𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁 .
It was mid-February at the campus gym and it was lively. But a stunt of something hubris and boyish grabbed ahold of the group of five men as they lazed over to the weights, worthy of eye rolls as they passed the other machines and surely they got them. They were loud-talking and laughing, something haughty and certainly testosterone-driven as the stockier one in front was retelling a story from a semi-formal a year ago, how a drunk Zeta Tau girl’s tits fell out of her dress while she was climbing the Howie the Hawk statue outside the student center. A dig, a string of laughs, and then a few shoves persued amongst those in the front, borderline obnoxious, but the look of them could’ve hushed any malice: tall, lean, athletic–– a few already bare-chested and flush from their workouts. Garrett was one of them, lingering in the back, only mildly diverted by the small group, made up of his teammates and his fraternity brothers, but not nearly as involved as the rest of them were. The brunette, meditative in comparison had his shirt tucked into his athletic shorts, and he was pushing back his dampened hair just as one of the others in the middle said: ‘those girls over there are something else–’.
As though common sense had evaporated and libido had taken its place, they all turned to take in the sheer presence of the group of women who were congregating around the stretching station. Garrett included. But he stalled for a minute as he recognized one and he recognized her all too well, and ten feet away must’ve not been far enough because he noticed them all lookup, right at them. He shuffled, the group dispersing to machines, nonchalant before he could even dare make eye-contact with Nora, but he, for whatever reason, wanted to talk to her. It hadn’t ever smoothed over, though he’d tried, and he turned rigidly: a failed attempt at concealment, as if the mirrored wall wasn’t already giving away his discomfort, and debated between ignoring her or saying something. He didn’t have to think about it to know which was the right answer.
* as one of four co - captains for the valorous field hockey team , nora had a certain responsibility to keep up appearances , both on & off the field . this included the early mornings resided in the first class facility , now defiled with the university’s athletes & the brunette found herself occupying the treadmill for her two mile warm up , only to then work on her core for the remainder of her session . her toughest competitor was herself at the end of the day , her mother’s nonchalance to those who lived below her comprehension influenced her disposition all too well . in the midst of the winter semester , nora had a schedule of recommendation to leave a permanent reputation on her second to last collegiate year & her desired time was spent in her foundation : greek row , classes , field hockey . a fraction of her ample time to sleep , however , was taken over by the infatuation that a certain lacrosse player & her shared in privacy , until recent events of public advancements & even , a few dates to solidify their status .
* shortened , grey crewneck rose with her fingertips to lay over her shoulders once again , continuing to loosen her limbs to begin their usual routine with a lock of her arm around her opposite elbow & a spilled laughter at the mention of their verbose on the crowds around them . however , their silence fell at the presence of a group in the same mannerisms of their own & nora had noticed the one , too acquainted for him to remain untouched by her extended stare . of course , his side profile was the only view & her lips sunk into her teeth in fixation of her hasty decisions in their last exchange over text message . her feelings had represented the worst parts of herself , coming across in a rare form & one that disdained jealousy . the expanse of the room hollowed out into nothingness to the passage of her mind , in fact , the audibility diminished fully the moment she caught his glimpse in the mirror lining the wall . for what seemed extended time , azure hues focused to the bearings beneath her & then to his jawline before the view remained on the cerulean pair that kept her there longer than anticipated . longer than she hoped for as the tension seeped into her blushed features . “ hi . ” she mouthed to garrett , the chain coupling the two groups together & the significance of her greeting was worthy of a response .

















