First Semester Finals

A bloodcurdling scream rang out through the hallowed halls of Bastion Library. Instead of being paralyzed in fear or running to the aid of whoever cried out, most of the college students present simply laughed. One or two even added their voices to the cry. It was mid-December and finals week. The stress was getting to some more than others.

"I bet they have Professor Saxxon for chemistry too," I grumbled more to myself than anyone specific. That didn't stop the people at my table from overhearing and chuckling. The six of us had been sitting next to each other for almost two hours with barely a word said. I'd seen some of them around campus, but I didn't know any of them.

"Or Profession Griggs for micro economics," the short and stocky guy next to me added.

"Or..." began one of the two girls who were clearly together. Everyone at the table laughed yet again, interrupting her. I was betting her and her friend were roommates. They were both blond, but the speaker was lithe with pale hair while her friend had a fuller built and golden blond locks. Neither was particularly tall or short, but the pale blond was probably an inch or so taller than her friend.

There were multiple libraries at our school, but Bastion was the closest to the freshman dorms and I was pretty sure everyone at my table was getting ready for their first set of college finals. You could tell by the burnt out look in each of their eyes.

"Either this college has an overabundance of bad teachers or we just aren't used to the pace," the third guy sighed. He was blond, thin and on the tall side. "And I thought college was going to be just like high school except with parties every night."

"Right," the stocky guy snorted. "I mean, I knew it would be harder, but not like this."

I closed the cover to my laptop with a little more energy than usual, drawing everyone at the table's attention. "I've been studying the same stuff over an hour and none of it is sticking. I'm hungry and tired. I'd say it's time for a break."

"I'm with you," the tall blond guy said, closing the book he was studying. The other guy closed his laptop as well.

"I could use something to eat."

"How about you ladies?" I asked. "Are you in?"

"Why not?" the pale blond smiled, but then looked at her friend to make sure she was okay with it too.

"Sure," the golden blond agreed, beginning to clean up.

That left the third girl at our table who hadn't said a word yet. She had dark hair and deep brown eyes that somehow came across as both sexy and innocent at the same time. She was definitely the curviest of the three and exactly my type. Frankly, half the problem with my studying tonight was because having her at the same table was just too damn distracting.

"How about you?" I kept my voice even so that my interest wouldn't be obvious.

"I think I'd better keep studying, but thanks anyway," she replied. I did my best to hide my disappointment.

"We'll be at the student union if you change your mind," I offered before walking off with the others. I couldn't stop myself from glancing back at her just before we left the library. She was watching me, or maybe it was us. I blushed in either case and waved before walking out.

My four new friends ended up being a pretty interesting group. We hung out at the student union for an hour or so before breaking up, but not until after we agreed to meet again the next day at around the same time. The break obviously helped us all. The two girls were going back to their room to quiz each other while the guys decided to go to the gym. They asked if I wanted to go along, but I turned them down. Break time was over and I needed to go back to studying.

During the meal I had the feeling that the pale blond was growing interested in me. She was pretty and had a decent sense of humor. I could do a lot worse, but I didn't follow-up. I couldn't get the brunette from the library out of my head.

I thought about going to my room to study, but my roommate would be there and that wouldn't be conducive to getting anything done. Benny was a good guy, but he was one of those naturally intelligent guys who didn't need to study. I think he had an eidetic memory. He refused to admit it, but when I asked him questions in on the one class we shared his answers were often from right out of the book, word for word.

Benny also happened to be addicted to gaming and frequently would convince me to join him for a quick game. That inevitably morphed into a wasted night and right now I couldn't afford any more of them.

The library was still packed despite the fact that it was getting late. I guess it made sense. Finals began in two days. I couldn't stop myself from going by the table I sat at earlier. I smiled to myself when I saw that the brunette was still there. She had her head buried in her notes. I would have sat near her, but unfortunately a group of guys had taken the rest of the seats at the table. That was probably a good thing in the long run. It let me focus on studying instead of her.

