latest movie heartthrob, and I’m new to that kind of thing.”
Amanda smiled, and Brad laughed.
“How are Judith and Emmy? They’re at Cornell with you, aren’t they?”
“Of course. They’re okay, although Emmy’s getting used to the course workload. It’s a small school, but it’s different from high school.”
“I can imagine. When I think of college, I picture a preppy guy with glasses and a bad hairdo dragging around a backpack full of concrete-block-sized textbooks.”
Amanda laughed out loud.
“You haven’t got it too wrong.”
“No kidding? They still carry around books like that? I thought e-books were standard issue these days.”
“Not yet.”
“Bummer.”
“Ditto that.”
The following morning, Nathan woke up early. When he finished dressing up for school, he went to the living room area to retrieve his backpack. Ashton walked in from his bedroom.
“ Early bird,” he commented, laughing. “What are you so eager to do?”
“ What early bird? It’s 8:30.”
“ You don’t have class until over an hour.”
“ I’m just hungry. I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep. Are you joining me for breakfast?”
“ I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes. Call me so I know where you’ll be.”
“ All right,” said Nathan. He then walked out of his dorm and took the stairs down.
As he walked away from the building, Nathan sent a quick text to Kayla.
On my way to have breakfast. Where r u?
Farther up ahead, Nathan met with Claire and Oswald.
“ Morning, Nathan!” Claire greeted him. Oswald gave him a nod.
“ Good morning, guys. Where are you headed?”
“ Starbucks. I felt like something sweet. And I could use some coffee,” said Claire.
“ All right. Let’s go.”
“ Where’s Ashton?” Oswald asked.
“ He and Kayla will be catching up with us shortly. By the way, how was your weekend?”
“ It was ah-may-zing,” Claire said, looking up at her boyfriend with a dreamy look on her face. It was clear she loved Oswald with all her heart. Nathan hoped he had that with Kayla.
After entering Starbucks, Nathan spoke.
“ You two can go find a table. I’ll be ordering. What would you like?”
Claire and Oswald thought for a moment. They gave Nathan their orders.
“ Okay.”
After placing the order, Nathan went to sit with his friends. Claire looked at the customer line.
“ Ashton’s here,” she said, and Nathan looked to see. Ashton waved at them.
A few moments afterward, their order arrived. Nathan and his friends began to it.
“ This is good,” Claire said, taking a bite of her cake. Oswald smiled at her.
“ Coffee’s the best invention ever,” Ashton said. Claire and Nathan laughed. “How else could we manage to stay awake during class?”
“ I know,” Claire agreed. “Yesterday, I was awake until midnight watching a movie.”
“ Is that the same one you’ve seen like a hundred times?” Oswald asked her.
“ So what?” she replied, feigning indignation. “And it’s a sweet movie.”
Nathan laughed. He grabbed his phone, intending to send Kayla another text. At that moment, his gaze shifted to a table close from where they sat. His expression turned to one of surprise.
“ Ashton, she’s here.”
Frowning, Ashton turned his head to look at the place Nathan indicated. His mouth opened wide.
“ Wow. It is her,” he said, and then leaned towards Nathan to whisper, “She’s hot! ”
Not exactly the words Nathan had in mind.
Amanda, feeling Nathan’s glance on her, looked up. She noticed him, and waved her hand.
“ That’s Amanda Tilley,” Claire said, awed. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe I’m under the same roof.”
“ Go sit with her, bro,” Ashton told Nathan. Claire’s eyes widened.
“ Ashton. What if Kayla shows up and sees me?”
“You know her?”
Nathan laughed at Claire’s excitement.
“Yes, we know each other from high school.”
“And you never told me?”
“I didn’t know you knew
Amanda smiled, and Brad laughed.
“How are Judith and Emmy? They’re at Cornell with you, aren’t they?”
“Of course. They’re okay, although Emmy’s getting used to the course workload. It’s a small school, but it’s different from high school.”
“I can imagine. When I think of college, I picture a preppy guy with glasses and a bad hairdo dragging around a backpack full of concrete-block-sized textbooks.”
Amanda laughed out loud.
“You haven’t got it too wrong.”
“No kidding? They still carry around books like that? I thought e-books were standard issue these days.”
“Not yet.”
“Bummer.”
“Ditto that.”
The following morning, Nathan woke up early. When he finished dressing up for school, he went to the living room area to retrieve his backpack. Ashton walked in from his bedroom.
“ Early bird,” he commented, laughing. “What are you so eager to do?”
“ What early bird? It’s 8:30.”
“ You don’t have class until over an hour.”
“ I’m just hungry. I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep. Are you joining me for breakfast?”
“ I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes. Call me so I know where you’ll be.”
“ All right,” said Nathan. He then walked out of his dorm and took the stairs down.
As he walked away from the building, Nathan sent a quick text to Kayla.
On my way to have breakfast. Where r u?
Farther up ahead, Nathan met with Claire and Oswald.
“ Morning, Nathan!” Claire greeted him. Oswald gave him a nod.
“ Good morning, guys. Where are you headed?”
“ Starbucks. I felt like something sweet. And I could use some coffee,” said Claire.
“ All right. Let’s go.”
“ Where’s Ashton?” Oswald asked.
“ He and Kayla will be catching up with us shortly. By the way, how was your weekend?”
“ It was ah-may-zing,” Claire said, looking up at her boyfriend with a dreamy look on her face. It was clear she loved Oswald with all her heart. Nathan hoped he had that with Kayla.
After entering Starbucks, Nathan spoke.
“ You two can go find a table. I’ll be ordering. What would you like?”
Claire and Oswald thought for a moment. They gave Nathan their orders.
“ Okay.”
After placing the order, Nathan went to sit with his friends. Claire looked at the customer line.
“ Ashton’s here,” she said, and Nathan looked to see. Ashton waved at them.
A few moments afterward, their order arrived. Nathan and his friends began to it.
“ This is good,” Claire said, taking a bite of her cake. Oswald smiled at her.
“ Coffee’s the best invention ever,” Ashton said. Claire and Nathan laughed. “How else could we manage to stay awake during class?”
“ I know,” Claire agreed. “Yesterday, I was awake until midnight watching a movie.”
“ Is that the same one you’ve seen like a hundred times?” Oswald asked her.
“ So what?” she replied, feigning indignation. “And it’s a sweet movie.”
Nathan laughed. He grabbed his phone, intending to send Kayla another text. At that moment, his gaze shifted to a table close from where they sat. His expression turned to one of surprise.
“ Ashton, she’s here.”
Frowning, Ashton turned his head to look at the place Nathan indicated. His mouth opened wide.
“ Wow. It is her,” he said, and then leaned towards Nathan to whisper, “She’s hot! ”
Not exactly the words Nathan had in mind.
Amanda, feeling Nathan’s glance on her, looked up. She noticed him, and waved her hand.
“ That’s Amanda Tilley,” Claire said, awed. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe I’m under the same roof.”
“ Go sit with her, bro,” Ashton told Nathan. Claire’s eyes widened.
“ Ashton. What if Kayla shows up and sees me?”
“You know her?”
Nathan laughed at Claire’s excitement.
“Yes, we know each other from high school.”
“And you never told me?”
“I didn’t know you knew
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