Samantha Sterling as a nurse – she surely made him feel better.
She was lost in the bitter thought when her best friend, Ashleigh
approached her.“Hey, there you are! I thought Travis came for you and you eloped together” she teased seeing her friend staring at the picture of the handsome football player.
“Ash…the chance of that happening is less than 0 percent, I’m not part of the ‘The circle of popular people' and he has the cheerleader to cheer him up, besides, I would never fall for anybody like him!” she said as they headed to the dormitories.
“Yes, say it like you mean it!” Ashleigh giggled.
“I do! Why don’t you tell me about what’s going on between you and Andrew Simpson…did he finish the game he was programming?”
“Yes! He’s a genius and pretty funny for a computer geek. Oh, ad he asked me to go with him to Boston when we graduate!! I can’t believe this is our last year!”
“Ashleigh that’s so sweet!! I can already see you with a big house and a dozen children…as for this being our last year, it is true, but we’ll still be close right?”
“Always.” they hugged and went upstairs to finally catch some sleep
“You know, maybe you should make a move on Travis…” Ashleigh said as they changed into their PJs
“And steal him from the princess of short skirts and painted nails. No way. Besides I told you I don’t like him. He’s a snob and so is Samantha, they deserve each other. We’ll never see each other again once we graduate, thank god, because he’ll be a lawyer and I’ll be a Biologist.”
Ashleigh just sighed, it was a pity that her friend gave up on love like that, she knew Travis liked Tory by the way in which he stared at her when he thought nobody was looking. Which was difficult because that bitch Samantha would be all over him every chance she’d get. Damn.
It was true, Travis Carter was the top of his class and the captain of the football team, not to mention very cute but he was a nice person all in all. Keeter and Pendry were always with their head in the clouds but he was quite down to earth.
He and Tory were perfect for each other. Why couldn’t they see it?
-----------------------------
Next morning Tory and Ashleigh decided to head to the hall in the morning to study for the tests they had to do the next day. The circle of popular people, which consisted of the players and their girlfriends, most of them cheerleaders; were sitting at their usual place.
Samantha was having a conversation with Annie about their nail beds when she saw Tory and Ashleigh arriving. Her relationship with Travis was going to shreds soon and it was all because of that bratty big-boobed biologist, she was sure; she had caught Travis staring at her in awe several times. She didn’t know what he saw in her, she rarely wore a skirt, always with the jeans…and she hated the blouses and turtlenecks she wore…how medieval!
Suddenly an evil gleam glinted in her eyes and when Annie stopped talking and gave her a questioning look she just whispered ‘watch this’ when Ashleigh and Tory were close enough, she hopped down from the table and bellowed. “Hey biologist! Having a nerdy day? You know there are other clothes besides charity bazaar …uh, items…oh, I’m sorry maybe your drunken daddy was too busy to get you something decent!” She laughed along with her cheerleader posse.
Tory turned around and looked at her, square in the eye, “You know Samantha, there are other clothes besides see through fishnets my grandpa used when he went fishing.” With that she went out, running to the toilets as tears ran down her face with Ashleigh following her.
She never talked to her, why did she humiliate her like that in front of everyone?
Travis and Samantha were in his corvette, arguing; which was all they were doing lately.
“You know, that was down right mean what you said to Tory today…I know you don’t like her - but for god’s sake Samantha!!”
“Ah so you know her name! Since when? Tell me Travis, how long have you been doing it behind my back with the big-boobed biologist?!”
“You’re just jealous of her because she has some curves unlike you, and just for your information I never cheated.”
“Yeah right…tell me Travis, how much do you pay her? Or do you post them directly to her father for beers?”
“That really was THE LAST STRAW! Get the hell outta here and we’re finished!”
She got out of the car but before she slammed the car door she shouted: “YOUR LOSS TRAVIS CARTER! GO TO YOUR WHORE!”
Travis felt free, finally. Damn, he had to do research today…oh well…he’d go tomorrow evening when no one would be there.
