Burnt Umber #13, Daffodil #15
Name: kay_brooke
Story: Unusual Florida
Colors: Burnt Umber #13 (Koryak Mountains), Daffodil #15 (new beginnings)
Styles/Supplies: None
Word Count: 1,807
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply
Summary: Allison and Charles meet!
Note: Apparently Daffodil is all about Allison/Charles. I don't even know.
"Oh my god," said Allison as she stepped into the computer lab. "Did you guys even see that seminar speaker?"
"Craaaaackpot," Steph sing-songed.
"I can't believe Dr. Rosenthal assigned that to us. What was she thinking?" Allison sat her book bag on the table and opened it, pulling out her textbook for Biology 121.
"Maybe she didn't know the guy was a nutcase," said Todd. He was sprawled across all three chairs on the other side of the table, laying down so low Allison could just barely see his head over the top.
"Todd likes to give everyone the benefit of the doubt," said Steph. "I think Dr. Rosenthal's just lost it. We drove her around the bend. She's probably shacking up with that dude...what the hell was he, anyway?"
"Astrobiologist," said Allison.
Steph snorted. "All that talk about how we might have originated on another planet. The only person I know of who came from another planet is my stepmom."
"Really?" said Todd's voice from under the table. It was hard to tell if he was being serious.
"Of course not, idiot," said Steph. She turned back to Allison. "What I want to know is, did the college actually pay that guy to come and speak, or did Dr. Rosenthal sneak him in?"
"Difficult to say." More of their study group trickled in, and Allison winced. It was going to be a big group tonight, which meant they would probably have to do some actual studying. When it was just her, Todd, and Steph (and until recently, Eric, but Allison tried not to think too hard about him), there was more joking around than studying, but it was also a lot more fun.
That night they were also joined by Jayanti, Travis, and--much to Allison's surprise--Roger. Roger almost never went to class, much less the study group sessions. He must actually be worried about the upcoming final.
There were also two people Allison had never met before, outside of a vague impression they were also in her biology lecture: a short Asian girl with straight, black hair that flowed all the way down her back, and a thin, red-haired guy with thick glasses.
"Hey, guys," said Travis. "This is Kumiko, and my roommate Charles."
Kumiko smiled brightly at everyone. Charles, the red-haired boy, kept his head down as he dug through his bag.
"Worried about the final?" Todd asked. He had finally sat up as the room filled and people needed seats.
"Not really," said Kumiko. "I just thought I should review some things, and Travis told me about your little group. I can't believe I didn't find out about this until just now." She narrowed her eyes at Travis, who held up his hands in mock surrender.
"You should be worried," said Steph. "We already established that Dr. Rosenthal is insane."
"But all her test questions come straight from the book," Kumiko countered.
"But this is the final," said Steph. "Those earlier tests were probably just to lull us into a false sense of security. I can just see the first question now: 'What planet are you from?'"
Kumiko looked confused, and Allison guessed she hadn't been at the seminar. Fair enough; it was just extra credit, anyway.
"So ridiculous," said Steph.
"Okay, that's enough," said Allison. "If we're going to study, we need to get started. I have my econ final in the morning and I don't want to be out all night." And then the next afternoon was the lab portion of their biology final. Where she would have to face Eric for the first time in a week. Just thinking about it made her lip curl in distaste.
Steph was watching her, and she nodded. "Yeah, we need to get going on this."
It was actually a productive study session; Steph managed to keep the jokes to a minimum, and even Roger had something to contribute even though Allison hadn't seen him in lecture since before Spring Break. Kumiko seemed to have a perfect memory for everything that had happened in class, which made Allison wonder why she was even there. The other new kid, Charles, didn't say much at all. Allison kept glancing at him throughout, wondering if he was bored or just really, really shy.
It was nearly eleven when Jayanti said, "Okay, I have to go." The others murmured their assents, and Allison saw Charles stand up, too.
"Thanks, everyone," he said softly. "But I need to go, too."
"Me, too," said Allison.
"Well, I guess that's the end of the study session," Todd sighed.
"We can stay longer," said Steph, poking him. "Allison can go back to the dorm and go to bed early like the poor excuse for a college student she is, and you and I can bust it up in here."
"Seriously?" said Allison.
"We're going to party all night once you walk out that door. You have no idea."
"I'm going to laugh when you fail econ because you're too tired to see straight." Allison zipped up her bag as Steph blew air kisses at her. "Fine, do whatever."
"You're not my mother!" Steph yelled at her retreating back. "You can't boss me around!"
