BETTER OFF

14

KENZIE
A FEW WEEKS LATER

"What is he even talking about?" Sam leans overs.

I look up from my laptop and over at her, "No clue. I'm looking for new gym shoes." I turn my laptop to her.

"Oh my gosh," she shakes her head but then focuses on the screen, "Those one's," she points at the blue Nike's.

"I was between those and these," I point a light green pair.

"Ooo yeah, you always look good in green," she nods.

"Thank you!" I smile at her.

"There will be a quiz next week," our professor says making us both look forward.

"Fuck," I mumble. I haven't paid attention in this class at all and we've been in class for four weeks. It's a boring lecture, can you blame me?

The professor talks about what will be on the quiz and I make sure to write it down because now I know what my weekend will be full of. Studying.

"I'll see you at home later?" Sam says as we exit the building.

"Yeah, have fun," she's off to go work her on campus job at one of the cafe's.

"I won't!" She laughs as she walks the other way.

I shake my head with a smile as I head towards the parking lot.

"Hey!"

I ignore it at first because there's lots of people around me all heading to other classes or where ever they're going.

"Makenzie!"

I turn to look over my shoulder.

"Oh hey!" I stop and wait for Dylan to catch up. We took a microeconomics class together last semester. He was one of the first people I became friends with who wasn't on the dance team.

"Where you headed?" He asks.

"The parking lot by the library," I gesture over my shoulder.

"Same," he smiles and we fall in line together. "How have you been? How was your summer?"

"I've been good," I nod, "Summer was okay, I spent a lot of it training. How was yours?"

"I spent it working, so," he shrugs.

"Bet you made good money," I look over at him. He's from Los Angeles and if I remember correctly he works at his dad's auto shop.

We keep up the small talk until we make it to the parking lot and he walks me to my car. It's easy to talk to him, he's funny, smart and actually listens.

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" He asks as I dig my keys out of my bag.

"Uhm not sure, why?" I shade my eyes looking up at him.

"A couple of my friends are in a band performing out in Santa Monica, would you maybe wanna go?" He asks.

"Sure," I answer almost immediately. Because why not? And I don't want to study, I want to go to a free concert, and probably get free drinks!

"I'll pick you up at seven?" He starts backing away with a proud look on his face.

"Sounds good," I smile at him.

-

THE NEXT EVENING

"Where are you off to?" Emma asks as she walks past my door.

Emma's a freshman on the dance team. She reminds me a lot of Macey, cute and innocent but down for anything. She moved in a week before classes started, she took over Danni's room.