All Our Stars
Chapter 2
“Isabel, are you sure you don’t want to come?” Quinn asked.
Belly looked up from her notes and shook her head. “I really can’t. This exam is going to be the death of me.”
Quinn shot her a sympathetic look, “I’m sorry Bel. I can stay with you if you want?”
Belly smiled gratefully at her friend. Quinn had already spent most of her day at the library with her, and Belly knew how much the blonde wanted to go to the party that was being thrown in celebration of the opening game for the Fighting Sioux that would be taking place on Friday. “It’s fine Quinnie. There’s no need for both of us to miss out on the party just because I have a test.”
“If you’re sure.” Quinn replied standing up, grabbing her bag before throwing it over her shoulder. “If you need a study break you know where to find me.”
Belly exhaled softly before turning back to her notes. This exam was worth 35% of her final grade, and it was in the subject she hated the most. She couldn’t understand how taking a history course was ever going to help her in bher future career. Granted she wasn’t quite sure what that career would be, but she was positive it wouldn’t involve history. The stress that the test created was starting to wear Belly out and she began to click her pen.
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that’s an annoying habit?” She glanced up to see a smirking TJ Oshie sitting across from her. He pushed his chair back so it was leaning on its two legs and stretched his arms, allowing his shirt to ride up revealing his six pack.
Belly pinched her eyebrows, “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that it’s rude to interrupt someone when they’re studying?”
TJ shrugged, “Everyone can use a study break once in a while.”
“I’ve been taking a study break all day, it’s time for me to crack down.” She replied, fiddling with the old charm bracelet that covered her wrist. TJ looked at it and took her arm in his hand. He studied the charms as Belly watched him wide eyed.
“What’s the shrimp for?” He asked, holding the charm in between his fingers.
“My brothers idea of a funny graduation present.” Belly giggled softly. “My youngest brother finally grew ½ an inch taller than me, leaving me as the shortest of the family. When he was little I used to call him shrimp, and now the roles have reversed.”
“Ah shrimp, that’s a nickname I could get used to.” TJ mused still holding on to her wrist.
“That’s a nickname reserved for him.”
“Whatever you say… Shrimp.” He chuckled sending her a playful wink. “So are you going to the party later?”
Belly leaned onto her elbows and smushed her face in her hands. “I have to study.”
“Or you could come to the party.” He replied coolly matching her movements. She stared at him, his hazel eyes looking back at her with the same intenseness. Belly noticed a greenish tint in his round eyes and couldn’t help but think how pretty they were.
“I really can’t. But you should go. Time to find yourself another pretty girl, right?” She murmured breaking eye contact. She maneuvered herself so she was sitting on the chair criss-cross applesauce.
“There’s plenty of time for that. If you’re going to stay here, then I’ll help you study.” TJ replied. His large hand grabbed one of her books and slid it over for him to see. He furrowed his eyebrows as he read, pushing away the book after a few seconds. “I’ll help to distract you from studying.”
Belly rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile starting at the corner of her mouth. She went back to studying the rather boring subject. Sometimes she would glance up at her company who would be playing with his phone or writing something down. On a few occasions she looked up to see his eyes staring at her with a small smirk on his face. She would blush down at her notes, knowing that his smirk grew substantially.
“Is it time for a break yet?” TJ asked tapping his fingers on the table, trying to keep entertained while the red head studied.
“I suppose.”
“Great.” TJ pushed the study materials out of the way and Belly whacked his hands away playfully. “What should we do?”
Belly pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth biting slightly, “TJ, why are you here?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean why are you here? Is this just some ploy to get me in bed with you?”
TJ scoffed, “You make it sound like I’m a huge man whore.”
“Aren’t you?” She argued tilting her head slightly.
He groaned, “I’ll admit I like girls. And on occasion I’ll take one home with me.”
“A source tells me that your sophomore year, you and a friend decided to have a contest on who could take home the most girls in a year and you were the all raining champion.” Belly chuckled lightly.
“God, you’re so different.”
Belly twirled a piece of her hair mindlessly, “I’ve been told that on multiple occasions.”
“Most girls would never call me out on that.”
Belly shrugged, “I’m not most girls.”
TJ pursed his lips, “I can see that. You should no that I did win that contest, but there wasn’t as many girls as you’d think. And I didn’t hook up with all of them.”
Belly shrugged, “If that’s your story.”
TJ stared at her intently, for some reason all he wanted to do was impress this girl. He barely knew her, but there was something about her sarcastic drawl and challenging stare that drew him to her.
“Go on a date with me.”
Belly broke out into a fit of laughter, “You just got finished telling me how you had more than a handful of conquests and you think I’m going to go on a date with you.”
“Come on how bad could it be? I’ll be a complete gentleman.”
She rolled her eyes, “How kind of you. Look TJ I know you. I have two older brothers who were you. They were star players on the hockey team. Girls practically fell at their feet. And they left their mark throughout a bunch of people. And luckily they grew up and they decided that sleeping with random people wasn’t cutting it, so they found girls that they loved and they’re happy.”
“What makes you think I’m like them?” TJ argued feeling slightly discouraged that she was grouping him in with a stereotype.
“Experience.” She stated simply, but TJ knew there was something more behind it. Some past moment that made her feel this way.
“Give me a chance to prove your experience wrong. You've already proven me that your different than most girls, let me prove to you that I'm different than most guys.” TJ shot her a charming smile and Belly pursed her lips thinking his offer over.