Next morning, Tory woke up her eyes still a bit puffy from spending the night crying. It wasn’t fair when someone got judged because of a family member and humiliated because she didn’t feel comfortable in skirts which hardly covered her backside in front of the person she, though she didn’t give it permission, her heart belonged to.
Oh well, today she had the Biology test. She hoped it would go well because she needed to work on that research since she had spent all her time studying for the test. She’d go in in the evening when no one would be there.
Adding the last book to the pile, Tory decided the 8 thick books were enough for to today, somehow she managed to carry them – the only problem was they were so big she couldn’t see were she was going but everything was going smooth…until she bumped into something hard and fell, sending all the books flying around her.
“I’m so sorry…are you hurt?” Oh damn, she just bumped into Travis Carter! There he was, looking all concerned and flustered and so sweet.
He touched her shoulder when he saw her staring at him and not talking, outside was already dark and the lamps gave her face a very nice glow, her soft big eyes were sparkling. “Tory, are you ok?”
Tory snapped from her reverie “Uh, yeah, I’m sorry. I didn’t know where I was going. So it was either you or something else…”she chuckled as he rearranged her books.
He stood up and offered his hand to help her up, smiling, she accepted it but as soon as she tried to get up, pain seared through her ankle.
“AH!” her face twisted in pain and Travis quickly gathered her in his arms so she would not fall again.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think my ankle didn’t agree with my fall, god it hurts…” she hissed in pain.
“It’s ok, let’s go to the infirmary. I hope someone is still there…”
-----------------------------
The infirmary was luckily open but as Travis had thought there was no one. He laid Tory on the stretcher and adjusted it so she could sit up.
“It’s not broken is it?” she asked wearily.
“No it’s just twisted.” He pulled out a pack of ice from the freezer and gently put it against her swollen ankle.
There was an awkward silence, as if they feared the other knew their feelings. Their attraction was so obvious but neither of them wanted to mess up this special thing so Travis decided to be brave and take the first step and to get to know her better.
“I’ve seen you around but we never really talked… strange, isn’t it?” he said, smiling that adorable smile of his.
“Yeah but we’re in completely different courses and different groups of people so…” she finished with a small smile, noticing he hadn’t stopped holding her hand.
“Yeah…- by the way, what Samantha did to you last time was damn mean and I hate her for that.”
Tears filled her big brown eyes and Travis was kicking himself. Why the hell did he have to mention what happened that morning knowing how sensitive the topic of family was for her?! Damn it.
On the other hand Tory was mad at herself. She was a strong woman and her tears were unauthorized, she didn’t want to cry…well at least this brought his strong, gentle arms around her. She felt so safe, suddenly, everything was right in the world and nothing could hurt her anymore. She put her hands on his chest and buried her face in his neck, not knowing that he was enjoying this as much as she was, she felt so small and soft in that sweater he didn’t want to let her go. He wanted to protect her.
“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up…”
“No that’s ok. I don’t know what came into me anyway.”
“The fishnet comment was funny though, if that helps any. After the first lesson, she found a trawler drawn on her locker, the sight was priceless!” he chuckled, glad he could make her smile. She had a beautiful smile.
“You have any plans for Christmas?” he said, taking her mind off the topic.
“No” she replied sadly “Uncle Matt will be in Iraq and I certainly won’t go home to my father. Maybe I’ll just stay here...and wouldn’t Samantha have a fit hearing you say these things?” she laughed.
“Well, no, she and I are history. Has been for a long time if you ask me, but anyway, I won’t let you spend Christmas here. Why don’t you come with me to La Jolla, my parents live there and my mom loves guests. Besides, it will probably be my parents aunts and uncles and I’ll feel like a fish out of the water with all those elders.” He winked, before giving her that pleading look nobody could resist.
“Um…but we hardly know each other, and I don’t want to intrude.”
“Maybe we can work on getting to know each other and I certainly wouldn’t have asked you, if you were intruding. Please?”
“All right, counsellor!” she giggled.
