UR IT Magazine February 2016

Konstantin did a once over
around the room to make sure he
wasn’t forgetting anything. The
library was on the other side of
campus. If he had to make multiple
trips, it would be incredibly
inconvenient. It was 8:30 p.m.
and the campus was quiet, serene.
It was cold but he preferred to
walk. He moseyed across campus
enjoying the views. Breathing in
the crisp night air, he thought of
how fond he’d grown of this place.
It was surprising that he dreaded
the idea of going back to California.
The traffic, the daily hustle and the
same type of people everywhere.
He’d grown to appreciate the
simpler approach to life here.
It had been a shock when he
first arrived but it became home
quickly. He loved having the option
of engaging in outdoor activities
without a two-hour commute.
Everything he needed was within
30 minutes of campus or less. Yes,
he was definitely going to miss it
here.
Most of the other students had
already gone into town to the
nearby bars and restaurants,
prepping themselves for the party
later. He was glad he decided to
stay in this evening. Konstantin
hardly regretted decisions he
made. Right or wrong, the outcome
of his choices often satisfied him.
He didn’t want to slack off as he
neared the end of his last semester.
He held himself to a very high
standard and wanted to begin the
law program with a running start.
As he neared the entrance of the
library, he noticed a sign that
read, “Due to renovations taking
place over the weekend, library
seating will be restricted to a
smaller area. We apologize for any
inconvenience.”
“They couldn’t have waited until
the semester ended?” he mumbled
to himself as he entered. Looking
around, he noticed they had
blocked off the majority of the
seating areas limiting him towards
the very back of the library. There
were only two tables available—
one near the window and one
closer to the restrooms. He opted
for the one near the window. It was
widely known that the table closest
to the restrooms quickly became
subjected to any foul odors that
wafted through the opening and
closing of the doors.
He opened his book bag and
proceeded to make himself
comfortable taking up the majority
of it with his books, notepads,
utensils, water and snacks. He
took out his headphones and
began listening to music while he
started in on his first textbook. He
was quickly engulfed and became
oblivious to anything happening
around him.
As Naomi made her way to the back
of the library, she wasn’t worried
about the seating restrictions.
She knew it would most likely be
empty. After all, how many losers
would be here studying while there
was a party going on—one she had
been excited to attend to let off
steam had it not been for her alarm
debacle. Missing half her class,
she knew she couldn’t afford to
fall behind nearing the end of the
semester.
She winced as she walked down
the steps into study lounge area.
Her knees were still bruised from
her tumble off the bike. Being that
there wouldn’t be many people
on campus, she was casually
clad in her grey sweat pants and
a black tank with her favorite
flannel hoodie. Her hair was in
loose, golden braids. She decided
to let her eyes rest and wear her
reading glasses. She didn’t have
any makeup on but her long dark
lashes made it impossible to tell.
The only beauty product she kept
close was her repair lip balm. Cold
weather made it nearly impossible
to keep her lips moist.
Glancing at the table options, she
noticed that some greedy bastard
had decided to take up the entire
table by the window. Irritated, she
fixed her posture and decided to
head straight for the part of the
table that hadn’t been occupied.
When she got closer, she began
to speak before realizing it was
Konstantin and nearly choked on
her words: “Hope you don’t mind
but I’m sitting here.” She bit her
lip, cursing herself for deciding to
grow a pair now of all times. After
all, she had made a complete fool
of herself in front of this man
just the day before. “Real smooth
Naomi,” she thought.
Konstantin hadn’t heard Naomi
with his headphones in, but he
saw a figure standing to his right.
Annoyed at this person hovering,
he whipped his head around,
“Yes?!”
Once his eyes fell on Naomi’s face,
he felt himself falter. He clumsily
removed a headphone, “Sorry, did
you need something from me?”
Naomi found herself trying to
remain stubborn and yet caught
off guard by Konstantin’s looks
and confidence that seemed to just
flow out from every fiber of his
being.
“I said, I hope you don’t mind my
sharing the table,” she softened
her words, relieved he hadn’t heard
her the first time.
“Not at all. Let me know if you need
more room,” Konstantin smiled at
her, surprised at the relief he felt
for having company.
While Naomi situated herself at the
table, Konstantin glanced at her
finding it difficult to concentrate.
She was dressed like she had just
rolled out of bed and threw on the
closest garments she could reach.
Her hair was falling out of two
messy braids and her glasses made
her look almost child-like. But he
couldn’t help but feel drawn to her.
When they’d made eye contact, he
swore she could see right through
him. The thought was unsettling
yet captivating.
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A ROMANCE STORY
PART II
BRITE: A ROMANCE STORY | PART II
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