I moved across the room looking for somewhere to sit when a guy left one of the small alcoves right in front of me. I quickly took his place. The alcoves were in high demand because they offered a sense of privacy. An hour later I was buried in my chemistry notes when I felt a presence hovering nearby. I looked up to see the brunette watching me. I felt my heart skip a beat, and then it start pumping double time.

It's not like she was beautiful. She wasn't, at least not in the classic sense, but there was something about her that spoke to me. Part of that was definitely her body. She was the type of girl that looked overweight in the heavy sweatshirt she was wearing until you looked closer. Sure, her breasts were on the large side and her hips flared out, but I was betting her stomach was as flat as my own. It was a very enticing look to me, not that her body was the only thing that caught my interest. I liked her smile, especially when her eyes lit up. They seemed to draw me in.

"Do you mind if I study with you?" she asked when she had my attention. "The guys at my table are more interesting in talking then studying."

"Still not ready to take a break?" I asked in reply as I made room for her. She smiled and entered the alcove.

"I'm almost done for the night. My break will be the walk home."

"Home?" I asked in surprise.

"I'm a townie," she grinned as she settled in. A townie was what students called the people who lived in the town surrounding our campus. It was not meant in a positive way, mostly because it was usually used for those high school students who liked to crash our parties uninvited.

There were all kinds of stories going around about guys who either ended up trapped into marrying a townie because she tricked him into getting her pregnant or guys who ended up in prison for sleeping with a girl from town who was underage. I had no idea if any of them were true, but the message was clear. Stay away from the locals. They could be dangerous.

"Maybe technically," I replied, knowing my interest in the brunette was too intense for me to ignore it despite the stories. "But I'm pretty sure you go here."

"And how would you know?" She was looking at me with those deep brown eyes of hers. They were laughing at me for some reason.

"I'm observant," I replied neutrally, but then I added, "Besides, it's not like I could miss someone who looks like you." She tilted her head, giving me an intense look.

"Very smooth," she finally said. "But then again, college guys usually are."

"I'm Will Barone, what's your name?" I asked, ignoring her comment. She hesitated so I added, "I did agree to share my alcove with you."

"There is that," she laughed briefly before relenting. "My name is Bethany, Bethany Baker."

"Pretty name," I offered, but then clarified. "The first anyway."

"Hey!" she cried, but her eyes were still filled with humor.

"Shh, I'm trying to study." I'm not sure why I said that, but her shocked expression was well worth it. She shook her head and started pulling out whatever she was studying.

We sat there in companionable silence and studied. Well, she did anyway. I tried, but with her so close it was difficult at best. I was both disappointed and relieved when she finally started packing up about forty five minutes later.

"I'm done for the night," she sighed, glancing at the time on her cell phone. "I'm actually running late."

"I'm done too," I said as I stood.

"Thanks for sharing your alcove," she added with a warm smile. "It helped. I'm done studying for everything except chemistry."

"Saved the worst for last?" I asked, causing her to laugh.

"I actually like chemistry. I heard you earlier talking about Professor Saxxon. If you passed her second test than you should do fine on your final. Just make sure to focus on her online study guide and you'll do fine."

"I passed the second test, but only by the skin of my teeth," I said as I threw my knapsack over my shoulder. I actually did pretty good on the test compared to a lot of the people I spoke to, but I wasn't used to getting low eighties for grades. For some reason my response made Bethany laugh again.

"That's her 'make it or break it' test," she said confidently. "She uses it to weed out those who shouldn't be taking her class. Don't worry. No one gets an A on that test and Professor Saxxon grades on a curve." That was news to me.

"Are you an upper classman or something? How do you know so much about how she grades?" I thought they were fair questions, but Bethany ignored them.

"I've got to get home," she said instead. "Nice studying with you. I'm sure you'll do fine. Even in chemistry."

"Speaking about chemistry..." I tried, but she quickly shot me down.

"Seriously?" she snorted. "That's an actual line you use to hit on girls?"

"Just you," I retorted, trying to laugh it off, but I couldn't stop myself from blushing. "It's not my only one."

