Athena
It had been two days since movie night and I got up extra early to bake some cookies in the lunch hall. The staff didn't mind me a bit and I was grateful they let me do my thing in here without getting punished or something for starting as early as four in the morning.
Clearly, I am not a morning person. It's a pretty well known fact, actually. Neither is Owen, to be honest. Waking up this early before class starts might as well be a habit and I'd like to practice it as early as now. It sucks that I have to wait til around 10 or 11am for Owen to get his ass off bed but I could use some time for myself. I like being productive.
It was nearing 7am now and I had just finished my possibly best and most perfect batch of gooey, chocolate chip cookies to send to Maya. Well, if I did know how to bake them in the first place, I could've woken up at five or something but I didn't. I know almost nothing about baking and I had just searched up this recipe last night when the idea popped into my head.
As soon as I pulled out my 3rd batch of cookies, I was greeted by the warm aroma of chocolate mixed in with dough and butter. I smiled to myself as I placed them onto a nearby table and let them sit for a while so they're not too hot when I go in for a taste test.
The previous batches were awful. The first was too dry but okay and the second one lacked eggs because this absolute buffoon forgot.
They were a total waste of good ingredients and I couldn't just throw them away. The first batch, I decided, was for Charlie and the other senior advisers. They weren't that bad but they weren't perfect as well. If they're okay, then I guess I could give it a go.
The second batch was tricky. I didn't want anyone to eat them let alone see them because aside from the fact that they didn't have any eggs in them, they were burnt. Black as night. A total waste.
I cracked a few open earlier and thankfully, the insides were still brown. I was thinking of giving them to some birds since they do love bread and cookies are technically thin, circular bread pieces topped with whatever chocolate or raisin or oatmeal I want.
A few minutes passed, I prayed silently that this batch of cookies would be the last I would make. Not just now; forever, maybe. I wouldn't want to go through the process of failing to make baked goods that were supposed to be easy again.
I picked one cookie up and felt its texture and consistency in my hands. I smiled wider.
They were soft.
One point for me, then.
The chocolate chips I put in before also melted beautifully on the surface of the cookie and it seems to resemble marbled granite too. Pools of warm, dark chocolate melting in your mouth. Sweet baby Jesus, if you're awake this time in the morning, please make these cookies perfect.
I raised the cookie up to my mouth and took a small bite cautiously. I chewed it slowly, deciphering whether it is up to my standards or not and might I say,
they're heavenly.
The cookies were a little crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside, I could just eat them all myself.
But I didn't.
I planned to give half to Owen and the other half to Maya. I knew I was too irrational and immature last time and the thought of disappointing both of them kept me up at night.
I don't want to keep Owen all to myself and he could use some friends here at uni. He needs more support more than ever here. Maya, on the other hand, was just a sweet girl who wanted some friends too. I was horrible to both of them and I knew I owed them an apology. A proper one.
I picked up two small boxes and placed six cookies in one, and another six in the other. Tying both with blue ribbons, I put in some dried flowers on the tie that held Maya's ribbon and made Owen's one simple. He was that kind of person and I didn't have any more dried flowers I had that I brought from home.
After doing so, I just plainly put Charlie's cookies in a plastic container and the birds' reject cookies in some normal plastic bag for later.
As soon as I finished up packing, I made my way towards Charlie's quarters and knocked on the door with a huge smile on my face.
After three knocks, a sleepy-eyed Charlie with bedhead answered to the door and yawned before looking at me.
"Athena? Isn't it too early to ask if you could smuggle alcohol into campus or something?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes.
"I wasn't going to ask that but now that you've mentioned it--"
Charlie managed a quick laugh and sighed.
"Okay, what do you need?" he asked, looking a bit more awake than earlier.
I handed him his batch of cookies and smiled at him. He gladly took the container in his hands and opened it up, sniffing up the cookies I made for him.
"This--, smells amazing. What got you up so early and got you baking?" he asked as he bit into one and continued eating.
"Nothing. Just wanted to pass by and hand my favorite senior adviser some cookies." I said peppily.
Charlie laughed and shook his head.
