*because i'm only human

the gods envy us. they envy us because we're mortal, because any moment may be our last. everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. you will never be lovelier than you are now. we will never be here again.

[natcohen]

FIRST DATE | FLETCHLEY

[collcgekids]

Riley’s goal for the night was for Fletcher to give up just around after dinner. Even if she didn’t want this date to happen, she didn’t plan anything for dinner so if she gets to have a free meal that night and get Fletcher off her skin, then it would be the perfect night for her. The chocolate thing was just part one. Noticing the controlled reaction on Fletcher’s face, Riley couldn’t help but grin. It was working. And she didn’t really mind that she had stains on her clothes. The washer will do its work in the morning. Raising an eyebrow, Riley was surprised when Fletcher informed her of a plan that he has. Was he planning to sabotage the night as well? Now, she was curious. A bit scared but more curios as to what this top secret plan is. “No. Why? Are we gonna watch that movie? Because I’m gonna go back in if that’s what we’ll be doing.” Riley loves to watch movies but if that’s what Fletcher planned for the night, she had a feeling that he didn’t plan on just bringing her back to the dorm and going home later that night. Now he was giving hints and she was really curious about it, ignoring her hunger completely and deciding to go for his plan. “Let’s go with your plan. I’m quite intrigued. But if I get hurt Gordon, I swear, you will wake up in China tomorrow.”

Fletcher was well aware that Riley wasn’t going to come along quietly. He’d deal with nagging questions and tired insults, which he was going to do his best to meet with a smile. It was pretty clear that Riley had her own agenda for the night ahead of him, and he was determined to not let her ‘win’. There was no doubt that he had a long few hours ahead of him, and he mentally prepared himself for the inevitable struggles that lie ahead. There was a small hope that he might be pleasantly surprised, that they might actually have a good time. But he knew better than to expect that, and instead prepared for the worst. “No, we’re not going to sit around and watch a movie. That would be totally lame.” Fletcher began to lead the way to the student parking lot, where his car was waiting for them. He’d even taken the liberty of cleaning up the trash on the inside, just to make a little more presentable. “Jesus Riley, you’re not going to get hurt. Are you gonna be a buzzkill like this all night?” He turned to face her, carefully walking backwards with a smirk painted on his lips. “Just relax, and have fun for once in your life. You’re going to have a good time, but only if you let yourself. So go ahead and let yourself, nerd.”

[natcohen]

FIRST DATE | FLETCHLEY

[collcgekids]

While waiting for Fletcher, Riley started munching on a Nutella jar from her mini fridge. She immediately thought of something to start her sabotage and when she heard Fletcher from the other side of the door, she couldn’t help but smile big. Why was she smiling? Not because he’s going on a date with Fletcher, of course not. Well, not entirely. But she was ready to start with her plan. “I’ll be out in a minute!” She responded, getting out of the bed to open the door. Surprisingly, Fletcher seemed awkward when she saw him. Has he ever been in that situation with anyone? He just always seems so confident all the time. “Yeah, I’m ready.” She smiled humbly, closing the door behind her and reaching for Fletcher’s hand to lock their fingers together but then she quickly pulled away. Riley made sure her hand was sticky with chocolate and when their hands closed, Fletcher’s hand was covered in chocolate as well. “Oh shit, I’m sorry. I forgot to wash my hands. It’s just chocolate though. I swear. Here.” She said, reaching for his hand and wiping the stains on her hoodie. She wiped her hand there as well and even though she’s wearing black, the chocolate stains were still visible on her clothes. Who would want to go out with a girl covered in chocolate stains, right? “There. That’s better. Let’s go? Where are we going anyway?” 

Dates were usually no big deal to Fletcher, and he’d never been the type to stress over them by any means. Yet here he was, nervous for the night ahead of him. Perhaps it was all that was at stake that made him feel this way. It added another element to the night, and a need for him to succeed. It was no longer about just having a good time, but making sure she had the time of her life. Which she undoubtedly would, because he was the one and only Fletcher Gordon. He was surprised when she grabbed his hand, but less so when she immediately pulled away. It was then that he noticed how sticky his hand was, and he tried to hide the look of disgust on his face. “Oh yeah, chocolate,” he confirmed, feeling relieved. Fletcher didn’t really know what to do when she took his hand and wiped it on her sweatshirt. He could tell that she was doing this on purpose, just letting him know how little she cared about this night. But the stains on her shirt actually gave him an idea, and he thought he might actually be able to salvage this night. “I... actually have a plan. It’s top secret though. Have you ever seen 10 Things I Hate About You?” Fletcher made sure that his hands were clean, wiping off any remaining chocolate on his jeans. “You wanna eat first or second? Far warning, we’ll be a little messy after this activity.”

