The Special Girl Page 11

  My parents and Ava came to campus to see me and spend the weekend. We go shopping and eat at a restaurant off campus on Saturday. I sleep at their hotel with them that night and stay up well into the early morning talking with Ava in the bed we share. It is great being with them especially since I am not sure if I will be coming home for Spring break. Alex has to stay on campus due to training for his upcoming Spring football game and Kylie has invited all the girls to her parents’ vacation home in Hilton Head, North Carolina.

  On Sunday, my family drives me back to campus. We eat brunch in the dining hall, and I get to introduce them to many of my friends. Alex meets up with us there and greets my family warmly. He easily engages them in conversation and talks football with my dad. Ava is pleasant but I can tell she isn’t overly impressed. Alex and I take them on a mini tour of campus, and we end the day with another dinner off campus. My family drops Alex and I off on campus and they head home.

  Alex immediately wants to go back to his room to mess around. I have so much schoolwork and studying to do since I spent the weekend with my family. “I can’t Alex. I have to study and do some homework. I’m sorry,” I say. He is not happy with my answer. He continues to badger me into coming to his room with him. I get a little annoyed and say firmly, “No Alex. I said I can’t.” He looks pissed and he scoffs, “Maybe you are too busy for me and I need to start looking elsewhere! I have plenty of girls that would love to come to my room with me! Maybe I need to call one of them!” The breath is knocked right out of me. I am not expecting that. “I can’t believe you just said that!” I sob. I run as fast as I can in the opposite direction with my eyes filled with tears. That is probably how I miss the obstacle in front of me and smash into the table and chairs set up near the coffee kiosk.

  I wince as I assess my situation. I am on the ground and my right leg is killing me. I try to get up, but I find I can’t bear weight on it. My hands and knees are scraped and bleeding, even worse, there are a lot of people looking my way. I catch a glimpse of Alex standing nearby but he quickly shifts direction and scurries away. Many of the people near the coffee kiosk come to my aid. Several people are asking if I need them to call emergency services. I wave them off. “I will be alright,” I sob. Then one voice completely catches me off guard. “Maura you need to get checked out,” I hear from… wait it can’t be… “Zack?” I clamor.

  “Maura! What the hell happened?” Izzy says as she appears next to Zack. “What are you doing here?” I ask Zack confused. Is he here looking for me? Does he miss me? Does he want me back? So many questions fill my mind. Izzy looks to Zack and asks, “What happened? This is my friend Maura.” Before he can answer, she looks at me and says, “This is my friend, Zack from Econ class. We were meeting here for coffee,” she says with a wink. I am so confused. Zack from Econ? Does she mean the tattoo guy she likes? Zack is him? Wait Zack is in her Econ class! When did this happen? As I sit on the sidewalk with everyone staring at me, bleeding and absolutely befuddled, I start to tremble. What the hell is happening in my life! Everything is falling apart!

  Suddenly I feel two strong arms scoop me up and carry me away. I open my eyes and see those beautiful chestnut eyes peering at me. “I got you,” he says reassuringly. As he carries me through campus, we pass the guitar guy strumming along on his perch above a brick half wall. He stops and asks Zack if he needs help. Zack says, “Yes, can you call emergency services for me?” “Sure dude,” he says as he pulls his phone out and starts dialing. In what seems like seconds, an EMT crew shows up and Zack places me gently on the gurney they brought. They strap me in and start to wheel me away. I hear Zack talking to Izzy and then to the EMTs. I am aware what is going on, but I start to feel foggy and tired.

  Next thing I remember, an EMT is rubbing my upper chest hard with her knuckles and it is very uncomfortable. I open my eyes and see her smiling at me and then notice Zack is on the other side of me and we are in the back of a moving ambulance. She asks, “What is your name? What day of the week is it? How many fingers am I holding up? Who is the president?” while shining a light off and on into my eyes and asking me to look all kinds of ways. I guess she is satisfied with my answers as she lets Zack talk to me and busies herself on a tablet.

