Rose 2-4: People don't do this kind of stuff here!

Donovan

     After graduation (where Yvette refused to speak to me), I head upstairs, not interested in stu surprise.... again. I overhear Dad talking to the twins about how at least someone needs to take after him and write. I honestly think Milo is the best bet for this being the computer whiz that he is (and I'm not going to do it). Skye acts like he's going to go into business somehow. Giselle is .... Well, I have no idea what Giselle wants to be besides irritating.

    I get up early the next morning and decide to help Dad by watering the plants. It also kills time. The place needs straightening up as well. I'll do that next.

     The shuttle can't get here fast enough.

     It's finally here!

     I notice a new gnome has shown up. Interesting. A little snowman guy. I think our lawn gnomes are breeding. That sounds crazy, but I have to wonder.

    I'm placed in a different dorm this time. It looks like it's reserved for upperclassmen, which I already am. 

     My roommate hasn't arrived yet, so I get first choice of the beds. I decide on the one with the green bedspread.

      Not only do I not have my own room, but I also lost the benefits of having a double bed.

     Feeling like I got shafted, I decide to visit the student center. They're probably having one of those meet and greet things.

    I wave at a few people I know and head up the stairs to the big room. I'm hungry, and there are too many freshmen standing around the freebies tables downstairs. There is almost no one up here.

    I've heard that if you ram these things really hard that you might knock something loose. Of course, I've also heard that people have gotten killed by the things falling on them.

    Feeling immortal, I give it a go.

    It works!

    I reach in and get my free candy bar, but before I can eat it, my phone rings. Tiffany!

    "Hi, Tiffany." I answer, a smile slowly growing across my face. She called me, I think with ludicrous happiness.

      "Hey. Where are you?"

      "I'm at the student center."

      "Oh. That meet and greet thing they have at the beginning of every term. Well, we're having a little gathering here at the comic book store ... if you want to come. You don't have to come. I just thought I'd invite you just in case you're interested, but you're probably not interested. Somebody's made everybody tea since it's getting colder outside. But it's okay if you don't want to come." she rambles.

      I wait for her to have a long enough break before I speak. I still feel like I'm interrupting when I say, "Of course I'll head over that way." All you had to do was ask.

     "You will?!" she almost squeaks. "Awesome. See you soon. Ciao." she says.

     I laugh a little and say "Ciao" right back at her. Cute.

    I walk in and Tiffany immediately spots me as she walks out of the bathroom. She looks happy to see me.

    She bounds over to me and throws her arms around my neck in an unexpected display of affection.

    Oh nice, I think and wrap my arms around her waist as she says, "Thanks for coming."

    She pulls away too soon, looking a little embarrassed.

    "All you had to do was ask." I say my earlier thought.

    "Sorry." she says, and I feel confused.

    "What for?"

    "For um, flying at you like that."

    I can't keep my smile from getting extra-wide as I tell her, "You can fly at me anytime you want." I'm thrilled when she blushes scarlet. She should wear less makeup. Her natural beauty is hidden under all that caked-on, glorified dirt.

    "It was presumptuous of me." she says quietly.

    I've figured out that I have to be very sneaky when it comes to flirting with Tiffany. After all, I discovered on our first meeting that she doesn't 'put up with that'. I can never really figure out if she's interested in me or not because she constantly sends me mixed signals. Sometimes I wonder why I bother, but then I always come back for more.

     "It wasn't presumptuous. It was nice. I liked it." I say with a small smile and get a thrill when she blushes again. I remind myself that she invited me over here, and I have to wonder why.

    She looks to be about ready to die of embarrassment, so I keep talking to hopefully steer this conversation in the direction I want it to go. "So how was your break? I thought about you a lot, and I wished that I hadn't had to turn in that sketch or that at least I'd made a copy." That won't help her feel less embarrassed, Donovan. Oh well.
     "It was okay I guess. I just studied, and earlier this afternoon, I took an exam to see if I can skip another half-year so that I can fully be a junior... like you." she states, sounding more confident with every syllable until the last two words. "Although, I don't know what I was thinking. Now there might be the possibility that you'll sit there staring at me in every class."

