A Break for the College Girl

FRIEND AND FANCY

Ella was a girl of intense curiosity. Going halfway across the country to go to college at UCLA was, at first, a terrifying experience for the petite five-foot-four brunette. But the same drive to learn about and understand things she’d never even heard of before- the same drive that had taken her from small-town girl to big city university- had made her studies far easier than she’d feared. Manageable, as opposed to easy, might have been a better way to think of it. She loved learning new things… just not so much from new people.

Across the table from Ella sat Peter, hastily devouring the sandwich he’d brought for lunch. Beautiful Peter. Ella was Peter’s best friend. Peter was Ella’s… dream. They’d hung out together since childhood, and he’d always been so thoughtful and… perfect. Sure, a little self-righteous and stubborn. But perfect.

Next to Peter sat Alyssa, droning on about some tennis camp for kids she was going to be helping out at. It sounded like a genuinely great opportunity for her. It didn’t change, however, that Ella hated the tall, blonde rising star of collegiate tennis. And that Alyssa hated her just as much. To everyone else in the world they were quite friendly with one another, but the few private conversations between Peter’s best friend and Peter’s girlfriend weren’t pretty.

Ella returned her focus to her own lunch of reheated noodles, almost missing when Alyssa stopped talking about herself and asked her a question. What was it? Something like wondering about her plans for this break? Spending no time with you, if possible, she thought. “I’m sticking around here. Hoping to visit Hollywood finally.”

“You’ve not been over there yet?” Alyssa seemed shocked. “It’s been a full semester.”

“Ella focuses way more on her studies than you do. Way more than anyone actually. That’s just the kind of person she is. She’ll hardly allow herself any leisure during the school year because of how much value she puts on learning. She even took her geology exam a week early because she studied so intensely and begged her professor to let her.”

There went Peter, defending her again. Ella’s heart raced. She crossed her legs to hide the wetness between them, even though it wasn’t really necessary. In truth, she loved her degree studies in geology and knew Peter didn’t understand it, but he appreciated it anyway.

“Im surprised she’s even planning anything on this short break. Even in high school she was nearly impossible to coax into activities outside school,” he added.

“Oh, right, like the time I had to beg you to go to the Taylor Swift concert with me,” Ella shot back.

“One example for four years,” Peter said with a roll of the eyes. “Anyway, Alyssa and I should be off to our last final exams. See you in a couple days, El?”

“Yep, see ya.” She answered, gathering her lunch stuff quickly and leaving even before they could. Done with her own final exams already, Ella was in a hurry to get to Hollywood, see it for herself, and then put it behind her.