Chapter 2
Diana’s phone buzzed with a text from Maddie.
Heyyy girl! Happy to say, you passed all of your tutoring exams!! Which is crazy, by the way, since you didn't even give yourself enough time to breathe between questions… Stop in today so we can get you started!!
It only took them a week, geez, Diana thought. What could’ve possibly taken them so long?
Diana stopped into the Student Center after all her classes wrapped up. As usual, Maddie was at the front desk, greeting another student. Diana took a seat and waited patiently for Maddie to finish up. I wonder if that girl will be a tutor too, Diana thought while inspecting the girl Maddie was rambling to.
The mysterious girl in question had long, thick auburn hair that hung loosely down her back , and golden eyes that glowed as if the sun was always shining into them. She was tall and muscular, obviously some sort of athlete. Diana could feel herself getting flustered. Who knew there would be such beauty at college, maybe four years won’t be so bad.
Suddenly, Maddie was in front of Diana’s face, snapping her fingers. “Helloooo, earth to Diana!! Are you with us? Say something if you can hear me!”
Diana let out an embarrassing cough, moving her hands to cover the pink on her cheeks. “Sorry Maddie, I was daydreaming..”
“Mhm, sure, we’ll call it that! Anyways, I have all the stuff you’ll need. Name tag, tutoring materials, and your schedule! So far you only have 2 tutoring sessions - one group physics session and a mathematics session! I know you’ll be fine with both considering your dangerously high exam scores. Follow me to your desk!” exclaimed Maddie.
As Diana rose, she noticed the other girl had disappeared, much like the sun beneath a sheet of clouds. Diana’s desk was near the back of the room, tucked into a somewhat dark corner. Honestly, it was perfect. Diana was not a fan of bright lights, or even the daytime in general. As she was getting settled, she worked up what little courage she had.
“Hey Maddie, who was that girl you were talking to? Does she also work here?”
Maddie giggled, her lips pulling up into a mischievous grin. “Ohhhh no, that was Leona, a first-year basketball prodigy. She wanted to set herself up for tutoring before she got behind in her classes, yanno, very responsible of her. Most athletes just let themselves fail and beg for help when it’s too late. She’s your mathematics session, actually, so you’ll be seeing more of her around!”
With a wink, Maddie quickly turned on her heels and strutted towards the front desk. Suddenly, Diana was nervous about math for the first time in her life.
—
Leona exited the tutoring center with defeat. How embarrassing to need help only after one week, she thought with disgust. If any of her teammates found out, she’d be subject to humiliation tactics nobody dared discuss out loud. Thankfully, she hadn’t seen any athletes during her venture today. Athletes might be worse than sororities when it came to drama - there truly were no secrets, if one athlete saw anything, all of them would know within the hour. College stereotypes aren’t always true, I guess. Leona stepped out into the courtyard that sat between the academic buildings, the shadow of Mount Targon keeping the sun at bay and the air cool. She hated when the sun was hidden - the warm glow always made her feel at peace. The Sun knows I could use it today, too. How unfair. Leona could feel her nerves getting the best of her. She decided to swing by the local cafe on her way back to her dorm, the thought of an iced green tea settled her busy mind.
The cafe was situated between the library and the athletic center, which felt ironic. As a child, Leona loved reading books. Her parents discovered quickly into her adolescence that she was naturally athletic and thus started her everlong journey of basketball. She didn’t hate playing basketball, but often wondered where she would be today if basketball wasn’t her only “passion.” What would she be studying? Would she have more friends, and more time for friends?
The ding of a bell snapped her back to reality, as she looked up she noticed she was inside the cafe. Man, I walk fast. Leona quickly approached the end of the line, her bookbag giving little thumps to her back with each heavy step. She fell into line behind a very tall blue-haired woman, who seemed out of place and way too sophisticated to be spending her time in such a quaint spot on campus. The woman seemed familiar, but Leona couldn’t put the name to her face. Leona’s thoughts started drifting towards tutoring - the nerves suddenly coming back with a hot flash to her cheeks. What if my tutor thinks I’m stupid? I mean who even needs help one week in? Even worse - what if my tutor is friends with athletes? There’s no possible way this works out for me! Geez, Leona, some patience would’v-
“NEXT IN LINE, PLEASE!” the shrill, sudden command coming from the barista startled Leona. She quickly shuffled up with an apologetic look on her face.
“Uhhh.. Hi, could I please get a large iced green tea, sweetened?” Leong struggled to speak a whole complete sentence, still embarrassed by her very apparent daydreaming.
“Name for your drink?” the barista said dryly.
“Oh, uh, Leo! Thank you,” Leona said quickly, wishing the awkward conversations would just stop.
Stumbling over herself, she paid and quietly made her way to the drink pickup shelf. Leona kept her gaze at her feet the entire time, suddenly feeling somewhat out of place. A barista was calling out the names on orders, her voice cutting through the hushed conversations of customers, catching Leona off-guard and ruining her intense focus on the floor.
“Diana! Large black coffee with 2 espresso shots!” the barista exclaimed loudly, handing a white cup to a tall, slender woman with long, silvery hair that somehow shimmered with moonlight. Leona could feel her face get flushed. She had never seen someone so enchanting. If only I had the time for girls, maybe, just MAYBE I would work up the courage. Leona watched her leave in disbelief.
“Leo! Sweetened iced green tea!” Leona practically sprinted to grab her drink. As she heard the cafe door open, she caught a glimpse of silver leave and head towards the library. She debated running after the girl and starting a slight conversation, but decided it was best if she just focused on her normal routine.
With newfound confidence, Leona started walking towards the gym.