Free A Different Side (University Park #4) by CM Doporto

that from Lexi. Even though I didn’t know much about her, I knew she wasn’t that type of girl.
    “Alright.” I threw my hands up in frustration. “I don’t know much about her.”
    “I guess that only means one thing.”
    “What’s that?”
    Josh pointed at me. “You’ve got a lot to learn.”
    “I knew you were going to say that.”
    ∑
     

Chapter 6
     
    We must accept finite disappointment,
    but never loose infinite hope.
    ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
     
    It had been a long weekend. Saturday’s game resulted in a loss — the second one of the season — and I was pissed. I was even more pissed that Shawn messed up his ankle during Wednesday’s practice and didn’t tell Coach until Thursday morning. We had to regroup and learn some different plays, which meant I had to cancel my meeting with Lexi. What sucked was the fact that I had started my paper, hoping to impress her.
    I sat at the kitchen table, trying to study. Practice was at three and I needed to get busy, but had no motivation. As I glanced at my biology syllabus, I saw that I had a test on Wednesday. I had only read two chapters and wasn’t ready for it. That drove me to get started. I cracked open the textbook and started reading. After three chapters, I took a break, feeling somewhat accomplished. Tomorrow and Tuesday, I’d review everything and be ready for the test. My accounting assignment was a piece of cake. For some reason, the numbers came easy to me.
    My stomach rumbled, so I trekked to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. Carrying the plate back to the table, I checked to see what else I needed to do for the week. At the bottom of my backpack was a piece of paper. I unfolded the paper and stared at Beth’s number. I typed her number into my phone, but instead of calling her, I sent her a text.
    Me: Hey, Beth. It’s me, Raven. Busy?
    As I waited for her text, I glanced at my syllabus. October 21 st caught my attention. I skimmed the paper and saw I had a blog post due tomorrow.
    Shit.
    On my last two posts, I had received a seventy and a sixty-five. I couldn’t afford to get another low grade. I had to ace this post. Beth would have to wait. I needed Lexi’s help.
    As I started to search for Lexi’s phone number, I remembered out of the hundreds of phone numbers in my contact list, the one number I didn’t have was Lexi’s. Go figure. And it was the one number I needed the most.
    I took another bite of my sandwich, contemplating what to do. Unsure of where she lived or if she might be at the writing lab, I opted for my only alternative: I messaged Coach and asked if he had Dr. Phillip’s cell number. It didn’t take long for him to text back with a number. For a few seconds, I thought about what to say.
    Me: Dr. Phillips, it’s Raven Davenport. I’m working on an assignment that’s due tomorrow and need to ask Lexi some questions, but don’t have her phone number. Can you tell her to call me ASAP? Thanks.
    I stared at the screen, re-reading what I had typed. It had to be the longest text ever, but it explained my situation. Satisfied with it, I hit the send button and waited. And waited. After several minutes, I finally set the phone down and returned to reading. I re-read the same paragraph five times before finally giving up. I picked up my phone and unlocked it. Nothing.
    Damn!
    I double-checked the number Coach had given me and verified it was correct. What the hell was taking so long? The clock moved slower than a play with a time out. After fifteen minutes, my phone finally buzzed.
    Dr. Phillips: Hi, Raven. You’re in luck — I do have her number. I’ve attached the contact card.
    I opened the contact information and saved it to my phone. I had Lexi Thompson’s phone number. Finally! The numbers blurred on the screen, as if warning me not to dial. I blinked a few times and then rubbed my eyes. It would be okay to contact her, right? If it weren’t, Dr. Phillips wouldn’t have given me her number.
    It took me