The Trench

Chapter 3 - Surprise Call

After my run in with the Professor yesterday evening I'm having mixed emotions on going to class today. Anxious, because I've talked to my teacher outside of school and that makes me feel weird. Worried, because I just know he's going to make another irritable, yet clever, Jarvik joke in my expense. I'm also a little bit excited. Why? I'm not too sure, not because he makes my ovaries ache when I look at him, that's for sure.

Remember that snarky remark I made about the lust in the air and the girls practically fawning over him? I may have jumped the gun on my judgment.

I made a bit more effort getting ready this morning than usual; I wasn't riding this morning so I had some time to spare. I braided my hair down the side and threw on a bit of makeup; I dressed in jeans and a maroon button down shirt with pearl snaps. I loved this shirt, it's a bit plain but it fits in all the right places and maroon is my favorite color.

My boots echo down the hall as I make my way to Physics. I've noticed everyone else wears tennis shoes or flats, and a few of the girly-girls wear heels. I have other shoes but I've had my Ariats so long the leather is soft and worn, making them the most comfortable and familiar to me. I do have a few heels, however I save them for nights out or special occassions, not school.

I walk into class, even though I'm a few minutes early there's not much seating left. I immediately spot Mae's curly black hair, there's a seat open next to her and I decide to sit there. Everyone else is talking to each other, or on their phones waiting for the day to start, but she's just sitting there, just staring into space. I wouldn't have known her name unless the Professor had called her back yesterday after class.

She seems like an odd duck.

As I walk up she turns to look at me and I instantly feel as if I should have attempted to sit somewhere else. She doesn't seem scared of me like she did yesterday, she doesn't have a deer-in-the-headlights look about her, but she is looking at me with apprehension.

I cautiously sit down beside her and mentally lecture myself.

Don't curse like a sailor, don't insult her, and don't make vulgar jokes. She looks like a baby deer...be nice.

"Hi, you're name's Mae, right?" I put on my friendliest smile I can muster. I'm terrible at meeting new people and I always come off as brash or weird, or some mixture of the two somehow.

"Yes." She says flatly. This is going to be a riveting conversation, I can already tell.

Knock off the sarcasm.

"I'm Riley It's nice to meet you." I stick out my hand and she looks at me for a brief moment before sticking her hand in mine. I was raised respectfully, and despite my attitude I still greet anyone with a strong handshake and eye contact. My dad always said you can tell a lot about a person by the way they shake your hand.

Her hands are cold and soft, and her grip is very light. The contact is brief before she pulls her hand away. She's shy, and judging by the lack of strength and contact I'm betting she lacks confidence in herself. The absence of any roughness or callouses on her hands and the unchipped polish on her nails tells me she doesn't work with her hands much. I glance down at my hands in comparison, they're calloused in spots and I tend to bite my nails. They're not the prettiest.

"What's your major?" She surprises me with a question, her voice getting louder than a whisper and she glances sideways at me. She doesn't seem to fancy eye contact much.

"Marine Biology, you?"

"Astronomy, I've always been fascinated with space. I want to go up one day." She says with a genuine smile and tugs at the bottom of her white skirt. If I'm going to get her to talk, it'll be with Astronomy.

"Nope, no way. Have fun with that. I get wobbly knees when I'm in my hayloft, no way would I be able to go up in space." It's true, I'm terrified of heights. I'm remembered of a time when I was 7 and I got stuck in a tree and almost fell, I think that's when it started.

She surprises me again by laughing. It's a small, quiet laugh but I'll take it. She seems like a nice girl, and I need friends while I'm here.

-

Two weeks pass and it's now the second Friday of the semester. I had class everyday with Mae and she keeps opening up a bit more each day, last week when I got there she smiled and waved me over to what was now my permanent seat. We also exchanged numbers a few days later and she asked if I wanted to hang out soon to which I agreed.

I haven't bumped into Professor Michaels recently other than class. It took a few days but I finally remembered his name once I saw it on one of my papers. I haven't asked Mae about their relationship yet, but she stays after class and talks to him everyday. I can't see them being together, his personality seems to be more brash and sarcastic. Mae walks in a sense where she seems unsure of herself, trying to stay out of the way. Where he doesn't walk, he struts, and exists in a world where he exudes self-confidence and dignity.

I sit on my couch in the living room working on my essay for my Oceanography class. Papers and books are scattered around me and I'm typing away on my laptop when I hear my phone buzzing.

I shuffle through papers on the cushions and finally find it at the other end of the couch, I glance at the screen and a small smile appears on my face.

"Mae, what a surprise." I pin the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I continue typing away on my keypad. I was surprised to see she actually called me, I never expected her to give me a call first.

"Hey! I was wondering what you're doing this evening."

"Well, at the moment I'm doing homework. We have to write a persuasive essay about our argument on engineering genetically modified algae to try and save the coral reefs." I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing at the silence on the other end. "You know, from coral bleaching and all that jazz."

"Well, that sounds like great fun." She says sarcastically. So she DOES have a sense of humor in there, I knew it. "I know you're new around here and you don't know anyone but me yet, so I thought maybe I could take you out. Maybe go to the club, do a little dancing and drinking. You in?"

As she was talking I was taking a drink of soda, and I almost spit it out with her proposal. I cringed as some dribbled out and landed on my light tan couch, I reached for a napkin and tried wiping it away before it stained.

"You go to the club?"

I hear her laugh on the other end.

"I know it's shocking. I know I seem like a shy person, but I do like to go out and have fun believe it or not. I really like to dance, I'm not good at it but I like it."

"Fine, you win, I would love to actually witness you like this" I say with a giggle. "My address is 315 Electric Ave apartment 2E." I rattle off my address, and as soon as I do I hear laughter on the other end before the line goes dead.

"No way she just hung up on me." I scoff to my empty apartment as I toss my phone on the couch. I don't understand what's so funny about my address but whatever.

I'm sitting in confusion, staring at my blank TV screen when I hear a knock at the door. I groan and stand up, glancing at myself in one of the three large feather shaped mirrors behind the couch before I answer. My hair is a mess and I tie it up before answering.

"Whatever it is you're selling, I don't want..." My speech is cut off when I open the door as I stand there in surprise.

"What the shit?"