It's About Time

"He hasn't spoken to me on text in months and now suddenly he is here asking me if I'm planning to go to the batch picnic? It was only for you!"

"I don't know Zoey. Why couldn't he just leave it on I'm nice? Why did he add that he doesn't wanna be friends with me? And besides, if he thinks I'm that nice why is he telling you and not me directly?"

Zoey smacked her palm on her forehead as she yelled out, "Oh My God! The guy obviously likes you stupid! He is not gonna advertise his feelings by telling me he likes you! He messaged me out of nowhere, brought the conversation on you himself when I didn't. He was just trying to find out if you had said something to me about him! Tell me about it? He told me he thinks you're super nice, he was obviously just tricking me into telling him if you had said something about him to me!"

"Doesn't sound like that..."

"Ashley, he didn't say he doesn't wanna be friends with you! He said he is terrified of being friends with you because of the whole Angela thing, and you can't blame him, okay? He fell hard for her and when things ended it crushed him so I'm sure you can understand why he is afraid of being with you. He wants to be with you he is just scared of repeating history. That's all. He's just being prudent this time which anyone would be doing, given history, okay?" said Zoey trying to knock some sense into her friend.

"Fine. If you say so," said Ashley in response, still having doubts.

The remainder of the ride was in general silent. The girls talked a little about their families but at the back of her mind, Ashley kept thinking about Sam's messages.

"Maybe Zoey was right. He is not gonna publicly admit to people and especially to Zoey of all people if he likes me." she thought to herself. "He knows Zoey's my friend and a very close friend, he knows if I like him Zoey would know that for sure so if the only person besides me who can help him out is her."

However, she was done constantly trying to figure what meant what. She was done speaking to Samuel in codes, she needed a direct answer, she needed a direction to whether or not they were headed somewhere.

As the girls reached the university campus, Ashley hugged Zoey before going upstairs for her class, texting Anna on her way to save her a seat next to her.

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"Dinggggg!" the elevator doors opened as the girl in the blacktop with hair tied in a bun stepped out of it on the third floor of the university building as she made her way to her Oral Biology class.

She peeked inside the lecture hall through the glassed doors to see if the class had already begun but thankfully it hadn't. She pushed the door open and walked inside searching for Anna, Natalie and Samantha.

"Hey, you guys! What I miss?" said Ashley cheerily as she approached her friends.

"We were just talking about Oral Bio! Uhh, I just hate Tuesdays! It is such torture not knowing what professor is going to take the class." cried Natalie.

"Plus midterms are in a month and I haven't even touched my books!" added Natalie.

"The senior I know who goes in my bus said midterms don't count. They're just a formality. The important thing is the finals!" reassured Anna.

"Yeah well I'm not gonna take any risks, I'm gonna have to start studying on my own!" said Samantha.

The doors of the lecture hall opened once again and the professor walked in.

"Here we go again you, another hour of complete torture!" cried Anna.

"Why do they take morning classes so early. 8:30 is too early!" whined Ashley as she took her seat

"Okay everyone please take your seats. We have a lot to cover today! Latecomers will not be entertained, Aiden would you please get up and lock the doors for me?" ordered the professor as Aiden got up to lock the lecture hall doors behind him.

The students scattered all around the hall took their seats with Ashley making sure to take hers right beside Anna so she could update her with Sam's conversation with Zoey during class.

"So before we start our today's lecture on salivary glands, I'm gonna ask a few questions from the last lecture to see how much you guys have been studying." continued the professor.

The students sighed and pleaded with the professor to give them some time to review and then he could ask.

Once the class settled down a bit and the professor proceeded with the new topic, Ashley whispered in Anna's ear, "There's something important I want to talk to you about!"

"What is it?"

"Him."

Anna's eyes became wide, "What happened? When did it happen? What did he do? "

Ashley narrated the WhatsApp conversation between Zoey and Sam in a whisper trying to keep her voice as low as possible so she doesn't get caught by the professor, while Anna had her eyes locked on her friend's face, listening intently trying to understand Sam's actions.

"I think it is very sweet!"

"Are you positive?"

"Of course he is just playing if safe, Zoey's right He was just taking a shot at her to see if she will cave up to him!"

"Maybe, but I have decided I'm gonna talk directly to him today!"

"What?"

"Remember he said he is gonna come back to study for his exams in our Library from Tuesday? It is Tuesday today! He might come here today. I think I am gonna speak to him now!"

"Speak to him about what? as in what are you gonna say? You can't tell him you know what Zoey told you!"

"Why not? She's a very close friend of mine. If he asks her about me, she is obviously gonna tell me, he can't possibly expect her no to. I just need to know if he is on the same page as I am. Okay? Please back me up here! It has been a month now, I need to know if what we think is actually a legit thing!

"Okay okay, I guess you're right, it is time to speed things up a little. God, I'm so nervous for you I can feel my stomach flip flop just at the thought of it."

Ashley smiled at her friend's adorable reaction but despite being nervous to her very core she knew she had to. After all isn't that what she said to Zoey that night she confessed her feelings to Isaac, "You deserve to know the truth too so you know if it's time to move on."