Page 8 of Vexing the Viper

"Sounds good."

While waiting for Mateo and Niko to finish changing, I sit on the couch and scroll through my phone. A call comes through from Vanessa, and I shudder.

Dancing with her last night was a mistake. I was trying to have a fun time, but she took it as something more and was getting clingy before the night was even over. She tried to kiss me, and when I politely pulled away and declined, she snatched my phone from my hand and called herself so she would have my number. I press decline and shove my phone into my pocket. I don't need to deal with that right now.

Footsteps sound down the hall and when I glance up, I can't stop the groan that tries to break free. Niko is approaching, his eyes narrowed and on me. He's wearing tight, ripped black jeans with a white tee and black leather jacket. On his feet are black combat boots, and on top of the snakes is the gray beanie from earlier. He's no longer wearing the glasses, so I can only assume he's put in contacts. But fuck me, he's sexy.

"Where were you thinking of going for breakfast?" he inquires, sitting down on the couch next to me. A scent of sandalwood hits me and I have to physically restrain myself from leaning in and inhaling deeper. I don't recall a time in my life when I’ve ever responded to someone this quickly before. Maybe it’s because I haven’t hooked up with someone in a while. All I know is I don't even know him and I want to lick his body from head to toe.

"There's a food court, right? I figured we could head over there, that way we can each get what we want."

"Sounds good."

We sit in silence, neither of us making any effort to keep the conversation going. He keeps his eyes on his hands, and I use the time to admire him some more. He has to be about five-six, maybe five-seven. I bet he would fit perfectly under me. I look up when one of his snakes slithers closer to me, and I watch it closely. Seeing them move around is fascinating. I'm about to ask more about them when Mateo walks out dressed in slacks and a polo shirt.

"We're going to breakfast, not a country club," Niko jokes, and I snicker softly. Now I see why he was questioning my outfit. We're the complete opposite.

Mateo rolls his eyes before walking to the door. "Let's go.”

Making our way to the food court, we mostly walk in silence, the occasional question coming from either me or Mateo. Niko stays quiet the whole time, and I can't stop wondering more about him. Is it because he's shy? Maybe he's introverted and it takes a while to open up? I wonder if it's hard for him to make friends. Whatever it is has me even more curious about the man next to me.

We each separate to get our own food before making our way to an empty table. I ended up getting a FrankenBurger, and I'm hoping it's delicious because it sure smells like it. I got a side of French Frights, and I giggled so hard at the name that the girl helping me rolled her eyes. I start eating, each of us glancing at one another and waiting for someone to break the ice.

I guess it'll be me.

"So, were you guys roommates last year?" I ask, dipping one of my fries into some ketchup.

"Yeah, Niko and I have been friends for the past two years. We met our first year when we got roomed together, and we've been inseparable ever since."

"That's pretty damn cool. Do either of you work on campus?"

"I don't, but Niko works at the library," Mateo says, side-eying his friend.

"Cool, cool." Shit, I wonder if Niko ever talks for himself. "So, Niko, your dad is the baseball coach? I bet you love baseball, huh?"

"No, actually I hate it. While I was growing up, my dad was obsessed with it, which made me despise it," Niko tells us while rolling his eyes and looking away.

"Oh." Well, shit. What do I say now? I contemplate while pushing my food around my plate, and we all sit in awkward silence. I'm not quite sure what I did to piss Niko off, but it's pretty obvious he doesn't like me. Which is fucking crazy. Everyone likes me! Maybe I just need to try harder to get on his good side. "Do you play any sports?"

"No," he replies curtly.

Okay, then. I turn to Mateo. "What about you?"

"Nah, I'm not really athletic. I did theater in high school."

"Damn, I did a play once in high school. The school was putting on a musical, and I love to sing, so I tried out. I didn't think I would get a part, but I did. It was a ton of fun."

"Drama was always my favorite part of high school. Creelin U has some theater programs, but I've done more behind-the-scenes type things." At least Mateo is talking to me. I have a feeling he and I will get along just fine. It's the sour-faced one I'm unsure about.

"I'll have to keep an eye out. Maybe if it works around my baseball schedule, I can try and get involved."

Our conversations die off as we clean up our table and leave the food court. As much as I want to get to know my roommates more, I also want to head to the Athletics Center and get a workout in. With practice starting tomorrow, I want to make sure I'm somewhat prepared for what's to happen. Coaches tendto run their players ragged on the first day to set the tone for the season.

"I'll catch you both later," I tell them, preparing to spend the rest of the day working out.

Kneeling behind home plate,I place one hand behind my back and the other one out in front of me. The ball whips into my glove with fire, and I smile. I missed this, the grassy smell of the field, the feeling of the ball hitting my glove, and the satisfaction I get tagging someone out who's trying to slide into home plate.

This morning, I had my first set of classes, and they were what I expected. Each professor ran through their syllabus and let us know what to anticipate of the class for the semester. It was pretty boring, and I couldn't stop counting down until practice.

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