“Well, you look terrible.”

“Thank you so much, my little brother.” Gabrielle would have to take his word for it. She hadn’t so much as glanced in a mirror that day. Or even yesterday, if she was being honest with herself. She hadn’t been getting much sleep lately and it certainly didn’t help that Ben was insistent about helping her move into her campus apartment. “Why are you helping me move again?”

“To see the good-looking guys on your campus, mostly,” he shrugged. He picked up one of her boxes and wrinkled his nose. “Seriously, you need to do something with your hair. I want you to get laid at least once this year.” She rolled her eyes as he walked to the car, but absently ran her fingers through her brown locks. It didn’t look that bad…did it? On the way to the car, she caught a glimpse of herself in the side view mirror.

He wasn’t completely wrong. Her hair did look a bit unruly - gentle waves had become frizzy and wild and her blue eyes looked heavy with sleep. She probably should have attempted to brush her hair after her shower last night or at least tried to put some makeup on. Sighing, she pulled her hair into a side braid.

“Did you just wake up before I got here?” Ben snorted, loading another box of hers.

“Baby brother, I’ve just slept in a motel room filled with all my shit for a full week. Of course, I slept like an angel.” She helped him load another box. Staying at the Five and Four Inn wouldn’t have been her first choice, but she couldn’t exactly stay in the same house as her mother. Not after that last conversation, she had had with her.

“Stop with that baby brother nonsense.”

“Two minutes is two minutes,” Gabrielle grinned, swinging open the car door. “Come on. We’re going to be late.”                

The University of Mare hadn’t been Gabrielle’s first choice in college. Ladoga University had been the frontrunner her entire life - it was where her father went to college, where her older sister had attended, and it had one of the best astronomy programs she had ever seen. Unfortunately, it also had one of the highest tuitions in the whole country and that left Gabrielle looking elsewhere for her degree.

“So, why are you transferring to Mare?” Ben asked, raising his brow in curiosity. Gabrielle glanced out the window, watching as they passed one sorority house after another.

“It’s got a decent astronomy program,” she mumbled. Ben let out a low whistle until Gabrielle finally cast a furtive look in his direction. To get away from mom. To go to a school I can afford. ”You know why.”

“Did you even ask father to change - “

“Ben,” she groaned. This wasn’t a conversation she was willing to have. “Can we not do this today? It’s hard enough knowing you’re not staying in town.” He took one hand off the steering wheel to squeeze her shoulder.

“You know I flock where the men look best,” he winked, turning a corner and parking the car.

“Good thing I’ve got you here,” she half-joked. Ben was the type of guy everyone seemed drawn to. He was the sociable twin - the one that got invited to the parties and the one that men and women would ask to be introduced to. It wasn’t that Gabrielle was unlikable - it was that she struggled with putting herself out there. She was the wallflower of the Whitlock family, the black sheep.

Ben took the keys from the ignition, his teeth tugging at his bottom lip.

“What?” Gabrielle asked flatly.

“Will you promise me something?”

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. “I’m afraid you’ll have to find your own dates from now on, Ben.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Okay, okay.” Ben pursed his lips, mulling over the idea in his head. “Go on,” Gabrielle urged.

 ”I need you to promise that you’ll do more things for yourself here.”

“What does that even mean?”

 ”Just…spend more time on yourself for once.” His voice was soft, his eyes looking everywhere but at her. Tight-lipped, he tapped nervously on the steering wheel. “Let’s get you moved in.” He was already getting out of the car and unloading boxes when Gabrielle opened the door.

Ben always did know her better than anyone else, better than she knew herself. He was the one person she could always count on, without question. He’d always joked that they had, what he liked to call, “twin sense.” I know you like the back of my hand, sister. He said it often - with love, with anger, and in jest. She stood, watching him unload box after box and feeling grateful that someone in her family supported her in some small way.

“So, you really mean that you won’t find me a date here?” Ben winked as he slammed a door shut. Gabrielle rolled her eyes, lifting two boxes in her arms.

