It might be sad, it kinda is to me.
Pretty much a story just about the kinds of things we are forced to give up sometimes, and how life's full of the unexpected.
Unexpected
Sammi snapped her laptop shut and stretched her back against the couch. She was sore all over and tired of the late night studying in the dimly lit basement of the library, the so called study lounge. She rubbed her eyes gently. She packed up her laptop and stored it in the designated locker before hastily shoving her books into her tote and throwing her favourite pen into the bottom. She stood up and stretched her sore leg muscles while looking around her.The study lounge was empty and had been for several hours, the clock on the wall blinked 1:24, December 12, 2003, in its glowing red display. It was only an hour fast and a year behind, pretty good considering how few people frequented the basement lounge, especially on a Saturday night. This was probably why Sammi loved it so much, she enjoyed solitude. She looked at the clock again, that left her more than an hour to run across campus to the coffee shop before it closed. She had a long night ahead of her and needed the caffeine pick up. Her exam wasn’t for a few days but she couldn’t afford to mess up, she needed that scholarship next year or it was working at the Moonlight Diner back home until she died.
After climbing what seemed like never-ending stairs to the main floor she threw a goodnight over her shoulder to Hank the security guard and threw open the heavy door of the library. Sammi was especially surprised to see the foot of fresh snow on the ground. The wind howled and the snow fell thickly still and that which was on the ground swirled around her boot clad feet. Sammi cursed her rotten luck, her scarf had been left on the couch she had been sitting on downstairs and her skirt seemed to be shrinking as the cold climbed up her legs. She huffed and wrapped her pea-coat tighter around her as she padded through the thick carpet of snow on the ground heading towards the north end of the campus. Her hair whipped her cheeks and the moon shone directly up above her as the wind whistled through the forested area behind the library. Sammi shivered as she looked into the darkness and picked up the pace just a little.
The walk seemed so much longer than normal as she made her way through the snow. The north part of campus was deserted. Sammi loved North Campus. The buildings were made of this ancient looking red brick, with ivy climbing up the sides in the summer and covering many a window as it did. The university had started out in the north and slowly as it grew it spread south towards the river at the bottom of the hill on which the campus sat. Nowadays the river had been replaced by the multilane highway that could be found behind the Nottingham Forest behind south residences. South was more modern, more metal and glass, but the north remained true to its early beginnings.
Sammi looked left and right, the street was empty, she got an idea. She took off at a run, and slipped her bag beneath her as she slid across the patch of ice and hill of snow giggling like she was 10 years younger. Her cheeks were flushed from the pleasure and the cold, her hair was messed up in that attractive way no amount of product could replicate, and her eyes shone beneath the streetlights as she slid across the sidewalk down the hill. It was only when she slowed to a stop at the bottom that she noticed the male standing at the crosswalk watching her progress.
Sammi avoided his eyes as she slowly got up and adjusted her skirt, walking past him to the edge of the sidewalk in a dignity at all times manner. The light remained red for what seemed like hours. Sammi could feel the flush climb up her cheeks as the stranger kept watching her with a mischievous smirk on his face that she saw out of the corner of her eye. She was curious to take a good look at him but she refused to face him and acknowledge what he had seen. Finally the light changed and she stepped briskly into the road. She stalked across the street still embarrassed about the whole thing having avoided his eyes the whole time.
Nicholas watched her practically sprint across the street heading towards the coffee shop on the other side. Her long, dark red hair streamed behind her and glistened in the lights cast off from the decorated homes along the way. He chuckled to himself as he crossed the street headed to the same place; he had his own exams to study for that night. It was only a few moments more before Sammi was contently daydreaming while waiting for someone to appear behind the counter in the little “Simple Pleasures Café.” She was thinking about the upcoming Christmas holidays and smiling wistfully at the carols playing over the speakers when she heard the door open with a jingle of the little silver Christmas bells. She turned to see who else could be up at 1:10 am.
She looked just in time to see Nicholas take off his hood and shake the fresh fallen snow from his dark hair. He ran a hand through it to get it in order; it refused and simply fell into his eyes again. Having properly looked at him for the first time since the sledding incident Sammi groaned inwardly. She only now realized just how attractive the stranger she had made a fool of herself in front of was. She kept watching him curiously as he riffled in his pocket for something. Nicholas glanced up to catch her watching him. It was her eyes that did it. They were huge, this vivid green, this “lush meadow after the rain” green. Her fiery red hair framed her delicate oval face in loose waves and she was pouting as she looked at him. Sammi only caught herself staring when he smiled at her for the first time and she hastily turned towards the waitress that had appeared a while ago to take her order.
She stuttered through her order and shifted towards the milk and sugar counter to wait for it, resisting only just barely the urge to look at him again. Nicholas watched her attempts to focus on the art on the walls as he waited for his own drink. Several moments passed and Sammi had gotten completely lost in the print she was staring at as the Christmas carols played in the background, she was positive it was something Nat King Cole. She was lost in the intricate starry night sky, and it was only that second time her order was called out that she heard it. She turned with a wistful smile to face the robust slightly middle-aged woman behind the counter. She walked to the counter and began to reach for one of the two steaming cups on it.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you Tina. You’re a doll.” She smiled at the woman watching her.
“Get yourself to bed honey, it’s not healthy all this studying.” Tina smiled joyfully at the young lady, patting Sammi’s hand as she grabbed the cup. Sammi turned to make her way to the door with her spirits the highest they’d been in as long as she could remember when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned around and gasped quietly when she realized Nicholas was still in the shop and had in fact caught her arm. Even through her coat she could feel the warmth of where his fingers clasped her arm gently.
“Pardon me, I think you’ve got mine and I have yours.” He smiled.
It was the smile that did it. It looked genuine and kind, it reached his eyes and they crinkled happily. His dimples showed. He pushed back his dark hair with his free hand once again before it fell back across one eye. His eyes, this vivid blue, this “cloudless summer sky blue,” twinkled in the dimly lit café. She caught herself staring again and flushed slightly. His hand remained where he had caught her.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I was just so caught up in the…” she caught herself rambling and blushed again. She was almost positive he had squeezed her arm gently as she wordlessly set her cup back down near his. She smiled sheepishly and picked up the one that was hers.
“Have coffee with me.” It wasn’t really a question, but she looked at him again. His hand hadn’t moved from where he held her. Sammi looked at him smile again and nodded. “Sure.”
Tina smiled to herself silently as she wiped the counter against the wall.
They chose a booth away from the front counter just as the bells jingled to signal a new arrival. The place was decorated for the holidays and the tiny multicoloured lights were the only source of light in the seating area. Sammi scooted into the center of the padded bench and undid her jacket looking up at Nicholas bashfully. Nicholas sat across from her and undid his own jacket. She looked at the hoodie he wore, she loved that shade of brown.
“So…sled much?” He smirked at her. She looked across at him and bit her lip.
“Not usually, I don’t know what came over me, I guess it was just the pressure of the exam season and the fact I hadn’t…” she stopped mid sentence. She giggled while Nicholas looked at her curiously.
“Make a long story short, no, I don’t. I’m sorry; I tend to ramble much after studying and not being in contact with people for a few hours.”
“Don’t be sorry, I enjoy it.” He smiled that smile at her again.
Time flew as they discussed anything and everything in the corner of that shop. The last customer had left more than forty minutes ago and before they knew it the shop was closing. 2 am. Tina reminded them it was time to go and they were surprised they hadn’t noticed the time fly. Nicholas helped Sammi into her coat before putting his own on. Sammi grabbed that pen at the bottom of the bag and took a fresh napkin.