"I should hope not!" she said, joining me in laughter briefly before adding, "But don't bother trying. I'm not dating these days. Boys are too big of a distraction and definitely not worth the pain."

"Sounds like someone got her heart broken," I sighed in disappointment.

"Haven't we all?" she asked in reply.

"Amen," I said, refusing to think about what happened this past summer with my first serious girlfriend. Our breakup was mutual, but it still hurt at times. You don't break up with someone after two years without having regrets. "In either case, let's get you home."

"Pardon?" she asked in surprise.

"You think I'm going to let you walk home by yourself? A girl who looks like you? In this neighborhood?"

"Thanks, but no thanks. I told you, I'm a townie. I know where's safe and where isn't." I hesitated a moment before shaking my head.

"I can't do it," I explained. "Not at this time of night. How would I live with myself if I heard something happened to you on the way home?"

"And just what makes you think I'd be willing to let you know where I live?" she retorted. "Maybe you're one of those college guys who like to molest townies and then swear that they asked for it. It's happened before you know."

"Seriously?" I frowned, but from her expression I knew she meant it. I ran my fingers through my hair and ended up scratching the back of my scalp as I thought about it. She didn't know me so her fears could be legitimate. "I don't know whether to be offended or flattered. Do I really seem dangerous to you?"

"In the worst way," she sighed, I think more to herself than me. "But if you're asking if I think you're a rapist then the answer is no. Of course, I could be wrong and I probably shouldn't take the chance."

"Hmm, I've got an idea," I offered. "I'm assuming you've got something in your knapsack for protection just in case. You know, a can of mace, a knife, or maybe even a gun?"

"Sure, because I love carrying around stuff that will get me arrested," she replied sarcastically, making me laugh.

"I was just joking about the specifics, but you must have something. You seem the type to be prepared."

"I have pepper spray and a rape whistle," she finally admitted. "My mom insisted."

"Great, you can arm yourself with one of those and use it at the first moment you feel threatened by me. You being a townie and all, I'm sure the locals will rush to your defense and do truly terrible things to me."

"I'd worry more about my mom if I were you," she said with a reluctant laugh. "She can be pretty scary."

"See? You might think I'm dangerous, but I hope you realize that I'm not stupid. Who would want to mess with a mother like that?"

"Fine," she finally relented. "You can walk me home, but one false move and I will pepper spray you and kick you where the sun doesn't shine." Just the thought of the latter causing me to cringe visibly.

"You just had to go there," I groaned. "Didn't you."

"Let's go," she grinned, moving toward the exit. I enjoyed the sight of her doing so for a moment before following. I noticed that she didn't take her pepper spray from her bag despite the conversation we had. On the other hand, I didn't doubt she would kick me if I did something she didn't like.

It was pretty cold outside, but we both had on winter coats and I figured we didn't have far to walk. Besides, I was distracted from the cold by our conversation. How could I not be? Bethany was smart and funny. Somewhere along the line we started sharing horror stories about our families. It turns out Bethany was an only child whereas I was actually the youngest of three. We jokingly argued who was luckier. She insisted I was because she always wanted a brother or sister. I told her she wouldn't feel that way if she knew my two siblings.

"Hey, do you mind if we take a detour?" she asked suddenly.

"Need something at a store?" I guessed, although I doubted anyplace would be open at this time of night.

"Not really. Chapel Street goes all out for Christmas and I've been meaning to go see the lights, but I haven't had a chance yet. I'm suddenly in the mood. You don't have to come if you don't want."

"I think I heard about that block around campus. Everyone says the lights are incredible. It sounds like fun." I hadn't gotten the chance to get into the holiday spirit yet with finals around the corner. Christmas was my favorite time of the year. My family really got into it early and I was missing it this year.

We turned a corner ten minutes later and I stopped and gawked. Every house on the block had clearly gone all out in decorating. The lights were so bright it almost felt like daytime. The funny part was that one side of the block was done up in white lights while the other was all in color. Most of the houses had a theme. They ranged from a full sized nativity to a dozen or so elves working in Santa's workshop.