  Zack asks if I’m Ok. I nod yes but quite frankly I’m not sure. “I should call your parents,” he says. “Oh, they just left. They are driving home. They spent the weekend here and just left before this happened,” I tell him. “Can I use your phone to call them?” he asks. “Yes, it is in my bag. Oh no! Where is my bag?” I whimper. “Don’t worry, it is right here. I grabbed it when I picked you up,” he says while holding it up to show me. “Can you call my mom? It is in my contacts as Mom obviously,” I smile. He smiles and pulls out my phone and makes the call.

  Later, I am in the ER with my mom, dad and Ava by my side. I am bandaged up and sporting a new cast on my right ankle. I do not have a concussion but because of my dizziness and feeling out of sorts initially, I have to relax and avoid stress for a couple days. Oh no problem! (Eye roll.) Dad drove Zack back to campus a little bit ago. “Well it was a good thing Zack was there to help you,” my mom sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me he was a student here?” Ava says slighted. “Because I didn’t know until today!” I say defiantly. “Really?” my mom asks. “Really!” I say annoyed. Dad breaks in, “Well I’m sure glad he is. I don’t see that guy we met today here with you!” he protests. Mom nods her head in agreement. Ava smiles, “Zack is way hotter than Alex!” I roll my eyes at her, but she may be right, and my dad was definitely right!

  My mom wanted me to come home with them. Dad sided with me that I could not abandon my classes this far into the semester. “She will be alright Erin,” he tells her. They take me back to campus and I hone my crutch-using skills getting back up to my room. Thank God there are elevators in this building. My family helps me into my room and then they say goodbye for the second time today. My mom insists on giving Kylie her cell number in case of any issues. Kylie happily takes it and promises to help me get around campus while I have the cast.

  After my family leaves, the girls pounce! “What the hell happened today? We want the entire story! And where has Alex been? Didn’t you call him?” Kylie demands. “My Zack sure saved the day!” Izzy declared. Her Zack? Ugg! “I can’t believe he rode all the way to the hospital with you! He sure was great! Huh?” “Yep he was,” I answer. Kylie catches on to my sour mood and dismisses Izzy and Maddie, telling them I need rest. But there is no rest for the weary!

  After our friends leave, Kylie helps me get changed into something comfortable and not bloody. She arranges our extra pillows under my casted ankle for support and sits down on the edge of the bed next to me. She looks at me sympathetically. “Do you want to talk?” she asks. I look up at her from my bed. When I catch her genuine look of concern for me, I lose it. My tears come full force. I am sobbing uncontrollably, and she holds me in her arms. After a few minutes, I get control of myself and wipe away the tears covering my face with the tissues she has handed me. “Thank you, Kylie,” I sob. “I really needed that. This has been a real shit day.” She doesn’t prod any further and lets me continue at my own pace.

  I tell her about the entire weekend. I tell her what Alex said to me and how he left me on the sidewalk injured. I tell her how Zack showed up and took care of me. I tell her about Izzy and Zack. I tell her how not just my ankle is broken but my entire life is broken. She listens intently without ever interrupting, taking it all in. When I finish, she give me a tight smile and tells me, “It can only get better right?” I hope so! The one thing other than my family that I am so grateful for is Kylie. She is my first real friend. She has my back and I so appreciate it.

  After I tell Kylie the horrid details of my worst day ever, she tells me some information I am not sure how to handle. “I think you should know some things about Izzy and her tattoo man, that we now know is your Zack,” she says with a smirk. I chuckle at the absurdity of that statement. She continue
s, “They have gone out a few times together. They have at the very least kissed. I’m not sure if there was more, she hasn’t said. But I do know that she isn’t looking for more than a casual fling with him. She really likes him and is attracted to him, but she is more concerned about her reputation with the sorority. She wouldn’t let anyone see her doing anything more than having coffee with him.” I take in what she has just told me, and I thank her for everything she has done for me. I ask her to keep the details about Zack to ourselves for now. She agrees and I settle in to get some sleep.

