The next few days blurred into a haze of orientation meetings, syllabus readings, and campus map memorization. I successfully avoided my dad's calls by using the excuse of registration. When I finally called him back, the lecture was just as bad as expected: "You are there to study, Annabel. Focus. Don't play around." I rolled my eyes as I recalled his words, as if telling Nic to monitor me wasn't enough.
About Nic, we haven't spoken in a while. I'm worried about that, but I promised him I wouldn't interfere with his life. I didn't want to be a liability to him, but that doesn't mean he should act like I'm nonexistent. I hated that my dad was using him as his spy, but I liked the fact that he could check up on me—more specifically, I liked seeing his well-sculpted face. It felt like he was intentionally avoiding me, or maybe he was just busy. I tried to brush him off my thoughts, telling myself it's nothing to be concerned about.
Zina and I spent our evenings exploring the massive campus and quickly discovered the best hangout spot—the quad between the library and some faculty buildings. My foundational nursing science course wasn't too difficult; you need to listen to and understand what the professors are saying, and you'll get it. However, some of the general courses that aren't really important have proven tougher than I anticipated. I thought I was done with math in high school, but now I'm facing a whole new level of calculus. I already met with my course counselor about it, and she advised me to get a tutor, explaining that while I don't really need it after my first year, it's essential to pass the course.
It was past 2 PM on Friday, and I had already finished my classes. I agreed to meet up with James and Zina. I arrived at our spot first, holding a boba tea. I dropped my bag on a wide double bench beneath the shade of a sycamore tree in the quad. Just then, I received a text from Zina canceling, her painting was taking longer than she expected. I guess it would just be me and James then.
A few minutes passed, and I heard James chatting with someone behind me. I recognized the guy he was with.
"Hey, Feisty!"
"Hey, Jamsie!" I shot back.
"You won't believe it if I tell you I missed hearing that" he grinned.
"Told you the name wasn't all that bad."
"It is, Anne." he interrupted, sitting down, and I laughed.
"I'm sure you remember Ryan, the one from the club—my roommate. He wanted to tag along."
"Of course! He told me how you threatened him to come and then abandoned him. Hi, Ryan!" I said with a smile, looking up at the tall figure in front of me. He was not as tall as James, just an inch or two shorter, with brown curly hair and soft features. He looked more attractive without his glasses today, unlike how I remembered him from the pub. I noticed the glasses mark on his nose bridge. He was dressed neatly in a white short-sleeved round-neck shirt tucked into gray pants, with his bag slung across his chest. He wasn't as lanky as I had observed at the pub, I remember being quite out of it then. His eyes lit up with a smile. I take that back, he's cute, not just handsome.
"It's nice to officially meet you, Annabel. I'm really glad you're okay. I was worried the other night."
"He sure was," James interrupted.
"Thanks, Ryan. I'm good now."
"James told me you cleared things up with Nic. Thank you. He was pretty scary the other night, even though I was just trying to help."
"It's fine, Ryan. He's just... protective."
"Computer Engineering, right?"
"Yeah, you remembered" He replied with a smile.
"Of course! You guys have some math classes, right?"
"Yes, we do."
"We do?" James asked, confused.
"We had one this morning; it was a combined class, and you fell asleep," I said. Typical James. He'll catch up on his own anyway.
"Oh, I'll leave it to you nerds," he said, focusing on his phone.
The conversation soon turned to academics. I mentioned that I was struggling with calculus.
"Integration equations are killing me, and the fact that I won't need it after my first year, but it's necessary to pass, really frustrates me," I confessed.
Ryan's eyes lit up with pure intellectual excitement. "Oh, the math behind that is actually fascinating! If you understand differentiation well, you'll be able to get it. I'm pretty good at tutoring that stuff. If you ever need help, I'm right next door."
His offer was a lifeline. He was kind, smart, and completely lacking the tense, complicated aura that surrounded Nic.
"That would be amazing, Ryan. When are you free?"
"I could share my schedule with you if that's okay."
"Absolutely fine!" I said, feeling excited.
"What about your foundational nursing courses? I could help you with flashcards if you want."
Now that seemed like too much.
"I don't have issues with those courses, you're helping me enough. Thank you, Ryan," I said with a smile.
"See? Told you he was a good egg. He'll keep you focused, unlike some other people." James interrupted.
"Shush, James. Ryan, I hope you'll be joining us for a jog tomorrow morning."
"Us?" James asked cluelessly.
"Us. We agreed to morning jogs on Saturdays."
"Oh... It'll be hard waking up early."
"I always wake you up, so that won't be a problem," Ryan chimed in.
"Good, Ryan. I'd better see you tomorrow, James," I said as I picked up my empty boba cup and tossed it before heading back to my dorm.