With Nick’s stuff moved in, Devyn finally accepted the fact that she was going to have to deal with this for 30 days. She basically had a mental calendar and was marking the X’s by the minute. Devyn couldn’t sleep all night worrying about what kind of crap she was going to have to put up with. Not to mention the fact that now she would have to share a dorm with two guys. Mike was a fairly clean person, but Nick on the other hand could be easily compared with a tornado. Not that Devyn was much neater. Her bedroom alone told the story. Around 4:45 on the fateful Monday, Devyn rolled out of bed and stumbled around her room, attempting to find a blanket so that she could go watch TV in the living room on the miniature set her adopted mom had given her before she left for college. Finding only her baby blanket, Devyn made her way, through the dark into the living room only to discover that the area was already occupied…by him.
“Is it just me, or are you everywhere?” Devyn whispered harshly so as to get her point across but to not wake Mike.
Nick turned around, stunned that anyone else was awake. When he discovered that it was Devyn, he quickly turned around and continued watching Sports Center.
“All right then,” Devyn said softly. She walked into the kitchen, trailing her blanket behind her and poured herself a bowl of cereal. While Devyn was getting the milk out of the refrigerator, Nick couldn’t help but watch her graceful and agile movement upon her slender frame. Once her cereal was poured, Devyn made her way to the couch and sat as far away from Nick as physically possible.
“Wow, I feel the love going on in this dorm,” Nick said sarcastically.
“What can I say?” Devyn asked. “I’m just a loving type of girl.”
“Right,” Nick coughed in disbelief.
“Like you’re much better,” Devyn said.
“Man, you must be a fun date,” Nick retorted sarcastically.
“You’ll never know.”
“Like a give a shit,” Nick murmured.
Devyn felt mixed emotions. In a weird way, she wanted Nick to want her. She shuddered at the thought and quickly pushed it out of her mind.
“Nice blanket,” Nick offered. “Where’d you get it? A dumpsite?
“Actually…” Devyn said dryly.
“Maybe that’s just where you’re parents got you,” Nick said. “The blanket was extra.”
Devyn felt a twinge of anger. “Fuck you,” she said harshly. At that, Devyn became more interested in her cereal bowl than in any of her surroundings and about five minutes later got up off the couch and paced back to her room leaving her cereal bowl and blanket behind.
“That went over well,” Nick thought to himself. He wondered why that had hit such a note with Devyn for a while longer before retracing his attention back to the TV screen.
Meanwhile, Devyn was sitting on the edge of her bed thinking about her reaction. “I shouldn’t have done that,” she thought to herself. “He was just kidding, I shouldn’t have done that. Now he knows a button to push. Damnit!” 45 minutes later, the alarm clock in Mike’s room went off signaling that it was time for the three of them to get ready for another day of physics class.
“No, that’s 4 mL of copper sulfate Dev, not copper phosphate,” Nancy instructed. “Geez, where’s your head today?”
“Not sure,” Devyn said. She frustratedly pushed her lab goggles back on her nose and pulled at the few strands of brown hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ears.
“You’re normally the one doing labs correctly, not me. What is the world coming to?”
“Once again,” Devyn began. “I’m not sure.”
“I don’t understand how someone so lucky could be in such a bad mood today.”
“Lucky?” Devyn asked, pouring the solution into a test tube and setting the Bunsen Burner to high. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” Nancy said leaning in towards Devyn so that other’s wouldn’t be able to hear. “You’re living with Nick Carter.”
“Big deal,” Devyn said rolling her eyes. “The guy’s a total jackass.”
“Don’t say that Dev, I bet if you just got to know him…”
“Fuck that,” Devyn said, looking up at Nancy. “I wouldn’t have a big problem with him unless he would just stop having a problem with me. It’s not like I’m gonna hold a grudge against him forever for knocking me over.”
“But you are.”
“I’m trying not to…but Nancy, the kid didn’t even apologize. Plus, he’s good at pushing my buttons, the kid can’t stop.”
“Oh really,” Nancy said, her perverted side kicking in.
“Shut up Nancy,” Devyn laughed. “I mean he’s good at pissing me off.”
Professor Lockwood, who leaned over Devyn’s shoulder to examine the lab the class was attempting, interrupted the two girls. “What on earth are you two doing?” he asked.
“The lab,” Devyn offered sarcastically.
“I don’t think so,” Professor Lockwood said. “Page 133 girls not 333. We aren’t studying this until next month.”
Once Professor Lockwood had smugly strolled away, Devyn allowed for a “damn” to escape her lips before she heard laughter behind her.
“Man Devyn, please tell me your the dyslexic one.” Nick smiled as he walked passed her.
“Screw you Carter,” Devyn whispered harshly. Nick’s only reply was a slyly disguised middle finger. “See what I mean,” Devyn explained. She looked over to Nancy, who was attempting to cover up the fact that she was smiling. “What?!” Devyn demanded. “Why does everyone always smile after I insult him?”
“Someone have a little crush?” Nancy laughed. “Devyn?”
Devyn just jokingly glared at Nancy and then flipped to page 133 to begin the real lab.
At noon, Devyn was unlocking the door to the dorm and heading into the kitchen to grab lunch. She opened the cabinets over and over again, but nothing looked good. Besides that, Nick had already eaten most of the food in the house on his first day here. “Damn,” Devyn whispered.
