She likes him… but he’s such a joker, He likes her… but she’s so serious!

Hello! And welcome to my latest story — pulled from the drafts box where it’s languished since 2020 (!) because I got distracted with other things… Oops! This is not as steamy as my other stories, a sweeter escape, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

***

Madeline sat in the lecture hall, pen in hand, scribbling notes as quickly as her lecturer could speak.

“Now, if you want to get a head start on next semester I highly recommend reading — ”

A sharp thwack in the side of Madeline’s face pulled her attention to the two guys behind to her right.

Jarrett Kerslake and his shitty friend. The friend was laughing, his hand covering his mouth to muffle the sound. Jarrett at least had the decency to look somewhat mortified.

Madeline had had a crush on Jarrett since she met his brilliant blue gaze in the first psychology class at the beginning of the year, butterflies dancing in her stomach whenever he was around.

Most days, she wished she could just squash them.

Arrogant idiot, class clown, and if rumour was right, damn good in bed, Jarrett played the field, never settling down with anyone in the entire year they’d been at college.

Madeline didn’t want someone like that. She’d had enough of being played. If she was going to have a relationship she wanted something serious — not something that would break her heart. Again.

Which was why she wasn’t ever going to have a boyfriend while she was studying.

At the back of the lecture theatre Jarrett mouthed a ‘Shit. Sorry!’ and pointed at the woman sitting in front of her, making a throwing gesture.

Madeline glanced down to see a paper plane on her lap, a handwritten scrawl just visible through the page.

She frowned, and rubbed the side of her face.

She wasn’t going to pass messages in class, like they were still in grade school. If he wanted to talk to this woman he could do it out of class time.

She crumpled the plane, and squashed it into her pocket, turning back to the lecturer who had already moved on and was wishing them all a fantastic summer break.

“Damnit.”

Madeline closed her book, clipped her pens on the corner and slid the lot into her bag.

Students filed out as she stood and followed the stream, dropping the paper plane in the bin as she went out the door.

“Hey, you didn’t pass on my note.”

Madeline turned to see Jarrett behind her.

She scowled. “You made me miss the recommended reading for next semester!”

“What?” He seemed genuinely confused. “Oh, that. What’s it matter? We’ll get it when they send the unit details through.”

“Must be nice enough to be such a brain you don’t need to study.”

He shrugged. “You don’t need to ace the class. A pass gets you the degree just the same.”

Madeline turned away. High marks didn’t just mean getting her degree, it also meant she kept her scholarship, but she wasn’t going to waste her energy explaining that.

“Idiot,” she muttered.

“Speak for yourself.” He pushed past her to chase after the girl he’d been trying to send the plane to.

Madeline took a deep breath and heaved her bag up onto her shoulders.

She could not wait to get home to her family and her friends. Six whole weeks of sun and sea were exactly what she needed to get over the idiots, like Jarrett, she had to put up with here.

She was going to relax, and swim, and hang out with her friends, and study … just a little … okay, maybe a lot … and when semester came back she’d be refreshed, and ready to go again, this time with a much better level of expectation of how wonderful, or not, college was going to be.

Jarrett pretended to chase Susan down the hall, just long enough to get around the corner, and out of Madeline’s view.

Just in case she was still watching.

“Last lesson for the year!” Nev came along in the stream of students heading in the opposite direction, lifting his hand for a high five. “How was psych?”

“Fine.” Jarrett mumbled.

“Someone tried to ask their beloved out on a date, and she turned him down.” Dion placed a hand on his heart and fluttered his eyelids.

“That’s not what happened.” Jarrett punched Dion’s shoulder.

“That Madeline girl you’re always on about?” Nev asked.

“I’m not always going on about her.”

“Yeah, you are.”

Jarrett shrugged. “It’s nothing. Dion dared me to throw her a note, so I did. She ignored it. No big deal.”

“No big deal?” Dion chortled. “You should’ve seen the look she gave him. Pure fury. Seriously, she needs to learn how to chill.”

“Yeah, probs.” Jarrett shrugged again. “Anyway, I’ve got to pack and get out of here. The parents have organised a ride so I’d better not be late.”

“Right. Back to the beach?” Nev asked.

“Yep. Six weeks of sun, and sand, and sweethearts.” Jarrett winked.

“Nice for some,” Dion muttered. “I’ll be stuck in an office for most of the summer break. Make the most of it for me!”

Jarrett was already walking away. “You can bet your ass I will.”

Out of sight of his mates, Jarrett’s shoulders sank.

The paper plane idea had been dumb, and his reaction to her reaction had been dumber still.

After sitting through thirteen weeks of boring lectures on a topic Jarrett didn’t care an ounce about, he needed some excitement, so when Dion suggested his dare, Jarrett was all for it.

But after the response from Madeline, he wasn’t so sure it’d been a good idea.

There was something about her that had attracted him from the start. She was clearly at University because she wanted to be, unlike Jarrett, who was there only because his parents paid him to go.

He almost wished he’d taken some control over the decision making though, because then he wouldn’t have been stuck doing a Psychology Major. What on earth were his parents thinking?

On the other hand, if he’d picked business, or architecture, or something else that he had some vague interest in, he would never have laid eyes on Madeline.

She wasn’t the only attractive woman in their psych class, of course. There were plenty of others, plenty who were far more relaxed, and much more open to having a good time.

Which is why Jarrett had left his note open.

Hey, want to go out for a drink later? I’ll show you a good time! ;)

That way it didn’t matter if the plane went off target, because Susan, who’d been sitting in the seat in front of Madeline, was always up for some fun.

When the plane had hit Madeline in the side of the face, Jarrett had felt his first hint of remorse. But when she’d turned around, forehead furrowed and jaw set, his nerve had failed him completely and he’d pretended it had been for Susan the whole time.

He wished he’d just built up the nerve to speak to her directly. She’d probably never talk to him again, now.

Madeline could never be found at parties, or out anywhere, really. He’d never seen her in the cafeteria, or at the local coffee shop, or even out taking a stroll around the University grounds.

Her absence from everywhere except class made her all the more interesting.

What the hell did she do with all her time?

After today’s interaction, Jarrett knew. She was clearly a brain, and so she must spend all her time studying, or in the library.

He might have rich parents, but he knew that didn’t count one bit where brains were concerned.

Madeline was beautiful, but she was out of his league.

He’d just have to forget about her.

***

If you want to keep reading let me know in the comments! I can post new chapters here on Vocal if there's enough interest - otherwise you can buy a copy from most ebook retailers (and there's a paperback version too)!