[natcohen]

FIRST DATE | FLETCHLEY

Riley had a plan. She’s had this plan since the moment Fletcher convinced her to go on a date. The only way she figured Fletcher would give up on her was to embarrass him in public. Why would someone that gorgeous go out with someone like her, someone who is much less interesting than a potato. She really wasn’t sure why Fletcher was so persistent but maybe this was just himself, proving to be the best when it comes to girls. That he could make someone who despises him fall into his trap. Luckily, Riley has a trap of her own. She wasn’t sure what Fletcher had up his sleeves for that night so after spending exactly 12 seconds in front of her closet, she decided to go with her university hoodie and jeans, plus her dirty old sneakers. She’s just start her major sabotages later when she learns of Fletcher’s plans. After much consideration, Riley decided to get Fletcher’s number from her roommate, a girl who had flirted with Fletcher before. Of course, she had to tell her all about the date but she kept her mouth shut about her plan to ruin the night intentionally. She wanted to seem like she was genuinely giving the boy a chance to prove himself so she decided to sent him a text, telling him where her dorm room was so that he could pick her up. Just so he’ll have more hope to make the night successful. The bigger his hope was, the easier for Riley to crush it. She decided to lay down in bed as she waited for the boy, trying to think of where they’ll be going for the night.

[collcgekids]

Fletcher had done his best to plan a fun night, he really had. The thing was that it had been even harder to come up with an idea than he’d expected, and, well, he’d sort of given up trying about halfway through the week. He’d figured that there was no way that he could come up with something that would be fun for both of them, and had decided that winging it would be his best bet. Maybe he could even trick her into throwing out a few suggestions and pick from those. It’d be more fun if the night was spontaneous, and it would keep the two of them on their toes. Fletcher knew he’d have to make a romantic gesture at some point in the night, something disgustingly cutesy that would make her invite him back to her room at the end of the night. After all, that was the point of this whole night, wasn’t it? Riley had texted him to tell him where her room was, and he’d made sure he’d left his own dorm with plenty of time to get across campus. He didn’t want to hear her bitching if he was late, as that wouldn’t have been a great start to the night. She was definitely the type to hold that over his head forever, and he had absolutely no desire to deal with that. He announced his arrival with a loud knock on her door, yelling, “Are you ready for the best night of your life?” His hands were shoved into the depths of his jeans pockets, and he rocked back and forth on his heels as he waited for the door to open. “Hi,” he said a little awkwardly, feeling nerves that hadn’t been there a second ago. “You ready to go?”

[collcgekids]

Riley rolled her eyes, knowing Fletcher wouldn’t see the sarcasm in her words. Of course, he’d think he’s the king of that party. It was a rare occasion for him to miss a party. And how would she know that? Basically, he’s all the girls talk about wherever she was on campus. And even if they don’t get to know each other, Riley already knew some things about Fletcher because girls wouldn’t shut up about him as much as he wouldn’t shut up about himself. “You really want this? Are you sure about this? There’s always an option to take it back, you know.” She suggested, trying to test on how long Fletcher would keep this up. Riley wasn’t an interesting girl. So, why was he sacrificing a night of his parties for her? They could always go to the party so he could hit two birds in one stone. But Fletcher would like that and that’s not what she wanted for him to feel. Plus, she’s never been publicly drunk before and if her first time getting drunk at a party happens in front of Fletcher’s eyes, she wasn’t sure if she could ever face him again. And again, he started trash talking Luke. The only guy she could admit she has a crush on. “He is not a loser, okay? He’s a gentleman and I like that about him. Seriously.” She confessed before getting up from her seat as she started collecting her things. “Talking is just opening your mouth and letting words out. Conversation is when you have an understanding and connection with the person you’re talking to. So, you should practice that with your friends. Because now, I need to go find something to eat. You exhausted me with your begging.” She teased, giving him a small wink just to be a little playful.

