9.9: Xavier and Winter, Xavier and College, Xavier and Gifts

Thud.  

   What was that? I glanced up from the computer and, having seen nothing through the frosty window pane, glanced back down. I had to write an essay for a business class I barely understood and didn’t want to take, I was probably looking for a distraction when there wasn’t one.

Thud.

   There it was again. I saved my essay and exited out of the program, before shutting down the computer. I wasn't going to get any work done, might as well conserve electricity. I stood up, shivering slightly; the thermostat had been turned down a few degrees to help the university save money over the break.

Thud.

   I turned my head, just in time to see a snowball hitting the frosty window pane. Who was throwing that? The school was on winter break and the campus was abandoned. Luna had decided to take what little money she had and jet off to Paris, while figuring out whether or not to keep the fetus, Asher decided to go see his parents, Claire was kicked out of study group so I hadn't bothered keeping contact with her, Yasmin and Ross were off at some couples retreat presumably acting like bunnies in bed all day. Delilah and Anderson seemed content and I had tons of work to do, so I decided I'd stay. I glided over to the window, peeking through it. 

   “Who is that?” I mumbled to myself, seeing a man, bundled up in winter gear, standing  in the snow, constructing another snowball. He looked freezing, even in the gear; the wind was blowing rather fiercely, snow was being whipped around the face. I struggled to push the frozen window up, but succeeded. “Hey!” I called out.

   “Phoebe!” The man cried out, smiling and waving. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes.”

   “Wh- Xavier?” I knew I was sleep deprived, so I could be imaging him, I also knew that I hadn’t made any plans to meet up with him. We'd chatted on the phone every week or so, I knew that he took Anderson to the zoo once a week, most of all I knew that Xavier Tenant was not supposed to be at NDSU. “What are you doing here?” I asked, befuddled, but still glad to see him, the smile that spread across my face showing it. I missed Xavier more then I cared to admit and with my thing with Asher, I was trying to ignore the old feelings that lingered before I left for college.

   “I was- May I come in? It’s three degrees out here.”

   “Oh, yeah, yeah! I’m sorry, sure.” I gushed, rushing to the backdoor to allow him to enter the dorms. “It’s been awhile, a full semester, my first semester, ago.” I smiled, as I rushed him into the kitchen, so he could warm up and I could maybe find him something warm to drink.

   “I haven’t seen you since I helped you move in.” He replied, slipping off his snow covered winter coat. “You know what else I haven't done in so long?”

   “What?” I asked, an even wider smile spreading across my face; Xavier was wonderful, I could confide in him, he could confide in my, he helped me whenever I needed it, and, from what I could tell from the three times a week phone calls I received from Anderson and Delilah, was helping Delilah make sure Anderson was doing all sorts of entertaining things.

   “Hugged you.”

   “Aww.” I blushed, as he pulled me into a hug. “You’re freezing! How long were you outside?”

   “Not long, see I drive up each year to see my parents each year and I thought, hey, Phoebe’s close and since you aren’t going home for the holidays and I... I miss you, Pho. I love Delilah and Hannah and all our friends, but, I can’t talk to them like I can to you.”

   “I... I feel the same.” 

   “Well, er,” I looked up at his face and saw him blushing, as he pulled away, “enough of this sappy stuff! Sorry, so, uh, yeah. I decided to drop bye, I hope that’s okay. I was tossing the snowballs because I couldn’t reach you on your cell and you have to have a student ID to get in the dorms, which I didn’t realize.”

   “Thank you, for coming. How long’s the drive?”

   “About a fifteen hour drive.”

   “And you drive there every year?” I exclaimed. I knew how to drive, I’d just never driven anywhere farther then twenty miles away from Delilah’s apartment.

   “I like getting to travel halfway across the country, see the sites, see the small towns.” He shrugged. 

   “That’s really interesting. Other then Isla Paradiso, LA, and here I haven’t seen or traveled to many places. So, do your parents live in Fargo, Dilworth, Horace, Mapleton, or somewhere?” I asked, listing off the city NDSU was in and a few other relatively close cites. 

   “Not exactly. They’re in Denver.”

   “Colorado! That’s what, ten hours away? Xavier, that’s insane!”

   “Erhm, thirteen, and it wasn’t too far. Not for you.”

   “Thank you.” I simply said, still in shock. He drove an extra half a day just to see me? That was insane... Insanely, generously, sweet of him. “Do you want something to drink? There’s,”
   I began rifling through the fridge and pantry, “water, what looks like water, but I’m fairly certain is vodka, root beer, and prune juice.”

   “Not that those choices don’t sound wonderful, but are there any diners or anything open?”

   “There’s this small place. The food’s terrible, but cheap and it’s probably warmer there then here. Plus they have hot coffee and don’t mind people loitering there.”

