Know Your Worth

16

It was infuriating how Theodore had gotten under my skin.

The more I thought about it, I realised I wasn't really mad. I was just confused.

Why would he introduce himself to me with his middle name, when his friends all know him as Theo?

It was a mystery that I wanted to solve. Well technically, I could by just asking him, but after my storm off, I feel a little mortified.

I acted like a big drama queen, when I could have just played it cool.

Why did I do this to myself?

The boys are probably making fun of a melodramatic bitch who thinks so highly of herself.

The more I replay our encounter, the more chagrined I feel.

There were a million other ways I could have reacted, and my brain chose the worst possible one.

Sam didn't mention it too. For my sake, I guessed.

And what did Damien mean when he said I was Theo's girl?

I was ashamed to admit that my heart fluttered when I heard that.

It felt weird when I knew that he had been talking about me, when I had been so convinced that he wouldn't remember someone as dull and boring as me.

He was probably insulting me. I highly doubted he had anything nice to say.

I hoped he didn't tell them about what happened before the Economics exam. I really, really prayed he wouldn't.

Flopping onto my bed, I stared at the ceiling. I had no lessons today, only the cooking club to attend to a couple hours later.

My mind was finally blank.

Then, I heard three tentative knocks on the door.

I wondered who it could be. Sam would thump loudly. Kayla had the keys. If it wasn't the two of them, who else?

I opened the door slowly, unsure.

Theodore was standing right in front of me, hands in his pockets, looking sheepish.

"Hey," he greets me softly.

"How did you find my dorm?" I demanded.

"Never mind that. I just wanted to apologise," he began.

"There's nothing to apologise for. You did nothing wrong. It was just sort of weird but whatever. I overreacted. Sorry about that. Yep," I rambled.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he countered earnestly.

"Okay. That's settled. Um, goodbye, I guess,"

I close the door, not before a large hand blocks it and gently pried it open.

Damn him and his strength.

"Do you wanna go out for some coffee? I want to explain myself," He tells me, again with that intense gaze.

He is very incredibly gorgeous.

"Uh, sure, I'm free," I stuttered, feeling like an idiot.

I should've said no. I should've declined and shut the door. Instead I'm saying yes.

The thing is, and this seems pathetic but no guy has ever asked me out for coffee. This clearly isn't a date, but it is something.

I like his attention on me a lot. I sound lovesick, but I feel special, likable and unignored.

He smiles, relieved and I timidly smile back.

I locked the door, making sure it was properly locked.

We walk side by side, maintaining a safe distance.

The silence is not entirely awkward. Suprisingly, I feel calm and safe. It isn't all crazy butterflies. I felt steady and basically just okay with him.

He leads me to the cafe and asks for my drink of choice. I obviously order a vanilla ice latte and whip out my purse to pay for it, only for him to insist that it was on him.

"It was my idea to grab a coffee, so I might as well pay," was his explanation.

I felt a bit miffed, because it is the second time he has given me something. The coffee chocolate in the library was fine, but this felt a bit too intimate.

No.

I was reading too much into it. It was just coffee, not a wedding proposal.

He brings our drinks, and I note that he drinks matcha tea despite the coffe offer.

Interesting, perhaps he doesn't enjoy caffeine. Or maybe he's cutting down his intake. I should do that.

"So....," I start awkwardly, probing him to elaborate.

He clears his throat.

"I know it's bizarre, what I did. When you asked me for my name, Gideon just slipped out," He rambled.

"Okay," I say slowly, trying to make sense of it.

"I thought you'd want to introduce yourself as Theo. Since you're the ice hockey captain, right?" I checked.

He has a small grin when I say that.

"Can we start over? Forget it ever happened? It was stupid on my part," He confessed, hand rubbing the back of his neck.

I nodded once.

"Hi, I'm Theodore Hunter, Theo for short. I take Economics as my major and Criminal Psychology as my minor. I happen to be the captain of Blackwell's ice hockey. Oh, and I like green tea," he says mischievously.

His lighthearted mood is contagious and I couldn't help letting out a small giggle.

"Hi, I'm Eleanor Lanigan. I take Economics as my major and I minor in Business. I have a sweet tooth. I love vanilla iced lattes, but currently I'm trying to cut down my caffeine consumption," I told him bashfully.

"Maybe I can interest you into converting to green tea?" He offers, and I shrug noncommittally.

I finished the rest of my latte and he hands me the same coffee chocolate he had given me weeks ago, at the library.

"I told you I wanted to reduce my caffeine intake," I protested, accepting the chocolate regardless.

"Yet you're still taking it," He raised one dark eyebrow, and I pout.

"It's not my fault if it tastes so good," I complained.

"I have a huge stash of them. Want one?" Again with that smirk.

"No, no, stop tempting me," I groaned.

Then it got a little awkward again because I didn't know how to keep the conversation going.

He made sure that we kept talking, and I was struck by how easy it was to converse with him.

If I wasn't careful, I could end up spilling all my secrets and perhaps even my entire life story. He was an attentive listener.

I told him he could have a bright future in being a therapist, and he laughs again. It gives me goosebumps.

I feel happy and oddly proud that I could make him laugh.

"Well, I do study a branch of psychology," he lifts a shoulder in response.

I didn't realise how much time we both had spent until I glanced at my watch. I had fifteen minutes before the Cooking Club meeting started.

"Shoot, I gotta go," I stood up and disposed the styrofoam cup.

"See you around," I said over my shoulder.

"I sure hope so," He murmured, and I felt the beginnings of a warm flush creeping from my neck to my cheeks.

I walked to the kitchen with a spring in my step.

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