Quad

Cole’s POV,

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.

She looked out the window a couple of times, glanced at her phone, and sighed.

I almost laughed.

She turned to me. "Where are we going, Cole?”

I grinned. "You will see.”

The uncertainty was killing her. I never quite get people like this. If the universe wanted you to know everything, we would all be living quite boring lives.

I pulled up in the field. “We are here..."

She leaned forward slowly. "Where is this?”

“Have you ever been to a student quad?”

I could see her brown eyes behind the dark rim of her glasses.

"Nooo," she dragged the words out of her lips.

“Great, that’s why we are here; come on.”

I stepped out of the car.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Her lips parted like she was about to protest but thought against it.

She stepped out and swung her bag over her shoulder.

I scoffed, "No, love… you aren’t taking that with you?”

She frowned. "Huh? My bag?”

"Exactly."

I removed the straps from her shoulders.

“But I need that… I have got things in there?”

“Yeah, like what? An atlas?” I chuckled.

“Not funny.”

She let me toss her bag into the car.

“Careful”

I rolled my eyes, mimicking her "careful."

I shut the car door and started walking.

She hurried after me.

The closer we got to the quad, the louder it became.

Music blasted from somewhere ahead. People were everywhere. Some were sitting on the grass; others were gathered around tables covered with flyers, posters, and ridiculous-looking decorations.

There were food trucks lined up along one side, a few games set up in the middle and different student groups shouting over one another as they tried to get people’s attention.

Sally stopped walking.

I turned around.

She was staring.

“Come on.”

“It’s always like this?”

“Not always.”

I looked around.

“Usually worse.”

She didn’t move.

I walked back toward her.

“You alright?”

She nodded. "This just feels different.”

“I know.”

I held out my hand.

She looked at it. Her fingers unconsciously went to her glasses. A habit of hers I find quite interesting.

She tilted her head. “I can walk."

“Suit yourself, miss."

We pushed through the crowd.

I greeted a few people along the way.

“Cole!”

“What’s up, mate?”

I slapped hands with a guy from my fraternity and stopped to say something to another.

A girl walked past and smiled at me.

I smiled back.

Another girl called my name.

I turned.

“Hey, gorgeous.”

Sally immediately looked away.

Every few seconds, I glanced at her.

She was holding her arms close to her body, her shoulders slightly tense.

Too many people.

Too much noise.

Too much of everything.

“Breathe, Sally.”

She looked at me.

“I am breathing.”

“Barely.”

She frowned.

“You are really starting to get on my nerves again, you know.”

I placed my palm on my chest, feigning hurt. “I tend to do that to people.”

Then a group of girls nearby noticed me. Some of which I recognized from the cheerleading team. Always looking for their next victim.

One of them waved.

“Cole!”

I nodded, flashing them a perfect set of white teeth.

They came over.

“Who’s this?”

I looked at Sally.

She looked away immediately.

“This is Sally.”

One of the girls smiled at her.

“Hi!”

“Hi.”

“You’re adorable.”

Sally looked up.

“Me?”

The girl grabbed her hand. “Yes, you have. Have you seen you?”

She let out a sound I couldn’t quite understand. "Thanks, I guess.”

“Come on. We’re playing.”

Sally looked at me.

Her eyes practically screamed for help.

I raised both hands.

“Can’t help you.”

“Cole!”

I laughed.

“Go.”

She hesitated.

Then the girls dragged her into the group.

The look on her face made me question for a moment if I had made a mistake by bringing her here.

She wore a simple top and jeans… she looked different from the other girls. Can’t lie.

Her hair was packed in a tight ponytail, always. She never let it down. Made me wonder how it would look any other way except up.

“Hey, dude!”

I turned. Mason and Fred stood behind me.

Mason tilted a bottle of soda over his lips.

“Where have you been, man?” Mason asked.

“Busy”

Fred looked past me. “Ahhh, you cocky bastard. You're screwing the virgin now?”

“Shut up, man."

"Relax, dude! Just joking."

I glanced over my shoulder.

Sally was still with the girls. One of them had apparently convinced her to play some stupid game, because she was laughing now.

I hadn’t seen her laugh so hard since we started talking.

Fred laughed. “Since when do you hang out with Sally?”

“I don’t.”

“You’re literally hanging out with her right now.”

I took a sip of my soda. “I’m helping her.”

“With what?”

“Life, apparently.”

They both stared at me.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t make it weird.”

Mason grinned. “I’m not making anything weird. You’re the one who disappeared with the quiet girl.”

“She needed to get out.”

“What did you say to convince her to come out here… An A?”

They laughed. I didn’t.

I snatched the bottle from Mason and emptied its content into my mouth.

"You are coming for the initiation, right?”

I smirked, "I wouldn't miss it for nothing.”

****

An hour had passed before I finally decided it was time to get Sally out of there.

I found her still surrounded by the girls, laughing at something one of them had said.

I waited until she noticed me.

“We should go.”

She frowned. “Go where?”

“Somewhere quieter.”

She looked around. “But it’s not over yet.”

I glanced at the crowd.

“It’ll be on for a while.”

She hesitated.

“But I’m having fun.”

“I see that."

She looked almost surprised by the words.

Then she turned to the girls and said goodbye before following me.

We walked away from the noise, past the main buildings and down a small path lined with trees.

Sally looked around.

“Where are we going?”

“You ask too many questions.”

“You don’t give enough answers.”

I said nothing.

A few minutes later, the sound of the crowd faded behind us.

Then we reached a small lake tucked behind the trees.

Sally stopped.

“Wow.”

I looked at her.

She stepped closer to the water.

“I didn’t know we had this here.”

“Most people don’t.”

She walked toward the edge and crouched down.

I watched as she picked up a small, smooth pebble.

She turned it over between her fingers.

“I know this might sound weird…”

I shoved my hands into my pockets.

“Go on.”

She looked at the pebble.

“I collect these.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Pebbles?”

She nodded.

“Yeah.”

She looked slightly embarrassed now.

“I know it’s strange.”

“Why would it be strange?”

She shrugged.

“I don’t know. People think it’s weird.”

"People," I made air quotes with my fingers, "are idiots.”

She laughed.

“I just like them. I like finding ones that are different. Sometimes I keep them in little jars. It’s something I picked up when I was a child; it helps to keep me busy, and I just love how they look.”

I looked at the pebble in her hand.

“I don’t see the problem.”

She smiled.

"Well, Justin…he thinks it’s absurd.”

The smile disappeared from her face.

I said nothing.

“He says they are just rocks…I guess he’s right.”

I folded my arm across my chest. I wore sleeveless again today. The tattoo on my left arm glistened under the sun's reflection. One of the many reasons I got one.

“I’d never think the things that make someone happy are absurd.”

She looked at me without saying a word, as if taken aback by my response.

“Ummm, thanks?”

An awkward silence settled over us.

Her eyes moved everywhere except at me, then she glanced at her phone.

“We should go; it’s almost time for Justin’s game. I have to be there.”