single file across the walkway. When she took a long step and then jumped sideways, Fehin looked over at her. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to keep from stepping on the ants.”
Fehin looked down. “I didn’t even notice them.”
“They have a right to their lives. They work really hard.” When she glanced at Fehin, he was watching her with an intent look.
“Where do you come from?” he asked just before they entered the building.
Airy waved her hand around vaguely. “Oh, I lived in Europe for a while. My paternal grandparents live in Halston--not too far from here.” Her answer seemed to satisfy him. At the entrance to the classroom he stopped to let her go ahead. Once she found a seat he found one next to her, settling in and placing his backpack on the floor beside him. She snuck another look at him, noticing the new-looking jeans and plaid shirt, the way he pushed his dark hair back before reaching into his bag for paper and pencil.
This class was even harder for her to fathom, especially in close proximity to the boy. By the time the hour ended she had no idea what the professor had said or what their assignment was.
“What did you think?” he asked as they walked together down the steps toward the student union. It was lunchtime and both had a break until their next class.
“I…I was confused. I haven’t ever studied this kind of history and this seemed way too much to understand.”
“It should be easier since you’ve lived in Europe. My mother told me all about the different countries there.” He suddenly blushed. “I mean I knew about them, but I…”
“That’s okay. You’re way ahead of me. I may have lived there but I was too young to learn their history.”
Fehin laughed. “Looks like we’ll both be struggling. Maybe we can help each other.”
By now they’d reached the student union and Fehin led the way to a table. Airy met his gaze as they sat down. His unusual eye color was a mix of green and brown that reminded her of moss or a shaded forest pool. “I’d like that,” she managed to murmur, looking away.
“Your eyes are amazing,” he said.
She turned back, smiling. “I was thinking the same about yours.”
They bought their lunch, bringing it back to the table, but in the end neither one of them ate much of anything.
***
“That guy’s kind of a dork,” Storm said. “Not sure why you’d want to hang around him.”
Airy and Storm were in their dorm room and Airy had just finished explaining her day, including the lunch with Fehin. “What kind of an animal is a dork?”
Storm stared at her. “It’s not an animal, Airy. Dork refers to someone who’s out of the loop—completely uncool--like a geek or a nerd. He must cut his hair with nail scissors, and the way he dresses—who the hell wears plaid?”
“And you with your nose ring, spiked hair and ripped clothes feel you can judge him?”
Storm frowned. “Hey, that was uncalled for. At least I have a style. Look at you, Miss prim and proper with your knee socks and loafers.” She made a sound in the back of her throat. “Yeah, on second thought maybe you two are made for each other.”
Airy felt something boiling inside her. It was anger but also a feeling of protection. Maybe part of why she liked him was because he didn’t fit in. “He’s really nice, Storm. I don’t judge people by how they look; I judge them by how they behave. And I’m sorry if my appearance doesn’t please you. What exactly would you suggest?”
“Well, for one thing I’d cut that hair—there’s too much of it.” Storm stepped back to look her over. “You need some jewelry other than that ring—maybe some earrings. But you need to get your ears pierced to do that. And I’d get rid of the knee socks and cutesy little blouses and skirts and wear T-shirts. They’re just hipper, you know?”
“Actually, I don’t even know what that word means.”
Storm laughed. “I rest my case.”
Airy turned to look in
“Trying to keep from stepping on the ants.”
Fehin looked down. “I didn’t even notice them.”
“They have a right to their lives. They work really hard.” When she glanced at Fehin, he was watching her with an intent look.
“Where do you come from?” he asked just before they entered the building.
Airy waved her hand around vaguely. “Oh, I lived in Europe for a while. My paternal grandparents live in Halston--not too far from here.” Her answer seemed to satisfy him. At the entrance to the classroom he stopped to let her go ahead. Once she found a seat he found one next to her, settling in and placing his backpack on the floor beside him. She snuck another look at him, noticing the new-looking jeans and plaid shirt, the way he pushed his dark hair back before reaching into his bag for paper and pencil.
This class was even harder for her to fathom, especially in close proximity to the boy. By the time the hour ended she had no idea what the professor had said or what their assignment was.
“What did you think?” he asked as they walked together down the steps toward the student union. It was lunchtime and both had a break until their next class.
“I…I was confused. I haven’t ever studied this kind of history and this seemed way too much to understand.”
“It should be easier since you’ve lived in Europe. My mother told me all about the different countries there.” He suddenly blushed. “I mean I knew about them, but I…”
“That’s okay. You’re way ahead of me. I may have lived there but I was too young to learn their history.”
Fehin laughed. “Looks like we’ll both be struggling. Maybe we can help each other.”
By now they’d reached the student union and Fehin led the way to a table. Airy met his gaze as they sat down. His unusual eye color was a mix of green and brown that reminded her of moss or a shaded forest pool. “I’d like that,” she managed to murmur, looking away.
“Your eyes are amazing,” he said.
She turned back, smiling. “I was thinking the same about yours.”
They bought their lunch, bringing it back to the table, but in the end neither one of them ate much of anything.
***
“That guy’s kind of a dork,” Storm said. “Not sure why you’d want to hang around him.”
Airy and Storm were in their dorm room and Airy had just finished explaining her day, including the lunch with Fehin. “What kind of an animal is a dork?”
Storm stared at her. “It’s not an animal, Airy. Dork refers to someone who’s out of the loop—completely uncool--like a geek or a nerd. He must cut his hair with nail scissors, and the way he dresses—who the hell wears plaid?”
“And you with your nose ring, spiked hair and ripped clothes feel you can judge him?”
Storm frowned. “Hey, that was uncalled for. At least I have a style. Look at you, Miss prim and proper with your knee socks and loafers.” She made a sound in the back of her throat. “Yeah, on second thought maybe you two are made for each other.”
Airy felt something boiling inside her. It was anger but also a feeling of protection. Maybe part of why she liked him was because he didn’t fit in. “He’s really nice, Storm. I don’t judge people by how they look; I judge them by how they behave. And I’m sorry if my appearance doesn’t please you. What exactly would you suggest?”
“Well, for one thing I’d cut that hair—there’s too much of it.” Storm stepped back to look her over. “You need some jewelry other than that ring—maybe some earrings. But you need to get your ears pierced to do that. And I’d get rid of the knee socks and cutesy little blouses and skirts and wear T-shirts. They’re just hipper, you know?”
“Actually, I don’t even know what that word means.”
Storm laughed. “I rest my case.”
Airy turned to look in
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