“Oh I totally want this. There’s no way that you can talk me out of it.” While Fletcher couldn’t help but think that she believed she was setting him up to fail, there was no way he was going to give up without a fight. He’d been chasing after Riley for so long now, and he was so close to reaching that sweet, sweet victory. Most of the guys he hung out with knew that he’d been trying to get with her, so if he didn’t go on this date he’d never hear the end of it. He’d been bragging about how he was going to win his way into her pants, and he’d be the butt of everyone’s jokes if he wasn’t successful. Seeing as the two were so different, Fletcher wasn’t entirely sure where to take her. They could do something he liked, and he could parade her around at a party in front of his friends. They could do something she liked, but that would mean that he would most likely spend the night bored out of his mind. Or he could find a decent middle ground, but he knew that that was going to prove to be a challenge. Fletcher rolled his eyes. “He probably still sucks his thumb and sleeps with his mommy. The dude is super lame.” Shit talking Luke Dawson didn’t seem to be working, but he was still going to try to convince her to forget about him. After all, he was ten times better than this other guy and everyone knew it. Except for Riley, apparently. “I don’t need practice. I’m a conversation expert, and you’ll see that on Saturday.” He stood up, smiling at her. “You’re gonna have the time of your life, and then you’ll be begging me for more.”

[collcgekids]

Riley shook her head, shrugging her shoulder with Fletcher’s words. They are really never going to find that common ground. And Riley wasn’t sure if it was a good thing for her or a bad thing. Maybe if he really wanted to spend time with her, Fletcher will have to get used to and enjoy the silence that Riley so appreciates. It’s something she likes having every now and then because there’s just some kind of peace that gives her warmth when it’s quiet. One thing he needs to lower down though, is how much he talks about himself. For sure, he has some good qualities but bragging about it just gives him a bad quality. And that’s something Riley wasn’t sure she could stand for too long. When they have partly agreed on their date on Saturday, Riley found an excuse to not even go through this hell ride. “Oh, but if it’s a frat party… I mean, it can’t be a party without Fletcher Gordon. Come on. That’s the golden rule.” She teased, knowing he liked it when she’s on his good side. And he does that thing again. Running his fingers through his hair so Riley had to look away. No one can deny how hot that was but of course, she could always deny it. It was one of the things she’s good at. “We’ll see about that. I’m not picky on dates. I mean, if Luke Dawson brought me to the grocery store for a date I would probably enjoy it. It’s not about what you do but it’s about what you show. One advice so I won’t walk away on you, though. Try…not talking so much about yourself. Girls appreciate conversations more than just talking.” Riley wasn’t sure why she was even trying to give Fletcher some advice. This wasn’t an actual date for her. She’s just going to embarrass Fletcher and disappoint him so he’d stay away from her.

Fletcher didn’t mean to constantly talk about himself, although it definitely wasn’t something that he shied away from. He’d been raised to believe that he was the best of the best, and that he should be proud of who he was. Which he was. He couldn’t see why it irritated her so much though. Fletcher was a cool guy, and part of getting to know a person was by learning random facts about each other. Maybe she should do more talking about herself, and that would solve the problem. That, of course, would require her to not be a bitch to him, and he knew that that was a difficult task for her. “Well that’s true, I am the life of the party. And that’s because other people aren’t afraid to admit that I’m basically the coolest dude they’ve ever met. But I think that they can do without me for one night, I’ve taught them well.” Were she any other girl he would have just brought her to the party, but he knew that she wouldn’t last more than a few minutes in that environment. A part of him wanted to see what she would be like after a couple of drinks, but Fletcher didn’t want to screw this all up over something that she might not even agree to. “Luke Dawson is a loser. That dude is about as interesting as a thumb tack. And he’s the type of loser that would totally think that going to a grocery store is a good date. You should really forget about him, and get some higher standards.” A lot of things that girls said made zero sense to Fletcher, and a lot of the things that left Riley’s mouth were no exception. “Talking and conversations are the same thing? You talk, and it turns into a conversation. I’m pretty sure I learned that on like, the first day of my mass communications class.”