“You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity,” came Nick’s taunting voice behind her. “So is leaving your keys in the door.”
Devyn blushed a bit before grabbing the keys from Nick’s grasp. “I wouldn’t be talking to myself if I weren’t so damn hungry. Too bad someone in this house keeps eating all the good food.”
“Do not,” Nick covered.
Devyn laughed a little, “Sure ya don’t.” She sidestepped Nick and headed on her way back out the door.
“Where are you off to?”
“Wendy’s,” Devyn answered. “I’ve been craving a Frosty and french fries all day…not that it should matter to you.” With that, Devyn shut the door of the dorm leaving Nick alone.
“God that girl has issues,” Nick muttered to himself. He opened the refrigerator. Devyn was right, there was nothing left. After eating a bowl of sugarless corn flakes without milk, Nick decided to hit the grocery store before his next class, Spanish Lit, which started in an hour and a half.
Devyn ordered her food and sat alone at a booth next to the window. She watched as all the couples from Columbia fed each other fries and held hands under the table. “God I miss that,” she thought as she sipped a Sprite. It had been two months since Devyn had even been on a date and about a year since the last man in her life, Blake, had broken her heart in two. Yawning, Devyn leaned back in her booth and stared outside. The snow was falling slowly in the peaceful January afternoon, which made Devyn remember the time when she and Blake went to Vermont for the weekend and Blake had proposed. Four weeks later, Blake cheated on Devyn with some girl he had picked up at a party. “Damn all men,” Devyn thought.
She crumpled up the wrapper to her Double Bacon Cheeseburger and stuffed it into the Biggie fry box. She remembered the time when Nancy used to comment on how much Devyn could eat without gaining a pound. “It’s not fair,” Nancy had complained. “I eat a grape and feel bloated for a week. You finish off the pizza bar at Peter Piper’s and still look like a toothpick.”
“Whatever,” Devyn said, patting her flat stomach. Devyn never felt thin, or beautiful for that matter so believing people who told her otherwise was an impossible task. She stood up and made her way to the trash can and then out the door heading to her next class, Spanish Lit.
Devyn walked into class early and set down her bag while saying her hello’s to the few people in the class. As she sat and talked with her friend Alicia, a silence hung in the air. Devyn turned to see the door close and Nick Carter standing in front of it. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Alicia, who was by this time spellbound. “He…he…goes to…Columbia.”
“Unfortunately,” Devyn mumbled under her breath.
Nick took a seat behind Devyn. “Must you sit there?” Devyn said.
“Where the hell else do you want me to sit,” Nick rolled his eyes.
“Nevermind.” Devyn turned around so that she was facing the front just in time for Senorita Frost to enter the room.
“Hola clase,” she announced. “Abierto los libros a pagina 105.” (TRANSLATION: Hello class, open the books to page 105).
Devyn paged through her Spanish Lit book until she was on the correct page before she heard Senorita’s Frost’s shrill voice noticing the fact that there was a new student among the crowd. “Special treatment,” Devyn thought. “Just because he’s famous…special treatment.” Nick was forced to introduce himself and Devyn rolled her eyes as the entire class made a big deal out of it.
When class was finally over, Devyn gathered her things and she and Alicia made their way towards the door before Nick stopped them. “Excuse me,” he began, taking Alicia’s hand. “I couldn’t help but notice your beautiful accent…would you care to be my date to dinner tonight and maybe you could help me out a bit. My Spanish is not so good.”
“Oh God,” Devyn thought as she heard Alicia agree with a giggle and give out information on where she could be picked up. When Alicia had left, Devyn turned to Nick. “You waste no time moving in on women.”
“Ah, you’re just jealous that I didn’t ask you…” Nick said.
“That’ll be the day,” Devyn said dryly, masking her emotions with sarcasm. Inside, Devyn was a little jealous of Alicia, but she wasn’t sure exactly why. Did she have feelings for Nick Carter?
Mike could hear the arguing before he even reached the door. “Damnit Devyn,” he muttered as he unlocked the door to the dorm. Inside, Nick and Devyn were at it again…
“You did too, just admit it,” Devyn yelled.
“You’re such a liar,” Nick defended.
“Am not.”
“Bet me?”
Mike interrupted loudly. “Would you two just stop it for two seconds?! Nick has only been here for one day and already you two are acting like you’ve hated each other all your lives.”
“Maybe we have,” Nick said under his breath.
“Shut up Carter,” Devyn retorted.
Mike rolled his eyes and made his way towards his bedroom and shut the door. Devyn sighed and sat down on the couch. “Let’s just drop it,” she said, attempting to be peaceful.
“I will if you will,” Nick said.
“Fine,” Devyn snapped. “God, how am I going to make it through 29 more days of this crap?”
“Who are you to talk?” Nick asked, his voice rising again.
Devyn decided to be the bigger person. “Okay, your right.” Quickly she got up off the couch, walked over to the patio door, opened it, and stepped outside, shutting it behind her.
“God damn,” Nick muttered as he walked into his room and began getting ready for his date with Devyn’s friend Alicia. He’d felt bad about asking her out in front of Devyn because his intentions basically were to use Alicia to make Devyn jealous. It had worked like a charm.
Chapter Seven
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