Across The Hall

Christen and Kelley lean against Kelley’s silver 2015 Toyota Highlander as the two catch their breath from what seems like their thousandth trip up and down the stairs of their residence hall. The early September heat not helping the situation. Christen didn’t know at the time, but apparently the only time she’d see the elevator today was when she went to meet Kelley in the Main Lobby earlier. She wished she could have that ride back and save it for when she actually needed it. Like now. Now would be ideal.

“Alright” Kelley exhales between breaths, “I only have two more boxes and then I think that’s it.” Christen simply nods in understanding for lack of oxygen in her lungs. Kelley and Christen grab the two remaining boxes out of the back of Kelley’s hybrid, and Christen shuts the trunk as Kelley reaches for her keys to lock the vehicle. After hearing the synchronized clicking of all the car doors locking, Kelley returns her eyes to the keys in her hand and scrunches her face in frustration. “Shit.”

“What’s up?” Christen asks, slightly confused. Kelley looks up from her hand to Christen.

“Keys” she simply replies, like Christen is supposed to automatically understand what she means. Christen doesn’t.

“Keys?” Christen repeats, hoping for some clarification. Kelley lets out an exasperated sigh.

“My key. To the room. I still don’t have mine yet. I guess I was so wrapped up in my excitement of meeting you that I forgot to talk to the front desk person and get it” Kelley explains while running a hand down her face in disappointment. Christen takes this opportunity to look at her phone and check the time.

“Well it’s only 2:55, if you run you can probably make it to the desk before they close check-in for the day” Christen offers as she slides her phone back into the back pocket of her shorts.

“Yeah, but what about my stuff?” Kelley counters looking defeated.

“I can get it. There are only two boxes left anyway” Christen states as she gestures to the two boxes by her side. Kelley instantly perks up.

“Really?! You’d do that for me?”

“Sure. What are roommates for?” Christen responds with a warm smile. “Now go, you only have like four minutes now.”

“You’re the absolute best, Pressy! The absolute best! I owe you big!” Kelley shouts over her shoulder as she starts briskly walking back toward the building.

“Three minutes!” Christen yells after her. Then Kelley takes off sprinting and Christen can’t help but laugh as she watches her roommate weave through and almost knock over several students. One guy nearly falls into a shrub. Kelley O’hara is one interesting person, that much Christen is sure of. Once Kelley disappears from sight, Christen bends down and picks up the boxes, one stacked on top of the other. The load is a little heavy and it’s hard for Christen to see where she’s going, but it isn’t too much for her to handle.

She makes her way up the sidewalk and into the residence hall with relative ease but once she makes it to the elevator, she finds that her journey has become a bit more complicated. In the back of her mind she thought that maybe, just maybe she’d get lucky and the elevator would be waiting for her to take her back up to the third floor. She was wrong. It was on the tenth floor. Looks like you’re taking the stairs again today, Christen. She lets her head slump for only a second before she picks it back up, puts on a brave face, and gallantly swings open the door to the stairwell.

With her legs burning and arms aching, Christen pushes her way through the door marked with a giant ‘3’ on it and nearly takes out two girls walking by on the other side.

“Sorry” she barely musters enough energy to say. The girls just give her identical scrutinizing looks and continue walking down the hallway. Oh, we’re going to get along well Christen thinks as she huffs to blow away some of the hair that had fallen in her face.

She begins walking back to her room, relieved that she is so close to the moment she can finally rid her poor arms of these weighty boxes. Unbeknownst to Christen, that moment is a lot closer than she had expected.

Suddenly, two boys bolt out of her ‘favorite’ room and bound down the hallway, knocking her slightly off balance when they pass her. Christen tries to correct herself but finds it’s too late when she feels the top box sliding off of the bottom one. Shit. Shit. Shit. Christen helplessly watches as the box begins to tip, but right as it’s about to go past the point of no return, it stops. Christen observes the box with both immense gratitude and confusion. Wait, how did… That’s when Christen notices the pair of lengthy tan hands supporting each side of the box. There was someone in front of me? I didn’t even see them! Christen immediately feels the need to thank this heroic mystery person.