“Don’t push your luck, Ben.”

When Dennis first saw her walk in with Amber, everything around him seemed muffled. Steve was still in his ear about planning for the welcome dinner, but all he could see was the woman who’d walked in the door carrying an unwieldy number of notebooks and folders. She was slightly on the short side with her hair pulled back into a thick, dark ponytail with wisps that seemed to frame her face perfectly. Sandy pulled her aside immediately, talking emphatically as the girl smiled and in the light, Dennis could see a sweep of freckles across her cheeks. He had seen her before - yesterday when people were moving back in.

Yeah, that was it. Steve and he were getting ready to leave to meet Kimberly and Sandy for an early lunch when he saw her walking down the hall carrying two boxes stacked haphazardly in her arms. Her hair had been pulled back in a side braid then, and her slightly too-long bangs fell in front of her eyes as she struggled with the door knob across from his room.

“What the….” She grumbled, balancing the boxes on her knee as she slammed into the door. “Damn it.” Dennis tried to hide his smile. He’d never seen her on campus before - she couldn’t have been a freshman or sophomore to room in this dormitory. She was cute though, or at least the way she cursed under her breath was - he had to admit that.

“Can I give you some help with that?” He laughed, taking a step towards her. She didn’t look at him - not at first. If she had, he would have seen the heat rising in her cheeks. Of course, someone would hear her ranting and raving in the hallway at a new university.

“S-sure,” she handed off the boxes and fumbled with her dorm room key. Pieces of hair had escaped from the braid near the back of her neck. Her smile was nice - the way her lips curled upward and how the blue of her eyes seemed to soften when she looked up at him. “My brother was supposed to be helping me, but I don’t quite know where he’s run off to.” She looked back at him as she unlocked her door. Dennis looked down the hall to see Steve grinning and talking with a tall man carrying two plastic tubs. The man had an undercut with tousled brown hair that matched the girl in front of him. He had the same sharp jawline and, if Dennis had to guess, the same blue eyes.

“Does he look a bit like you?” Dennis asked, looking back at her. The girl took one of the boxes from his arms and pushed it into her room. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she frowned.

“Is he talking to a guy?” She exhaled slowly before glancing back at him. She opened her eyes, the blue visible behind her small fingers. 

“My roommate, actually.”

 ”Damn it,” she groaned as he brought in her second box. A sympathetic smile spread across her face. “I’m sorry.”

 ”No problem,” Dennis smiled. She tucked her hair behind her ears, her eyes glancing away from him. He found himself reaching for the back of his neck when she finally met his gaze and grinned. “I should….I should probably go.” 

 ”Right. Let me just - “ She moved past him, her shoulder brushing against his chest. “Ben Whitlock, are you helping me move into my dorm or flirting?” She flashed a small grin toward Dennis. “There.”

 ”Thanks.” Dennis nodded, offering a small smile as he shuffled past her. 

 ”Thank you for helping me, by the way!” She fidgeted with her hands, her fingers knotting together in a way that Dennis found endearing.

“Anything for a neighbor,” he said, casting another glance at her. She was grinning in a way that made Dennis want to look at her longer. More, even.

“You live on this floor?” The words came out too fast for Gabrielle’s taste.

“Right across the hall,” Dennis motioned. He could see the girl’s brother walking towards them. “It was nice meeting you.” He added, giving a small wave before returning to Steve.

“Likewise. See you around, neighbor.” Dennis didn’t hear the hiss of embarrassment that escaped her lips as he walked down the hall.

“So, how’s our new neighbor look?” Steve grinned when Dennis finally caught up.

“Don’t start,” Dennis groaned.

“Okay, alright. All I’m saying is that if she looked as nice as her brother did - “ Dennis shot him a look. “Fine. We’d better get going anyway. Kimberly will have our heads on a platter if we’re late.”