"Wow!" I said mostly to myself. "My family would love this place." I took out my phone to take a picture. I would definitely send it to them later. After the third one Bethany must have grown impatient because she took my hand and dragged me forward for a closer look. Her hand felt very nice in mine so I didn't let go when we stood in front of the first house. The fact that she didn't either put a smile on my face that wouldn't leave.

There was a story that went along with just about every house and Bethany shared each with me as I used my free hand to snap a picture of each. I was guessing most of the tales she told were known only to the locals because no one mentioned them on campus. Each was interesting and funny in a way, but I think she could have been talking about the weather and I would have listened just as intently. I definitely had it bad for Bethany and the more time I spent with her the worse it became.

I'm not sure who enjoyed themselves more as we worked our way down the block and back. It definitely put me more in the mood for the holidays. Bethany was smiling a lot so I figured the lights worked their magic on her as well. Still, eventually it had to end. We had just reached where we started when she pulled her hand from mine and stuffed it in her pocket.

"We'd better get going. I'm starting to get really cold." I was pretty frozen by this time as well, but I didn't want our time together to end.

"Do you know of any coffee shops still open?" I asked as we began walking once more. "I could use some hot chocolate."

"At this time of night?" she laughed. "In this town? Not likely."

We walked another ten minutes before we finally reached her house. It was definitely one of the nicer ones on her block, but it wasn't decorated.

"No lights?" I asked in surprise.

"Dad used to take care of that and he left last year."

"Open mouth and insert foot," I sighed. "Sorry."

"Just another reason I've sworn off of men," she shrugged as we walked to her front door. It still obviously bothered her, but what could I say to make it better? The answer was obvious. Nothing. So instead, I decided to try and distract her.

"Well, if you ever change your mind then please let me know," I smiled. "Because you are definitely my type and the more I get to know you the more I like you."

"Please! You're just a horny college boy trying to get lucky."

"Well, that too," I grinned. "But I really do like you."

"Do I need to use the pepper spray on you?" she teased.

"Not quite yet," I laughed. "I can control myself for the time being, but it's not as easy as you might expect. Something about you gets to me, and I'm not just talking about your obvious physical assets."

"Yeah, well," she began, tentative for the first time all night. "I'm not sure it's a good thing, but I like you too." We stood in silence looking at each other for a few moments.

"You know," I finally sighed. "Normally with the signals you're giving off and how I feel about you right now, I'd be trying to kiss you at this point."

"So what's stopping you?" Bethany asked with a slow smile. She looked awfully sexy at the moment and there was no doubt I wanted her. I laughed nervously.

"Um, the aforementioned pepper spray."

"I think I can hold off using it for a kiss," she said simply. "But only a kiss. Don't try anything more than that or I'll be forced to do something we'll probably both regret."

"Are you sure you're okay with a kiss?" The question slipped out without my realizing it. I guess she seemed so worried about me knowing where she lived earlier and being afraid I was going to attack her that I was having a problem getting past it. I didn't want her to think I was only after her body. I mean, I did want her, but there was more to it than that.

"Are you going to kiss me or not?" she asked in reply. She was obviously teasing me. There was only one acceptable reply to that. I pulled her to me and brought her lips to mine.

I admit that it was a little awkward at first, but that only lasted a moment. Bethany's soft lips quickly purged any concerns I had left. Hell, her kiss pretty much cleared my mind of all thoughts for a while. She was obviously enjoying it just as much as me based on how she was responding. My only regret was that we had our winter coats between us stopping me from feeling her body against mine. On second thought, that was probably a good thing. I'm sure pepper spray wasn't half as bad as mace, but I was betting either would entail a trip to the hospital.

I'm not sure how long we were at it before a cold breeze came down her street. I was willing to brave it to continue kissing Bethany, but she pulled back.

"God! That's cold!" she cried, shivering slightly. I was shaking too, but I'm not sure how much of it was due to the cold and how much due to Bethany's kiss. Her lips were full and a little chaffed from our kiss. I desperately wanted to taste them again, but I held off.