“Thank you so much! That was about to be a disaster, I don’t know what I would’ve done if –” The top box starts lowering and a pair of sparkly brown eyes are revealed above it. Christen instantly feels stuck in place, unable to move or speak, only able to gaze into those eyes that seem to be peering into her very soul. She recognizes the girl from the floor meeting. The girl she not-so-subtlety may-or-may-not have been checking out earlier. Then the girl smiles a warm smile and Christen thinks it might be brighter than the one she saw before, if that’s even possible. The two hold each other’s gaze before Christen realizes that she’s been staring for longer than is socially acceptable for two strangers. Say something you idiot!

 “Uh, ahem! Uh – I mean – uh, thanks again” Christen manages to sputter out as the compelling brunette continues to smile at her. Smooth move, Ferguson is the only thought that comes to mind after that pitiful attempt of a cool recovery. The corners of the girl’s lips slightly upturn just a little bit more.

“No problem” She says in a reassuring and calm voice, “Do you need help carrying this back to your room?” Christen’s stomach fills with butterflies.

“Oh, um, you don’t have to. I’m actually pretty close so…”

“It’s ok, I don’t mind” The girl graciously interrupts. Not expecting that kind of a response from the girl, Christen can only manage to nod her head in agreement. “Lead the way” the girl says as she steps aside to let Christen pass. Christen navigates her way through the hallway and soon the pair arrive in front of ‘Good Old 318’.

“This is me,” Christen says as she pulls her lanyard from around her neck and unlocks the door. The beauty with hazel-brown locks follows christen into the room and places her box down beside Christen’s. The girl slowly turns in a circle taking in the unfortunately small, or ‘quaint’ as Christen been referring to it to make herself feel better, space.

“Nice place” she states after brief inspection. Her eyes still linger on the pictures on the walls before finding Christen’s gaze once again. Christen feels a blush making its way to her cheeks so she breaks eye contact and suddenly becomes very fascinated with looking at her shoes.

“Thanks” Christen says as she shifts her weight, “And thanks again for carrying that box. You’ve been a big help.” Christen looks up again only to find the girl’s eyes still on her.

“You’re welcome” she replies with a certain warmness in her tone that seems to soothe Christen’s nerves. “I’m Tobin by the way.” Tobin? Definitely not what I was expecting. But oddly, I can’t really say that any other name would be right. Tobin just seems to suit her. It’s interesting and unique, just like she is. Christen extends her hand.

“I’m –” At that moment Tobin takes Christen’s hand and Christen’s mind goes blank. She looks back into Tobin’s eyes and once again they render her useless. Come on, pull yourself together, she’s waiting! I’m… I’m… I’m what? I’m freaking out about the amount of contact we have right now? I’m extremely confused about how a person’s eyes can be so captivating? I’m completely blowing this moment?! I’m… “ – Christen.”

Tobin relinquishes a charmed smile as Christen subtly lets out a breath of relief. Wow, good job Christen, you actually remembered your name! You deserve a medal! Christen internally rolls her eyes at herself. Why am so pathetic today? Seriously, I have no game. At all.

“Christen” Tobin repeats to herself, looking like she’s mulling over the name in her head. “That’s a beautiful name” she says once she seems like she’s made a decision in her mind that Christen’s name is acceptable.

 “Thanks” Christen replies as she starts feeling the blood rush back to her face. “So, um, maybe I’ll see you around?” she says, trying to change the subject and hope that Tobin doesn’t feel the heat radiating from cheeks.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I’ll definitely see you around” Tobin replies with a cheeky smirk. Christen is slightly confused by such a bold statement. Why does she seem so sure we’ll see each other again? A lot of people live on this floor and this is a pretty big campus… “Bye Christen” Tobin says with a wink as she slowly pulls her hand away from Christen’s. Immediately Christen feels her stomach drop at the loss of contact. Wait, we were holding hands that entire time? That’s a lot longer than a normal handshake, right? Tobin starts backing her way back out into the hallway, still with that mischievous smirk plastered on her face.

“Bye Tobin” Christen says with a small wave. Tobin backs up all the way to the far wall of the hallway and returns the wave. But just as Christen is about to close her door, Tobin speaks up again.

“Oh, and Christen?” Christen looks to Tobin again as she opens the door a little bit wider to get a better view of the charming brunette with the unconventional first name. “If you need anything, I’m always right across the hall.” And with that Christen just watches as Tobin turns the handle to room 317 and disappears behind the door. Oh.