LOVE YOU, NOT

[1] Bittersweet

Suitcase. Phone. Wallet. Driver's License.

Okay, that should be all. I think. It's my first time flying by myself, which means it's also the first time I'm checking off everything I need to travel home for winter break. In August, I drove to Providence with my parents, but I don't have a car to drive back.

Glancing around my dorm room, I felt a sense of nostalgia for the just completed autumn semester. I unknowingly smiled, reminiscing on the memories with my new friends and my slight pride of completing the semester with a 3.7. I realized this was the exact type of bittersweet moment in a coming of age film.

...And cut. I looked down at my phone, receiving a message from my Lyft driver that she arrived outside my residential hall. I rolled my suitcase down to the elevator, waving and wishing everyone happy holidays. When I stepped outside, I felt a light drizzle and rushed into the silver car.

The drive to the airport took twenty minutes, which was slower than I expected, but I attributed it to the morning traffic. I did book a flight for 8:30 and left my dorm just before seven. In the airport, I printed my boarding pass, followed the check-in process, and made it to my gate by 7:45. Only about thirty minutes before boarding; not bad.

Before boarding, I walked through the airport, bought two waters, continued reading Red, White, and Royal Blue (before worrying a fellow Brown U student would see me and judge me for reading a romcom type of book and hiding it in my carry on backpack), and scrolled through TikTok. Finally, I heard our flight called, and I got in line to board.

13A, I repeated in my mind until thankfully learning it was a window seat when I passed by the first row. I guessed it would be while booking my flight. As I approached my aisle, I lifted my suitcase into the overhead cabin and carried my backpack to my seat before slipping it under the seats in front of me.

I took Red, White, and Royal Blue back out of my bag and began reading where I left off, on page 146. Reading about Greenwich felt odd, knowing I had visited the town for day trips with my high school friends.

As I immersed myself in the book, I heard someone sit in the seat next to mine. I glanced momentarily at the writing on the backpack being placed under the B seat in aisle 12.

Brown University Athletics.

I closed my eyes aggressively, hoping I was hallucinating.

Brown University Athletics.

Okay, I'm sitting next to an athlete. From my college. While reading my romantic comedy book. Well, as long as he doesn't notice it. But, I had to know what he looked like. Was he cute?

I barely looked to the left. Was that Joshua Bassett? No, obviously it wasn't, but he like really looks like him. Suffice to say he was attractive.

I continued reading my book, placing my left hand slightly over the cover. Until I get to the next few pages. Really? Why can't this part of the book be a pizza party or something. I closed the book, flipped it over, and slipped it back into my backpack.

"You go to Brown?"

I turned to not-Joshua Bassett and smiled. I noticed he gestured to my sweatshirt from the university bookstore. "Yes, I'm a freshman. You?"

He nodded. "Sophomore..." pausing before continuing. "My name is Arden."

"I'm Sienna," I replied. "What sport do you play?"

"Oh... football," he said, with a sad tone. "I fractured my tibia last season, so I might not get to play next year. I'm going to my orthopedic surgeon's office over break for updates."