Unexpected Steps Ahead

April 2030 - Britechester, Illinois
University of Britechester - Adam Smith is 20, Charlotte Craig is 19

Charlotte reviews Adam’s project for one of his classes. “Hmm,” she says.

“Hmm what?” Adam asks.

“I think you need a little more work,” she tells him. “Change this all around. And retype this, you have so many broken sentences and misspellings. And what exactly is this supposed to be over here?”

Adam lets out a groan. “I knew I shouldn’t have asked you for advice. Now I have to start all over just because you say so.”

“What else can I say?” Charlotte asks with a shrug. “You asked for my opinions and I can’t tell a lie.”

The debate club is turning out to be a difficult thing to keep up with for Charlotte. She attends the practices and meetings between classes and assignments.

But sometimes she stammers or forgets what she’s trying to say.

And it’s turning out that there are several times she loses the debates. More than she’s willing to admit. Charlotte doesn’t know how she’s supposed to win at the big debate showdown coming up in a few days.

Adam is supposed to meet up with Charlotte after their morning classes so she can help him with one of his assignments. But he finds her asleep on a bench in one of the hallways.

So Adam goes into the cafeteria area to buy some pizza while he waits. Pepperoni and cheese always make him happier.

And one of the girls from his classes seems to be drawn in by the pizza too. She sits down at his table, gives him a big smile and says in a sweet voice, “Hey, Adam.”

Adam is finishing his conversation with the girl from class when Charlotte walks into the room. She heads over to the counter to get her own pizza.

And when she comes to the table, there is another girl sitting with him. What is it about Adam Smith that is getting all the attention from every girl at this school?

When the girl finally leaves, Adam pulls out his notebook. “Okay, so I’m not getting the lesson from today at all. Crazy, right? I did perfectly in high school science.”

Charlotte glares at him. “If you were really serious about studying I wouldn’t have to chase off all these girls stuck to your feet.”

Adam laughs. “I know you’re jealous. But it’s okay, you’ve got all of my attention for now.”

Charlotte rolls her eyes and finishes the last of her pizza, throwing the plate away before coming back for more time with her so-called friend.

What is with all these people all around campus not keeping their hands or mouths off each other? Do they not have classes to focus on?

After last semester’s terrible grades, Adam is trying to make up for it by focusing on his classes as much as he can.

 

***

Charlotte is going through a rough time right now. 

She usually doesn’t drink much, but her fails in debate and stretching herself thin trying to keep up with her classes are hard to face.

This isn’t like her and Adam notices her odd behavior. And the fact that she hasn’t had a shower in a while. But she won’t listen to his questions as she drinks down every cup, her behavior getting more and more out of character.

Charlotte sits on her bed after Adam helps her get there, scowling his way. “I’m not drunk,” she says.

“You will be soon when all that alcohol really hits you,” Adam says. “Now lay down.”

She gives him another glare, but she does what he says, turning her back to him.

He waits until he hears her snoring softly. She still stinks, but she’ll have to wait until morning to get a shower.

When he’s sure she is asleep, Adam heads off to his own bed, worrying about how Charlotte is handling this semester. Although he knows he has his own problems and isn’t doing the greatest job in his classes.

Charlotte is still feeling the hangover from all that alcohol the night before when she heads out for the debate showdown.

She speaks most of the speech she had planned, the parts she could remember, but it doesn’t matter. She once again loses to the other guy in front of the crowd watching.

Adam was at the debate and he takes Charlotte away from the remainder of the showdown to try to keep her from focusing too much on losing this round.

“You can’t cheer me up with grilled cheese sandwiches,” Charlotte says.

Adam shrugs. “Yeah, but this cook here certainly wins me over with them. You think he’d be interested in a date if I supply him with more cheese?”

Charlotte can’t help the small chuckle that escapes her lips at his grin.

“You need to just let go of this afternoon’s debate,” Adam tells her. “It’s not a big deal, there will be others.”

“What if I lose those too?” Charlotte asks.

“Then you get over it,” he says. “It’s not something that will stop you from doing everything you want.”

“Come on,” Adam says, gesturing toward the plants that are grown in one area of the student hall to give the students more plant care. “Taking care of these will help distract you.”

Charlotte isn’t sure about that, but she begins to water and talk to the plants. Maybe Adam is right. Her entire body feels more relaxed and her brain isn’t focusing on the debate anymore while she tends to the plants.

Charlotte is feeling better about herself. The words Adam spoke to her are still in her head the next day, giving her the confidence she needs. 

She smiles as she stops at the vendor for her favorite treat after her morning class. A treat in celebration of how much more confident she’s feeling today.

Adam finds Charlotte laying in the grass near the river. He lays down next to her, staring up at the blue sky and puffy clouds.

“Whatcha doing?” he asks.

“Getting away from everything to relax,” she says.

He gets up. “Sorry, I’ll leave you alone to think.”

But she gets up and pulls him back down, holding him in a tight squeeze. “No, stay.”

So he stays, letting her hold onto him as they watch the clouds.

When a good amount of time in silence has passed, they finally get up to face the rest of the world again.

“Thanks,” Charlotte says, smiling at him.

“For what?”

“For always being there even when I annoy you,” she says with a big grin.

 

Adam never expected that to happen.

And never expected that he’d be happy it had.

***

“Adam?” Violet Craig asks. “As in Adam Smith?”

“Yeah,” Charlotte tells her cousin. “We kissed. It just…happened.”

“And what do you think about it?”

“I think…I think I’m not upset about it.”

Charlotte can’t help the smile that spreads across her face when she hangs up after spotting Adam standing nearby.

“Hey, I’m sorry if you…” Adam starts. He clears his throat. “I mean, if you didn’t…”

Charlotte bites her lip. “Did you? Are you…unhappy about it?”

Adam smiles. “No. I’m actually…happy.”

Charlotte leans toward him, smiling. “I’m happy too.”

Maybe they’re moving fast in this relationship, but neither one objects. 

They’ve known each other most of their lives and have been friends for so long they know almost everything about each other, so they can always learn new things in other ways…

One of their roommates gives them a knowing grin as they leave the shower. It’s no secret to him what they’ve been learning.

***

It's been a week since that first kiss. It's been a week of kissing in their small beds, touching each other breathlessly in the shower, finding each other on campus between classes just to have that close embrace everytime they can.

"So what do you think?" Charlotte finally finds the courage to ask. What does Adam think? Is this just a hook up during these college years away from everything and everyone they've always known? Is it more than that to him?

"About what?" he asks.

"About this." She gestures between herself and him.

"About us?" he asks.

She nods. "About what's been going on this last week."

Her heart pounds louder in her ears as he smiles at her. "I think it's the best thing I didn't expect here. I don't want to change anything about this past week."

They finish their meal and then head outside. Charlotte had gone for a run before she met up with him and she knows she's sweaty and the perfume she had sprayed on herself before she arrived probably isn't hiding all of her natural post-exercise scent. But none of that stops him from standing close to her when they step outside in the light drizzle. And it doesn't stop her from slipping her arm around his, smiling happily as that touch tingles the rest of her body.

She needs a shower, she knows. And she's eager to get back to the dorm to have him help her clean every part of her.

-----------

Charlotte did great, but Adam failed! Grrr! So he’ll have another semester of college to make up for it.

 

They were both really happy about the cloud gazing, and then developed wants for more than just friends.

This student had to stop and get in my way of pictures just so she could witness this new love unfold.