Afterglow (BWWM)

Chapter 3

I usually liked Mondays.

It was the one day of the week that made sense. It had structure, began my routine, it was a new beginning. Sadly, this wasn't my usual Monday at all. I'd woken up late, couldn't concentrate in my morning class, and everything felt out of focus. What was wrong with me? By the time lunch rolled around, I was seriously considering skipping the rest of my classes.

I longed to head home and regroup, but I was starving and wouldn't make it back to my apartment without eating first. I walked the three minutes to the food court, grabbed a tray and followed behind the herd of mindless bodies until I had one of everything on my plate. After swiping my card, I looked around for a place to sit. The large commons was bright with fluorescent lighting and crowded, my options were limited. I could go outside. But since I hate being outdoors, I continued my search.

A huge group, probably freshmen, just vacated a large table in the middle of the room. It wasn't ideal, but I'll take it. I sat down and placed my large books beside me. Then I remembered why I didn't usually eat here. I stared at the congealing mass on my plate. Ugh, how did anyone eat this garbage? There was a blob of white covered in brown goo and next to that was a green pile of soggy vegetables and a lump of something gray. Was that supposed to be meat? I stabbed at it with my fork and when it moved, I instantly lost my appetite. I pushed the tray away and cursed when I heard my stomach growl loudly. I reached into my bag hoping I still had a granola bar hiding in there somewhere. I wouldn't get any work done with my stomach sounding like it was auditioning to be an American Idol reject. The loud squealing and growling would be way too distracting.

"You hungry, nerd?"

Why did the universe hate me? My day was already a mess, was it asking for too much for a quiet lunch? Drew plopped down next to me like we were best friends. Like he hadn't assaulted me two days ago. He slid half of a Subway sandwich in my direction.

"I heard your stomach from across the room." He cast a disapproving look over my food tray. "I wouldn't feed this cafeteria shit to my dog. I figured I'd bring you a peace offering."

I frowned. "If you think a six inch sub is going to make up for that stunt you pulled at the bar, you're delusional."

I slid the sandwich back in his direction. He moved it back in mine. "Come on, Ally. Don't be like that. It's turkey. Don't all girls like turkey?"

I rolled my eyes. "Why don't you want it? Something wrong with it?"

He looked annoyed with my question. "Nothing's wrong with it. I didn't eat the whole thing because I'm monitoring my carb intake. That's all. I wouldn't give you fucked up food."

Well, now I felt like a jerk. I didn't mean anything by my question. I was just having a hard time processing why Drew was really here. Intrigued, I asked, "You have to watch what you eat?"

"Yeah, I do. Not all football players are three hundred pound linebackers. Shouldn't you know stuff like this, nerd? Looking like me is no easy task. It requires hard work and dedication." He lifted his shirt high enough to reveal chiseled abs covered by smooth, pale skin. He winked at me and I fought to stop my lips from curling. My anger was fading. He leaned in close enough that I could feel his body heat. Feeling uncomfortable with his proximity, I shifted over some.

Deciding to focus to something else, I stared longingly at the sandwich Drew offered. My stomach growled again and that was all I needed to make up my mind. I made a grab for the Subway wrapped goodness when Drew snatched it right from under my nose.

"Drew, seriously? I thought you were giving that to me."

"I am giving it to you ... if you forgive me."