Next morning found Travis spooned against his favourite girl, she was so sweet and it was still early so he decided to spend some time watching her, smelling the vanilla shampoo in her hair and just cuddling as he held her close.
But soon the time came to wake her up because god knows what would happen if they found them together here. He nuzzled her soft cheek and whispered softly in her ear “Tory, wake up honey. Time to rise and shine…come on wake up honey…”
Tory thought she’d died and gone to heaven. She woke up feeling safe in Travis Carter’s arms as he whispered in her ear; she turned a bit to face him and met those clear blue-green eyes watching her in awe.
“Good morning sunshine…” he grinned.
“You too…” she smiled before rubbing her sleep from her eyes.
“I know that all we did was sleeping but god knows what would happen if they found us here and I didn’t want you to get in trouble because of me…” he rubbed his nose against hers “And your ankle should be fine by now.”
Tory stood on her feet. It was true…her ankle was fine. “Yeah thanks…Uh, Travis…what will we tell the others?”
“That we were doing research and we fell asleep…no need to know where!” he winked “Why don’t you meet me this afternoon…it’s supposed to be a nice day and I wanted to give my ‘vette a run. What do you say?”
“Alright” she smiled shyly “1:30 okay?”
“Yeah…meet me in the parking lot.”
“Okay…and Travis, thank you.” She kissed his cheek before running to the dormitories, leaving a dazed Travis Carter in her wake.
“You’re welcome…”
-----------------------------
Next day Tory found Travis waiting for her leaning against his red corvette, he was wearing faded jeans, a black shirt and his leather jacket along with aviator glasses. He was so handsome…
“Hey, right on time” he smiled, opening the car door for her.
“I’m always on time” she winked. She almost fainted when she saw him wearing that jacket.
They were walking by the lake, the air was quite chilly but contrary to Tory; Travis wasn’t a person who got cold easily and holding her hands to keep them warm was his pleasure. As they talked, they discovered that they had a lot of things in common; in different ways-they both lacked a father figure, both wanted good careers but most of all…they also wanted to find true, eternal love.
Travis spent a lot of time staring at her in awe and listening to her, for him the world around them faded. It was just her and her honey sweet voice. She was so beautiful and had suffered so much...were her father in front of him; he would have certainly decked him and the more she talked the greater his attraction for her became.
He called his mother that morning to tell her about Tory, she said she already like her…unlike Samantha, who even though she’d never met her in person, she nicknamed her ‘snobbish doll’. She had seen her once at a game and her stomach made a funny turn when she laid eyes on her, and the lady always gave someone a chance but Samantha was just sick and full of makeup. But when he told her about Tory’s past, Trish already felt her heart open for this girl…life was so hard on her, she’d make sure Tory had a nice Christmas this year, and if her mother instinct was right, Tory might me the girl who stole her son’s heart.
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Christmas was soon coming and Washington was covered in white, everyone calling their relatives and cheerfully packing, happy to finally get a break from the studies. Christmas was never a happy time for Tory but maybe this year…
“So, how does eloping with our football captain for Christmas feel like Tory?” giggled Ashleigh as they got their luggage ready.
“We’re not eloping and we’re just friends. I’m just spending Christmas with him and his family…where are you spending them?”
“With my family of course! Andrew promised me he’d call me everyday though, maybe we’ll go skiing since he won’t be too far!!” Ashleigh chirped happily.
“That’s nice…guess I’d better hit the shower before we go” winked Tory playfully.
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On the flight to California, Travis and Tory kept talking, Travis told her about his father and how he missed him, that he would’ve been a pilot himself weren’t for his night blindness and even though his stepfather loved him like he was his own, he didn’t accept him at first. Though now, even if he never called him ‘dad’, at least he talked to him like a friend and not someone who was trying to steal his father’s place.
Tory held his hand the whole time and wiped the lone tears from his face. They slept the flight away with Tory’s head on his chest, the airhostesses oohed and aahed over them, and they even covered them in a blanket and took pictures of them. They were so cute!!
Fin
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can i know the synopsis of this story?
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