Lexi's In A New City

Chapter 35

After his break-up, Isaac found that the rest of February and the following March flew by far quicker than expected. All his assignments and mid-terms swept him and the rest of NYU into a frenzy. Everyone tried their best to keep up with everything from their classes, as well as their personal lives. Many whined and complained about the sudden increase of work, but Isaac didn't. He found that he enjoyed having so much to do because it kept him busy and distracted.

Still, he didn't let school rule his life. He managed to carve out time here and there to hang out with his friends, and even go on a couple dates. He didn't do that until the beginning of March, as he'd spent the rest of February focusing on school and friends. When he finally decided to give dating a try, he'd asked Lexi for her help in finding girls. She connected him with a couple of her classmates, and even a co-worker from her job at Barne's & Noble's. Some dates were disastrous, what with some girls being too crazy for his liking. Others seemed to be more successful, but there hadn't been any lasting chemistry to warrant a second date. Isaac was currently taking a break from dating as his work load had recently increased even more, but he wasn't too depressed by his experiences. He would be the first to say that he had no interest in finding a girlfriend, but rather to play the field and have fun.

He had changed significantly since his break up with Cassie. He found that his focus on school had strengthen, he hung out with Felipe and DeShawn a lot, and he didn't worry about talking to other girls. His friendships with Lexi and Nikita had improved, something he hadn't expected. He also found more time to talk to his parents, resulting in him calling them once a week to catch up. They had been shocked when Isaac revealed that he and Cassie had ended their relationship, but were still supportive of his decision.

Speaking of, Cassie was also doing well for herself since the break-up. She had also thrown herself into school, studying hard for tests and finishing as many assignments as possible. She spent more and more time with Mariana, and the best friends had distanced themselves from their friend group because they still hung out with Isaac. But the two girls didn't care, as they enjoyed spending their time going to The Bean's Knees once a week to get away from their cramped dorm.

She had also gotten back into the dating scene by mid-March. She hung out with a couple guys from her Psychology program, as well as a co-worker from her job at H&M. Nothing really came out of those dates, but she didn't care. She still found herself thinking about Isaac. She missed his smile, his touch, his kisses...she just missed everything about him. She hadn't seen him a whole lot since their relationship had ended, but that hadn't decreased her thoughts of him. He still occupied a sizeable part of her brain.

That would explain why, later that month, Cassie hadn't expected to see him while wandering about the on-campus cafeteria with Mariana. They each had an hour or so between classes to grab a bit to eat, and had ended up in the same place. Cassie had spotted Felipe and DeShawn in the dining hall of the cafeteria earlier, but hadn't seen Lexi or Nikita. She figured that they were either out in the dining hall, or were somewhere else. Regardless of their whereabouts, Cassie could only focus on the fact that Isaac was currently in the same room as her.

"Everything alright?"

Cassie tuned back to reality in a split second. "Isaac's here!"

Mariana raised her eyebrows. "Uh, okay? Don't worry about it. He's not gonna bug you; he just wants to grab food, too."

"I know, but still— it's awkward as fuck."

"You'll be fine."

Cassie nodded before grabbing food and heading to the checkout. Isaac was in front of her, finishing up his purchase. He looked behind him and saw that Cassie was right behind him. Unsure of what to do, he nodded at her without saying a word. He then left with his food, presumably to catch up with Felipe and DeShawn. Once he was gone, Cassie released a sigh of relief just before approaching the checkout. Mariana dragged her to the opposite side of the dining hall as soon as she finished paying.

"Are you okay?" Mariana asked once they were seated.

"I'll be fine," Cassie insisted. "It was just awkward as hell, but I knew that was gonna be the case. I don't wanna talk about it."

Mariana nodded, unconvinced that her best friend was truly okay.

***

Isaac sat down at his table and began eating lunch with Felipe and DeShawn. His friends were so busy debating something— Isaac didn't know what— that they didn't notice that he had returned for a few minutes. DeShawn finally glanced over at him, and noticed how quiet he was.

"What's up?"

"I ran into Cassie when I was buying lunch," Isaac revealed.

Felipe and DeShawn exchanged shocked looks.

"Nothing happened guys. It's no big deal. We didn't even say anything to each other."

"That's good," DeShawn said. "Do you miss her?"

"A little, I'm not gonna lie. But I really, reallydon't miss the fighting."

"That's fair," Felipe chimed in.

"Oh, yeah. By the way dude...if you wanna sleep with Cassie or just go out with her, you can go on right ahead. I really don't care, I swear," Isaac said.

Felipe scoffed at the idea. "No way. I can't believe you'd even suggest such a thing! I could never sleep with your ex-girlfriend. Also...I'm not interested in the first place."

Isaac laughed, and his friends joined in.

"You're terrible for laughing at that," Felipe remarked, "but I'm glad to see that you're doing better."

"Yeah, it does feel good, man. It feels good," Isaac said.