Holy -- I was seriously enjoying Andi's company. It's been what, half an hour? It seems like we've known each other for years! I was surprised with how much we have in common, it's kinda like a shame we didn't get to know each other sooner.
Well, not to mention that she is very, very attractive. Shoulder length hair that looks so soft, a slender physique, legs that go on and on -- geez. I'm sounding like a pervert.
"Jake?" Andi was looking at me, quite puzzled.
"I'm sorry -- what?" I blushed, having been caught in a daze.
"I was asking what sports do you play?" she repeated, smirking a bit.
"Oh. Basketball, of course." I replied, giving her an easy smile as I took a gulp of my iced tea shake. "And soccer. I do run once in a while, too."
"Are you with the varsity team?"
"I used to." I shifted my eyes downward. "But I'm not so sure now." Andi must have seen my expression; she didn't press the subject. "How about you? Play any sport?" I asked, shifting the attention back to her.
"Yep." she answered as she leaned back in her seat. "Swimming and track. Cheerleading, too, if you consider that a sport." Swimming and cheerleading? Images of her in skimpy little bikinis and sexy cheerleading outfits started to flood my head. Oh crap. Think of something else. Think of something else.
"Are you trying out for the squad?" I asked.
"Depends." she answered, finishing off her crepe dessert in one huge bite.
"On what?"
"How fast I can adjust." she turned to look at me. "Is the curriculum hard here? I mean, all my subjects were credited, so I won't repeat my first year again... is it easy enough to adjust to?"
"Well, do you expect Chemical Engineering to be easy, though?" I chuckled. "It is the hardest engineering course, right?"
"Touche." she said, still waiting for an answer. I sighed inwardly.
"If you got credited, I don't think it'll be hard for you. That may mean that your old school taught the same principles as ours." I gestured for our bill, reaching for my wallet. Andi noticed and mirrored me. "Hey, I got this one."
"No, no." Andi said, shaking her head. "I should pay for my share."
"I insist." I said. "Think of it as a thank you for inviting me to lunch and sparing me of my self-pity."
"Are you sure?" she asked, wary.
"Yep. 100% sure." I answered. "Hey, you could treat me next time." I suggested cheekily.
"I'll hold you to that!" She exclaimed, as we stood to go to campus.
* * * * * * * * * *
We strolled lazily around campus, me pointing and naming all the sites, her, listening closely. I decided to show her my favorite spot on campus: the greenhouse gardens.
"Wow." Andi breathed, quite speechless.
"I know, right?" I said, as I took a seat near the koi pond. "This is my favorite spot."
"You don't come across as a nature kind of guy." Andi commented, taking a seat next to me.
"Well, yeah." I shrugged. "I don't really hang out at the gym or basketball courts or football field unless there's practice. Whenever I have some free time, I usually come here to relax."
"It is very relaxing." Andi said, nodding in agreement. I decided to take a chance to ask her something that's been nagging me since we bumped into each other.
"Hey, I hope you don't mind me asking," I started. "Why'd you transfer to Danville University?" I felt her stiffen a bit, then relax.
"Well..." she sighed. "Something happened during freshman year that, well, wasn't pretty." I nodded for her to continue. "It was just after mid-terms. I was a varsity cheerleader and swimmer, and the coach for both sports was the same. Turns out he was a pervert, and he has been harassing some of the older students for a while now. I guess I was just unlucky that he decided to one up his disgusting hobby." I was staring at her in disbelief by now.
"Don't tell me --" She cut me off.
"He raped me." She looked at me. "Well, he tried to. I managed to fight back so he wouldn't succeed, but the trauma was there. To be honest with you, I don't really know why I'm sharing this with you, considering that the normal reaction for stuff like that is to stay clear of guys in general." She fiddled with her thumbs. "I just feel like I can talk to you, you know?" I nodded, she continued. "Anyway, my dad was livid. He demanded that the school fire that coach. 'Why do you even have a male coach for an all female swim team and cheering squad?' Dad was threatening to bring the school to court or media or wherever. The school began an investigation, but no one really wanted to testify. The older students were bribed somehow and they didn't want to speak against that coach." She paused, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill. "After the investigation hit a snag, he started to spread rumors that I was the one who seduced him and tricked him into having sex. He totally twisted everything, and students would talk and whisper and look at me like I was a whore. At first I didn't let it affect me, but when my so called friends turned their back on me, I was done. I went straight to my mom and dad, who helped me transfer to another school that was farther from my old school. I owe a lot to my dad, actually." She then looked at me. "And here I am."
"That's just so wrong on so many levels." I said, my brows furrowing in disgust. "The administration wasn't able to do anything?"
"Nothing." She said. "And I found out who my true friends were." I had a sudden urge to hug her, but decided against it. I was glad she wasn't pushing me away, but I didn't want to overstep my boundaries. She lightly punched my shoulder.
"Hey. Thanks for listening." Andi smiled. "It sure feels better to have that out of the way." I returned her smile gladly.
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