Free Chasing Jenna by Micki Fredricks

night. We’ve talked so much over the last few days I thought I’d told you about him.”
    “Well, I guess you did mention Ryan’s name. But how was I to know, you guys call everyone brother.” She laughed and all was right in their world again. She snaked her arms around his waist and hugged him tight.
    “Are you hungry Ryan?” She asked naturally taking her place as hostess and digging through our small fridge to see what she could offer.
    “Let’s order a pizza.” Marcus suggested.
    “Well I guess fruit snacks and root beer aren’t exactly lunch,” she laughed.
    We had a great time talking and joking around while enjoying our lunch. The four of us were comfortable together.
    “See you back here tonight.” Katie said as Ryan and I left. She was going to make a great mom someday.
     

>CHAPTER NINE<
    The next few weeks passed and we fell into a comfortable routine. Every morning, Cale waited in the lobby of my building and walked me to my first class where I met Ryan. Ryan and I spent our days together, had lunch with Marcus and Katie and usually studied for a few hours after classes. Cale always showed up sometime after dinner and hung out until curfew. He’d kept things totally platonic since the first night he’d come to my room. Every time he left, I was a little disappointed about that.
    Today, however, there was something different about Cale … and it wasn’t a good different. He walked at a fast pace, a few steps ahead of me. His body seemed stiff and when I did talk to him, his responses were short. I stopped and cleared my throat loudly so he would know I was no longer walking with him. He turned and looked back at me.
    “Have I done something to upset you?” I asked.
    His eyes darted around to the people who were walking past us. But then his gaze dropped to the ground as he walked back to me.
    “Jenna, I need to talk to you about something.” My stomach knotted up from the tone of his voice. He was nervous, that made me nervous.
    “What is it? Is everything okay?”
    He nodded his head, “Yes, everything is good, but I have something to ask you.”
    I raised my eyebrows and smiled, trying to encourage him, but he said nothing. “Cale, you’re freaking me out a little.”
    “When I came to your room the night of the Information Fair, I mentioned a little bit about the traditions that go on in my house, do you remember?”
    I mostly remembered the kisses on my neck but vaguely my mind recalled him talking about how the traditions in the house had been handed down from generation to generation. I couldn’t remember him being specific about what those traditions were. My mind instantly went to the negative.
    He’d probably spent the last weeks thinking about how stupid he was for coming to my room that night. Once he realized what he was jeopardizing, it became quite clear to him what a bad idea a friendship with me really was. I’m sure the traditions include high standards for girlfriends. Without a doubt I didn’t measure up to those standards.
    I felt a little wave of sadness flash over me. Really? I had only known this guy for a few weeks and I was going to be sad if he didn’t want to date me? I understood if that was the case, but the idea of losing his friendship was just as heartbreaking to me.
    “Well, every year the brothers of the house, third year and above, are required to ‘sponsor’ a girl.” He flashed a quick look in my direction.
    I opened my eyes a little wider, crossed my arms in front of my chest, and nodded my head; wanting him to get on with it. I knew I looked irritated, but dragging this out was excruciating. I could feel a tightness in my chest. If this was the last I was going to see him – he needed to just tell me.
    “I’m just going to throw this out there. It’s easier to understand if I just get it all out. Every year we have to sponsor a girl, it’s a promise to mentor and support her emotionally or financially or spiritually, or whatever that