[collcgekids]

Riley had to roll her eyes for like the billionth time that hour at Fletcher. It was a mom thing to say but she figured if there’s one person he probably listens to, it’s his mom. So maybe that’ll stop him from pushing whatever it is that she didn’t really want to talk about. It was annoying talking to him but sometimes, it was fun to play along. Especially with their banters. They both always had something to say but of course, most discussions end with Riley getting annoyed with how persistent he is. Which is actually a good characteristic for someone. He doesn’t give up easily. But she would never let Fletcher hear her say that. It’ll only make his head bigger than it already is. “Being alone comes with peace. Sometimes it’s more fun for me to just…stay silent and relax. I’d suggest you try it but I’m pretty sure you’ll have a hard time shutting your mouth. You always talk about yourself and honestly, it’s not that impressive. At least for girls who are looking for a long term guy and not just someone to fuck around with.” It was one thing she really disliked about Fletcher. He thinks too highly of himself and while sometimes, most of his self-compliments are true, it was better to let his image speak for himself. It works anyway, like how cute his cheeks are whenever he smiles and how his hair looked so soft whenever he runs his fingers through it. Shaking her head, Riley didn’t want to get too lost in her imagination, laughing as he compared himself to Luke Dawson. She did have a crush on him but Fletcher’s vibe is just all around that Luke’s presence is sometimes overpowered. She could see how Fletcher got excited when Riley finally said yes. Honestly, his surprised look seemed sincere and she did wonder if he really was into her. It scared her a bit but she decided to go along with her plan. “Okay. Next week. Saturday. Our practice ends at 5 so we can probably meet at 6. You need guidelines on my likes and interest so you can successfully pull this off?” She asked before laughing out loud. “You’re not getting any. I’ll let you figure those out on your own.”

“Silence is just... stupid. I can sit around and relax in silence when I’m dead; now is the time to live it up and have some fun. I can’t help that I talk about myself, I’m an interesting dude. Clearly you just don’t know me that well, and that’s why you feel that way.” Silence was the bane of Fletcher’s existence. There was just something about it that got under his skin. It was boring and somehow deafening, and it drove him absolutely crazy. He’d never really been good at being quiet, at keeping his mouth shut for more than a few minutes. A part of him liked to believe that he just always had interesting things to say, but he knew that that wasn’t really the truth. Silence forced self reflection, and that was something that Fletcher liked to avoid. He didn’t enjoy sitting in the quiet, having nothing better to do than to overthink anything and everything. Maybe that worked for her, and that was great. But he would never be that guy, and he would continue to fill silences as he saw fit. Fletcher could think of several reasons why he was superior to Luke Dawson, and now he had another reason to add to the list; out of the two boys, only one of them had a date with Riley and he liked to think that that was proof that the other guy couldn’t compare. It felt weird to compare himself to another guy, as he usually never felt like he had to do that much competing with anyone. He was just naturally the best, or at least raised to believe that he was. “There’s gonna be a pretty killer party at one of the frats on Saturday, but I guess I can take one for the team and miss it.” Fletcher shot her a smirk, running his fingers through his hair. “Oh please, I can totally plan a killer date. I know your dream date is just like sitting in the library and seeing who can win at the quiet game, but I actually know how to have a good time. This is gonna be the best date of your life, and you’re going to be begging for more.” One thing was for sure, and that was that Fletcher was going to have to blow this out of the water. There was no way that he had worked this hard just to stumble at the finish line.

[collcgekids]

Riley raised an eyebrow at him when he started pushing about what she just said out of nowhere. She really didn’t intend for it to sound like something but it just came out, now she’s regretting it. This is why she never talks to boys. Or a lot of people, honestly. “It’s nothing. End of discussion.” She said, putting a period on it so that he would just stop. But Fletcher still being there says a lot about his persistence. The boy doesn’t know when to quit. And when he advised her to try something before giving up, she had to roll her eyes. That wasn’t a bad suggestion after all but she kinda felt like he was specifically talking about himself and the situation, like how Riley should try and give him a chance. Not gonna happen. “Excuse me, but I do fun things. My definition of fun may be different than yours but it doesn’t mean they’re not fun. You like to fuck around with your ladies and I like being alone.” She hated how he keeps pushing that she doesn’t have enough fun in her life and maybe, just maybe she was responding bitterly to it because there was some truth to it. Was she really that lame? Maybe not if she tried playing his tricks. With that, Riley had an idea. Her jaw dropped at his words. The guy really thinks highly of himself and there was no way of bringing him down. “I’ll have you know that I’m much more interested in Luke Dawson than you. I’m not agreeing to date you because I will never understand what kind of poison you lock into these girls’ brains that have them madly obsessed with you.” She let out a sigh before finally pushing through with her plans. “But since you’re so eager for this, fine. I’ll go out with you once. And it has to be perfect. If it’s not perfect, you have to promise you’ll stay away from me. Deal?”