Allison rolled her eyes as she closed the door to the computer lab, then noticed she wasn't alone in the darkened hallway. "Oh. Hi."
Charles, who looked like he had been studying a poster on the wall very hard, jumped at the sound of her voice. "Hi," he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Jayanti had already left the building, and the others were all still in the computer lab, so it was just Allison and Charles. "So, what dorm are you in?"
He looked startled for a moment, like it was something no one had ever asked him. Allison bit back a hint of irritation; asking a college freshman what dorm they were in was like asking for their name or what classes they were taking. It was small talk and hardly weird or impolite.
"Um, Mather," he said, pointing in a direction that was opposite from where Mather actually was.
"It's that way, actually."
"Yeah," said Charles, shaking his head. "Sorry, I don't have a very good sense of direction. I get all turned around in these buildings." He was silent for a moment. "Oh, uh, what's your dorm?"
"Gund." She laughed as he made a face. "Yeah, I know. Terrible name, and we don't even get carpet in the rooms."
"I've been in Gund," he said. "I like the layout of the rooms."
"You're just saying that to be nice."
He looked a little discomfited at that, and Allison reminded herself that not everyone was as willing to engage in banter as most of her friends were. But she, for some reason, wanted to know more about the guy. "So, do you want to walk back together? Part of the way, I mean?"
"Sure," he said, and then, "I don't even know your name. I know Travis introduced everyone, but I don't remember."
"Allison," she said, holding out her hand. Charles took it, then cocked his head at her.
"Wait, I think I do know you," he said. "You're Eric Selway's girlfriend, aren't you?"
She almost bit the inside of her cheek. Of all the names to come up. "Oh, so you know Eric?"
"Vaguely," said Charles. "We graduated from the same high school. And, you know, bio. I've seen you two walking together."
"Actually, we broke up a few days ago."
"Oh," said Charles. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. He's a jerk." It was funny how easily those words came out of her mouth when she was still crying into her pillow at night.
"Well, I mean." Charles waved his hand around for so long that Allison wondered if he'd forgotten what he was going to say.
"I'm sorry, I don't speak interpretive dance," she said.
He blushed bright red and snatched his hand out of the air. "I just mean, that, well, I'm still sorry you broke up. I can't say anything about the jerk part. I don't really even know the guy. But breaking up is sad, I guess." He looked at her as if waiting for confirmation.
She nodded. "It is sad. But sometimes for the best." And she almost believed that.
"Yeah," he said, the discomfort back just like that.
"So," she said.
"So."
"You want to get started on that walk?"
He blinked, looking startled. "Oh. The walk back to the dorm. Yeah. Yeah, okay."
"Okay," said Allison, giving him a smile as he shouldered his book bag. "So, do you have a major yet?"
"I'm thinking econ."
"Really?" Allison couldn't help but make a face, thinking about her dreaded econ final the next morning.
"Yes, really," he said. "I like it. Not like biology. I hate science."
Allison studiously didn't say anything.
"So what about you?"
"Geology," she replied, trying very hard to keep a stern look on her face.
"Oh. Oh." And then, "Sorry."
She shook her head. "I'll bet you don't hate science. You just hate Biology 121 with crazy Dr. Rosenthal."
"Yeah, maybe." He was blushing again.
"It's okay," said Allison. "I was thinking of switching to classical studies. Defect to the humanities." She wondered if Charles was majoring in econ because his parents wanted him to get a degree in something practical. She knew a lot of people like that, and she was glad her parents let her make her own decisions. "Of course, Steph would kill me if I abandoned her with the rock weirdos, as she puts it."
"Steph is...an interesting person," said Charles.
Allison laughed, ignoring the little bit of hurt that he had remembered Steph's name. "You're very diplomatic."
"Not really." Charles stopped.
Allison slowed her pace. "Is something wrong?"
"No," he said. "But my dorm's this way."
They had reached the point they had to part ways, but Allison couldn't help a little bit more teasing. "Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure, yeah."
She gave him a bright smile, pleased that he had reciprocated, even if just a little bit. "Just checking. See you in lecture?"
"If my other finals don't kill me first," he said, returning her smile.
Allison left him, and she practically bounced all the way back to her dorm room. As she deposited her bag on the bed and pulled her pajamas out from her dresser door, she wondered why she felt so giddy. She liked meeting new people, but there had been something more about her short, awkward conversation with Charles. Like maybe they could be friends. She smiled as she climbed into bed, already looking forward to seeing him again.
