The Amity Pact

The Awkward One

Today was the day. It was full of ‘good byes’ and ‘hellos’ and new beginnings. It was an adventure that I was ready to take, even if I was terrified.

Here I was, standing in my dorm room, with no idea what to do. I stood absolutely still. I had been so accustomed to being protected by Addilyn and Lucy that I didn’t realize I was unfathomably uncomfortable by myself. They were my shield and sword. We were the three musketeers. But now it was just me, all alone, in California. I was so out of my comfort zone that I could have done anything and not realized it.

I needed to calm down. This was just too much. My parents had already said goodbye and were headed for the airport, leaving me to unpack. I did that first, trying to take as little space as possible. I didn’t really want to be noticed, especially by my roommates. Oh gosh. I hoped they liked me.

The anxiety was piling on top, suffocating me. Eventually, I realized I needed a walk. Maybe I’d go to the small café I’d seen on the campus. Deciding on that, I grabbed a couple of dollars and headed out.

The sun was hot, much warmer than in Washington. It was a different environment, with palm trees and sunglasses and people actually wearing shorts and tank tops. Washington was a totally altered state. People didn’t wear shorts past the middle of September. Maybe the end of the month. Nevertheless, after that, it gets too cold. Here, it was hot.

Great. Just another thing I had to get used to.

I sauntered over the sidewalks, constantly telling myself that I fit in with the other students. No one could tell I was mentally having a panic attack, right?

I had finally made it to the outside café, thank God. There was a short line, with only a couple of college kids in front of me. And honestly, I was thankful that I got to wait. It gave me some more time away from all the built up apprehension and fear.

“Hey, how are you today?” A young man at the register asked me. He was tall, with dark, shaggy brown hair and captivating blue eyes. I quickly looked at his nametag, which said Asher. His smile was a bit crooked, leading me to believe it was actually a smirk. Nonetheless, it somehow worked on his gleaming visage.

“Not too bad. Just trying to get accustomed to living alone in a dorm room that almost smothers me,” I said, jumbling my words together. I instantly realized that he probably didn’t care, that it was just a generic question used to get the patron to like the business. But that was me. I often rambled on and on about things no one cared about.

Asher gave me a curious expression, practically looking like he wanted to hear more. “You’ll learn to fit in here. It took me a couple of months, but now I’ve gotten into the flow of everything. Anyway, what can I get you?” He asked politely.

“Um, I honestly don’t know. What would you recommend?” I questioned, nervously biting my lip. It was a terrible habit. Although it kept me calm and on my toes. And with my constant anxiety, I needed that.

Asher grinned and glanced quickly at the board behind him. “Probably the strawberry and banana smoothie. It’s simple, but delicious,” he replied.

“Okay then. I guess I’ll get that one,” I uttered unconfidently. Asher raised his eyebrow curiously as he told me the cost of the drink. I paid him and waited off to the side for a moment.

When my smoothie was done, Asher set it on the counter and gazed at me for a couple of seconds. Blushing, I averted my eyes from his and stared at the ground.

“Thanks for stopping by, er…” he paused.

“Delilah,” I said rapidly, attempting to get out of the awkward mess I had created. I hastily peeked up at him, noticing the mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

“Delilah,” he said, the word rolling off his tongue like an impeccable melody. “I hope to see you again.”

“Mhmm, thanks,” I exclaimed, rushing to get away.

Maybe college wasn’t going to be as great as I had hoped after all.