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Familiar Face // J. St James

To say you were excited about finally graduating and going off to college was a massive understatement, but you hadn't truly anticipated how lonely you would feel, moving across the country on your own. You had dreamed of going off to study in Los Angeles since Middle School, so when you were accepted into UCLA you had to jump on the opportunity, but all of your friends were either still back home in Lima or studying elsewhere – closer to home. Then, since the school year started again, it seemed like no one had any time for you anymore, no matter how hard you tried to schedule facetimes or visits everyone was so busy, and often text messages went unanswered. You also kind of expected that you would make some new friends on campus, but no matter how many events or parties you went to, no one really seemed to click with you.

After only a month, you were desperate for a familiar face, but you knew that you couldn't go home at this point in the semester, and no matter how much you wanted to sometimes, you couldn't just give up. However, one day that changed, in the most unexpected way possible. You were sitting out on the lawn, reading a book, when you were disturbed by a loud group, with a familiar voice. You looked up, only to see Mr Jesse St James, walking along the path with a group of students, chatting loudly among themselves and laughing. You were hoping that he wouldn't notice you, but obviously, that would have been to easy. As soon as your eyes met, you knew you were screwed. You immediately turn your eyes back to your book, and thankfully he just walked on by.

Obviously, you weren't in high school anymore, and so the show choir rivalry didn't matter. However, that wasn't your problem with Jesse. You had been such close friends in Middle School, in fact you wanted to go to this school together, but when he went off to Carmel High and you ended up at McKinley, he changed, and it hurt you more than you knew how to express. Of all the familiar faces you could have seen, his was the last one you wanted to see. Then of course, after a month of not seeing him, you then seemed to find him everywhere you went. The library – he was there. Student services – he was there. Even when you were out and about – he was there. You couldn't escape him no matter how bad you tried.

_____

"You've been avoiding me." A voice says, approaching you, disturbing your reading. You don't even need to look up to know who it is.

"No." You say, putting your bookmark in and slamming your book shut. "I'm not avoiding you. I just have nothing to say to you."

"Don't be like that." Jesse sighs, sitting down next to you. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"You can't be serious." You scoff.

"We're not competitors anymore." He says. "and we were friends before."

"Oh," You sigh. "So, you think that after they way you acted all year, the way you and the rest of Vocal Adrenaline, treated the New Directions, I want to be friends with you."

"Come on." Jesse speaks. "High school is over. There is nothing that says we can't be friends now."

"Maybe so," You spit, standing up and wiping the grass off your jeans. "But it's more than that. It's the way that you were so quick to throw my friendship aside when you got the chance to be on top. I'm not signing up for that again."

He tried on many occasions to speak to you again, each of which, you denied. However, when you ran into him in the hallway of your dorm building, which meant he now knew where could always reach you, you knew you couldn't avoid him much longer, and soon enough the loneliness got to you, and that's how you found yourself in a very messy situation.

_____

It was a Sunday morning, and your eyes flicker open to the sounds of birds chirping, and squawking, and sunlight peaking through the blinds. It's nice for a moment, until you realise that you are not alone, and not even in your dorm room. You glance over to Jesse, sleeping soundly next to you, and almost choke on the air around you that has suddenly become thicker. You peer under the sheet that rests on top of you, to find your body bare, which almost seems to bring a tear to your eye.

You slowly roll out of his grip, making sure not to wake him and quickly throw on your clothes, before leaving his dorm room quietly. Thankfully, your dorm room key was still safely in your pocket and you didn't forget your phone, but even as you made the clean escape, you knew that you wouldn't be able to just forget about this.

As you approach your dorm room, you hear a voice from inside, but you know it's not your roommate, who was away on a trip. You press your ear against the door, as your heart races as you panic about what to do, until you recognise the voice that was coming from inside – your best friends, Quinn and Mercedes.

"What are you guys doing here?" You exclaim, excitement clear in your voice.

"We came to visit!" Mercedes smiles, throwing her arms around you.

"Yeah, we got here an hour ago, where have you been? We had to pick the lock, luckily we had the right room." Quinn asks, raising an eyebrow.

"N-Nowhere." You stutter, knowing that as soon as you stuttered, they became suspicious.

"Nowhere hey?" Mercedes smirks. "Just by looking at you, I would have guessed that maybe you spent the night with a boy."

"No, of course not." You lie, putting your phone down.

"You totally did." Quinn grins, pulling you over to your bed to sit down. "Tell us everything."

"It's really nothing, it was a mistake anyway." You say, running your hand through your hair.

"Is he cute?" Mercedes smiles.

"Is he fit?" Quinn says, which is totally unlike her.

"You guys," You whine, standing up. "You did not come all the way out here to listen to me talk about a boy I didn't even mean to sleep with anyway. Let me take you guys out. This is L.A, we have to make the most of your time before you have to leave again."

"I guess that's true." Mercedes sighs. "You better freshen up, and then you have to show us everything."

"Okay," You smile, walking towards the tiny bathroom attached to your dorm. "Well you better be ready to tell me everything about what's going on back home."

Once you finish getting ready, you go back out into the main room where Quinn and Mercedes have been waiting for you.

"Are you ready?" You ask, picking up your phone and your keys, suddenly realising that you can't find your wallet. Your stomach drops as you realise that you must have left it in Jesse's dorm.

"Sure are." The two girls say in unison.

"Actually..." you trail off, looking around just to make sure you weren't about to embarrass yourself for nothing.

"What?" Quinn asks.

"... I seem to have misplaced my wallet, but I think I know where it is. Do you mind just waiting here while I go and get it?" You finish.

"Ooh, did you leave it where I think you left it?" Mercedes teases.

"Um, yeah, but I'll just be two minutes, just wait here." You laugh, gripping the door handle. You go to step out but are frozen in your tracks as Jesse stands on the other side of the door frame, with his hand up about to knock, with your wallet in the other.

__________

Hey guys,

I hope you enjoyed this! There will be a part 2 up in a few days.

Much love,

Will xo