Page 6 of Beautiful Beginning

“C’mon, let me get you this coffee before the sun has me switching majors.” I clutched my eyes closed.Was that me?Out on the courtyard reciting lame ass lines.

She walked beside me and asked, “Switching majors? Are you supposed to be in class? If so, we can grab it later. Another day.”

I cringed. “If the line wasn’t bad enough, it didn’t land either.” I laughed. “Damn.” I explained, “I could be an art major to captivate your beauty on canvas.”

Journey’s eyes widened, before her long lashes flapped over her eyes. “Chaz, you’re a smooth talker.”

I wanted to interject. Scream, “Not at all. I’m the farthest from smooth. I’m so bumpy it’d irritate your skin.” Instead I opened the door to the coffee shop and said, “Far from it.” We approached the counter, and I asked, “What’s your order?”

She said, “Iced mocha.” Then added, “With oat milk.”

When we made it to the counter, I gave dude behind it her order. Although I was speaking, he stared at her.

Saying, “I got you. Anything else?”

“You know what, I’ll try the same.” I handed over my card, disrupting his stare.

After he handed it back we stood to the side. “Hope this is good.” It could have tasted like dirt though. I would have enjoyed it like it was my drink of choice.

“I think you’ll like it.” She grabbed napkins from the counter. “If not, I’ll replace it next time I see you.”

“In that case, I hope I hate it.”

ChapterThree

Journey

In the sea of blue and white, I don’t know how I spotted him. Amongst the cheers, and sounds from the band, most of the crowd was a blur. There weren’t many distinctions outside of students, supporters, and the band. But his red shirt didn’t exactly coincide with the blue and white surrounding him. The more I stared at him the more he looked as obvious as Where’s Waldo, after spotting him on the page. Like the magic eye you couldn’t unsee, after staring too long.

Everyone stood as our team entered the end zone. I searched for him through the surge of people who jumped to their feet. I couldn’t find him before the cheer captain called out our first touchdown cheer of the season.

“Hey Bobcats, let me hear you roar…”

Then there he was. Not roaring. I eyed him as I yelled, “Hillside’s on fire, we want some more!”

After the time we shared at the coffee shop, I committed the shape of his eyes, the caramel complexion of his skin, and the slight tilt of his smile to memory. His name also hung on the tip of my tongue. I’d never again make the mistake of calling him Chad. “Chaz” was on an endless loop in my mind.

But how? How was he someone I never met before that day? How did I not notice him on campus, in passing. Share a class with him, or sit near him in the café freshman year? Chaz was like a ghost.

After our cheer, we took a water break. The other cheerleaders stood around and I asked the same question I posed to my roommates. “Do you know a guy named Chaz?” I didn’t have his last name, but with a name like Chaz, if they knew him, they knew him.

Nia’s lips pulled into a tight smile. “So, he is on your mind.” She nudged me in my side.

“Chaz?” Danielle asked beside me. “That name sounds familiar.”

“It’s not one you hear often,” I admitted. “Matches him perfectly.” I snuck a look in his direction and found his eyes on me. His lips spread into a smile, then he offered a small wave.

“Oh, yeah…” Danielle said with enthusiasm. “I had a guy named Chaz in a history class. Like sophomore year.” Her eyes stretched wide. “He was fine too. You know him?”

I wagged my head. “I’ve met him.” I didn’t know how to describe my interaction with Chaz. Did I describe our meet, which wasn’t exactly cute? Pretty messy as a matter of fact? Or did I tell her about our coffeedate?Could I call it that? Did I tell her how I searched high and low, every corner of campus, for another glimpse of him? “I don’t know how I haven’t seen him on campus before.”

“He keeps to himself.” Danielle snacked on a protein bar. “He had all the answers in class though. Every single one. But afterward he’d disappear. Wouldn’t see him at parties, after class, on campus. Nowhere.”

“Hmmm…” I looked up to him again and wondered why he kept to himself.

Our break was over, but I wanted to know more about Chaz. And Danielle’s little interactions with him. My curiosity was beyond piqued, and I wanted to know more.

“Let’s go, Bobcats,” was a constant chant we had throughout the game. As our team did everything they could to stay out of the end zone. But the crowd didn’t care that our team sucked. The fans weren’tfootball fansnecessarily, they were there to watch the band. And when it was time for them to perform, everyone was on their feet.

---