Smoke and Wishes (Best Wishes #1)(8)

"Which dorms are you in?" I asked as I slid down in my chair mimicking my brother’s position. Bad move man, eyes are up there. Chuckling, I continue before she can answer, "we're in the South Wing dorms. Luckily we were paired together, so no need to share.”

“Not that I’d be opposed to the idea of sharing,” I shot the thought to Logan, who snorted in response.

"That’s the best part about having a twin, knowing you'll always have a partner. In class, in dorms, in sickness and in health, in crime," Logan snickered as he looked at me.

“She's beautiful,” his voice whispered through my mind, “have you noticed how tense she’s been since we sat down?” I sent back an affirmative, turning my attention back to Lucie.

"I'm in the West Wing dorm rooms, and my roommate doesn't seem so bad although we haven't had a chance to really spend much time together other than dinner last night," she trailed off as the lights dimmed and a woman stepped onto the stage. Her dark curly brown hair was down, brushing against the back of her jacket. The soft pink of her blouse was a contrast against her tanned skin and her black pantsuit.

"Good morning to all of our new students!" She announced cheerfully into the podium microphone, her powerful voice filled the auditorium. "I am Assistant Dean Lorelai Mastersen. I help mostly with the acclimation of our students to our wonderful University, as well as assisting our amazing counselors and career path advisors, but no need to worry about those for right now. I'm sure you're more worried about getting your schedule and finding your way around this expansive campus," Loralei chuckled at her own joke.

“Actually, I'm trying not to fall asleep,” I mentally sent to Logan as I yawned wide enough for my jaw to crack.

“I second that. The guys said they’d be waiting in the quad till we're done with this ridiculousness. We should see if she wants to come along, I like her,” Logan responded, stretching his arms up. He must have moved too quickly though. Lucie tensed, and her empty hand curled into a tight fist. As soon as she did, she took a deep breath, relaxing with a heavy exhale. I glanced behind her head and make eye contact with Logan to confirm I wasn't the only one who witnessed the odd reaction.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Logan’s thought filtered through my head.

“She has to have dealt with some shit if she’s reacting so severely to quick movements?” Logan nodded as Assistant Dean continued to rattle on about her role within the school and the schedule for the day. Not really caring about the speech, I shifted in my seat. Warm vanilla filled my lungs as I leaned into Lucie.

"Is this as boring for you as it is for us?" I whispered into her right ear, I was rewarded with a small chuckle.

"If you're referring to the agonizingly dry speech on the assistant dean's self-importance around campus then yes, yes it is very boring for me," she looked up at me from under her lashes with a small smile hidden behind her coffee cup. My breathing became uneven with that look. Fuck, she’s gorgeous. She lowered her cup, and my gaze moved to her perfectly curved lips. Realizing I was leaning even further into her as I stared, I pulled back, settling into my original position. She chugged the last bit of her large coffee as Assistant Dean Mastersen announced the next speaker. A tall, lean, middle-aged man with light blonde hair dressed in a dark colored suit stepped onto the stage.

"Hello everyone, I'm Dean Alexandre Renaud, and I'm excited to welcome you to Redwood Supernatural University. As my assistant dean, Ms. Mastersen stated, this general announcement will be followed schedule distribution out in the lobby, and then small groups of you will be able to take tours of the campus if you wish. If you would rather explore the campus on your own time, then you are more than welcome to do so. The only thing I must implore of you is to make sure you read through all of the materials you collect when you get your schedules out front. Now, before I bore you all into an early morning nap, you are released. Please make your way into the lobby," the dean stepped away from the microphone with a wave and a smile on his face as he strode off stage. I shifted forward in my seat to collect my bag when I noticed Lucie looking over to the left with her head tilted as she stood.

"Hey sleepy head, the presentation is over," she whispered, leaning down to shake his shoulder lightly. He had, unsurprisingly, fallen asleep during the 15-minute orientation. He jolted awake, shooting to his feet in a sleep induced panic. Lucie jumped back and stumbled into my chest with a sharp inhale. I caught her arms so she wouldn’t fall over the row of seats in front of us.

"You okay, lemon drop?" I ask in a soft voice as she straightened and threw her bag over her shoulders. I noticed Logan’s brow furrowing over Lucie’s shoulder, a questioning look on his face.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm good, sorry about that, I must have lost my balance," she quickly explained, shifting passed me down the stairs. "It was nice to meet you both." Her arm came up in a quick wave, affording me another glimpse of lace before she curved around the half wall to make her way into the lobby with the rest of the freshman student body.

"Well, that was different," I stated as I turned back towards Logan who had made his way down the aisle to stand next to me on the stairs.

"Yeah, it was. I'm sure we'll see her around, let's go grab our schedules and catch up with the guys," Logan suggested. His right arm came to rest over my shoulders, making our way to the front.