Memory, Freshman Year, October] – The Extra
Brad was taking his sweet time. Again. Lyn sighed as he perused his materials. Brad’s response paper on business regulation was ready, but the guy who needed it wasn’t there yet. Could it be he was chasing that girl, the tall one with long blond hair, who looked like she could have anyone?
During the short time they had been friends, Lyn had noticed the type of girl Brad always went for. There was an almost boring predictability both in the girls’ looks and Brad’s propensity for changing the aim of his desires as frequently as he changed his socks. A few weeks into the first semester and Brad was working the hardest at gaining the reputation of a heartbreaker.
He might have to take the paper to Brad’s room later if his friend didn’t make an appearance. That didn’t bother him at all. Actually, it was better that way because, unless Brad was busy with a new girl, he was always happy to have Lyn over.
The guy was as straight as they came, but that didn’t mean Lyn wasn’t allowed his little secret fantasies. He placed his chin on his palm and stared out the library’s window. The gentle fall season made it so warm they could still wear t-shirts and light jackets. Brad dressed simply, in white tees and jeans. He looked great in them, which meant that Lyn had to make sure not to stare. He was great at pretending he was just Brad’s best buddy.
“Is this seat taken?”
The question interrupted Lyn’s pleasant thoughts, which irked him instantly. Words failed him as soon as he noticed the owner of that voice. It was a tall student, with the strangest blue eyes Lyn had recalled ever seeing. They were nothing like Brad’s, that always shone with warmth and kindness. These eyes were cold, assessing, and they were making a chill run down Lyn’s spine.
He stared around the almost empty library. He had chosen this place, out of the way, because he wanted to have Brad all to himself, even if it was only to give him his paper. It was weird as hell that this stranger had walked over to this spot and wanted to sit at the same table out of the many others available.
“No,” he said shortly, hoping that his curt manner would invite no follow-up and indicate no desire for conversation. They were in a library, and quiet was mandatory, anyway.
The tall student nodded, his eyes never blinking and never leaving Lyn’s face. He was a strange one, all right.
The most annoying part was that Lyn could no longer indulge in his daydreams. Not with this guy sitting so close, even if he was on the opposite side and not directly across from him. Annoyance, however, prevented him from returning to his studies, so he began stealing glances at the intruder.
It could be that this table was the stranger’s usual spot. Seeing how tall he was, he had to be a junior, or even a senior, although his face hadn’t yet matured. Lyn found himself staring openly. The new guy had dark hair that, at first glance, seemed disheveled or downright unkempt. But Lyn had developed a keen power of observation while helping his mom pick this or that to match her style. There was nothing disheveled or unkempt about the guy. His clothes screamed money, through cut and refined subtlety. The dark olive cashmere sweater must have cost a few hundred dollars, at least. He wore thin-rimmed glasses that came in a frame that had to have a designer name attached to it somewhere. Lyn couldn’t see anything else of the guy’s attire, but he would swear that he had to be wearing dress pants and leather sneakers. That would’ve been his choice, at least.
The premium water bottle and the slim laptop were other signs that Lyn was staring at a student who didn’t have to worry about money and most likely never had. He hated him on the spot, nothing else needed.
The student sipped from his self-cleaning one-hundred dollar water bottle, his eyes on the screen before him. Lyn couldn’t help a sneer curling his lip.
“Thirsty?”
He could swear his cheeks were tomato-red now. “No,” he said quickly and avoided staring at the outstretched hand holding the expensive bottle. How had this guy caught him staring so damn fast?
“I don’t mind. Exchanging saliva boosts the immune system.”
Lyn stared nonplussed at his own laptop, seeing nothing. “That’s so obviously a lie,” he murmured, trying to make sense of his own study materials.
“Look it up. It’s true,” the rich asshole insisted. He continued to stare at Lyn, as if he was getting ready for a fight.
Lyn only shook his head. It was better to continue staring at his laptop screen than invite more challenges from this intruder. As a general rule, Lyn avoided fights at all costs, but he liked to think that he could hold his own if push came to shove. Although getting fit wasn’t among his priorities, he was at least good at running.
What was he thinking now? The guy sitting on the other side of the table was likely trying to strike up a friendship. Could it be that he was a freshman, after all?
“Freshman year?” he asked, with obvious reluctance.
