Lexi's In A New City

Chapter 3

By early evening, the parking lots around the dormitories were emptier than they had been all day. The parents had left their children behind at their new homes, but that didn't mean things were any quieter. It seemed as though the absence of parents gave students the permission to be loud and rowdy. The boys-only dorms were buzzing with students meeting their roommates and hallway neighbours. The large commons room was flooded with everyone talking and laughing loudly.

Despite being just down the hall, Isaac managed to tune them out with little effort. He smiled as a pair of slim arms rested on his shoulder. His smile stayed even as his lips pressed onto another's. They stayed longer than he had anticipated, but he didn't force them away. He was too content to care about something so trivial.

Once the kiss ended, Isaac's simple smile grew. "This feels perfect."

"It really does feel perfect, baby."

The couple shared another kiss, but jumped away at the sound of someone crashing into a wall. Fortunately, nobody had seen them, or had cared enough to see what they were up to. Cassie shrugged it off as one of her hands moved to her long-time boyfriend's cheek. She rubbed it with a thumb.

"I wish we could just stay here."

"We do have plans with our friends, though."

"Can't we just ditch the others?"

"That wouldn't be nice."

Cassie pouted, but grinned anyways. "Good point, baby. We should get going."

"Yeah, let's go."

Another peck on the lips was shared between the two before they emerged from their hiding spot. A pair of cackling boys ran past without even noticing the couple. Cassie and Isaac exchanged bewildered looks before bursting out laughing.

"I guess I got the party dorm," Isaac remarked. "Jesus, I'm screwed."

"You can hide out in my dorm anytime you need an escape," Cassie replied. She shifted one hand down to the waistband of his shorts and used one finger to play with a belt loop.

But Isaac stopped her before she got too carried away. He erased her pout by kissing the back of her hand. His lips grazed her knuckles softly enough to make her shiver.

"Enough, you," she said with fake anger. She swatted his hand away, but soon broke into a fit of laughter. That earned her a false scowl from Isaac.

"You're trouble."

"I know. Now let's go catch up with the others."

***

Lexi was surprised at how different this coffee shop was compared to ones back in San Diego. The coffee shops she'd visited in her hometown were all small and bright with a mellow atmosphere. They were just right for socializing with her girlfriends over expensive coffee. But this on-campus coffee shop, The Bean's Knees, was larger than had expected. The walls were made of dark brown brick, and there was also a jet-black ceiling to complement them. The coffee bar was also black with dark brown trim. There were already people inside chatting away over their drinks. Lexi felt out of her element, but she painted on a fake grin as she and Nikita approached the queue.

"What do you want?" Nikita asked.

"Just a plain coffee with some room in it," Lexi replied. "Oh, and I'll grab that chicken sandwich."

Nikita couldn't help but look surprised. "I was expecting something more complex."

"Nah, I'm not fussy."