Chaotic (Imperfect Perfection) - By C.A. Williams Page 0,15

up to rub at the stubble on his head as I stared at him, just glimpsing a flash of a tattoo on his forearm. His sandy brown hair that used to grow wild was now closely shaved and looked even lighter than I remembered against his deep brown tan.

The smirk that crossed his lips brought back memories of all of the adventures he used to drag me on over the years, no matter how unwilling I was.

Nash Griffin.

One of the truly real best friends I have ever had.

“Well, are you just going to stare all day, or are you going to give me a hug?” I jumped up, tearing my eyes away from this grown up Nash that I wasn’t used to, and he wrapped his arms around me, lifting my feet off the porch. I buried my nose in the crook of his neck, breathing in the soapy smell that was one of the most comforting things about Nash and now was mixed with spicy cologne.

He finally set me back down on my feet, pushing back a strand of my hair and grabbing on to one of my hands to drag me back onto the porch swing. “Are you going to say anything? Shouldn’t I be the one surprised that you are here? You figured you would see me, right?”

I cleared my throat, turning sideways to look at him. “Sorry, of course I figured I would see you. I guess I just didn’t really have time to think about it since coming here was sort of a surprise for me too. It’s good to see you, Nash. I’ve missed you.”

He squeezed my hand lightly before pushing off the porch and swinging us as high as possible. The simplest things were all about the thrill for Nash ever since I had known him. “I’ve missed you too, Della,” he replied quietly. “And I’m glad you’re back. How long are you visiting for?”

“Actually, I’m back for awhile. I start at UNC next week, and I’m moving into the dorms tomorrow.”

“Really?” His brows shot up, and he gave me a wide smile. “That’s awesome, Della. I guess we’ll finally be able to catch up after all of these years. I can’t wait to hang out.” We both turned when we heard the crunching of gravel, and Nash quickly let go of my hand when a black car pulled into his driveway.

“We’ll have to catch up later though. Let me know if you need any help moving in tomorrow.” He skipped the steps, hopping straight off the porch and gave me a wave while jogging backwards. “Glad you’re back, Della.”

“Me too,” I shouted after him. I watched as he ran back over to his house and yanked on the driver’s door that had just pulled in.

A girl with stick straight black hair and dark mocha skin stepped out, instantly throwing her arms around Nash’s neck and planting a kiss on his lips. For some reason, a shot of jealousy ran through me that I had never felt before. I had no idea why.

Nash and I had only ever been friends. We had been too young before to really ever have any romantic feelings. I just didn’t see him that way. I finally tore my eyes away once they disappeared into the house. I was glad Nash didn’t seem upset with me that I hadn’t kept in contact over the years.

When I had moved to Connecticut, my life had basically been turned upside down, and I tried to just focus on putting it together as much as I could. I had missed Nash though, and I was glad that he seemed like he wanted to pick up our friendship right where we left off.

*********

I smoothed down the white tunic I had chosen over a pair of black leggings along with wedge booties as I stood in front of the room I had been assigned for the next year. For some reason, my hands were sweaty, and I felt slightly shaky. I had no idea why I was so nervous, I had no problem meeting new people before, and I wasn’t about to let this get to me. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, scanning my surroundings that looked to be covered with boxes and strewn contents.

I dropped my handbag on the floor, looking at the dorm. Basically, the whole thing could be seen from the front door. A small kitchenette was tucked into one corner and opened up into a