“End of discussion? What are you, my mom?” Talking to Riley was almost a refreshing change from socializing with the type of girls that he usually did. It was a different atmosphere, a lot smarter and more intense yet somehow more relaxed. Fletcher found that he was usually being scolded when he was around her, but it was something he was so unfamiliar with that it was actually kind of hot. She wasn’t constantly throwing herself at him or saying things just to make him happy, and their back and forth was actually one of the better parts of his day. He, of course, would never admit that to her, as he would never hear the end of it and then he’d really stand no chance of convincing her to mess around with him. But secretly he’d always seek her out in a crowd, preferring time with her over any of the other girls on campus. “Being alone just doesn’t sound that thrilling. Like who do you talk to? Who do you joke around with? Like sometimes I like to sit around and watch Netflix by myself, but I’d never want to be alone all the time. And something tells me that you don’t want to be alone all the time either, but you’ve got some brooding, loner girl image to maintain.” Fletcher was grasping at straws really, talking just for the sake of saying something. He was speaking the truth though; being alone was just plain boring. He was hardly capable of entertaining himself for an hour, so he found it hard to believe that she liked to do that all the time. It was annoying that some other dude at a shot at the girl he was pursuing, and he’d have to remember to give him a good shove the next time he saw him. “Poison? Please. I’m just super hot and super cool. Way hotter and way cooler than Luke Dawson. I can’t help that girls like me so much. That’s totally beyond my control, and therefore totally unfair for you to hold against me.” The next thing Riley said shocked him, and it took Fletcher a moment to come up with a response. Holy shit, was this actually happening? Was she finally giving in? “Fuck yeah, deal. This is going to be the best date of your life, and you’re gonna fall head over heels for me, babe.”

[collcgekids]

Riley’s accidental choice of words put her in a place that she didn’t want to be. She felt like she just opened herself up to him and now Fletcher has full advantage of the situation. “It’s nothing.” She said, shaking her head at him. It was her fault for letting it out just like that. Riley has always been insecure and lack confidence in herself. There are just somethings she knows she won’t do well that’s why she doesn’t even go as far as trying things. “I just know. There are things I know I’m good at so I just focus on that instead of those I’m sure I’ll eventually fail anyway.” She continued to giggle when Fletcher flinched once the handkerchief hit him. But then, he started commenting about how she was an old man for having a handkerchief. “I carry this to wipe my sweat off when it’s hot and to cover my mouth when I need to cough and not smell anything. It’s called hygiene.” She fought back. “And how is that even connected to having fun? Just because I have one means I can’t have fun? That is bullshit.” She was surprised when he mentioned about dating her and it just made Riley laugh more. He really was overconfident with everything. “What makes you say I’d agree to date you? I can’t even stand being around you for too long.” Rolling her eyes at him again, she wasn’t sure how to kick the guy away. He always had a way with his words that speaks of how much of a douche he is. Her, closing her notebook, meant that she was ready to end his hopes. “Okay. One, I’m not telling you where my dorm is or where I am moving if I’m allowed. And two, all guys want one thing. Number three, I’m not giving you that one thing. Not even close to it.” Just then, some girls in short skirts walked by them who were obviously trying to look cute in front of Fletcher. “You have three options there. Why would you choose “old man” Riley over “legs always open” Briana, Jessica, and Hannah?” He did say she was an old man and those three girls would definitely give anything to be with Fletcher anyway.