"You've got to be kidding me. I know you want something."
I stepped on the tips of my toes and kept smiling to myself. Maybe I do need something from him.
"Do you like, have the room numbers of students in this dorm?" I asked sweetly.
Charlie gave me a look and sighed, putting down a cookie back into its container.
"And you're asking that to a senior adviser?"
I avoided his eyes as I bit my gums internally and kept it that way.
"Maybe?"
Charlie grinned playfully and shook his head.
"Fine. Yes. We do keep tabs on your rooms."
I felt giddy as Charlie bit into his third cookie after he answered my query. I'm gonna make it up to Maya. I'm gonna make sure of that.
"In that case, would you do me a favor by telling me where Maya Truong's room is?"
Charlie looked confused for a second before jolting a little in realization.
"Maya? Why?" he said, picking up his fourth cookie. I smiled at him and shrugged.
"No reason. Just wanted to meet new people, that's all."
Charlie eventually succumbed to me and put away his container of cookies before clearing his throat.
"Alright. She's on the third floor, first room to the left. The door has her nameplate on it."
I lightened up and gently patted his high shoulder as I put up a hand to signal that the fact that I'm heading over to Maya's.
"Thank you so much. You can have all those cookies, though. Don't tell the other seniors!" I said as I skidded away from his doorway and into the hall that connects to the flight of stairs going up.
"You bet I won't!" Charlie answered back loudly, his mouth obviously filled with cookies.
I smiled to myself as I ran up the stairs, counting my steps as I made my way to Maya's.
Going up two flights of stairs to reacg the third from the ground floor was nothing to me since I had been running around the park for as long as I lived in my area back home. I kinda missed it.
Reaching the third floor, I spun to the left hall and as I saw the first door, I suddenly felt so unsure.
The door was a brilliant dark brown door with a little varnish on it and it indeed had Maya's name on it.
I looked down on my watch and saw that it was well past 7:45am now and guessing by the small number of students up and running around the dorm, I wasn't so sure she was awake or not.
Did I even think this through? I could've started later in the morning or during the afternoon but no. I thought baking cookies at 4am was a good idea.
My throat felt dry and I coughed it out silently so Maya wouldn't notice from the inside. My hands were unsteady as I held the ribboned box and as I put my right hand up to knock, I stopped myself for a moment.
Was I really sure of this?
I do need to apologize for my behavior and I do want to make friends with her but does it have to be at this time of the day?
I sighed and shook my head, putting down my hand.
Maybe I could give these to her during lunch. She lives in the same dorm as I do and we only have one common lunch hall.
Decided, I turned back and started to step away from her front door. It wasn't til a few seconds later that I heard her door unhinge and saw Maya, looking wide-eyed at me.
I stopped in my tracks as I held the cookies and just stared back at her. I didn't know what to say yet just moments ago, I was so sure of what I was gonna tell her.
Maya was simply beautiful. Her Asian features especially her small, slanted eyes were bright and there wasn't a trace of acne on her skin. Her straight, black hair was up in a high ponytail that swung whenever she moves her head and her nose was small and petite. She doesn't even look like she has makeup on. What a beauty.
I suddenly felt so insecure of myself since I had on a little makeup to conceal some acne marks I had and dark undereyes from bingewatching too much shows on Netflix. I needed it to look more alice than dead and here she is, looking like a teen magazine cover girl.
Maya had on a purple sports bra and some black track shorts, ready as ever to venture out for a supposed morning run. I like to run. Maybe we could bond over that.
Swallowing my pride, I took a step forward and quickly extended both my arms to hand her the box of cookies I made. Maya looked confused for a moment before, slowly taking it in her hands.
"What's this for?" she asked, looking down on the box.
I inhaled some air and composed myself for a moment before I gave her a small, tight-lipped smile.
"Apology cookies. Look, Maya, I'm so sorry I acted rashly during movie night. I was immature, childish, annoying--"
"It's okay. You don't have to get into the details. I forgive you." Maya said, cutting me off nicely as she put a hand in front to make a point.
I stood with my mouth hung agape as I blinked at her in confusion.
