As we were in two different social classes, I didn't see Jeremiah for weeks. My freshman year of college was not going to be filled with stereotypical thoughts and actions of an eighteen year old girl. I hardly thought of Jeremiah, or what Maya had said about him until I saw him again. On a date. With a girl.
Maya nudged me as we entered the sushi bar, pointing out Jeremiah and a girl from our dorm, all but making out over the tuna as Maya whispered-
"That skeeve! Ugh, I could just kill him!" I snickered, knowing she was upset for no reason.
"You do realize we're not going out, or even, well, talking. Right?" I responded to her outrage.
"That's no excuse!" she exclaimed, and muttered the word man whore under her breath. At this I elbowed her, just as a waiter came to seat us.
I don't think Jeremiah had any idea Maya and I were in the restaurant, or if he did, he didn't show it. About twenty minutes into our meal, Maya got up to use the restroom as our waiter was bringing me a refill. Of course HE was jumping up to pay the bill. Jeremiah knocked all the drinks onto our table, and unfortunately, all onto me. He slipped and fell in a puddle of Pepsi, causing the entire dark, cramped restaurant to erupt into laughter.

He joined in, laughing, and picked himself up off the ground carefully, and bowed, after helping out waiter up. For a second (and only a second) I admired him, for being so self confident.

But my admiration quickly fled, as he helped me out of my chair and motioned for me to bow as well. My face instantly turned scarlet as I awkwardly curtsied, earning many more cheers. I tried to sit back down, but Jeremiah grabbed my arm and pulled, unbalancing the both of us, and we found ourselves on the floor.
People returned to their meals as he helped me stand.
"We have got to stop meeting like this." he said, over the din of the restaurant.
"You mean when my shirt is see through." I asked in response, realizing to late that it was.
"I was actually thinking by me spilling drinks on you..but that too." he laughed, shrugging out of his jacket and handing it to me. I took it, grateful that Maya wasn't here to over analyze. I slipped his large jacket on, saying-
"Well...I bet you're um, busy. So bye." and looking over his shoulder at his date.
"Can I tell you a secret?" he asked. I nodded, and he leaned in and down, to whisper in my ear- "She's boring. I find you much more interesting."
This comment should have made my heart beat faster, but once again...nothing. I simply responded-
"But I'm not your girlfriend." while smirking. He laughed out loud.
"Neither is she. No way." he said, nodding in her direction and motioning that he'd be a minute.
"Really..." I said in disbelief. He nodded. "Because you've just spent thirty minutes eating her face, rather than your sushi." I pointed out.
"Well, I don't have your number. So what else could I do to get your attention?" he joked. Maya would probably have said he was serious. But I could just tell with him. He didn't feel the need to impress me like absolutely every other girl on campus.
"I can tell the process was very painful for you, having to make out with Melanie...jeez." I responded, as I sat down, tucking his jacket around me. He laughed.
"I'll admit...baiting you was enjoyable. So how about it? Can I have your number?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.
"No. You cannot hit on me, and ask for my number, while on a date with somebody else." I answered, quite seriously. Looking at his face, I guessed I was probably the only girl to ever say that to him.
"Whoa...wait a minute. I'm not hitting on you." He exclaimed.
"Really?" I answered, grinning.
"Really! I'm just concerned that I may not have any jackets left in a month at this rate." He explained, keeping a straight face. I nodded, sighing. His face broke out into a smile, expecting a number.
"I'll give them to Maya. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find her. She seems to be missing." I answered, positive she was hiding so I could talk to Jeremiah.
"Okay Juliet. I'll let you go this time. Just remember Romeo didn't wait forever." He smirked, thinking he was being clever.
"You're right...he killed himself." I responded, standing up, "Well...if you think that will help." I said, smiling innocently, and walking away, leaving him, rather dumbstruck.