Fletcher might not have been great at this whole heart to heart talk thing, but he wasn’t a complete idiot. He knew that when a girl said that nothing was wrong that there was actually a lot wrong, and that usually they wanted you to ask them about it so that they could bore you to death with the details. And in the few years he’d been charming girls he’d become a natural at avoiding those conversations, but something told him that he’d have to suffer through this one if he wanted to have his way with her. “Bullshit. There’s no way that’s nothing.” Failure was a big thing for Fletcher, and the fear of falling short really fueled his fire. He’d never been a graceful loser, and not coming out on top was something he handled pretty poorly. There had always been someone to bail him out, usually his dad. He paid to fix his mistakes, asked teachers to reconsider bad grades with a sizable bribe. “Oh come on. Don’t be a Debbie Downer. There’s no way that you can know what you’re going to fail at, you just have to give it the good ol’ fashioned try.” The last time Fletcher had even seen a handkerchief had probably been when he was little, and it had probably been when he was visiting his grandparents at the senior center. It was weird that someone his age would be carrying one around, yet also sort of cute. “Oh, right. Of course. How stupid of me to think any differently.” He rolled his eyes, annoyed that he wasn’t making much headway. Every time she seemed to let him take a step forward, she forced him to take two steps back. “It means you’re like an old person in a young person’s body, you like older things. Which typically doesn’t include fun.” Was he not a perfect specimen? Was he not a total catch? “Why wouldn’t you agree to date me? I’m awesome. You just can’t stand me because you don’t want to admit that you’re head over heels for me.” Fletcher could see a string of girls walk by out of the corner of his eye, but did his best to get his focus on Riley while she talked. “Because I like a bit of variety. You keep trying to pigeonhole me, but you really don’t know me and you have no idea what I like.”

[collcgekids]

No matter how much Riley wants to keep turning Fletcher own or making excuses, the guy really has a point. She was young and there are a lot of things she can do. How would she say no to that? “I’m just not good enough.” She suddenly admitted out of nowhere. Riley was surprised with herself as well but she’s not having that conversation with someone, especially Fletcher, so she tried to change the topic quickly. “I’ll stick with what I know because I know I’m good at those. I’m sure I’m not interested in your ‘new things’ anyway.” She said, adding air quotes on two words. The boy just really wouldn’t giving up, not afraid of anything Riley says. So, instead, she took his words literally. Whatever she throws at him? Gladly. She went with her handkerchief so it wouldn’t hurt that much, throwing it to Fletcher’s face directly. “You can’t even handle a handkerchief. I don’t think you can handle a conversation with me.” She teased, not really expecting to giggle a little. That was a bad sign because she vowed not to do anything that could possibly show that she was having fun with him. Riley rolled her eyes at him when he continued to debate on the characters she’s apparently writing, rolling her eyes even more when he talked about her roommate. Did he refer to all girls as babes? “Tell her that yourself once I move out of the dorm so you can bang her all you want.” She continued to focus on her notebook. Riley just gets really pissed off when all girls are dying for this guy’s attention. He wasn’t even that special but it pisses her off that everyone wants him. The boy was still showing determination and she didn’t know what to do anymore. Finally, she closed her notebook and turned to the guy. “What do you want from me? Just come straight to the point so we can get on with our lives.” Just then, her phone buzzed and she got a text from her classmate in her next class saying the professor is not around. A smile went up her face but she shrugged it off and looked at Fletcher again. Why was fate opening up doors for Fletcher to succeed?

Fletcher was thrown by what she said, as he’d really just expected to hear more excuses. He wasn’t really sure what to say to that, and he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to meet that with a quip or a serious remark. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn’t feel like that was too insensitive of a question, as she had just made the comment out of nowhere. Girls were so weird sometimes, and he wondered why he bothered with them in the first place. Well, obviously he knew why but they were a lot to deal with at times. “That’s bullshit. How do you know you’re not good at something if you don’t try it? That doesn’t make any sense. Like at all.” Fletcher flinched when he saw her throw something at him, rolling his eyes when he realized what it was. “A handkerchief? Jesus, you’re like a ninety year old man. You just carry those around? Damn, you really do need to have more fun.” He laughed, shaking his head. Riley really wasn’t like other girls, was she? “Well if I’m dating you then I won’t be banging her, so there’s a problem with that plan. Where exactly are you moving to? Because I think I might have room for you in my bed.” He took the fact that she closed her notebook as a good sign, as he now had her full attention. Maybe she was finally ready to give in. It seemed like things were finally going his way, and he couldn’t help but get a little excited. “I want what any guy wants. Stimulating conversation and a little fun.” 

