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weren’t hungry, but as usual I got plenty to share,” Stacy boasted, as she kept her eyes fixated on Cole and Andrew.
    “Thanks, Stace.”
    “Are you guys hungry? I didn’t know you were joining us, but I have plenty.”
    “No, thank you,” Cole politely declined.
    After a moment of awkward silence, Stacy took an oversized bite of her sandwich and with a full mouth chimed in, “So, what’s New York like?”
    Waiting for Cole’s response, Katrina was attempting to focus on her plate. She picked at her food to avoid staring directly at him. Feeling Jake’s nerves on edge only added to the awkwardness swirling inside her. He tapped his fork on his tray, also trying to avoid making any sort of contact with them .
    “I t was very crowded,” Cole said. If he was aware of how uncomfortable Jake and Katrina were at that moment, he never let on.
    “You guys must be bored since you moved h ere—the capital of unexciting,” Stacy wriggled animatedly in her seat.
    “The scenery is much nicer here.”
    At Cole’s comment, the table became uncomfortably quiet. Katrina looked up to see Cole smiling at her. Her face sizzled with tingly sensations and the blood rushed to her cheeks. She could feel the bright scarlet color her face had no doubt become. Between her lashes, Katrina could see Stacy smile politely back at Cole. The five of them remained in eerie silence, as Katrina waited for one of them to speak.
    “Everyone’s leaving, I think it’s time to go,” Jake said, as he got up.
    “Would you like some company?” Andrew offered. “We both have Mr. Krause next.”
    “Sure.” Shock and confusion were written all over Jake’s face, but Katrina could feel fear weighing underneath the surface.
    Katrina watched, as Jake disappeared into the hall with Andrew by his side. Taking her cue from Jake and wanting to make a graceful exit herself, Katrina stood. She watched, as Cole too imitated her movement.
    “Do you mind if I walk with you?”
    Before Katrina could refuse, Stacy interrupted and answered that for her.
    “I need to head across campus. I’ll talk to you later, Kat. Nice to meet you, Cole.” She flashed Kat rina a sly smile.
    Katrina stood there speechless, as Stacy turned and made her exit. She was always trying to improve Katrina’s social life and Katrina was going to let her have it later.
    “I guess that just leaves you and me.” Cole gave her a nervous smile.
    “Yes. Yes, it does.”
    “Shall we?”
    “Sure.”
    Walking side by side into the crowd, there was a brief moment where Katrina wanted to run and hide. The silence was uncomfortable. Katrina tried to distract herself, but she could feel Cole's eyes on her. His overbearing gaze was so strange. It was as though he was afraid to take his eyes off of her, as if she might disappear at any moment.
    “Where to?” Cole shoved his hands in his pockets.
    “Miss Thompson’s.” Katrina tried to hide the bitterness in her voice as she spoke. When he gave her a confused look, she rolled her eyes and added, “English.”
    “You say it as though it’s nauseating,” he laughed.
    “It kind of is.”
    “And why’s that?”
    “I don’t know. It just makes no sense to try and figure what someone wrote over a hundred years ago.”
    “ Ah, you’re an ageist?” he asked, cocking an auburn eyebrow at her.
    “Yeah, I guess I am.” Katrina laughed. She couldn’t help it. The more she talked to him, the less awkward she felt. He seemed so normal, lik e she’d known him all her life.
    “What does interest you?” h e asked, looking into her eyes.
    “Art.”
    “An artist?” He perked up in interest.
    “More like a professional doodler,” she nervously smiled back. Did I just say doodler? Is that even a word?
    “I’m sure they’re not that bad,” he grinned.
    Katrina let out a sarcastic laugh. “That’s because you haven’t seen them.”
    “Maybe I could sometime?”
    “Maybe.” Their conversation soon faded back into awkward