Hideaway: Chapter 3

Hideaway

Lori Finnegan

2010

 

Arthur Ramsey III shoved his notebook into his backpack and went to get up when a hand grabbed his arm and held him down.

“Wait a second,” Paul said, watching Casey walk up the theater isle. “What's your problem today, huh?” he continued on after she was out of earshot. “That was a pretty girl I made sure you partnered up with today... and you practically gave her the cold shoulder all through class.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “She had an attitude,” he said, shaking Paul's hand away and picking up his backpack.

Paul followed him up the isle. “Not like all those boring girls your parents set you up with, right,” he said near Arthur's ear. “This one actually had a personality, huh... not really your type?”

“Shut up, Paul!” Arthur said through his teeth and then shoved his friend, almost pushing him into a row of seats. “Just knock it off," Arthur went on. "You know I hate being set up. It doesn't matter who it's with.”

“Fine,” Paul said, stepping into place beside him as they walked outside and down the stairs of the building. “Forget I said anything. What class do you have next, anyway?”

Arthur glanced over at him. Paul had given up way too easily. “Interpersonal Communication,” he answered after a slight hesitation, and Paul looked up at him with a half smile. “My dad is really cracking down on me this year.”

Paul punched him softly in the arm. “No sweat... and ouch, pal... that's a rough class. I hope you get Professor Carter. Professor Hopkins is a killer. Well, I'll see meet you for lunch... I've got Constitutional Law now.”

“See you then,” Arthur said, watching briefly while Paul walked away. He reached into his pocket, took out his schedule and unfolded it. Professor Hopkins. Great. He was hoping he could slide past these incredibly boring classes his dad was forcing him to take. It was just too bad they were all for his major.

Right he walked into his classroom, there was one thing he wasn't prepared for. Every single seat was full except one... and Casey was waving to him from beside the empty chair.

So maybe Paul was right. Maybe she wasn't so bad. So what if she was a little... okay so she was seriously upbeat! He could get used to it for class. Maybe she was smart. Maybe she'd even be a good study partner. Lord knows Paul was of no help to him... considering he never cracked a book.

He took a deep breath and then walked over to the empty seat, setting his bag down beside the desk. “Hey,” he mumbled, taking out his Communication book and a fresh notebook and setting it down on top of his desk. “I guess we have two classes together this semester.”

“I'm so glad to see someone I know. I really don't know many people here yet. Just you, Paul, and Becca,” Casey said, leaning over and admiring the huge book. “And I haven't even been to the bookstore. I'll have to go after my classes today.”

Arthur set his pen down alongside the book. “This one cost an arm and a leg. The class requires us to have the latest edition, and it just came out this year, so there aren't any used ones.”

“Bummer,” Casey said just before Professor Hopkins, a short man with a prominent bald spot, walked into the room and stepped up to the podium.

Class dragged on and ended right as the clock struck eleven, and not a moment earlier. Professor Hopkins wasted no time jumping into the material, and they already had several homework assignments for Friday's class. And even though it was only the first day of school that year, Arthur had trouble paying attention. Communication in general wasn't completely uninteresting, but Arthur resented the fact that his father had forced him to take the class, and that fact alone made it hard to care about it. He was zipping up his bag when he looked up to see Casey staring at him with a smile on her face.

“Do you have a class right now, or were you going to lunch?” she asked.

“Lunch...” he said cautiously. “Why?”

She gave him an odd look, like he was being silly, but then decided to dismiss whatever it was she was contemplating. “Becca and I are meeting for lunch at eleven-fifteen. I just thought maybe you'd like to eat with us. Paul, too, if he's free.”

“Ah, sure,” he decided, thinking that Paul would probably kick him if he said no. Besides, if Paul saw them at lunch, they'd probably end up eating at the same table anyway. Paul had spent all of last year asking Becca out... only to be turned down. “I'll see you at the cafeteria then.”

Casey picked up her backpack and then waved at him with her free hand. “Bye,” she smiled.

Arthur turned away from her, walked out of the room and down the hallway. He had a strange feeling when he talked to Casey... like he already knew her. He usually wasn't so comfortable around girls, but for some reason, he didn't feel like... well, like the person he was used to being usually, if that made any sort of sense. And it was ridiculous that he felt like he knew her, because he had, in all reality, just met her. She just seemed so familiar.

Why was that?

“Artie! Over here!” Paul waved to him from the long line at the cafeteria when he stepped through the doors. "I saved you a spot."

Arthur walked over to where Paul stood in line, dodging angry looks from several other students when he cut in line in front of them. "I don't mind waiting."

"They don't mind," Paul insisted. "What's one extra person?"

The big guy behind him looked down at his watch.

"How was Communications?" Paul wanted to know. "Did you get stuck with Hopkins?"

"It was fine, Hopkins was fine," Arthur told him. "Just a little long too long winded, if you ask me."

"Yeah," Paul said, pushing his tray down the line and giving him a severely sympathetic look. "What a drag. Wait till you see how he grades papers. Oh, hey... I forgot to tell you before. My parents are having a barbeque this Saturday and of course, you're invited. My sister's bringing all her hot friends... oh, yeah!"

Arthur gave a big smile for the first time all day. "Sure, I'm free. Sounds like fun," he said.

"Now if we could just get through classes this week..." Paul muttered.

"Don't start with that," Arthur said, grabbing a tray as they finally reached the end of the line. "This is only the first day of the semester."

Paul loaded up his plate with a generous helping of mashed potatoes. "Don't remind me," he groaned.

Arthur couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy. But since Paul was his best friend, he pushed the feeling aside and reached for the spoon after Paul had let it go.

"This weekend will be fun," Arthur said, moving down the line and continuing to fill his plate. "Most of my classes are a bore this semester, so I'll really be looking forward to the break."

"But that was a pretty girl in our Theater class," Paul said, smiling over at his friend while he filled his plastic glass with pop.

"I don't want to hear it," Arthur told him when the two of them moved over towards the seating area.

Paul set his tray down on a table near the windows and took a seat. "Don't worry. I know how crabby you get. I won't stay at it for too long."

"Speaking of Casey," Arthur went on and then sat down opposite of Paul. "She wanted to meet us for lunch..." When Paul looked up at him in shock, he added, "Stop looking at me like that. We had Communications together."

Paul folded his hands tightly together and leaned forward, grinning at his friend. "This is fantastic! First, I find out that you have Government together tomorrow, then today you have Theater and Communications together... it's a match! I just know it!"

"Wait a second... back up!" Arthur said, his fork falling onto his tray. "What do you mean we have Government together tomorrow? How would you know that?"

"Oh..." Paul leaned back, his grin fading slightly. "Well, I'm not sure, exactly... considering there's probably more than one section, but I found out she's taking the same Government class as you yesterday when I stopped by Becca's room."

Arthur picked his fork back up and stuck it in his mashed potatoes. "I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I."

 

 

 

 

 

"Hey, guys."