“I’m probably going to regret this.” Belly mumbled softly. “Fine let’s go on a date.”
Belly looked up from her notes and shook her head. “I really can’t. This exam is going to be the death of me.”
Quinn shot her a sympathetic look, “I’m sorry Bel. I can stay with you if you want?”
Belly smiled gratefully at her friend. Quinn had already spent most of her day at the library with her, and Belly knew how much the blonde wanted to go to the party that was being thrown in celebration of the opening game for the Fighting Sioux that would be taking place on Friday. “It’s fine Quinnie. There’s no need for both of us to miss out on the party just because I have a test.”
“If you’re sure.” Quinn replied standing up, grabbing her bag before throwing it over her shoulder. “If you need a study break you know where to find me.”
Belly exhaled softly before turning back to her notes. This exam was worth 35% of her final grade, and it was in the subject she hated the most. She couldn’t understand how taking a history course was ever going to help her in bher future career. Granted she wasn’t quite sure what that career would be, but she was positive it wouldn’t involve history. The stress that the test created was starting to wear Belly out and she began to click her pen.
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that’s an annoying habit?” She glanced up to see a smirking TJ Oshie sitting across from her. He pushed his chair back so it was leaning on its two legs and stretched his arms, allowing his shirt to ride up revealing his six pack.
Belly pinched her eyebrows, “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that it’s rude to interrupt someone when they’re studying?”
TJ shrugged, “Everyone can use a study break once in a while.”
“I’ve been taking a study break all day, it’s time for me to crack down.” She replied, fiddling with the old charm bracelet that covered her wrist. TJ looked at it and took her arm in his hand. He studied the charms as Belly watched him wide eyed.
“What’s the shrimp for?” He asked, holding the charm in between his fingers.
“My brothers idea of a funny graduation present.” Belly giggled softly. “My youngest brother finally grew ½ an inch taller than me, leaving me as the shortest of the family. When he was little I used to call him shrimp, and now the roles have reversed.”
“Ah shrimp, that’s a nickname I could get used to.” TJ mused still holding on to her wrist.
“That’s a nickname reserved for him.”
“Whatever you say… Shrimp.” He chuckled sending her a playful wink. “So are you going to the party later?”
Belly leaned onto her elbows and smushed her face in her hands. “I have to study.”
“Or you could come to the party.” He replied coolly matching her movements. She stared at him, his hazel eyes looking back at her with the same intenseness. Belly noticed a greenish tint in his round eyes and couldn’t help but think how pretty they were.
“I really can’t. But you should go. Time to find yourself another pretty girl, right?” She murmured breaking eye contact. She maneuvered herself so she was sitting on the chair criss-cross applesauce.
“There’s plenty of time for that. If you’re going to stay here, then I’ll help you study.” TJ replied. His large hand grabbed one of her books and slid it over for him to see. He furrowed his eyebrows as he read, pushing away the book after a few seconds. “I’ll help to distract you from studying.”
Belly rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile starting at the corner of her mouth. She went back to studying the rather boring subject. Sometimes she would glance up at her company who would be playing with his phone or writing something down. On a few occasions she looked up to see his eyes staring at her with a small smirk on his face. She would blush down at her notes, knowing that his smirk grew substantially.
“Is it time for a break yet?” TJ asked tapping his fingers on the table, trying to keep entertained while the red head studied.
“I suppose.”
“Great.” TJ pushed the study materials out of the way and Belly whacked his hands away playfully. “What should we do?”
Belly pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth biting slightly, “TJ, why are you here?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean why are you here? Is this just some ploy to get me in bed with you?”
TJ scoffed, “You make it sound like I’m a huge man whore.”
“Aren’t you?” She argued tilting her head slightly.
He groaned, “I’ll admit I like girls. And on occasion I’ll take one home with me.”
“A source tells me that your sophomore year, you and a friend decided to have a contest on who could take home the most girls in a year and you were the all raining champion.” Belly chuckled lightly.
“God, you’re so different.”
Belly twirled a piece of her hair mindlessly, “I’ve been told that on multiple occasions.”
“Most girls would never call me out on that.”
Belly shrugged, “I’m not most girls.”
TJ pursed his lips, “I can see that. You should no that I did win that contest, but there wasn’t as many girls as you’d think. And I didn’t hook up with all of them.”
Belly shrugged, “If that’s your story.”
TJ stared at her intently, for some reason all he wanted to do was impress this girl. He barely knew her, but there was something about her sarcastic drawl and challenging stare that drew him to her.
“Go on a date with me.”
Belly broke out into a fit of laughter, “You just got finished telling me how you had more than a handful of conquests and you think I’m going to go on a date with you.”
“Come on how bad could it be? I’ll be a complete gentleman.”
She rolled her eyes, “How kind of you. Look TJ I know you. I have two older brothers who were you. They were star players on the hockey team. Girls practically fell at their feet. And they left their mark throughout a bunch of people. And luckily they grew up and they decided that sleeping with random people wasn’t cutting it, so they found girls that they loved and they’re happy.”
“What makes you think I’m like them?” TJ argued feeling slightly discouraged that she was grouping him in with a stereotype.
“Experience.” She stated simply, but TJ knew there was something more behind it. Some past moment that made her feel this way.
“Give me a chance to prove your experience wrong. You've already proven me that your different than most girls, let me prove to you that I'm different than most guys.” TJ shot her a charming smile and Belly pursed her lips thinking his offer over.
“I’m probably going to regret this.” Belly mumbled softly. “Fine let’s go on a date.”