Today marks the first day of junior year of college. I'm studying sports journalism, and I hope to work for ESPN or a hockey team for their newspapers and reports. Maybe the Wild or the Bruins.
"Meredith", I hear someone call from behind me as I walk into my Foreign Policy and Exchange class. I turn around to see Terra running up with her Foreign Policy book falling half way out of her messenger bag.
"Hey Terra", I welcome her as we walk into the classroom. She takes her seat next to me at the long table that seats thirty two people. Our professor, Dr. James, stands at the front of the room, writing something on the very dirty, at least twenty year old chalk board.
"How's Cole?" she asks me. She's met Cole only once, but I talk about him all the time.
I take a deep breath. "He's doing good. His first practice is next week, and he says he really likes it there. He's still completely star struck that he works with Charlie Coyles and Zach Parise", I reply to her.
As more people stream in through the door, Terra turns to me. "Um, I would be too. Have you ever looked at Zach Parise", she smirks at me. "He's totally hot".
"Okay class, finish chatting", the teacher is British. That just makes him a little better. "Welcome to Foreign policy and Exchange. I am Professor Doctor Norman James. Call me one of the following three names. Professor, Doctor, or Professor Doctor", he smiles at the end. A few of the more brave students smile along with him.
My first class of the day ends and hour and forty-five minutes later. I have fifteen minutes to get the opposite side of campus for Communication Law lecture.
All of my last class, I didn't have time to think about Cole once. I hope that's what all classes do. If I don't think about him, I don't think about how much I miss him. It some times feels ridiculous how much I miss him.
As I walk into the Governor Building, my phone vibrates in my back pocket. I take it out and see Noah's face light up the screen. I hit the accept button and hold the phone up to my ear.
"Hello Mr. Bruin", I say into the speaker.
"Hey, Princess, how's your first day back to school?"
"It's fine. My first professor was a wicked British accent and he is super cool. But, I can tell the class is going to get boring very fast. But anyway", I take a breath. "How's training going?"
"It's so awesome to be back on the ice again. Practice started yesterday, and we have another practice tonight. You should come down this weekend and see us. Coach wants to see you again. He said you were a very wonderful young lady when he met you at the draft last year", I giggle a little.
"That would be fun. I will have to see what my homework is like, and whether or not I can take time off or not this weekend. If I only have one or two classes to do, then I will finish them while we have free time or something like that. But if not, I will try to go within the next few weeks", I smile to myself.
The bell tower rings from the church across the park. 10:00. "I'm sorry Noah. I have to go. My class starts in about thirty seconds and I still have to climb two flights of stairs. Text me later. Love you Noah", I say rushing in the door.
"Love yu' too Mere. I'll talk to you later". I hang up the phone as I head into the lecture hall.
It sits what looks like to be about 200 people. I find one of the last seats in the second row. Such a good spot, not taken? Score.
I take out my notebook for this class and the professor starts talking a moment after. She, Professor Paige, starts talking about the basics of communication in the Law and Order field of work. How to communicate with officers and judges, and people like that. I'm going to like this Every Monday and Thursday, but it still doesn't have anything to do with sports, or anything that I want to do.
Two hours later, I have fifteen full pages of notes, and I know for a fact that this is going to happen every class this year. I'm going to have to go to the store and buy a whole stack of notebooks.
It's noon. I use my map to once again find my way to the cafeteria building. It's over where my dorm would have been if I were to stay in it this year. They like to keep us in one room for however long we have at this school. My RA always knew I wasn't there, but she made me stay there once a week to make sure she was technically following the rules of staying on campus.
Twenty minutes of slowly walking to the Cafeteria Building, I scan my lunch card at the register, and grab my usual sandwich and bag of pita chips. I take them out to the courtyard next to the greenhouse and do my normal people watching that I have done for the past two years.
"May I join you?" A voice says from behind the bench. I come up from my daydreaming. I turn to see a boy with long, surfer like, dirty blonde hair, and a small amount of facial hair. His green eyes sparkle in the light reflecting off the metal bench I sit on.
"Uh, yeah sure", I move my bag from my side and scoot to the left side of the bench. He sits quickly and puts his backpack at his feet. "I'm Meredith Adams".
He shakes my hand. "I'm Peter Lennon".
"Wait, as in John...Lennon?" I ask.
"Exactly like John Lennon, actually. I guess I'm related to him on his fathers side somehow. He's like my fifth cousin or something like that. It's cool knowing I'm related to one of the most famous people on Earth, but I never got into his music. I mean Imagine is a pretty good song, but that's about it".
"No. Freaking. Way. Peter, you have to have the best family in the world. No matter if you like his music or not. That is freaking awesome", I laugh. "But, I might have it worse than you, if you think about it that way".
"How so?" he looks me in the eye.
"My father is a hockey legend. They put him in the Hall of Fame in two thousand-one. I'm closer in relation to some one famous, so there", I smirk.
"I play hockey, you know. Defenseman here", he smiles again. Then, his face looks like he's thinking. "Is your father Randy Adams of the Red Wings?"
I nod my head. "Yep".
"Now that's cool", he replies.
We talk for a while and we eat our lunch, when I look at the clock. It's already 1:30. My next class starts at 1:45. Crap.
"I'm sorry. My next class starts ina few minutes. It's been really nice talking to you", I grab my backpack and sling it over my shoulder. "I'll see you around, Peter".
"How about tomorrow? Same place, same time", he smiles as I start to walk away.
"Definitely".
YOU ARE READING
Counting Down The Days (Counting on Hockey #3)
RomanceDuring their senior year of high school, after 2 years of dating, they were the golden couple that everyone envied. Cole was captain of the hockey team, and had scholarship to University of Maine for hockey. Cole and Meredith are going to move into...
