Page 20 of Shane
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Valencia City University’s freshman seminar!” the professor announces, and the room quiets completely.
I pull out my small notebook and pen to get ready to take notes.
“My name is Dr. Williams, and I will be your guide over the next twelve weeks. This is not a lecture-style class; it is a collaborative one, which means that we won’t meet in this large group again until the end of the semester, when it’s time for your presentations.”
“Presentations?” Someone echoes.
“That’s right. I will break you up into smaller groups, and it will be your job to research and present on a particular topic meaningful to your experience as a student on this campus with your partners. You’ve paid a lot of money to be in the seat you’re in, and it’s my job to make sure that you get the best bang for your buck, so let’s get started. Your groups will consist of seven to ten people, and you have ten minutes to form them, starting now.”
“You’re the most interesting girl I’ve met since I came here,” Lorenzo tells me. “Let’s form a group together.”
I’m far from interesting, but I agree to it. “Sure, I’ll work with you.”
Shane leans over and says, “I’m in, too.”
“Uh, cool.” Lorenzo subtly turns his lips up.
Then potato chip girl turns around.
“Can we be in your group too, Shane?”
“It’s up to our group leader.” He looks over at me and waits for a response.
“Me?” I say incredulously, placing a mortified hand on my chest. “Who said I’m the project leader?”
“You seem the most prepared,” he says, gesturing toward my notebook.
“Because I have paper and a pen?”
“I can always help lead if you need it,” she says, and it gets under my skin.
“No, I’ve got it,” I say.
We add another two girls and form a solid group of seven by the time Dr. Williams turns off her timer.
“I’m already seeing the beauty of the collaborative process begin. Please refer to your online syllabus for a list of project ideas. By the end of the day, I expect you to email Corrine, my TA, with the names of your group and your three top project ideas. Feel free to stay here until the end of class to work on that email with your new best friends. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.”
I sit in stunned silence as the reality of my new situation sinks in. I will spend the next twelve weeks working on a project with Shane, the guy whose kiss I’ve been replaying repeatedly in my head. The guy who finds me completely interchangeable with potato chip girl and probably every other girl on this campus.
What a clusterfuck.
As the group begins to discuss potential project ideas, I can't help but feel a sense of dread. Shane's presence is already a distraction, his occasional glances racing my heart. I'm torn between my desire to maintain a reasonable distance and the undeniable attraction I feel towards the jerk who casually flirts with girls like it’s his damn job.
Lorenzo and the others seem oblivious to my tension, enthusiastically throwing out topic suggestions for our project. I try to focus, jotting down notes in my notebook. Still, Shane's proximity is unsettling, and the way Lisa continually throws herself at him while we’re trying to complete actual work is nauseating.
“Are practices open to the public, Shane? I’d love to stop by.”
“Sure, the rink is always open, especially for a fan.”
Give me a fucking break.
As class ends, we exchange contact information and agree to meet later in the week to finalize our three project choices. I pack up my things, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere, when Shane calls after me, “Kennedy, wait up.”
I hesitantly turn around, my expression guarded. "What is it?"
“Are we good?” he says, his eyes softly searching mine.
I feel a flutter in my stomach, but I push it aside. “Yeah, we’re fine.”