“Yes. I will become a doctor,” the guy said.
That self-assurance was on Lyn’s hate list, as well. If the intruder hadn’t been so strikingly good-looking, Lyn would’ve found not one good thing about him.
“Cool. I will become a lawyer,” Lyn said in response.
“Good.”
That was all. The intruder returned to his studies, ignoring Lyn completely. Hadn’t he been the one to initiate the conversation? Why was he being so rude now?
He could get up and leave, but for unfathomable reasons, it would feel like a defeat. Was he really going to run away from this asshole? Brad might come looking for him any moment now.
Lyn let out a small sigh of relief when he noticed his friend walking straight toward him after scouting the library briefly. He waved happily, eager to get out of there. The intruder studied him through his expensive glasses, with an unreadable expression in his eyes.
“Lyn baby,” Brad said way too loud for where they were, “so sorry to make you wait. Hey, who’s your friend?”
Before Lyn had time to tell Brad that the guy was just another student who had happened to sit at the same table, despite the library being as good as empty at this hour, the stranger got to his feet.
“Alexander Montgomery III,” the guy said pompously, giving Lyn barely enough time to stifle a groan.
“III, huh? Cool beans. I’m Brad.”
Lyn watched with envy and dismay as the two shook hands.
“Is Brad short for Bradley?”
“Yep. Ah, I should introduce myself properly. Bradley Foster, good sir. At your service.”
That was Brad, always ready to make new friends.
“Can I have some?” Brad gestured at Alexander’s water bottle. “I ran here so fast. I could use a sip.”
Lyn watched in horror as Alexander handed the bottle to Brad without a second thought. Brad drank from it greedily and even let out a loud, satisfied sound once he was done. “Thanks, man. It’s Alex, right?”
“No, please call me Alexander.” The chilly tone could freeze boiling water.
But Brad, as usual, seemed incapable of seeing or acknowledging rudeness of any kind. He laughed, without showing the slightest sign of embarrassment at being corrected so directly. “Okay, Alexander. Hey, I wanted to get Lyn here to join me for a pizza. Would you like to come along? My treat.”
“Of course.”
Lyn had no idea how things had gotten to this point. He couldn’t tell Brad now that he was wrong and Alexander wasn’t even an acquaintance, let alone a friend. Especially one who deserved to be invited to dinner. And was Alexander Montgomery III really okay with such low-brow nourishment?
“Lyn, are you coming?” Brad asked him, noticing how he continued to sit and stare with annoyance at the scene unfolding before his eyes.
“Yeah.”
He gave the intruder a pointed look. “Lyn is short for Lynton. But you will call me Lyn,” he said fiercely.
Brad guffawed as if Lyn had just made a joke. Alexander was already on the move, his laptop bag thrown over one shoulder, the water bottle held in his other hand, barely with two fingers.
Despite his grand name and the thousands of dollars spent to perfect his appearance, Alexander wore jeans and a pair of beat-up sneakers. He was definitely an asshole. And he seemed to have a strange sixth sense, because he looked over his shoulder at Lyn. “I will call you Lynton.”
“People call me--” Lyn insisted.
“I’m not ‘people’. Not to you.”
“Hey, what’s with you guys?” Bradley laughed, a bit awkwardly now. “You two must be sooo hungry. Don’t worry, I have just the remedy.”
Lyn wished Brad had the remedy to make annoying rich assholes disappear. But no such luck. With his natural familiarity, Brad hooked one arm over Alexander’s shoulders, although he had to stand tall to do so.
“Let’s go, Lyn,” Brad said brightly, giving him the same dazzling smile as always.
He could endure having pizza with this asshole, as long as Brad was there. But from then on, he’d make sure to avoid Alexander Montgomery III like the plague.
TBC
Author's note: Thanks for reading!
In case you want to support me and read chapters ahead, I have a Patreon page where you can do so. My patrons in the Plot Whisperers tier are currently receiving chapter drafts for this story and we're having together interesting conversations about the characters and their choices. Pretty much like a book club, but cooler :)
@Derek - And this is college-version Alexander :) He will annoy the hell out of Lyn in numerous future chapters. How he changed will be up to your judgement.
@Kiss ZeFrog - Alexander is only divorced, not a widower. Thanks for reading!