[collcgekids]

Riley shook her head at the boy, wanting to introduce her to some stuff. Whatever that could mean, Riley has no interest in finding out. She was sure it was either sexual or not really her thing. “I’m fine with my hobbies. Thank you.” But if there’s one thing she was certain about Fletcher, it’s that the boy never learns to give up. She’s rejected him so many times, yet still here he was, thinking he could get her to say yes. “A conversation should mean something. Two points of view that would meet halfway in a fair understanding of each sides. So, fine. I’ll have a conversation with you but it depends on the topic. What do you want to talk about? Political shit? Feminism? The In-campus rules?” Obviously, she was trying to mess with him since those were topics she really doesn’t give a shit about but how interesting would it be if Fletcher agreed to those? Plus points if he actually knows about those topics. When Fletcher sat beside her, Riley wasn’t afraid to let out a groan, rolling her eyes when he gave a different ending to her “story”. Shaking her head one more time, Riley gave him look with furrowed brows. “Sorry. The girl isn’t that easy to get. Whether he has a ‘monster dick’,” She said, air quoting the last words. “Or a vagina.” Riley was caught off guard when he pointed out that she knew his schedule. Her face dropped and she felt defeated for a few seconds before going back up again. “My roommate’s in your class. Don’t feel so special. And she blabs about you a lot. One of the reasons why I wanted to move into a different dorm room.” Finally, Riley turned to him willingly with a sarcastic smile. “Really? Well, sucks for you. I like conversations about history. And if you don’t go to your classes, then I guess we don’t have anything to talk about.”

“And I’m fine with mine, but that doesn’t mean I don’t branch out every once in a while to try something new.” College was largely about doing whatever the fuck Fletcher wanted to do whenever he wanted to do it, but he’d allowed others to introduce him to a lot of new activities since he’d arrived. It was exciting to experience something different, although he had to admit that he was picky about what he’d give a chance. He wasn’t willing to try any nerdy shit, nor do anything that would embarrass him. But jump off a roof into a pool at a frat party? Hell yeah, count him in. “Whatever, I’ll talk about anything. I’m an expert on basically every topic, so I can handle whatever you throw at me.” Fletcher really wasn’t all that well versed in any of those topics, but he believed he knew enough to survive one conversation. Besides, bullshitting was his expertise, and he would make shit up like his life depended on it. As long as he talked with confidence people generally tended to believe whatever came out of his mouth, so he’d just rely on that to impress her. “Well this girl doesn’t know what she’s missing. She’s clearly lacking vitamin D and doesn’t even realize it.” He rolled his eyes at her excuse, not sure if he really wasn’t buying into it or if he just didn’t want to. “Of course she is. Is she one of the babes that takes my notes for me? Because if so tell her thanks.” Fletcher was interested to see if the mention of another girl would make Riley jealous, and he crossed his fingers that it would. “Just because I don’t go to class doesn’t mean I don’t know my shit. I could talk history all day.” Truthfully he could not do that, as his knowledge was purely based on historical fiction movies that probably weren’t all that accurate. But of course, he’d never admit that.

[collcgekids]

For the many times Fletcher came up to Riley, she’s always rejected him or ignored him. It was easier that way, simply because she thinks a guy like him would only want sex from her. He was just as common as every other guy, the difference is, Fletcher has all the girls drop their panties for him. And Riley wasn’t like all the girls. She knew she was different so it was better to just shut things down with the boy from the start. “I’ll have you know that my smile is limited. I already smiled this morning and the last smile I’ll make is for practice. So, no thank you. You don’t need to make me smile.” She shunned him, her eyes going form Fletcher and back to her notebook. “We’re already talking. You’re luckily I’m still responding.” She kept her gaze on her notes until he mentioned that her notes were about and for him. Her eyes went up and she smiled at him sarcastically. “Yes. I’m actually writing about a guy who thinks he can get anything and everything he wants. Sounds a lot like you. Let me spoil the ending for you. A girl in a red jacket cuts his dick off.” She smiled sarcastically again as she looked at her red jacket and back at him. “I’m already having fun here. And if you blow off another history class, I’m sure Professor Horton will just drop you out of it himself.” She said, suddenly regretting her words, revealing that she knows his schedule. But of course, Riley kept it cool by focusing on her notebook.

