A/N: Sorry for the wait. I'm on Christmas break and have been catching up w/ old friends cuz we've all been away at college. As always please comment, vote, and share because seeing those numbers go up is my mother freaking MOTIVATION!
PSA THIS IS A CHAPTER FROM MY ORIGINAL STORY THAT I RE-ADDED BC IT FITS AND BC I CAN SO GO CRY ABOUT IT...I MIGHT UPLOAD A NEW ONE AFTER THIS THO SO STAY TUNED
GABBY
I stare at the screen in my hand. Adam is shirtless and is throwing up a peace sign. The text he's added reads: "can't wait to c u tonight!!"
I almost feel bad for going on a date with Adam since I'm kind of sort of affiliated with Aaron too. And Leo is a complicated Pandora's box that I have no interest in opening at the moment. But I'm allowed to play the field too! That right is pretty much owed to me.
I snap a picture back and caption it: "2 bad b/c i can DEFINITELY wait to see you...awk!!!"
I sit at my vanity and apply some foundation. Then I get some yellow color corrector and smear it under my eyes. I don't want Adam to see how tired I am. After that, I put on smokey eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara. I decide to contour and highlight and, after that and a little lipgloss, I'm ready for step two: clothes. I don't bother to do my hair as it looks nice enough already and I'm on a time crunch. I decide on a fit and flare black dress that slims me down and some tan wedges. I give myself a quick once over in the mirror before rushing down the stairs and to the foyer. I snap Adam that I'm ready whenever he is and then I wait.
Finally, I get the text that he's on his way to get me and my heart starts beating faster and faster and faster. I am considering calling an ambulance when a car honks from outside.
I wobble out, regretting my choice of wedges, and am surprised to see the run down truck in front of me. We're in Manhattan, for God's sake. I guess I was expecting something...nicer. My family lives in a 50 million dollar mansion at the end of a very busy street. Leo and Aaron's house must be at least double the cost of mine. Camille lives in a townhouse that costs more than putting someone through over 50 years at Columbia. But Adam's car must cost less than my father makes in a day.
I hesitantly approach the car, worrying that it isn't Adam in the driver's seat. But it is, and he's flashing me a charming smile. My shoulders slump in relief and I climb in the passenger side.
"Didn't realize you lived here." Adam says. "If I had, maybe I would have cleaned the car."
I snort, quickly covering my mouth in mortification.
"Well, we're off to a great start." Adam grins, a glint in his eye. "I didn't picture you as someone that came from money. You're so..."
"Unattractive for a rich girl?" I finish for him. "A lot of people say that. Especially since my two other sisters look like supermodels."
"No, you're so...chill. Not stuck up or anything. I dunno. I tend to judge books by their cover. Guess I got you wrong."
"I think I got you wrong, too." I smile, looking around his car. It's full of textbooks and unopened water bottles and a gym bag. Typical college boy car, if I've ever seen one.
"Yeah, most people assume because I'm in a frat and I go to Columbia that I'm rich or something. I come from a really poor family in Tennessee. I'm a scholarship student. I am kind of...a prodigy." He shoots me a crooked grin. "More or less."
"Ah, handsome and smart." I grin.
"Don't let the truck fool you. In a few years, I'll be a business mogul running New York."
"And cocky too? I've won the lottery!" I laugh. "So...where to?"
"It's a surprise. But it's a half an hour drive, so you better be patient."
"No promises." I grin.
"I figured."
And then we're off.
------------------------------------
"Why are we at a college dorm?" I turn to the handsome boy next to me with a quizzical look. He sets the car in park. Does he think I'm going to sleep with him? What is it with boys and assuming I'm easy, damnit?!
"This? Oh shit, sorry! I guess out of context this could be a little creepy. No, I have something in my dorm I want to show you. God, I did not think this through. You probably think I'm a serial killer or something now. We totally don't have to go in--"
"It's fine." I giggle. "I trust you. I got in the car with you, didn't I?" He just smiles at me, so I speak again. "Lead the way."
He shakes his head as if exiting a gaze and blinks rapidly a few times. "Oh, right!" He hops out of the car and runs around to let me out. "For someone with a 235 IQ, I'm kind of a moron."
"No way you have a 235." I roll my eyes. "I'm calling bull."
"Seriously! How else could I have gotten out of a trailer park in the deep south and into an ivy league completely free of charge?"
I shake my head. "I'm skeptical." I'm not, I trust him, but I like to make him sweat.
"I have proof somewhere, swear to God! I'll find it when we're up the-"
"I'm kidding! Don't take everything so seriously!"
He chuckles awkwardly. "Right. Well...come on."
He pulls out his ID to swipe us into the building. I'm in awe. There's no way I could get into Columbia, but a girl can dream.
"Six percent acceptance rate." Adam says as if reading my mind. "It's my pride and joy. Every day I feel like I'm living a dream come true."
"God, that's nice. I'm so happy for you. So...where are we headed?"
"Right now? The elevators." He flashes a smile that I happily return.
We ride up to his floor in silence. When the doors open, Adam and I are face to face with a group of boys. They're running around the halls whooping and hollering and pushing each other into trashcans. When they spot us, they freeze. There is the longest awkward silence ever.
"Girl." A nerdy guy's eyes widen, his mouth forming an "o."
"Hello there." A tall, muscular guy leans against the trash can and slips when it rolls away from him. He jumps back up and dusts himself off. "Adam, who is this?"