He hadn’t seen her the rest of the day. Now there she was - standing in this empty classroom with her eyes focused right on him.

“You aren’t even listening to me. Did you even hear a word of what I said?” Steve groaned. Dennis was lulled back to reality.

“Right. The welcome party. I - no. Forgive me. You were saying?” He shook his head, hoping his embarrassment wasn’t obvious.

“Is that the Whitlock girl? Our neighbor?” Steve let out a slow whistle. “She seems charming. Too bad she didn’t bring her brother.”

“Steve,” Dennis hissed as the girl nodded, a small gesture that led to a wide smile. “Be nice.” Steve wasn’t wrong though. Even now as she leaned over a table to sign Sandy’s papers, she was someone that made Dennis’s throat tighten. The smile made the scar on her jawline wrinkle. Broad shoulders, a somewhat small waist, and wide-ish hips. There was a small curve to her back that was nice as well. So pretty - almost out of his league, he’d argue. Dennis considered approaching her, saying hello to her, but Sandy was already ushering her over.

“I’d like to introduce you to - “

“Dennis,” he said, smiling. He felt heat rise to his face when he saw Sandy’s mouth hanging open.  Clearing his throat, he held out his hand towards her and hoped he didn’t look like a complete fool. “I’m Dennis,” he repeated. When she took his hand, he’d been surprised how long her touch lingered there before she returned her hand to the books in her arms.

“Nice to see you again,” she smiled. Finally, she turned to Steve. “You must be his roommate and the gentleman I heard so much about from my brother.”

“Steve McCarthy.”

“Nice to meet you.” She glanced around the room before smiling. “This is a gorgeous room. I….I love the stonework.” Steve resisted the urge to laugh when Sandy went into a discussion on the history of the university. Suddenly she paused, her eyes wide.

“Oh, it’s time. We really should get started. Everyone?” She pooled everyone together, waving them forward enthusiastically until people had surrounded her. Dennis couldn’t help but notice that the girl had stayed at his side, her elbow practically brushing against his. “First off, I just wanted to welcome everyone to our first student union meeting and another year here at the University of Mare. I know it’s going to be a great year for the Revolution.”

“So, is that a last name, or…?” The girl whispered in his ear so closely he could feel her breath. He caught a sideways glance of her standing on her tiptoes and couldn’t help but grin.

“Excuse me?”

“Is that a last name?” Dennis resisted the urge to laugh.

“No,” he managed.

“Oh.” She got quiet for a moment as Sandy began explaining the function of the student union to newcomers, but Dennis could feel her lean close to him once more. Her shoulder rubbed against his as he felt her breath near his neck. “So, what is it? Your last name, I mean.” He opened his mouth only for Sandy to gesture in his direction.

“Dennis, here, and Kimberly, over there, are my fellow senior advisors. Kimberly typically handles student media - posters, fliers, social media…that sort of thing. Dennis handles recruitment and orientation for incoming students. Some of you newcomers might have met him already. He’s pretty much the one you want to talk about if you want to lead tours, family visitation days, or need basic knowledge of policies and whatnot.” He held up a hand, half-heartedly waving it so that any new students could find him. “He also happens to be a person you want on your good side because he is the student representative that assists with university probation.” Dennis winced. He hated when Sandy brought that up - it made underclassmen either fear him or, worse, suck up to him.

“First order of business - I’d like to introduce you all to our new student director!” Sandy was clapping and, for a moment, Dennis was confused. They lost their former director last year- Aria Beverly- when she graduated, but everyone had assumed Sandy would take the helm. She could practically run the union herself with her hands tied the entire year if she wanted. “Would you like to introduce yourself?” Dennis glanced around the room to see the girl next to him blushing. She took a step forward, nervously raising her hand for a moment only to readjust the books in her arms. Eventually, after fussing with them for a few minutes, she set them on a nearby table and cleared her throat.