     She stops her rant with a very quick intake of air and looks like she wants to eat back the words she just spoke.
      I decide to use it. "But I like staring at you."
      She lets out two huffs and asks, "Why? You drive me crazy, and I can't concentrate."
      Time to go in for the kill. "Because I think you're beautiful."
       I love this! I never used to flirt like this in high school. It just never occurred to me to do it. She's at a complete loss for words. I reach up and brush a pretend strand of hair out of her face just so I can touch her as I 'tuck it behind her ear'. I don't know where I got that idea from, but it works.

     Since she's stopped talking, I decide to talk more. "You don't think you're beautiful? Why do you think I stare at you and wanted to draw you?" I am relishing the upper hand I have.
      "Well... you had an assignment due and... well... I was a bitch to you when you first asked me, and I felt bad about it." I feel my eyebrows raise as I wait for a real answer to my question. She huffs a little again and answers, "No. I don't."
      Not even having the pretend pretense of hairs to brush out of her face this time, I cup her face in my hands before I say, "I have to disagree." My face is now inches from hers, and she has her eyes averted off to the side like she's too nervous to even look at me. I wait to see what she'll do next. When she cuts those beautiful sapphires over to me, she has 'kiss me' written all over her face.

    Going with the moment, I move in and kiss her. She jumps for a second before her arms go around me, and she kisses me back.
     I love the way she feels in my arms!
     To be perfectly honest, I did not expect her to let me kiss her. I won't be too surprised if she slaps me at the end of this, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.
     She acts like she wants to pull away in shock, but I cup the back of her head in my hand and make it last at least a little bit longer.

    "Donovan, people could be watching us!" she whispers harshly.
    At least she isn't slapping me. "So what?" I ask with a small smile, watching her beautiful sapphires look around wildly.
     "People don't do this kind of stuff here!" she again whispers.
     I want to kiss her again. "Then let's change that."

      She wilts in my arms. I guess she doesn't care anymore if anyone is watching. I really think nobody cares because they're all busy with their own things -- whatever those may be.
      'What about Willow?' a small voice in my head asks.
      We're not going steady. Besides, I like Tiffany too, and I'm not passing up this opportunity.
      Her mouth is delicious.
      She's shaking. Maybe I've pushed it a little too far.
      I pull back and smile a little as I watch her try to focus.
      She mumbles, "You mentioned once wanting to take me to dinner. The diner is right next door."
      My smile widens as I say, "Then what are we waiting for?"
      We go next door, and I'm happy to find out more about her. She is an only child, and her parents divorced when she was still a child. I love watching her eyes widen when I tell her I'm the third child of six. She says something like 'three is the magic number' that I don't understand but find funny.

     When we walk out, I have to touch her face again as I say, "Thank you for taking me to dinner."
     "How can you say that when you refused to let me pay?" she asks while brushing my hand away. I turn that around on her and capture her hand.
     I laugh quietly before I say, "Well, thank you for letting me take you to dinner." I pull her hand up and kiss her fingers, making sure to maintain eye contact.

     "So, Donovan, what does this mean?" she asks after she nervously jerks her hand away. I love how she does her "v's".
     "What exactly?"
     "This!"
     I smile at her mildly-annoyed expression and guess at what she means. "This was me taking you to dinner."
     "And you kissed me."
     "Because I wanted to." She starts to look mad, so I say, "Because I like you, Tiffany. I thought that was obvious." She looks like she needed to hear that.

     "Okay." she breathes. "I like you too." I smile, and she asks, "So, maybe I'll see you tomorrow?"
     I nod my head. "Yes. I don't doubt you passed that exam. Maybe we'll have all our classes together so that I can stare at you always."
     "Oh no." she nearly whines and hides her face behind her hands.
     I pull her hands apart and kiss her once more, sweetly, before I tell her I'll see her tomorrow. Somehow. I hope.
       'Willow?' the little voice asks.
       Perhaps I'll see her tomorrow too.
       As I walk back to my dorm, I think about how right now Willow is probably getting friendly with her new roommates. I feel irritated at the irrational jealousy that courses through my veins. After all, I just went on a date with another girl.

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Don Robles has a naughty rep. Big surprise.

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