"This is Gabby. She's not interested." He rolls his eyes, grabs me gently by the arm, and leads us through the crowd of boys.
"Are all dorms like this?" I shiver at the thought.
"Just the boys' floors. The guys on my floor are some of the best and brightest in the world and yet they have the social skills of toddlers. Actually, I take that back. Toddlers are more sophisticated." Adam grins cheekily. "Come on. Hopefully, my roommates aren't here."
He leads me to the last door on the hall. "I'm in a quad." He explains, grabbing his key and unlocking the door. "Please, God, don't let them be here...."
We have no such luck, because when we get in five guys and three girls are already crammed into the room. It isn't huge, but enough space for everyone to just barely fit. It smells surprisingly nice for a boy's room and is decorated fairly well. I'm impressed.
"Adam!" A very clearly drunk boy cheers. He has frat written all over him from the backward hat to the too tight shirt to the chubby shorts to the beers in both hands. He also screams trust fund baby. I should know. I do too. He seems to notice me, because he sticks an arm in my direction.
"You must be Gabby." He slurs, looking down at his arm and laughing. "Oh, shit! I almost shook your hand but there is beer in my hand! So I can't!"
"Heh." I let out a breath of air in an attempt in a laugh, but I can't muster it up.
"I'm Slater. S-L-A-T-E-R. From Cali."
"Hi, Slater from Cali."
"Bro, you're drunk already?" Adam scoffs.
"We're pregaming for Sig Ep's thing tonight. Sig Eppppp!" He hollers and then I think he barks a little bit.
One of the three girls gets off an olive couch to come stand by Adam. She whispers something in his ear and the tips of his ears turn red. He shakes his head quickly and nods at me. She shrugs.
"Olivia." She extends a slender hand to me, he sleek black hair nearly blinding me.
"Gabrielle." I return her shake in a faux attempt at gracefulness. Her smokey blue eyes narrow.
"How do you know Adam?"
"We met at a frat party."
"Really? You don't look like that kind of girl."
I feel heat rush into my cheeks. I want to say that just because I don't dress in shorts that don't even cover my butt cheeks and flaunt my million dollar boob job and fake stupid tan and stupid silky black hair and icy blue eyes that I don't go to frat parties. But I smile instead like I always do when someone decides to be an asshole to me about my looks.
"So what college do you go to?"
"I'm a senior in high school."
"Oh, high school? That's adorable." Olivia smiles, but she's looking at Adam and not me. She gives me one last up and down before whispering in Adam's ear once more. He watches me, probably gauging for my reaction, as she continues to whisper. When she pulls away, he looks down at her and shrugs, subtly nodding at me once more. They have to be talking about me, what else could it be? But seriously, right in front of me? Like I'm not even here?
They continue to whisper for a while but then Slater gives Adam a knowing expression and tugs on Olivia's arm. She rolls her eyes at him but follows him and his group out of the room. Suddenly it's just Adam and I like it was supposed to have been all along, but I'm fed up.
"Listen, Adam, where is the thing you wanted to show me? I have to go soon." I hope I don't sound too bitchy, but then again, I totally do.
"Right." Adam shakes his head with a 'duh' expression plastered all over his face. "Close your eyes." I do. I feel him grab my hand, his is a bit clammy, as he leads me a few feet away.
"Look."
I tentatively open one eye and then the other. And then I gasp.
I've seen New York from all angles before. I've lived here next to all of my life. But I have never, not once, seen a view as beautiful as this one. His building is high enough that pretty much the whole city is visible from this room alone.
"Wow." Is all I can say.
"It wasn't worth the drive, I knew it." Adam chastises himself immediately. "I was asking Slater what he usually does with girls and he says to bring 'em here and they'll melt like putty in your hands, so I did, but..."
"Something tells me you shouldn't rely on Slater too much for love advice. But in this case, no, he was right. I love this! Seriously Adam, well done. I've got a thing for views."
He takes a few steps closer to me, visibly regaining confidence. "And I've got a thing for you."
I blush. "I'm not gonna melt like putty like Slater said, though. It takes a little more than a pretty view to really wow me."
"I'll keep that in mind." He murmurs, but his eyes are on my lips. The sexual tension is driving me crazy, so I finally break the gap and crash my lips into his. His lips fit mine like a puzzle, go figure. Everything about him is so damn accommodating. It's amazing.
He kisses me harder and I don't even realize we've reached the olive couch until he's gently guiding me down on it. And then before I even know what's going on again we're both undressed and he's on top of me.
"When are your roommates getting back?" He kisses my neck when I ask.
"Not until tomorrow, if we're lucky and they get lucky. At the very least, they get back late." His mouth is on my neck when he talks which is both incredibly erotic and ticklish.
"I'm not usually easy." I gasp as he puts some of my skin between his teeth. "And I'm not going to have sex with you. It takes more than a view for that."
"Fine by me." His mouth moves dangerously lower, he's at my collarbone now.
"But...I'm not opposed to doing other stuff." I don't tell the muscular, handsome boy on top of me that the farthest I've been is second base because this guy...he's nice, he's handsome, he's funny, he's sweet, he's smart...I am fine with going a little farther with him. And more importantly, I'm comfortable with it. I'm ready, even after Christopher. Because I trust Adam. I hardly know him yet I trust him more than some of my friends.
"I'm fine with that too." Adam breathes, and then his mouth moves lower. And then lower. And then lower.
And then I finally see why my friends like hooking up so much.