“Um. Yes. Hi,” she offered a small smile. “I’m Gabrielle Whitlock. I transferred here from Ladoga University.” She paused, the only noise in the whole room coming from her nervous breathing. She scanned the room for a second to meet Dennis’s gaze. She looked like a deer in headlights, begging for some kind of help. “I, uh…I look forward to getting to know all of you. We’ll have a great year ahead of us?” Dennis sucked in a breath. Oh, God. She had said it like she wasn’t even sure of it herself. Sandy led an extremely scattered applause as Gabrielle took her spot back next to Dennis.

“That went well,” she joked. Dennis wasn’t sure how to react to her, to be honest. She gave him a tight-lipped smile as he turned his focus back on Sandy.

“Well,” Sandy laughed nervously. “Please be sure to make Gabrielle feel welcome. I’ll be helping her get settled in before our meeting next month. Please make sure I have all of your current information- Gabrielle and I will be emailing you- and if you haven’t already signed up for Welcome Week duties, please do so before you leave! And, yes, before anyone asks- Steve- everyone is required to be present at the welcome dinner.” People were already scattered around the room, shuffling out the door or chattering with one another. Gabrielle grabbed her books, awkwardly settling them in her hand. She took a step towards him only to be stopped by Sandy and Kimberly, both talking in hushed whispers.  

He considered waiting for her, but it seemed juvenile. He didn’t even know her. He felt frozen, stuck watching her and when she caught his gaze, he wanted to stay. He could welcome her properly. Or maybe he should just go. He turned away only to see Amber making a bee-line towards him.

“Hey Amber - “ He had barely gotten her name out before she was holding up a hand to silence him.

“You’re going to show her around tomorrow.” Amber’s eyes bored into his.

“What?” He laughed it off only to see Amber’s scowl.

“She’s new.”

“I can see that,” Dennis muttered. He didn’t do well one-on-one. Frankly, he didn’t think he ever did well with student orientation or tours. He didn’t have the patience, which is why he usually recruited other members of the student union to help him. Having him handle orientation and tours had been Sandy’s idea last year. He just needed some extracurriculars that would look good on his resume and Sandy thought he would eventually get comfortable with participating and having a larger role in the student union. “She’s not even a freshman,” he added, silently hoping anything he said would sway Amber. She crossed her arms.

“Just show her the school, Dennis.”

“Why can’t you?”

“You know I’ve got to go with Sandy tomorrow and check with the vendors for Welcome Week.” He pursed his lips, thinking hard of a way to get out of it. Finally, Amber sighed. “Okay. I’ll handle orientation this weekend.” A smile crept on Dennis’s lips. He hated dealing with incoming freshmen - too many people crying, too many girls clinging to him and hoping he would take them back to his dorm.

“Fine.”

It took Dennis a minute or two to realize Gabrielle was a few steps behind him as he walked back to his dorm. Eyes on the concrete and notebooks pressed tightly to her chest, she huffed behind him. He gritted his teeth. Don’t do it, he chided himself. Don’t you dare? But the longer she trailed after him, Dennis couldn’t help himself. He stopped in his tracks, turning around to face Gabrielle.

“I didn’t realize I had a shadow.” She blushed, adjusting the books in her arms.

“We’re going to the same place, right?” She mumbled, avoiding his gaze. “Neighbors?”

“No. Right. You’re right,” he held back a laugh. “Except I’m not going back to the dorm. I was heading to the campus coffee shop.” Gabrielle’s face turned pale as she looked around nervously.

“I thought - fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she grumbled, pulling out a wadded piece of paper from her pocket. Setting it on top of her books, she smoothed it with one hand. Finally, she looked up at Dennis - face red with embarrassment - and he felt his heart sink. Nice going. Running a hand through his hair, he took a step towards her.

“Listen, it’s not a problem. Resident tour guide, at your service,” he laughed nervously, pulling his glasses from his pocket. Slipping them on, he gestured towards the map. “Look - this is where we are now. We left Thorn Hall a few minutes ago. Now, Griffin Hall - you’ll want to take this right fork and go straight through the gardens - that’s the best way to get home.” She followed his finger on the map until she frowned.

