Page 7 of Little Do You Know

She looks at me skeptically. “What’s your major?”

“History with a minor in photography and French. Why?”

“Because mine is biomedical engineering, and I have a shit ton of reading to do before classes actually start. It’s almost like a whole class before the real class.”

I’m startled by how bluntly she states it. In a way, Blake reminds me of Owen. I can recall Owen saying something similar my freshman year when I tried to convince him to show me around campus.

I can’t help but laugh. “God, you sound so much like my brother, it’s not even funny. I promise you that the reading isn’t that important.”

“Maybe not if your reading is the same history I’ve been learning since third grade. I’ll probably get tested over this stuff in my first class,” Blake replies sassily, and I smile.I think I want to keep her.

“Do you want to be friends? I think we could be great friends.” And I mean it. Blake seems to have the right amount of attitude in her that she could totally keep up with Vera and me. Just as long as she isn’t as enamored by Sebastian’s looks as everyone else.

Blake smiles in return as we stand up. “What year are you?”

“Sophomore, I just returned from a year abroad in France, or I’d be a junior.”

“France? And you came back here?”

We walk in the direction of the dorms. “Trust me, a part of me wishes I never came back. Unfortunately, my parents have decided that I must have a degree just like my brother, who will never use his when he ends up playing professional football. It feels like a huge waste of money for me, but to each their own.”

Blake adjusts the textbooks in her arms, “I get that. I feel like I just spent so much money on these books only to use them for a few months. College is a huge waste of money, but it’s nearly impossible to get a good job without it. It’s why I did community college my first two years.”

“I wouldn’t say getting a good job without a degree is impossible. There’s plenty of jobs out there that don’t require one, but it unfortunately makes more sense to have one,” I say, kicking a rock into the grass. It’s a nice day; the humidity isn’t nearly as bad as yesterday.

“I know that if I did a gap year in France, I’d probably never come back,” Blake admits, and I look at her curiously.

“It’s great, but they don’t give you ice in your drinks unless you ask for it.”

She raises a dark eyebrow at me. “I can live without ice.”

I gasp loudly, drawing the attention of a group of what I’m presuming to be freshmen by how they’re dressed. “Blake, my dear new friend. Please tell me you’re not one of those weird people who can drink water and soda at room temperature.”

“If it meant living in France, absolutely. Is the lack of ice the only downside of living there?”

“It also smells like cigarettes, but you get used to it. Those are the only downsides I guess. People there are blunt. At least here, people say shit behind your back, but over there, they have no problem saying it to your face. I’m honestly not sure what I prefer.”

“Like what?”

I snort, thinking of the first time I went on a weekend trip with other photographers there. “Like assuming I don’t speak French and talking about how American I looked. They didn’t mean it as a compliment either. They also said a teenager had no business being there with them. Then, when I spoke back in fluent French, they realized I understood everything they said.”

Blake’s expression is one of shock. “Please tell me you proved them wrong?”

I flash her a wicked smile. “Of course. My picture was the one in National Geographic.”

She bursts into laughter, and I can’t help joining her. Walking around campus with Blake is the most fun I’ve had since getting back, and I just met her. I suppose the party last night was fun, but I feel like I’m the better version of myself right now.This is the version I want Owen and Sebastian to see.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Vera and Stacey. It was fun seeing the basketball players, but I don’t know; it felt like I was almost moving backward instead of forward.

“I think you might be right. We’re going to be great friends.”

“Are you busy later?”

She grimaces and lifts her textbooks a little higher. “Studying.”

I shake my head immediately. “No, you’re not. You’re going to come over to my apartment, and we’re going to have fun. No studying allowed. End of discussion.”

“I don’t even know you!” Blake protests, and I roll my eyes.

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