Chapter 32 I'm Jace Lyon

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[Cedar Hall, Room 411, 14:20, 31/07/2021]

Alexandra swiped her key card and pushed open the door to her dorm, stepping inside with a sigh of relief. The room was exactly what she expected—simple, functional, and a little on the small side. A small twin bed sat against one wall, a desk nearby, and a wooden wardrobe next to it. Across from her was another bed, the sheets slightly rumpled, suggesting her roommate had already moved in.

Noticing the posters of Kobe Bryant and the Dallas cheerleaders took her back for a second but she reasons that her roommate probably played basketball. Like most colleges, UCLA would room student-athletes together, so she assumed that this was also the case for her roommate. It was only now that she noticed the sound of the shower running prompting her to believe that her roommate was washing herself.

She set her suitcase down and adjusted her glasses, taking a deep breath. This was it. The start of her very own college journey. At heart, she was a hopeless romantic as she had grown up watching shows like Gilmore, and Dawson's. This was half the reason she opted for the college rout despite having received her fair share of offers from professional woman teams.

She wanted to experience the same adventure the characters on her screen experienced, to meet the love of her life and make a few mistakes along the way. But now that she was here the idea of living in a dorm with a stranger, being around new people, and adjusting to college life made her feel nervous.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a message from Riley, one of her new teammates. They had met when she came for her official visit and quickly became friends and upon deciding to commit here, she was the first person she called.

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Riley: "Yo Alexa, you made it? We're all meeting at Alpha Phi Alpha; they are throwing a get-together for the football team and all other student-athletes. You coming right? Of course, you're coming no party poopers allowed."

Alex: "How many times do I gotta tell you, it's either Alexandra or Alex I'm not some Siri knockoff."

Alex: "But yeah, just got in. Lemme unpack a bit, and I'll head over."

Riley: "Don't bother unpacking just throw something hot on and come down, the selection is yummy and if you delay only scraps will remain."

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Looking at Riley's text followed by a picture of the party or more specifically an image of a group of boys in shorts who for some reason had their tops off, Alex immediately knew what her friend was talking about. She did not doubt that the food prepared was good, but everyone was busy at the buffet table which is called dating. Sighing at this Alex texted a quick thumbs-up emoji before sliding as they played beer pong her phone back into her pocket, she turned toward her bed and unzipped her suitcase, neatly stacking her clothes inside the wardrobe.

Most of her stuff was athletic gear—jerseys, shorts, compression tights, and a few pairs of cleats. She had packed light, knowing that most of her time would be spent on the field anyway. Plus, she couldn't trust that the fashion in Minnesota would mesh well with LA so she decided to just bring a few sets of regular clothes and would shop for the rest.

She finished unpacking in record time, making sure to place a framed picture of her family on the desk. Her dad was a cattle rancher inheriting his family farm where she grew up with her elder two elder brothers. Both of them went to college with one of them in his last year to become a vet as he studied animal science and Business to help the family business.

The middle child who was her second brother took after the saying if the world gives you lemons make lemonade. He dropped out of school at 16 and has been attending culinary school ever since and now at 23 is completing his final year at his 3 culinary school. Bennett had made it his life mission to make the best dishes out of his family cattle as that was what he chose to specialise in.

The moment he had grasped the fundamentals and became adept and absorbed all the different techniques he would either graduate early or drop out not bothering to stick around to learn other techniques. When asked why he would simply say that he could simply hire a chef specialising in other dishes, but no one will ever be able to say that his beef dishes weren't up to taste.

Alex had no interest in the family business other than when it came to her horses, unlike her brothers, she simply didn't have a passion for it. Sighing at this she quickly changed into a pair of ripped baggy high-top jeans, a white tube top that exposed her toned belly and to finish off her fit she wore a long-sleeved Colorblock cardigan.

Glancing at herself in the mirror, that was on the wardrobe door she adjusted her round glasses and nodded. "You've got this Alex, you look cute, let's go conquer this shit like the warrior queen you are," she said out loud trying her best to motivate herself as she struck a heroic pose in front of the mirror.

Just as she was holding her pose, the door to the bathroom opened, causing a bout of steam to flood out. In the reflection of the mirror, she watched as a light-skinned figure who seemed to be sculpted by ancient Greek artists walked out. He was long—no, tall was the word for it—as he slightly bent his head down at the door frame, his afro, which was in a messy bun, still brushing against the wooden frame.

He came to an abrupt stop upon seeing her, his green eyes narrowing in confusion, which quickly turned into displeasure. Alexandra didn't notice this, though, as she audibly gulped when her gaze, still locked on the mirror, travelled downward. The neat row of six-pack abs seemingly called out to her as a thin droplet drew a line down them.

Jace froze for a second, still gripping his towel around his waist. The sudden sight of a complete stranger—especially a girl—left him just as startled as Alexandra. "Uh..." he began, clearing his throat and looking her over. "You lost or something?"

"Uh…" Alex began, suddenly very aware of how silly she looked mid-pose in front of the mirror. She spun around, cheeks blazing, eyes flicking from Jace's dripping hair to the towel clinging precariously to his waist. "No, I'm not lost. I'm…uh, supposed to be in this room. Room 411?"

Jace arched an eyebrow, still gripping the towel. "This is 411, but I was told I was rooming with a dude named Alex Jacobs," He glanced at the posters he'd pinned on the wall and then at her suitcase. "You tall and all but you're no dude. Wait don't tell me you're part of the rainbow squad or something like dat, 'cause in that case Me No Habla Ingles."

Alex blinked, not quite sure if she'd heard him right. "Rainbow squad? You mean…oh! No, I'm not here because of that." She paused, noticing the confusion on his face. "And for the record, I'm not a guy. I'm Alexandra Jacobs a 100% girl since birth. Most people just call me Alex, and apparently Housing messed up. They must've assumed Alex Jacobs was a boy."

Jace's grip on his towel relaxed a bit, though he still looked annoyed. "So, you're telling me you told them your Alex Jacobs and they put you in a room with a boy by mistake? You are not too bright, are you?"

Alex's cheeks grew hot, and she shot Jace a glare. "Excuse me? It's not like I asked them to put me in the wrong room. I'm pretty sure my housing form said 'female.' Maybe they got their wires crossed because my name is 'Alex,' but that doesn't make me stupid."

Jace let out a scoff, shifting the towel so it wouldn't slip. "All I know is this is supposed to be my room, and you're, well…" He gestured at her. "Not exactly what I pictured for a roommate, and I doubt the coaches wanted us in co-ed rooms."

Alex placed her hands on her hips, doing her best to keep her eyes on his face and not his abs. "Yeah, I didn't sign up to share a room with some random guy I'll talk to Housing and get it fixed. In the meantime, could you maybe put on clothes? Or at least, I don't know, keep a towel from slipping?"

Jace gave a half-chuckle, half-sigh. "It looked like you were enjoying the view though," he said with a teasing smile causing her eyes to widen in embarrassment. "I'm Jace Lyon by the way,"

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To Be Continued...