  I startle awake the next day when I hear someone knocking on my door. I look at the clock and see it is 12:30pm. I must have been exhausted. I look over and Kylie is long gone. I yell that I will be right there. It takes me a good bit to get up on my crutches and make it to the door. The pain in my leg starts back up as soon as I start to move. I open the door and Zack is standing there with a take-out bag and a coffee. He looks at me with genuine sadness as he takes in my appearance. He apologizes for forcing me to get up out of bed. I invite him in, and he helps me back to my bed.

  “Were you still sleeping?” he asks. “Yes, I guess I was really tired,” I explain. He hands me the bag. “It’s a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese. And I got you one of those latte drinks you like too,” he says as he puts the cup on my desk next to my bed. “Wow! Thank you!” I say. He looks up at me a few times awkwardly and finally says, “Look Maura, I’m sorry we didn’t end things better and that’s partly why I didn’t tell you I was coming here. I didn’t want you to think I was following you to cause you trouble. I wasn’t. But now that you know I’m here, I want to be your friend. A person you can look to if needed, not a bother you everyday friend,” he blurts out. “OK?” he asks. “Ok,” I answer with a shy smile. He asks if I need anything and then he leaves but not before telling me to call him anytime if I need him.

  Chapter 19

  Zack

  Izzy was becoming my regular coffee friend. We meet a few times a week at the outdoor coffee kiosk. We usually walk there together after Econ class. Izzy is a sweet girl and I enjoy spending time with her. She may be a sorority girl, but I like her, and she is definitely easy on the eyes. She isn’t as beautiful as Maura, but I don’t think anyone is.

  On our third date at the coffee kiosk, we are discussing a project we need to do for our Econ class. She is running her ideas for a subject by me. I confess that mine is almost finished. I offer to show her, and she asks if I could show her then. It feels like a ploy to get me to take her to my room. If it is, it works.

  I lead her to my dorm room that I share with Jason. I actually know Jason won’t be there. He is at the weekly jam session he participates in every Wednesday afternoon with a music club he belongs to on campus. He usually doesn’t get back until 8 or 9 o’clock. I am not 100% sure I am ready to be alone with Izzy yet. I don’t want to continue hooking up with girls. I want more than that. Izzy seems to be the type of girl I could have more with.

  When we enter my room, she looks around inspecting the books on my shelf and smelling my cologne. She giggles when I ask her how she knows that is my stuff and not Jason’s. She says smirking, “Because I followed your scent, and that cologne is definitely yours.” I pulled out the large 3-inch binder that houses my Econ project and hand it to her. She sits on my bed and puts the binder aside. She crooks her finger and motions for me to join her on my bed. I sit down next her wearily.

  I now know for sure that she played me, and this has been her plan all along. As soon as my ass hit the mattress, she begins her seductive assault. She pulls my t-shirt up and over my head with a practiced ferocity. She pushes me back and puts her lips on mine. I oblige and kiss her back. She bounds onto my lap and combs her fingers through my hair as we kiss. Things are heating up and I roll us over, so I am on top of her. She paws at my bare chest and abs and pulls me down closer to her as we kiss. Then she pulls up on her own shirt attempting to remove it. I push it back down and break our kiss breathlessly.

  She looks at me confused. “What’s wrong?” she asks. “Nothing is wrong. I just want to slow things down. I like you too much to fuck you on my dorm room bed when we are still getting to know each other,” I tell her sincerely. She looks dejected. “I know you well enough. I want you Zack, right here, right now,” she admits. I shake my head. “I don’t want to disrespect you that way,” I say as I jump up and grab my shirt. She sits up and seems disappointed and confused as she watches me slide my shirt back on. “Come on, I’ll walk you back to your dorm,” I say holding out my hand for her. She doesn’t take it. “That’s not necessary. Thank you,” she answers tersely. “Please do not be angry with me. Can we meet again tomorrow?” I ask. She thinks for a moment and then smiles at me and says, “Yeah of course we can. I would like that.”

  Since then I have kept our meetings more public. I do like this girl and I’m trying hard to treat her right. On Saturday, Izzy had a party to attend with her sorority sisters at a frat house. We make plans to meet at our favorite spot on campus on Sunday afternoon. I get there first, so I order Izzy her usual along with my order. I find a table and sit down to wait on Izzy.

