94
Lucy
As I walked across the campus, the warm afternoon sun cast a golden glow on the surroundings. I couldn't help but smile, swinging the bag carrying the shoes that David had bought me. The spiciness of the taco was still tingling on my tongue, but I couldn’t be happier.
I sat in my usual seat, looking at the bag. My thoughts drifted to a time long ago when David and I were just children at the orphanage. We didn't have much, but we made the best of what we had.
I remembered there were days we would play outside, running barefoot on the grass to make sure that our shoes lasted a little longer. When there were new shoes to pass out, David always gave me the better shoes, even if it meant he had to go without.
I smiled at the thought and how far we’d come. In my mind, I could still see him as a little boy gluing the soles of his shoes back together or tying them together with shoelaces from old shoes.
The day that I had been adopted, I’d been wearing a pair of shoes that David had fought someone for and cleaned up as a birthday present. His shoes had been falling apart at the time and they had been too big for me. It hadn’t mattered. They had been the best birthday present I had ever gotten.
“I wonder if he remembers that…” I whispered to myself.
“Remembers what?” I looked up and smiled at Duke.
I shook my head. “Nothing. Just… talking to myself.”
“Dangerous pastime,” Michelle said dropping into the seat beside me. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”
Duke grinned and leaned over to look into the bag. “What’s in the bag?”
Michelle’s eyebrows jumped. “Something naughty? A new lingerie set?”
My face burned. “They’re just shoes.”
She leaned over and tutted. “Pretty expensive shoes…”
“I didn’t buy them!”
She grinned wildly. “Don’t tell me…. David bought them?”
Duke cooed. "Well, well, Lucy. Is that true?”
He nudged my arm playfully. "I don’t know a thing about shoes, but if Michelle says they’re expensive…”
“I-I didn’t ask for them. He just---“
“You’re not supposed to!” Michelle sighed. “That’s the mark of a man trying to woo you.”
I blinked. My heart skipped a beat and fluttered. I pushed that thought away.
“No, that’s not true. We’re…. We’re just friend. H-He said--- My birthday and…”
Duke chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “We’ll layoff before you combust, but I’m all for it. David’s a good guy.”
Michelle winked. “Let me know what he looks like underneath that suit, hm?”
I covered my face and groaned as Duke started laughing.
"Guys, you won't believe it!"
I looked up as Amy came rushing through the door and up the risers towards us. Her face was flushed with excitement and her eyes were bright. Papers and pens tumbles out of her half-open bag as she took the steps two at a time.
“Amy, you’re dropping---“
“It can wait!” Amy exclaimed, barely containing her enthusiasm. "I just found out about this amazing community service club on campus!"
I frowned. “What’s… community service?”
“You do things that are supposed to help the community,” Duke said. “I didn’t know you had a thing for community service, Amy.”
“I don’t!” She bounced on her toes and fumbled for a sheet of paper. “It’s called Helping Hands, and they work with Coven University to develop greenspaces around the city.”
She thrust the paper towards me as Michelle groaned.
“I should have known that you’d find some way to dig around in the dirt,” Michelle shook her head.
Amy stuck her tongue out. “No one’s telling you to join, but it’ll be outside and I’ve already met a bunch of the guys who are going to be a part of it. They were at the booth in tank tops, shorts, working aprons… ”
Michelle’s eyes lit up. “Tank tops? Did they look like they worked out? Any of them cute?”
I shook my head as I read the flyer. My eyes stopped on the crest on the lower corner. Duke leaned over and his brow furrowed before he looked up at me.
“You…” He paused and glanced down at my hand before he lifted his and I saw an identical ring on his hand to mine.
My eyes widened and I looked at him. “You…”
He grinned. “You’re more surprising by the minute.”
He looked up at Amy. “You hooked me at greenspace. What do you need to do to join?"
"Well, I spoke to one of them, Morgan, one of the club leaders and he said all I need to be a full-time student to become an official member. I'll be eligible once we pass the GED exam at the end of the semester, just in time for busy season!”
She squealed. “I can't wait to dive in!"
“Me either,” Michelle hummed. “Morgan, hm?”
Amy scowled. “Think about the green spaces not the shirtless men.”
I smiled. “I’ve… never gardened before, but it sounds fun. I’m supposed to be finding hobbies. Would it be okay if I come?”
“Of course! The more the merrier!” Her eyes bulged. “Do you think we could get David to come? One of the gardens the club manages supports the city’s orphanage.”
My lips twitched. “I think… he’d love it if he has time.”
Michelle grinned. “If he’s not too busy wooing you, you mean?”
Amy scoffed and waved her hand. “He doesn’t have to work hard. Lucy’s always been close with him.”
My jaw dropped open as Duke laughed. Amy hustled back down the steps to grab all the things she dropped before coming back.
“How do you think you did on the packet?” Amy asked, worrying her lip.
Duke shrugged. “Somewhere in between zero and a hundred.”
Michelle laughed as Amy scowled at him. “I’m serious!”
“So am I.”
"I have a good feeling,” Michelle said. “We've all been studying together, helping each other out. I said a prayer before I turned it in.”
“Praying to an image of a shirtless man is not a prayer!” Amy cried.
I laughed, even as I felt my stomach knotting. More people trickled into the room, walking to their seats. Then, finally, the professor walked into the room, carrying a stack of papers. The room fell silent, everyone looked at the pages as she started to separate them.
“We’ll start by handing your assignments back. If you have, any problems go see the T.A. that graded your assignment. Do not try to unfold an assignment that isn’t yours.”
People laughed as she divided the stack and sent them up the long aisles. As I looked around, I grew more nervous. I couldn’t seem to sit still.
“You’re going to vibrate out of your seat,” Duke said. “What’s up?”
"I'm nervous," I whispered to Duke. My heart was racing. "I tried my best, but sometimes it feels like it's never enough. A-And if I don’t do well, then… Well…"
Duke reached out and gently squeezed my hand. “Deep breath and steady heart. It’s just the first assignment; we have a bunch more to make up for it… and honestly the test at the end is all that really matters.”
“He’s right,” Michelle said. “That transcript isn’t going to mean much to the University, we’ll be students automatically anyway.”
My lips twitched. “I guess you’re right… but… can’t they keep us from taking the exam if our grades aren’t high enough?”
Michelle shrugged.
“Yes,” Duke said. “But I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You’d have to… fail like over half the assignments for it to really matter.”
I nodded. “You’re right… Maybe I’m just worried for nothing. There’s… still time.”
Finally, the stacks made their way back to us and everyone took their own assignment. I didn’t open mine. None of us did as she started the lecture. I kept focus and took notes as I needed to. All too quickly, class seemed to end. We didn’t get up immediately as people started to leave. Amy turned around.
“You want to open them together?”
I nodded. My heart racing. Then, Duke ripped his open, whistling and carefree.
“Passed.”
Michelle scoffed and opened her. “That’s not enough information—oh, my god, I passed!”
She clapped her hands. “Thank you shirtless man on my phone for answering my prayers.”
Amy shook her head and opened hers. She beamed and turned it so we could see the bright red “98” on her page. Michelle rolled her eyes.
“Overachiever.”
“Your turn, Lucy,” Duke nudged me.
I opened it, holding my breath. Then, my heart sank as I saw the number at the top of my paper. I scanned through the comments and my eyes widened in disbelief as I flipped through the pages. Everything was marked wrong with bright red ink.
My jaw trembled as I felt the tears starting to gather in my eyes.
“Lucy?” Michelle asked gently. “What’s wrong?”
“I can't believe I failed.”
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