“But wouldn’t it be easier to go through Keeper Union since - “ Dennis shook his head.

“Only if you want to get food first. Besides,” he pointed in the direction of the dimly lit garden. “That’s one of the most underrated parts of campus.” She looked over at him, a small smile tugging on her lips as his framed amber eyes met hers.

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” She started to fold the map only for Dennis to point to the Union.

“On the other side of the Union, there’s a small coffee shop. It’s usually where you can find me if I’m not in class, meetings, or in my dorm.” Dennis caught Gabrielle’s expression and cleared his throat, searching for something else to add that would eradicate his embarrassment. “It, er, it opens at 5:30 and closes at midnight.” He wasn’t sure what more to say. How badly could he fail at something so simple? And so quickly, no less? He watched her fold her map, and walk to the fork, towards the gardens.

“Dennis.” Her voice was small, but the way she uttered his name was something he wouldn’t forget easily. She said it as if it were something she might break. He liked the way her lips curled upwards with the second syllable. She had a great smile; he wondered if she knew it. “Thanks for your help.” She gestured to the walkway. He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head.

“I…” He considered asking her if she wanted to join him. He remembered what it was like to be new, to feel unwelcome. “It’s not a problem.”

“Have a good night,” she murmured.  She was already walking away and Dennis tried to ignore that pang of guilt. With his luck, she would’ve declined anyway.

“Huxley.” What are you doing? He felt his heart pound when she turned to face him.

“Excuse me?”

“My last name,” he explained, remembering her question earlier at the meeting. The way he had stifled a laugh at it. “Dennis Huxley.”

“Dennis Huxley,” she repeated, letting the name roll off her tongue. “You must be joking,” she laughed. When she smiled, her eyes seemed to crinkle. God, she was pretty. He considered leaving the conversation at that, but she walked towards him once again.

“How’s that?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him. She shook her head.

“For starters, it sounds ridiculous.”

“More so than Whitlock?” he asked, grinning. Her mouth dropped open.

“Fair point,” she said finally, laughing. It was a musical sound, one that seemed like it could fill a room with light. Silence settled between them before Dennis finally spoke.

“Would you….” He stammered for the words that were slipping through his fingertips. “Would you want to get coffee with me? I could show you around the Union.” Her smile turned to one of sympathy. Oh no.

“I’ve got to go over this paperwork Sandy gave me to get ready for Welcome Week. Sorry…” she frowned, looking away.

“Oh.”

“I’m not a big coffee person anyway. Hot cocoa, however, is a rather large weakness of mine.” she grinned, she was taking steps backward and Dennis couldn’t blame her. He came off much more forward than he intended. He started towards the Union once more. “Dennis?”

“Yes?”

“I think a tour would be great. Maybe tomorrow, if you have time?” He wondered if Amber told her already about them switching off - that he was supposed to give her a tour anyway, but he nodded.

“Sounds fine. I’ll come by in the morning.” He felt like an idiot.

“Perfect,” she was still smiling at him, the grip on her books loosening. She took a few steps backward. “Have a good night, Huxley.”

“Good night.” He walked to the Union - preparing to order his usual coffee (black or espresso, depending on his mood) with some sad attempt at his name that the barista never bothered to learn. Instead, he found himself requesting hot cocoa. The barista raised his brow, putting together the drink and penning down the name Dameron on the cup.

“Time for a change?” The barista droned, handing over the white cup. Change. He considered the word and the infinite possibilities it held for him this year.

“Maybe it is.”

“Gabrielle?” Dennis knocked on her door, waiting a few minutes for some kind of response. All he could hear on the other side of the door was music blaring. Awkwardly shifting the two cups from the coffee house in his hands, he pressed his ear against the door. On the other side, Gabrielle’s voice seemed faint, but a small smile crept on his lips when he heard her singing along. Suddenly it became interrupted by a loud thud, followed by a shriek.

