How You Get The Girl | An Aruden AU

One | Enchanted

"This night is flawless, don't you let it go..."

Why did it have to rain the second Aru had to leave the building?

Seriously, the entire day the sun had been shining. Now, raindrops crashed to the ground, leaving surfaces soaking and creating puddles on the ground. Washington weather was incredibly inconvenient.

Great. Aru didn't check the weather forecast this morning, so she didn't have an umbrella. Could she make a run for it? Aru peered at the muddy quad, then glanced down at her sneakers. Her shoes were black, so the mud wouldn't show. Maybe.

Fuck it. Aru took off, cutting through the quad, ignoring the squish noise her shoes made each time her feet hit the grass.

She made it, but her sneakers were muddy and wet. Oh well, Mini could help her wash it.

Aru kept running, back on the paved area now, but then felt herself bump into someone walking in front of her. Their umbrella got knocked out of their hand, they reached down to pick it up.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorr—" she apologized quickly, but clamped her mouth shut as the person turned around to face her.

They were taller than her, with brown skin and curly black hair. Their eyes were so dark they could've been the ocean at midnight. A camera hung from their neck, and they wore a black hoodie—hood over their head at the moment to keep their hair from getting wet—and jeans. A camera bag was slung in their shoulder, their laptop peaking out.

Another thing, they were, to put it simply, gorgeous. All their features came together in the best way. Even in the rain, their light brown skin seemed to glow.

Wait, she knew this person. He was Aiden Acharya, cousin of Rudy, her roommate Mini's boyfriend. She'd seen him talking to Rudy, and she was pretty sure they were roommates too. And, if she was remembering correctly, he was friends with her other friend, Brynne.

Wow, they had a lot of mutual friends.

Aru and Aiden had passed each other in the hallways a couple of times (Aru taking note of his looks every time), but they never spoke.

"It's okay," Aiden replied, smiling, "Don't I know you?"

Aru panicked. He was pretty. What were you supposed to say to someone that pretty?

"I know where you live!"

Aiden's eyes widened and he looked taken aback. "What? Like my dorm number?"

Aru blinked. Yeah, she meant his dorm number. She also knew he used to live in New York. "I—um—sneakers. Goodbye."

She pushed herself past them and ran, faster than before. Ugh, that brief encounter had left her out in the rain, and now she was soaked. And embarrassed. I know where you live? Who says that? Stalkers. Aru Shah was many things, but she was not a stalker.

When she got to her dorm, she pulled the jet out of her pocket and opened the door. It was a small room, with two beds and two desks. Aru's side was covered with posters from Lord of the Rings and some of her other favorite movies. Mini's side was simpler, with a few books and a first aid kit lying on her desk.