Dedicated to Glory and Aya.
Beep.
Quinn Gregory's eyes moved from her Literature 1 book and onto her cellphone.
One Message - Sawyer
She let a brief smile grace her features before reaching for her phone, leaving Odysseus and those damn Trojans and their horse for another hour. Sawyer Neeman sat behind her in her Lit 1 class, and also lived in the dorm building next to hers. He thought she was cool and opinionated. She thought he was down to earth and hilarious. Although nothing had really happened between the two of them yet, she loved imagining the possibilities.
Sawyer: Done studying?
She replied.
Quinn: No. Obviously. At least I'm studying, unlike some people.
Before she could get back to her book, her phone beeped again.
Sawyer: I have the book right in front of me, Q. See, Odysseus is riding a sheep right now.
Quinn rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out a bit as she keyed in a response. After checking her book to see if she was right, she pressed 'Send'.
Quinn: 1., He tied himself under the sheep, and didn't ride it. And 2., that just proves you aren't exactly reading the book, am I right?
She tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear, and adjusted her glasses. It was going to be a long night of studying. (And texting Sawyer) Her Lit 1 final was tomorrow afternoon, and if she didn't memorize the Odyssey, she would be one screwed Greek. Her phone beeped again.
Sawyer: Okay, you got me. But hear me out. It's a metaphor.
At that, she nearly burst out laughing.
Quinn: Are you actually quoting TFIOS at me?
The two had seen The Fault in Our Stars about two weeks ago with a couple of their other classmates, and they were all crazy about it. Quinn, the college bookworm, had been a fan of the book months before there was even a plan for a movie.
Sawyer: You see, you put the killing thing right in front of you, on your desk, but you don't give it the power to actually do the killing.
Quinn: Don't think I don't know you're failing Lit 1, and I can see how that's a metaphor for you.
Sawyer: I'm on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend.
She laughed out loud.
Quinn: That doesn't even make sense! You're FAILING.
It took awhile for him to answer, and Quinn finally had a chance to progress deeper into the Odyssey. The Greeks were just about to burst out of the Trojan Horse when he replied.
Sawyer: You do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices.
Quinn: Let me guess... This is about you getting exempted from the French final because you are 'tres magnifique' at it, isn't it? Meaning you have a choice in what subject you're failing in?
Sawyer: Tres bien.
She snorted.
Quinn: Look, if you're going to be spouting nonsense at me, you might as well get a move on with studying Lit. Why are you even texting me when we have finals tomorrow?
Sawyer: Because you're beautiful. I enjoy texting beautiful people, and I decided awhile ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence.
Quinn couldn't help the blush crawling into her cheeks, and it took her a while to reply. She could practically imagine Sawyer's smug face as she replied to him. With sandy brown hair, green eyes, a dash of freckles sprinkled over his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, and a dimple on his right cheek as deep as the Marianas Trench, it was no doubt that he was one of the pretty ones. Why he chose to bother with her befuddled her.
In the end, after typing in and deleting various witty replies that ranged from quoting Hazel Grace herself, to a simple emoticon that didn't even express what she was feeling, she came up with one word, and pressed send.
Quinn: Study.
His reply was immediate, and she groaned.
Sawyer: Awww, did I make you all flustered? I can practically see you now: Red cheeks, pursed lips, and your eyeglasses off, somewhere next to your book, because you're rubbing your eyes.
Because of course that was what she was doing.
Quinn: Let's just say my thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
Now entirely giving up on studying (heck, she'd go over it with her friends tomorrow morning), she pushed her book over to the side, got on her laptop, and Google'd 'The Fault in Our Stars quotes'. "Don't blame me, I didn't memorize the whole freaking book," she muttered to herself.
Sawyer: That's more like it. God, you're the best.
She smiled triumphantly. She knew what to reply to that.
Quinn: I bet you say that to all the girls who finance your international travels.
Sawyer: Are we going to Amsterdam? Can it wait for like 2 more weeks because I have finals tomorrow.
Quinn: Says the guy who didn't study!
Sawyer: Says the girl who's so smart she could be a scholar to Yale!
Quinn: I study because I want good grades. Not because of a scholarship, Neeman.
Sawyer: Oh, my God. I can't believe I have a crush on a girl with such cliche wishes.
It took a while for her to reply to that. "What, what, whaaaaaat?" she muttered to herself, staring at her phone and wondering when he'd text and say it was all a joke.
Sawyer: That wasn't a joke, FYI.
Sawyer: You realize that trying to keep your distance from me will not lessen my affections for you.
Sawyer: Oh, come on, I did not scare you off, Quinn.
Sawyer: Don't make me quote The Selection at you.
Sawyer: QUINN AMITY.
She winced. Sawyer was so annoying. And hot. But mostly, annoying.
Quinn: I swear to god, Sawyer, if you call me by my whole name one more time, I will delete you from my phone book.
Sawyer: QUINN AMITY GREGORY
Sawyer: Okay delete that, I sent that before you replied. Don't hate me.
Despite it all, she couldn't help but smile. He was honestly like a real life Augustus Waters.
Quinn: I don't hate you. I couldn't hate you.
Sawyer: Oh, you're warming up the cockles of my heart.
Quinn: I couldn't hate someone who'd willingly let me cheat off of him during the French midterms.
Sawyer: You cruel, cold, female being.
Quinn laughed, and checked the clock. Her eyes widened when she realized that it was already 1am.
Quinn: Sawyer, you do realize that it's like 1 in the morning, right?
Sawyer: Time's a slut. She screws with everybody.
Quinn: Ha-ha. Look, I have to sleep. I didn't get any studying done, thanks to SOMEONE you know very well, so I have to cram tomorrow.
Sawyer: You think you have it bad? Try texting someone you can't get out of your head. Try absorbing Odysseus' story while texting THAT person.
She turned red, and tried diverting his attention, asking him something on a whim.
Quinn: Wanna study together tomorrow?
Sawyer: Are you asking me out?
Quinn: How mature, Sawyer.
Sawyer: I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Yeah, sure. 8 okay?
Quinn: Okay.
Sawyer: Okay.
She knew where he was going with this, but she couldn't help but grin.
Quinn: Good night, Sawyer.
Sawyer: Good night, Quinn.
Quinn: Sweet dreams.
Sawyer: Okay.
Quinn: Okay.
Not expecting a reply, she crawled into her bed and slipped under the covers, taking her glasses off and setting them down next to her on the bedside table.
Beep.
Confused, she unlocked her phone and checked her messages.
Sawyer: Oh my god, stop flirting with me!
Quinn shook her head and smiled, a blush growing on her face. She fell asleep thinking of witty replies and sandy hair. And as the days and weeks progressed, she found herself falling in love with him the way you fell asleep; slowly, and then all at once.
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