“You limit how often you smile a day? Damn Riley, you really need to get some new hobbies. I could introduce you to some stuff you might like.” Riley was hot, there was no doubt about that; Fletcher wouldn’t have pursued her in the first place if she wasn’t. But now it was mostly about the thrill of the chase, the fact that she didn’t want to want him. It was more exciting this way and more satisfied when he got what he want, and it was just as serious to him as playing on the soccer team that paid for part of his tuition. “Is that so? We might be talking, but it’s not much of a conversation. Not with you trying to get rid of me. Which isn’t gonna happen, by the way. I don’t give up that easy.” He took a seat to show her to prove his point, but also as an act of defiance. Leaning back and resting on his hands, Fletcher shot her a smirk. “That sounds pretty harsh. I think a better ending is that the dude’s monster dick stays attached to his body, and the girl lets him take her out and show her a good time.” This back and forth they had was fun, but he always wished that she’d finally just give in and say yes. “You know my schedule,” he said with a smile. “I knew you liked me, the proof is in the pudding. But Professor Horton isn’t gonna do shit. I do alright on the tests, so there’s no reason to. Besides, I’m never actually gonna use history.”

[collcgekids]

Riley had just gone out of her dorm room. It was a day of no practice, but of course, that doesn’t stop Riley from playing badminton. Okay, so it might not be the most popular sport in campus but honestly, Riley wasn’t doing it for anyone but herself. She was in it for the game and not for scholarships or fame. Riley loved the sports and luckily, she found friends who enjoyed it as well. But for now, all her friends were in class while Riley had to wait for about an hour more before going to her literature class. She decided to stay in the quad and do another hobby of hers. Riley enjoyed being alone there as she could come up with ideas with her writing. She was done with her previous one, which was sent to publications in hopes that she’ll get notice but she decided to start a new one. A topic takes time for her to fully process in her head. She needed silence, nothing but the sound of nature passing through her ears. That was when her focus was interrupted by a voice of a boy. “No. My day just got ruined, clearly.” She said, rolling her eyes at the boy every girl in campus was obsessed with. Except her. “What do you want, Fletcher?” She had known the boy from the common classes they’ve had and she’s made him aware a numerous times before that she’s the only girl there that his “charming smile” wouldn’t affect.

Fletcher had never really had much trouble with girl before Riley, so it had been a shock to him when she’d first rejected his advances. He’d dealt with girls who had played hard to get before, but never quite like this. Honestly he just viewed their interactions as a bit of a game now, one where he hit on her and she acted like she wasn’t thrilled to have his attention. And it was pretty fun for the most part, but, truthfully, he wished that she’d just give up the act and let him start rounding the bases. Still, he knew that eventually she’d crack and convinced himself that she would be worth the wait, but dealing with her could definitely be frustrating at times. “Damn, Riley. Honestly that really hurts my feelings. Here I am, just trying to make a pretty girl smile and you shoot me down before I even get the chance. It stings when you treat me like this, really stings.” His tone was coated in sarcasm, but he did his best to give her a wounded look. “I just wanted to talk to you, brighten your day. See what’s new in your always exciting life. You writing love notes about me?” He crossed his arms over his chest, smirking down at her. Turning on the charm was usually so easy for him, but nothing ever seemed to work with her. “What do you say we blow off class, have a little fun?”

[collcgekids]

while many kids liked going away to school, college was a place where fletcher thrived. the parties, the girls, the classes that he blew off most of the time... it all made for a great existence, and one where he felt like a king at the top of the world. today was no different, and, as the sophomore strolled around the campus quad and ignored his responsibilities, he was looking for a way to occupy his time. technically he should’ve been in his world history class at this time, but he’d managed to sweet talk a few girls into giving him their notes when he decided to skip. usually he and his friends just tossed around a football and blew off steam at this point in the day, but something - or someone, in this case - had caught fletcher’s eye. the fact that riley showed little to no interest in him was a constant thorn in his side, but that only made him want her that much more. telling his friends he’d catch up with them later he made his way over to her, a smirk on his lips. “guess your day just got better,” fletcher greeted. “hope it wasn’t too rough to start the morning without me.”