  Unexpectedly, I see Maura come running along and she is looking behind her as if she were running from something or someone. This is probably why she doesn’t see the empty table and chairs next to where I’m sitting. She takes a nasty spill and her body becomes entangled in the leg of one of the chairs. She lays there still a moment and then tries to stand. She is bleeding from the palms of her hands and her knees. She winces and whimpers as she tries to sit up. It takes a few seconds for me to comprehend the sight before me. I jump up and spring into action.

  I hear her tell a bystander that she doesn’t need emergency services. This is basically the campus police and medical detail. I get down to her position on the ground and lean over her. I tell her she does need to be checked out. She looks hard at me as if trying to grasp that I am really here with her. Then it seems to register that I am indeed here but now she wants to know why. Izzy must arrive as I’m talking to Maura. It immediately becomes apparent that Izzy and Maura know each other, and Izzy has spoken about me to Maura but without revealing my identity. Awkward!

  I don’t even care about that. All I know is Maura is hurt and needs me and I need to get her help. I grab her bag and pick her up and start to carry her through campus. I’m not even sure where I am taking her. Jason is sitting on the brick wall by the quad playing his guitar for a few people that have gathered there to listen. When he gets a visual of me carrying a bloody girl, he stops playing and asks if I need help. I ask him to call emergency services. An ambulance crew arrives quickly and loads Maura into the ambulance. I insist on riding with her and the female EMT takes pity and allows me a spot in the back with her and Maura.

  I call her mom, and she tells me they will meet us at the hospital as they are in the area. After we get to the hospital and they take her for treatment, her parents and sister join me in the waiting room. I tell them what happened, and they are grateful I was there to help her. Her mom hugs me, and her dad shakes my hand and thanks me for taking care of his daughter. It fills me with joy that they are so worried about her and accepting of me. I stay until I am sure she is alright. Her dad offers to take me back to campus. He voices the entire ride how appreciative he is that I am there to watch out for her.

  The next day I get up and go to my morning classes. I am chomping at the bit to check on Maura. I know I shouldn’t because she is with that frat guy now. But I need to know that she is okay, and I have questions. I bet she does too. I want to know what she was running from and where that guy was while she was hurt and in the hospital. I decide to skip my afternoon classes and take Maura something to eat. I grab her a bagel and cream cheese and coffee to go. I make my way to her dorm. I already knew what dorm she was in because I looked her up in the student directory as soon as I got here.

  I get someone to let me into her building and make my way to her room. I
sure hope I don’t see Izzy here as she lives in this building too. I do not want to deal with her now. After I knock on Maura’s door, I wait for someone to answer. If her roommate Kylie is out, I surmise it will take a while for Maura to get to the door, unless her boyfriend is in there with her. The thought of that makes me nauseous. I hear someone moving around carefully in there and I assume it is Maura. I am proven correct when the door opens to reveal a sleepy, mussed haired, pajama wearing Maura with a cast on her right leg and her arms leaning on crutches.

  She looks utterly defeated but also undeniably beautiful. Looking at her in this vulnerable state makes me want to swoop her up and take care of her. Instead I tread lightly. I don’t know what to expect. I show her the bag and coffee and she invites me in. After a brief conversation, I explain hastily that I am sorry for the way we ended things and that I wasn’t attending school here to stalk her or anything. I also tell her she can rely on me if she wants. I will always be here for her. I want to tell her that I still love her, and it kills me to see her injured, but I don’t want to scare her away and I know that she doesn’t reciprocate those feelings. I leave her room and take in a deep breath. I hit the button to call the elevator. The elevator door opens with Izzy and two other girls inside.

  Chapter 20

  Maura

  After Zack leaves, I start to eat the bagel he left for me. Kylie comes in the door and locks it. “Was Zack just here?” she asks breathlessly. “Yes. He just left.” I say exhausted. “Yeah me, Izzy and Maddie just ran into him at the elevator,” she says. “He is gorgeous Maura!” she admits. “Well Izzy is going to come over here and ask questions. She was very shocked to see him here,” Kylie warns. “He brought me food and wanted to check on me,” I offer. She smiled slyly at me.