She didn't cry that night.
Story: Unusual Florida
Colors: Burnt Umber #13 (Koryak Mountains), Daffodil #15 (new beginnings)
Styles/Supplies: None
Word Count: 1,807
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply
Summary: Allison and Charles meet!
Note: Apparently Daffodil is all about Allison/Charles. I don't even know.
"Oh my god," said Allison as she stepped into the computer lab. "Did you guys even see that seminar speaker?"
"Craaaaackpot," Steph sing-songed.
"I can't believe Dr. Rosenthal assigned that to us. What was she thinking?" Allison sat her book bag on the table and opened it, pulling out her textbook for Biology 121.
"Maybe she didn't know the guy was a nutcase," said Todd. He was sprawled across all three chairs on the other side of the table, laying down so low Allison could just barely see his head over the top.
"Todd likes to give everyone the benefit of the doubt," said Steph. "I think Dr. Rosenthal's just lost it. We drove her around the bend. She's probably shacking up with that dude...what the hell was he, anyway?"
"Astrobiologist," said Allison.
Steph snorted. "All that talk about how we might have originated on another planet. The only person I know of who came from another planet is my stepmom."
"Really?" said Todd's voice from under the table. It was hard to tell if he was being serious.
"Of course not, idiot," said Steph. She turned back to Allison. "What I want to know is, did the college actually pay that guy to come and speak, or did Dr. Rosenthal sneak him in?"
"Difficult to say." More of their study group trickled in, and Allison winced. It was going to be a big group tonight, which meant they would probably have to do some actual studying. When it was just her, Todd, and Steph (and until recently, Eric, but Allison tried not to think too hard about him), there was more joking around than studying, but it was also a lot more fun.
That night they were also joined by Jayanti, Travis, and--much to Allison's surprise--Roger. Roger almost never went to class, much less the study group sessions. He must actually be worried about the upcoming final.
There were also two people Allison had never met before, outside of a vague impression they were also in her biology lecture: a short Asian girl with straight, black hair that flowed all the way down her back, and a thin, red-haired guy with thick glasses.
"Hey, guys," said Travis. "This is Kumiko, and my roommate Charles."
Kumiko smiled brightly at everyone. Charles, the red-haired boy, kept his head down as he dug through his bag.
"Worried about the final?" Todd asked. He had finally sat up as the room filled and people needed seats.
"Not really," said Kumiko. "I just thought I should review some things, and Travis told me about your little group. I can't believe I didn't find out about this until just now." She narrowed her eyes at Travis, who held up his hands in mock surrender.
"You should be worried," said Steph. "We already established that Dr. Rosenthal is insane."
"But all her test questions come straight from the book," Kumiko countered.
"But this is the final," said Steph. "Those earlier tests were probably just to lull us into a false sense of security. I can just see the first question now: 'What planet are you from?'"
Kumiko looked confused, and Allison guessed she hadn't been at the seminar. Fair enough; it was just extra credit, anyway.
"So ridiculous," said Steph.
"Okay, that's enough," said Allison. "If we're going to study, we need to get started. I have my econ final in the morning and I don't want to be out all night." And then the next afternoon was the lab portion of their biology final. Where she would have to face Eric for the first time in a week. Just thinking about it made her lip curl in distaste.
Steph was watching her, and she nodded. "Yeah, we need to get going on this."
It was actually a productive study session; Steph managed to keep the jokes to a minimum, and even Roger had something to contribute even though Allison hadn't seen him in lecture since before Spring Break. Kumiko seemed to have a perfect memory for everything that had happened in class, which made Allison wonder why she was even there. The other new kid, Charles, didn't say much at all. Allison kept glancing at him throughout, wondering if he was bored or just really, really shy.
It was nearly eleven when Jayanti said, "Okay, I have to go." The others murmured their assents, and Allison saw Charles stand up, too.
"Thanks, everyone," he said softly. "But I need to go, too."
"Me, too," said Allison.
"Well, I guess that's the end of the study session," Todd sighed.
"We can stay longer," said Steph, poking him. "Allison can go back to the dorm and go to bed early like the poor excuse for a college student she is, and you and I can bust it up in here."
"Seriously?" said Allison.
"We're going to party all night once you walk out that door. You have no idea."
"I'm going to laugh when you fail econ because you're too tired to see straight." Allison zipped up her bag as Steph blew air kisses at her. "Fine, do whatever."
"You're not my mother!" Steph yelled at her retreating back. "You can't boss me around!"