He knocked on the door again.

”Gabrielle?” Another knock. “Are you okay?” There was shuffling behind the door as the volume of the music lowered and the door swung open to reveal Gabrielle bent over and massaging her foot.

“What are you doing here?” She hissed, taking a seat on the couch.

“Tour of the campus…” He held out one of the coffee cups for her, trying to hide his smile. “Are you alright?” She eyed the cup in his hands, her teeth pulling at her bottom lip.

“Thanks, Dennis, but you know I don’t - “

“Did I say it was coffee?” Her cheeks flushed as she took the cup from him. “Now - my first question. Are you okay?”

“I hit my foot on my desk when I was….”

“Dancing?” Dennis smirked. A deeper shade of red washed over her face.

“Could we possibly go back to that time when I looked less like a fool?” She forced a small, but hopeful laugh.

“So….before we met?” He joked. Gabrielle opened her mouth to fire back, but frowned. Her lips twitched before she looked back up at him. “I didn’t…I mean…” Dennis squeezed the back of his neck. God, that was awful.  ”I’m sorry.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t make it so easy,” Gabrielle said quietly. Shit, Dennis thought.

“I didn’t mean - “ He stammered out. This was why he didn’t want to be in charge of orientation in the first place - he was constantly saying the wrong things. Especially to the wrong people. He didn’t have the patience Sandy or Kimberly had.

“You’re fine, Dennis.” She smiled, reaching out to pat his arm. Alarmed at her touch, he stared at her arm - small and freckled, decorated by a silver bracelet with a single, green gem in the middle. The moment was fleeting. Her hand had barely touched his forearm before she took a sip of her drink. Hot cocoa. The idea had come to Dennis on a whim while he stood in line that morning.

“Give me a moment to get ready and we can head out to experience all the beauty of Mare University that Dennis Huxley can offer me,” she joked, flashing a wide smile. She disappeared behind an open door, soft music still playing.

Aside from the faint singing, there was an agonizing quiet that left Dennis looking around the room. Their apartment was smaller than his and Steve’s - their living room was nothing but a simple couch, desk, television, and miniature fridge. The walls were still bare - Gabrielle and Amber probably haven’t gotten the chance to do much decorating yet. Amber’s bedroom door was shut - a dry-erase board on the outside of it with her familiar scrawl: Out with Sandy for the day! Underneath, her cell number was posted. Gabrielle’s door, on the other hand, was cracked open just enough for him to catch sight of a dark poster with a multitude of stars. He leaned forward, hoping to get a better look.

“Who’s Connor?” Gabrielle asked, closing the door behind her and causing him to snap to attention.

“Excuse me?” Connor? Gabrielle held up her cup of hot cocoa and pointed to the shaky scrawl of the barista. Sure enough, Connor was written on the side. He looked at his cup and sighed - Connor. “Honestly, I wish I could say I was surprised.”

“I thought you spent a lot of your time there,” she said, holding the front door to the apartment open for him. He could see a small smile growing in the corner of her lips.

“Not enough, clearly,” he chuckled.

“Well, we’ll have to remedy that. Won’t we?” She said with a grin. One that caused her to tilt her head and her eyes to crinkle at the sides. Dennis felt paralyzed as he questioned this simple action. Was she….was she flirting? With him? He rubbed his neck, hoping to rub away any ounce of embarrassment that might have crept onto his face.

“Shall we?” He asked, walking out in the hallway.

“Lead the way, Master Huxley.”

Gabrielle tried to hold her surprise when he walked alongside her. She was used to having to trail behind others. She was shorter than most, and often five steps behind them. But not with Dennis. She noticed that if he took strides that were too long, he’d adjust within seconds. He walked with one hand on the leather strap of his messenger bag, and another onto his coffee. She noticed that he took sips of it only when his eyes happened upon hers. He paused in front of a large tower and a nearby gazebo.