From Me to Us

Chapter Six

OLIVIA

Daniel stands in front of me with a smirk spread across his lips.

"Oh, uh. Hi." I don't know how to talk to him, he's so intimidating. Being in front of him right now reminds me of how tall he actually is. If I didn't take that step back, I would've actually had to snap my neck to look up at him. The top of my head doesn't even come up to his shoulders.

"Nice to see you again." His gazes at me for a moment. The muscles in his crossed arms ripple with even the littlest movements.

I smile but go to move back to my booth. He steps in my way. Still not saying a word.

He narrows his eyes at me. "What's going on with you and Collins?"

"What?" I'm shocked at the sudden subject.

"I saw you and Luke talking outside the football locker rooms. I'm just curious." He shrugs.

"There's nothing going on with me and Luke. I've literally only met him, like, once."

"Sure." He looks unconvinced.

"Seriously, even though it's really none of your business, we are not a thing."

Someone yells from across the bar and we turn our attention to them. The guys in the football corner are shouting over a pool game and I use Daniels distraction to try to get away from him.

"Why are you running for me?" He grips my bicep to keep me in front of him.

I pull from his grip. "I'm not running, I just should leave." I'm not very comfortable with speaking to him. I get so nervous and I can't even look him in the eye.

"You're being weird." He states.

"I am not."

"Yes, you are."

"This is just how I am." I shrug.

He doesn't say anything. Just stares.

"Where's your girlfriend?" Fuck. Why did I just ask that.

"My girlfriend?" He looks confused.

"Um, remember the bathroom? The Blondish girl?"

"Oh, Savannah. Yeah she's over there." The smirk grows on his face. "Why?"

I fiddle under his gaze. "No reason."

"Listen about that, I'm sorry about Savannah. She can get a little territorial when she's threatened. Just ignore her."

Oh, he apologised. That was kind of sweet.

"Oh it's fine, don't worry about it."

There's an awkward silence and I want to leave like right now. In fact, I will leave.

"I've really got to go," I move around him and this time he lets me. I came to college to learn and focus on my studies. Not to get wrapped up in people like Daniel.

"Get back to who? Your friend that's sitting with us?" He rushes out and heat rises up my neck. "Yeah, saw how she just left you before. You have great taste in friends." He chuckles and shakes his head.

"Wow," I blow out a breath. "What's with the sudden hostility?"

"Nothing. Look," he lets out a sigh. "If you're just going to go back to the booths and sit by yourself than you should just come back with me to my group. Luke's there and the rest of the guys are nice. Can't say the same for the girls though but your friend is with us. She doesn't seem like she's leaving anytime soon anyways..."

"No, thank you. See you around." He frowns but I still push past him. "Oh, and can you tell Zoey that I went back to the dorms and for her to message me so I know she got home safe." I manage to make it out the door without sparing another look towards Daniel. I do, however, look back at the group and see that Savannah from the bathroom is staring daggers at me. What a great night this has become. I've gone out tonight, thinking that I would've had a good time with my friends but they both left me.

I head out the door and take a deep breath of fresh air.

***

The next day Ronnie and I decide to go for a run in the afternoon. Zoey still hasn't messaged me about her whereabouts and I'm kind of worried. Maybe I shouldn't have left her last night with the jocks.

I'm not overly worried though because she used to do this in high school all the time. Make me come to parties with her and be her designated driver for her and her other friends. I didn't mind back then though. I preferred to stay sober anyways.

But college is different from high school. We don't really know anyone here. We didn't grow up here and we don't know our way around just yet. North Ryde, university of California is nothing compared to our home town back in Texas.

When Ronnie and I start to jog back to the dorms. It's starting to get dark. Just past six o'clock. We've basically been out exploring the campus and going for a run most of the afternoon. Heading back to the dorms, we decide to walk around the football field seeing as it's more of a short cut back to the west wing dorms.

We were in the middle of a laughing fit, being extremely loud might I add when I heard someone call my name. I turn and try to catch my breath. Luke is a few meters ahead of us on the field with the other players.

"Hey, Olivia. Come over here for a sec." I haven't seen him since yesterday morning. I kind of thought that if he ever saw me again, he'd give me a smile maybe a polite nod as we walk past each other. Not actually speaking to me.

"Come on" Ronnie whispers and pushes me over towards his direction.

"Hey, gorgeous. How are you?" He brings his hand up and touches my arm. Sweat leaks from his face but I can't help notice how the descending sun rays make his brown eyes sparkle a gold, honey colour and how defined his jaw is when he clenches. He's definitely good looking that's for sure.

"Hey Luke, I'm good. This is my roommate, Ronnie." I gesture to a smiling Ronnie.

"Nice to meet you," she smiles and shakes his hand.

"You too, Ronnie. So, I heard you girls were at godfathers last night? Why didn't you come over to the group?" Luke's eyebrows raise and I really don't know how to respond to him.

"Uh you were there? I didn't see you" I remember Daniel blurting out something about Luke being there but I didn't pay must attention to anything but the exit when I was talking to Daniel.

"Yeah, I was over in the jock section at the back. Was talking to your friend, Zoey, again. Nice girl." I know he's lying. She's nice but she's a clinger. An obnoxiously flirtatious one at that. She probably would've cracked onto him a few times.

"Yeah, uh, I wasn't feeling very well so I left," I shrug nonchalantly. I don't really want to tell him the truth and make him think I'm a damn loser.

"Oh, well if you're feeling any better by later tonight, I would really love it if you girls would come to our party at the football house to celebrate our last night of freedom before the semester starts."

"Football house?" I repeat.

"The footballer's crib, baby girl." One of the other guys a few yards from us shouts out. "Why don't you pretty ladies come around tonight? It'll be fun, trust me." He offers us a wink attached to his smirks that he probably thinks is a pantie dropper.

"Was just offering that, Bradman." Luke chuckles over his shoulder. "So, what do you girls say? You in?"

Before I can even respond, Ronnie beats me to it. "We'd love to!" her smile basically takes over her whole face. I don't want to be the person to take her giddiness away from her.

"Sure," I agree.