Allison rolled her eyes as she closed the door to the computer lab, then noticed she wasn't alone in the darkened hallway. "Oh. Hi."
Charles, who looked like he had been studying a poster on the wall very hard, jumped at the sound of her voice. "Hi," he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Jayanti had already left the building, and the others were all still in the computer lab, so it was just Allison and Charles. "So, what dorm are you in?"
He looked startled for a moment, like it was something no one had ever asked him. Allison bit back a hint of irritation; asking a college freshman what dorm they were in was like asking for their name or what classes they were taking. It was small talk and hardly weird or impolite.
"Um, Mather," he said, pointing in a direction that was opposite from where Mather actually was.
"It's that way, actually."
"Yeah," said Charles, shaking his head. "Sorry, I don't have a very good sense of direction. I get all turned around in these buildings." He was silent for a moment. "Oh, uh, what's your dorm?"
"Gund." She laughed as he made a face. "Yeah, I know. Terrible name, and we don't even get carpet in the rooms."
"I've been in Gund," he said. "I like the layout of the rooms."
"You're just saying that to be nice."
He looked a little discomfited at that, and Allison reminded herself that not everyone was as willing to engage in banter as most of her friends were. But she, for some reason, wanted to know more about the guy. "So, do you want to walk back together? Part of the way, I mean?"
"Sure," he said, and then, "I don't even know your name. I know Travis introduced everyone, but I don't remember."
"Allison," she said, holding out her hand. Charles took it, then cocked his head at her.
"Wait, I think I do know you," he said. "You're Eric Selway's girlfriend, aren't you?"
She almost bit the inside of her cheek. Of all the names to come up. "Oh, so you know Eric?"
"Vaguely," said Charles. "We graduated from the same high school. And, you know, bio. I've seen you two walking together."
"Actually, we broke up a few days ago."
"Oh," said Charles. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. He's a jerk." It was funny how easily those words came out of her mouth when she was still crying into her pillow at night.
"Well, I mean." Charles waved his hand around for so long that Allison wondered if he'd forgotten what he was going to say.
"I'm sorry, I don't speak interpretive dance," she said.
He blushed bright red and snatched his hand out of the air. "I just mean, that, well, I'm still sorry you broke up. I can't say anything about the jerk part. I don't really even know the guy. But breaking up is sad, I guess." He looked at her as if waiting for confirmation.
She nodded. "It is sad. But sometimes for the best." And she almost believed that.
"Yeah," he said, the discomfort back just like that.
"So," she said.
"So."
"You want to get started on that walk?"
He blinked, looking startled. "Oh. The walk back to the dorm. Yeah. Yeah, okay."
"Okay," said Allison, giving him a smile as he shouldered his book bag. "So, do you have a major yet?"
"I'm thinking econ."
"Really?" Allison couldn't help but make a face, thinking about her dreaded econ final the next morning.
"Yes, really," he said. "I like it. Not like biology. I hate science."
Allison studiously didn't say anything.
"So what about you?"
"Geology," she replied, trying very hard to keep a stern look on her face.
"Oh. Oh." And then, "Sorry."
She shook her head. "I'll bet you don't hate science. You just hate Biology 121 with crazy Dr. Rosenthal."
"Yeah, maybe." He was blushing again.
"It's okay," said Allison. "I was thinking of switching to classical studies. Defect to the humanities." She wondered if Charles was majoring in econ because his parents wanted him to get a degree in something practical. She knew a lot of people like that, and she was glad her parents let her make her own decisions. "Of course, Steph would kill me if I abandoned her with the rock weirdos, as she puts it."
"Steph is...an interesting person," said Charles.
Allison laughed, ignoring the little bit of hurt that he had remembered Steph's name. "You're very diplomatic."
"Not really." Charles stopped.
Allison slowed her pace. "Is something wrong?"
"No," he said. "But my dorm's this way."
They had reached the point they had to part ways, but Allison couldn't help a little bit more teasing. "Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure, yeah."
She gave him a bright smile, pleased that he had reciprocated, even if just a little bit. "Just checking. See you in lecture?"
"If my other finals don't kill me first," he said, returning her smile.
Allison left him, and she practically bounced all the way back to her dorm room. As she deposited her bag on the bed and pulled her pajamas out from her dresser door, she wondered why she felt so giddy. She liked meeting new people, but there had been something more about her short, awkward conversation with Charles. Like maybe they could be friends. She smiled as she climbed into bed, already looking forward to seeing him again.
She didn't cry that night.