   “Sounds good. Honestly, Pho, I don’t care if you take me to a gas station or truck stop for food, as long as I’m with you.” Before I could melt to the ground, he was still as charming as ever, we were both bundled up in our warm, winter clothes, ready to brave the storm for some cruddy coffee with glorious company.

____________________

   “Can you believe I only have three semesters of college left?” I asked Delilah, forcing a smile onto my face.

   “No.” She admitted, standing up from the couch. “This is such a cliche, but it seems like only yesterday you were a nineteen year old telling me you wanted to earn your bachelor’s, now you’re twenty-one.”

   “I know...” I sighed, staring off at the television. “Thanks for putting up with me. And Anderson.”

   “Phoebe, you guys are family, no matter what and I love you and Andy, just like I do any other family member. Now, speaking of Andy, there’s a special exhibit at the aquarium. I swear, all the other six year olds love dump trucks and mud and he’s obsessing over aquatic life. It’s all those zoo trips Xavier took him on.”

   “Have fun.”

   “We will. Are you okay with being left in such a... Fragile state? I texted Xavier to stop by, see you.”

   “Xavier?” I hopefully asked, as I heard Andy bound down the stairs.

   “Phoebe, Delilah, it’s time for the aquarium! Yeah, we gotta go.”

   “Don’t worry, we will.” Delilah smiled. “Don’t forget your jacket, it is November.” She called out to him, before following him out the door. Minutes later, I heard a knock at the door. I presumed they were back for Andy’s jacket, so instead of getting up, I simply said:

   “The door’s unlocked. C’mon.”

   “‘Ello.”

   “Xavier, hey. I didn’t think you’d be here so soon.” I stood up, straightening my crumpled clothing. “You didn’t have to come.”

   “Delilah said you rushed home, you were sad because a friend left to join the military with no notice. I figured that an emergency visit. How are you?”

   “Better. I was in shock.” I wanted to avoid going into details; Asher had decided to end the thing we’d had for nearly two and a half years the night before he had to report to a military base and then be deployed. He hadn’t told me much, his family had financial problems, so he was dropping out of college, and he hadn’t left me with much warning. I’d told him I hated him, that we’d had a friends with benefits relationship that actually worked and he’d ruined it. “I can’t believe you rushed over.”

   “Phoebe, I want you to know that I will always rush over for you, even if it’s the middle of the night, even if there’s a tornado, even if you tell me not to. I’ve been struggling with these feelings for a while, you’re the step-child of Delilah and all, being around you confuses me, it makes me happier, and you’re such a kind, intelligent woman, being you’re friend is one of the best things to happen to me, but- and it took me longer then it should of- now I realize that I don’t just want to be you’re friend.”

   “Really?” Hope gleamed in my eyes, as the feeling of hurt slowly melted away, still lingering. “Xavier, I feel the same, but, but...”

   “But?” Hurt filled his eyes. “I knew it wasn’t a good time, I’m sorry. I just, it took, I mean, I had such a difficult time holding everything in.”

   “No, no, don’t be hurt. I’m the one that should be apologizing. You’re amazing and I want to date you, gawd, I want to date you so bad, but...”

   “College.”

   “Yes!” I shouted, too enthusiastically. I wanted to date Xavier so bad, I cared for him as deeply as he cared for me, but after Asher, even though he never held my heart, I only lust after him, I didn’t love him, it felt too soon. “I have three semesters and...”

   “Then?”

   “Then.” I agreed.

________________

   “Why’d you bring me out here?” I smiled at Xavier, as we stood on the fire escape together.

   “I wanted to give you a present.” He replied.

   “You didn’t!” I giggled, as I looked down at my gorgeous dress that I was wearing to my twenty-third birthday party Delilah had thrown for me. She’d invited her friends, a few of my coworkers from the design firm where I’d been hired at, Ross and Yasmin, who’d recently had a shot gun wedding I’d attended, Yasmin was expecting, even Luna, who’d, after her travels across the globe and the termination of her pregnancy, had decided to start working for a woman’s rights advocacy group, and everyone had shown up.

   “I had to. After that unbelievable gift you’d gotten me for my birthday.”

   “It was nothing.” I shrugged, even though I knew it wasn’t to him. I’d bought him a top of the line computer that was ideal for his programming pursuits.

   “Still, I saw this and it made me think of your eyes. I couldn’t resist.” He pulled out a small box, with a generous sized bow atop it, and handed it to me. I slowly opened it, gasping when I saw the contents. He’d purchased a silver necklace with an emerald and pearl encrusted pendent. “I love it.”

   “Really?”

   “Yes... Remember, when we agreed on then.”

   “Then?”

   “Then. Now. Three semesters.”

   “I’d never forgotten.”

   “It’s then now. I... It may be too early, but I love you. If you’re still, you know, into me, we could...”

   “Phoebe Janes, I will never not be into you.”

   “So you’ll be my boyfriend?” I asked, teasingly, knowing what the answer would be.

   “If you’ll be my girlfriend.”

   “Then I suppose the answer is yes.”