"Wait, what?"
Maya stifled a short laugh as she put a hand to her hips and cocked her head, holding the box of cookies I made in the other.
"I'm okay, really. You didn't have to go through the process of making apology cookies." she said sweetly, rolling her eyes.
I managed to laugh a bit as I looked down onto the other box of cookies I had for Owen and sighed.
"If that's what it takes to be acquainted with you, sure. I'm Athena, by the way. I didn't give a proper introduction last time." I said, extending a free hand toward Maya. She nicely took my hand in hers and shook it. Might I say, her hands are soft as fuck and I envy her for it.
"Maya Truong. Though I believe calling yourself 'the girlfriend' was quite the impression that hands down made me want to make friends with you."
"Oh please, it was egoistic of me to give myself that nickname. Call me Athena, Tina, Attie or anything. Not Thenie, though. Never that." I said laughingly as I remembered Tim and Viv. Especially Viv. She was the one who mainly called me Thenie since she said it suited me since I am tiny.
"Okay, Athena. Nice to finally be on good terms with you. Uhm, do you wanna jog with me? Around campus?" she suggested shyly as she went back inside her room and I dutifully followed her in.
Her room was a clean white shade and the things that popped most to me were her abundance of plants. Small, potted plants trimmed her windowsill and a plant even hung from above her bed. She even had succulents on her study table. I was heavily amused.
Maya must've caught me staring at her plants and smiled as she put down the box of cookies I gave her by her bed and went up to me smilingly.
"I couldn't just leave them at home. I love plants."
I stifled a laugh as we went back out her room and talked more. She really was sweet.
"I like them too but I couldn't just care for them. I'm terrible at taking care of plants. They die on me."
Maya laughed as the two of us headed down the stairs together.
"I could give you a small succulent or cactus to start you off plant parenthood. They're quite easy to take care of."
"That would be amazing. Thank you!"
We reached the ground floor in a matter of seconds and as we were nearing the main doorway, I immediately remembered that I still have to drop off Owen's cookies by our dorm.
I stopped in my tracks and Maya stopped as well, looking puzzled.
"What is it?" she asked.
I sighed and put up the last box of cookies I had and the plastic bag for the birds.
"I need to leave these in my room. These are for Owen. And the birds. The one in the plastic bag's for the birds though, not Owen." I clarified.
Maya beamed at the mention of Owen and smiled.
"Oh. Go ahead. But you could just hand me the cookies for the birds and we'll give it to them on the way. Drop those off for Owen. I'll wait here." she suggested as she took the plastic bag full of reject cookies away from my hands and held them over her chest with a big smile on her face. The true face of innocence indeed.
"You're an angel, Maya. Give me a sec, I'll be right back." I said as I ran off towards Owen and I's room at the farthest room in the first floor.
I opened up our door and saw that Owen was still sleeping. He was slumped over a pillow with his mouth hanging open a bit and his hair was all over his face, not just eyes. They had gotten quite long these days and I really enjoyed styling his hair in man-buns and even tried dutch braiding it.
I tiptoed silently into our room and gently placed his box of cookies by his bedside table. I also wrote him a short note and placed it above the box for him to easily see. As I placed his box successfully without making much noise, I turned to him and quickly brushed his hair up to kiss his forehead. The corners of his mouth twitched upward a little and eventually, he continued dozing off to sleep.
I left our room quickly but silently and went back to the doorway where Maya was still waiting for me.
She glowed as soon as she saw me and smiled as I was beside her.
"You went back to your room and you didn't think of changing clothes? Are you sure you want to run in corduroy overalls and an oversized shirt? With Doc Martens?" she asked laughingly.
I looked down on what I wore and they were indeed unfit for jogging. I laughed at myself again and sighed.
"Okay, you got me. I'll go back and change. Wait for me!"
I ran back to my shared dorm room and as I changed into more appropriate sportswear, I can't help but think of how good of a job I did at making friends.
Owen was right. Maya was nice. It wouldn't be too soon to admit that she easily caught my heart and we could even grow to become the best of friends someday.
God, I love college.