NaNoWriMo: My Novel - "Jessie's Girl"
Selection from my original novel - Jessie’s Girl
The drive to campus isn’t too bad; considering the -15ºF wind chill, three feet of snow, and the jerks who have no clue how to drive in it.
I actually love the winter; I mean I’d rather cocoon myself in bed and wear three layers of clothes, then want to peel off my skin in the dry heat of summer – but that’s just my humble opinion. If there’s one thing I know about opinions, it’s that if it’s about religion, politics, social issues, or whether crunchy or smooth peanut butter is better you should keep it to yourself.
It’s the first day of the spring – if you could call it that – semester here at Lambert & Springfield Community College. The college was founded by Rick Lambert, and his wife Mary Springfield; apparently, Mary didn’t want to change her surname when she got married, which is pretty awesome – in my humble opinion – and Rick had a superiority complex, so he demanded his name be first. Men, am I right?
This is my last semester here before I transfer to a state university. While I’m only doing general studies here, I plan on either getting my bachelor’s degree in Geology, Woman’s Studies, Psychology, or Accounting; I’m still making up my mind.
Today I have Communications at 8:00 AM, a stupid ass time for a class if you ask me, and then Women in Literature at 11:30 AM. Since I had to get up at the ass crack of dawn this morning, I just put my hair up into a messy bun, put on some chap stick and called it good; it’s college, nobody’s looking for love in an 8 AM class.
I arrive to the lecture hall at 7:45, scope out a seat in the middle of the room and plop my stuff down. Suddenly, I realize I forgot the most crucial part of every morning – coffee. This is going to be a horrible day. As I’m about to get up, and run over to the campus Starbucks, my friend Jessie trudges into the lecture hall.
“Eve? No shit, I didn’t know you were taking this class.” He half yells across the room. Jessie sets his stuff down in the seat next to mine, and starts ripping off layers. His glasses sit slightly askew on his bright red nose, and his half-frozen, brown hair sticks out at various angles.
“Hey man, yeah. I just wish it wasn’t at eight in the morning.” I respond, with an exaggerated sleepy/half-dead expression.
“Tell me about it, brown eyes.” He smirks. He knows I hate it when he calls me that. My eyes aren’t even brown, they’re blue; but he swears he saw them turn brown once.
“I’m only staying if the teacher is hot.” I express with a wink. He initiates a fist bump, the Jessie equivalent to a, ‘I’m with you there.’
Sleepy and bundled up students slowly trickle into the room. A woman walks over to the podium and takes off her coat. She reveals a forest green sweater perfectly hugging her curves, I’m guessing a 34 DD, and her long auburn hair cascades out of her barrette. Jessie and I share a look, and I know neither of us is dropping this class. She introduces herself as Mrs. Cassidy Butler, but says we can call her ‘Cas.’
A little past eight, we dive straight into a lecture on the importance of good communication. Almost an hour in, and bored with the lecture, I being scanning my fellow students; I can usually get a good feel for a person’s personality, and there are few things more fun than deducing a person’s actions.
Most of the people in the back of the room are understandably asleep, a few are possibly watching porn – nobody looks that intense when taking notes. A young man in front of me is shopping for shoes online, and the girl next to him is playing Pokémon on her Gameboy; I mentally note the Pokémon girl in my list of possible friends. The smart asses sit in the front of the room; never befriend the people in the front room, unless you know there’s going to be a group project.
Jessie attentively listens to the lecture, probably to get on Cas’ good side, he’s always had a thing for teachers. Senior year, he had a huge crush on our calculus teacher, and spent many an hour after school “studying” with her. He swears nothing happened, but he always looked happier afterward, and his grade mysteriously skyrocketed from a D to a B. Granted, he was eighteen so it was only morally wrong.
I, on the other hand, never had a sex life in high school. Truth is, I’ve never actually been on an date. I mean, if you count going to the movies, awkwardly holding hands, and then having your parents drive you home, then yes; but, those ‘dates’ were all with guys, and I only went on them to please societies expectation of who I should be – but that’s just my opinion. I almost went on a few dates my first year of college, but I chickened out. Talking to be people is hard, ok? People are freaking scary. That’s why I prefer watching them, people can’t lie with their actions.
“Excuse me?” A faint whisper comes from behind me; I turn around, and come face to face with a gorgeous blonde in a black turtleneck. “Do you have an extra pencil?”
“Oh, totally,” I lie, I don’t have an extra pencil but I can’t be rude. “Here, take mine.” I say with a smile. She thanks me, and returns to her notes. I’ll just take mental notes for the rest of class; regardless, the bigger problem here, is how I didn’t notice her. I watched nearly everyone come in.
Damn, she’s gorgeous. If I can muster up the courage, maybe I’ll ask her out for coffee after class, and if it goes bad at least I’m caffeinated for the rest of the day.
The lecture comes to an end, and Jessie is rearing to get out; he clearly needs coffee as much as I do. I could just see him later today, after I talk to turtleneck here. I hope that she likes chicks, if not it’ll be a pleasant outing with a gorgeous girl.
As I glance down at my phone to see what time it is, I am met with the reflection of a very tired and un-showered girl. I immediately decide asking her out while looking like a hobo is probably a bad idea. I’ll come prepared next class.
First impressions are not everything. As wise men, and women, once said, ‘If they can’t handle you at your worst, they don’t deserve you at your best.’ Well, I’m at my worst now and if she can’t handle it then how can we have any future together?
I turn around as gracefully as I can, and play it cool.
“Hey, do you know what the homework is?” Questions are simple, and sure of an answer.
“Oh, totally,” She says with a sweet smile. “We just need to read chapter one.” Seriously, how can someone be this gorgeous this early in the morning?
“Thanks. I’m Eve by the way.” We shake hands and she introduces herself as Emma.
Just as I’m about to ask if she’s in need of coffee, Jessie bursts into the conversation. “Hey Eve, who’s your friend?”
“Jessie, this is Emma. Emma, this is my friend Jessie.” The two shake hands over the aisle. Jessie clearly has his flirting face on. No person can resist that face; well, unless they’re into women. Shit, now that I think about it, he could probably make anybody fall with him.
He and I have never been interested in the same girls, so this has never been a problem. I don’t blame him though, I hardly ever make a move, and he’s just being himself.
I guess we could all go out for coffee, the more the merrier right?
“Hey, so I am in dire need of coffee.” I jokingly confess. “What about you two?”
The two exchange glances. Jessie then admits that he doesn’t have any other classes today, and was planning on going back to bed.
Good, Jessie’s out of the way. My time has come.
“Emma, coffee?” I ask politely.
“Oh, I actually don’t drink coffee.” Shit, of course she doesn’t. “I have to go catch the city bus soon anyway.” I quickly look over at Jessie, I can practically see the gears in his head moving.
“Why don’t I give you ride, Emma? It’s far too cold out there, for a pretty girl such as you.” She blushes, and accepts his offer.
We exchange goodbyes, and I’m left alone in the lecture hall while my friend makes moves on the girl I want.
My imagination runs wild the rest of the day. I hope he just drove her to her house, and they only talked platonicly, but he most likely flirted his way to a date with her and she’s already falling madly in love with him.
Don’t you just love it when this happens?
So, what do you think so far?
