Chapter 4

Thea's Pov As I walk to Psychology this morning, I rub my hands up and down my arms. I thought that a long sleeve sweater would be enough to keep the chill out of my bones, but as soon as I stepped outside I knew that I would be cold for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to go back and change, hence me rubbing my hands up and down my arms for warmth. It was unusually cold today, and as I walked to class for my third day of college I noticed how everyone besides me was wearing at least a coat- some were even wearing beanies and scarves. At least I'm wearing jeans. By the time I made it to Psychology, I was basically a frozen popsicle. The warm air spread a warm tingle throughout my body as the building's heat rushed through me. I rubbed my hands together to regain some blood flow in my fingers. I walked into the lecture hall ten minutes before class started, so more people were here than on my first day on Monday. Yesterday I had Biology and Calculus- which were so boring that I almost fell asleep in them. Hopefully, we start learning more interesting concepts in those classes. As soon as I walked into the room, I looked around for an empty seat where I could sit that I wouldn't look antisocial but yet still seem like a part of the crowd. However, when a familiar face started waving in my direction I couldn't help the slight grin on my face. It was the guy who lent me his pen. I walked down the aisles until I reached his. When I got closer he patted the seat next to him, so I sat there. He wore a long-sleeved shirt and jeans with a black beanie on his head. "Hey, Pen Guy" I joked when I realized that I didn't even know his name. He dramatically gasped and put a hand on his heart. "I'm so hurt! After I saved your ass in this class, all I get is a hey? I was at least expecting monetary compensation, or coffee" he grinned. I punched him lightly in the shoulder, to which he completely fell out of his seat and sprawled himself on the floor. Everyone in the lecture hall turned their heads and stopped their conversations to see the guy who was making a commotion. "Oh my god! And you're violent. What did I ever do to you?" he jokingly yelled at me- at least, I think he was joking. I definitely did not hit him hard enough to cause him to fall to the floor. "Crap, sit down! People are staring!" I whisper-shouted at him, to which he got up from the floor and leaned down to whisper in my ear "I'll stop if you promise to do me a favor." A favor? The only kind of favors hot guys want is sexual favors, and I'm definitely NOT doing that. "No. I don't even know you. Now stop making a scene." Just as he was about to reply, the teacher walked in the side door and began preparing for the lecture. My eyes met his, and an evil smirk spread across his face. He took a deep breath and was about to raise his voice to embarrass me once more but I quickly stood up and placed my palm over his mouth, blocking any sound from coming out. "Fine! Fine, but you have to shut up right now!" I quickly said while praying he wasn't going to continue attracting attention. I hate attention from crowds- it was something I regularly avoided at all costs. Pen Guy smiled at me, revealing two cute dimples in his cheeks. Making me almost forget- almost- that I just agreed to do him a favor. "Great. By the way, what's your name?" he asked me while holding out his hand for me to shake. "Thea. And you? I can't call you Pen Guy for the rest of the semester" I add, causing him to roll his head back in laughter. "True. I'm Cooper." As the lecture starts, I pull out a pen from my backpack along with my notebook. I made sure to pack at least two extras so what happened last time didn't happen again. As I start taking notes, Cooper drops twenty loose pens on my desk- some landing on my lap and some clanking on the floor and echoing around the room. The students sitting in front of us turn their heads to give me a nasty look while the teacher slightly pauses her lecture, then continues. Cooper gives me a what-can-you-do look with the shrug of his shoulders. "What? I want to be a good friend and make sure you have all the pens you'll need." I shake my head and grumble something about him being annoying while I scoop up the pens and put them in the front pocket of my backpack. Although on the outside I appear annoyed and embarrassed, I secretly liked Cooper's sense of humor. Hopefully, we can be friends. When the lecture finally ends, I pack up my bag and say goodbye to Cooper as I prepare to brave the storm once more. Okay, I'm being a bit dramatic, but it's really cold outside! I walk outside and begin my walk home when Cooper grabs my hand and begins pulling me along the sidewalk with him. "Um... Cooper? What are you doing?" " You're fulfilling my favor, silly," he said while hugging me harder. My breathing picked up and I quickly yanked my hand out of his grasp and began backing away from him. "No. I don't wanna... I won't..." Cooper turned back to me with his eyebrows scrunched up. He walked up to me slowly, as if he were trying to calm down a scared puppy. "I was just going to take you with me to get coffee." My jaw dropped open. "Oh..." How wrong had I been? "What did you think I- Oh! Oh my god, Thea! Did you think I was trying to?" And then he proceeded to laugh in my face. Not just a small chuckle, no this was a full-blown cackle that again drew unwanted attention to me. When he finally calmed down enough to breathe he wiped the tears under his eyes. "Oh my god, I haven't laughed that hard in a while. Thea, I'm gay. Very, very gay and in a committed relationship with my boyfriend." How could I not tell? I'm so embarrassed! Am I that conceited to assume he was trying to sleep with me? I'm making a vow to myself to be more careful about assuming what guys want from me. While I stood there like a speechless mess of a human, Cooper continued talking. "My boyfriend was worried that I wouldn't make any friends at school, and since he doesn't go to college, he kept nagging me about letting him take me to classes. To get him to shut up, I told him that I already made a friend and that I would invite her to get coffee with me. He's also bringing another friend of his." I smiled at the cuteness of their relationship. His boyfriend must be so sweet. "Well, I'd be honored to be your fake friend," I said, a little disappointed he only wanted to bring me to prove something to his boyfriend. "Bitch, you're already my best friend here. You're not getting rid of me now. What if I need a pen?" he smirked and I laughed at him. After he told me we were meeting at Java, I perked up and told him that I worked there and was absolutely obsessed with coffee. Apparently he was just as obsessed as me, and on the way to Java, I told him about all the different drinks they offered and some different secret menu drinks that I loved. Just thinking about coffee was already warming me up from the cold outside. we got closer and closer to Java, my stomach began to clench and my breathing picked up. My stomach felt weird... almost like I had butterflies flapping around in there. Well, coffee definitely won't help with that feeling but there's no way anyone can talk me out of more caffeine!