seat and lowered my hand.

"Can I go home now?" I whispered to myself.

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