After washing Jeremiah's jackets all I could do was wait for Maya to get off work so she could return them. Because there was no way I was. Just as I laid down with my Entertainment Weekly someone knocked on my open dorm door. I rolled off my bed, to face the entrance to the room, but no one was there.
"Stupid freshman." I spoke aloud to my empty room, insulting my own class and climbed back into bed, this time pulling my comforter up around me.
Maya woke me up an hour later and I realized, frustrated, that I hadn't even gotten to the movie reviews before I'd fallen asleep. She looked ecstatic and I groaned by force of habit.
"Ugh, what Maya?" I grumbled, shading my eyes from the lights she'd turned on, and pushing her away simultaneously.
Her short red hair was pulled into a bun, and she wore a skirt as she scurried around our room, putting her things away.
"Oh you slut!" she giggled, continuing to prance around. "Who would have thought! Well you had me fooled!"
"Excuse me? Why am I a slut? And why are you so happy about it?" I questioned, thinking she'd finally cracked.
"Why, you're a regular debauchee!" she winked in my direction. I simply looked at her, curiously, until she pointed at a note on the floor, by the door. I vaulted off the bed, grasping it in my hand...until I saw who it was from. When I groaned again and nearly dropped it Maya laughed out-
"Well, you have to read it Juliet! It's so cute!" she grinned and so as to not cause her physical pain, I began out loud-
" 'Juliet, I know you said no phone number, but you said nothing about address...' stalker..." I added. At this point Maya sprinted over to the window, looking at the winter evening, and ushered me on. " 'I am now aware that all my jackets are either dirty, or in your possession.' Do some laundry lazy ass." I continued, getting out of bed to see what she was staring at. " 'Therefore, in an effort to make you get a coffee with me, I will be outside Manchester Dorm until you agree to go with me. PS. Hope it's not to chilly." By the time I'd gotten to the end of his note, I was nearly yelling, looking at him in jeans and a t-shirt, and nothing more, sitting outside.
"He's a genius! You're not going to make him sit there are you? It's 29 degrees out!" she exclaimed, praising him. I didn't answer for a moment, thinking.
"Maya, take him a jacket please." I responded, walking back towards bed. She shook her head so hard and fast that I thought her earrings were going to fall out.
"No way. He specified you!" she said, grinning. "Don't let him freeze to death..." she added, throwing his sweatshirt at me.
I waited a second more, before giving in, and slipping on my Toms with a-
"Damn it. Why is this guy such a bfd." On my way out of the door, Maya yelled at me-
"Just in case!" and tossed me a lip gloss. I threw it back at her, and ran down the stairs, to the lounge level, pulling on my Columbia jacket.
Jeremiah saw me coming out of the building and his face broke into a grin. As I walked towards him I looked him over, his physical attributes, noticing for the first time, why some girls lost their heads around him.
He was tall, but not so much that he would have to stretch before going for a kiss. His brown eyes and brown hair could have been simple on someone else, but both features were multi-hued, and suited him. And, if I was really describing him impartially I'd admit his ass wasn't anything to complain about.
To bad his personality wasn't worth writing home about.
As I reached him, I held out the jacket as if it were lice-infested. His outstretched arms took it, but he wouldn't put it on. I looked at him incredulously.
"Not until you get a coffee with me." he explained, sitting down on the one bench that wasn't covered in snow from out last storm. I turned away and began walking towards my dorm, hoping he'd just get up and leave. He didn't.
I stomped back to his bench (literally).
"Fine. God. Let's go." I said, jaw clenched, annoyed.
"Jeez, ask nicely." he grinned, standing up. I sighed. "You're cute when you're pissed." he added, pushing my hair out of my eyes. Well, tried to, because I pushed his hand away.
"Want to get a coffee, Jeremiah?" I asked, bitingly. He pulled his hoodie over his head.
"I thought you'd never ask." he laughed, turning around to walk towards the coffee shop on campus.
As we walked, he slipped his hand into mine, slowly interlocking his fingers with mine. I was so surprised at his sudden move I flinched away, jerking my hand from his, so he widened the distance between us by about a foot. I was more surprised by the fact that I impetuously shortened the distance to centimeters, sliding my hand back into his.