Free One Night Only by Abby Gale

 
    The ride to my college was silent but music came through the radio. I was humming to myself along with the songs, but it wasn’t because I was cheerful, it was mostly like reflex. And it wasn’t a coincidence that the songs I chose to sing were depressing.
    Getting out of the car outside the campus walls, I started to walk toward my building. My hand grabbed my bag tightly as the other hand became a fist. I bit my tongue, this small pain distracted me enough to continue walking even though the ache in my leg was getting worse with each step.
    I headed toward the cafeteria, cursing all the steps and stairs in this building. Thankfully, my best friend Tris saw me and came up next to me, linking our arms, pretending like we were chit-chating instead of rubbing in my face how miserable I was.
    I wanted to thank her, but I had to climb down these stairs before I broke my teeth from gritting them so hard.
    Finally, we came to a stop in front of the table and I sat down, panting silently because of the pain, but I got a grip on myself when Tris hugged me.
    “Thank you, Tris,” I whispered.
    I didn’t have to explain what this “thank you” was for, she understood. Because Beatrice was the person that ripped down my walls, even though I tried to build them high and impenetrable, reaching out to me and becoming the sister I never had.
    “What is our next class?” I asked to Tris. I was too careless with our schedule to learn it, thankfully my best friend was the responsible type while I was the one who read books during class and studied my ass off just before the exams.
    “Chemistry,” she answered cheerfully. That was her favorite subject. I loved chemistry, but that class didn’t give me much opportunity to read my novels. I sighed and stood up when I noticed it was only fifteen minutes till class. Normally that wasn’t a short period of time for other students, but for someone like me…it was the time I needed to walk up to the classroom.
    Tris stood up with me as well and linked her arm through mine again as we started to climb the damn stairs. My swearing was alternating between the architect who didn’t think of building an elevator to the cafeteria and the damn stairs that looked like they were getting more and more each day.
    Finally, I could reach the Chemistry wing of the building, panting. Normally, my place was in the middle of the second row, but today there was a guy, muscled like a mini-Hulk, at the first row and with my petite frame I wouldn’t see a thing if I sat behind him. I headed toward the window side desks, passing by the mini-Hulk on the way.
    I didn’t see his face until I passed by him. At first glance I could only notice his well-built frame, but when I saw his face…I lived the biggest cliché of my life. After a heart beat of checking him out, with the painful reminder of my leg, I moved toward my desk and sat down to have some relief over my leg.
    I hardly noticed the class notes on the desk, courtesy to Tris, as the professor came into the classroom. The professor started his lesson without wasting a second, but I was busy checking out the guy in the front row.
    He looked like a guy from my dreams–broad shoulders, muscular arms, dark and stylishly messy hair…he was gorgeous and I was awestruck by his good looks.
    Shaking my head I turned to look out of the window, but within a minute my gaze turned back to look at him. I couldn’t help it even though I tried so hard. But when I heard his raspy, deep voice as he asked some questions during class, I was sold.
    I counted the minutes till the professor dismiss us. I hoped I would never see him again and would never feel this strange pull and the confusing feelings that came with it. I didn’t need to feel this way on top of everything else.
    Finally, when the professor dismissed the class, I sighed in relief…but it didn’t last long.
     

 
    The relief faded away the next day, at the lab class. I was in the same group with