Breaking Free: A Living Again Novella Read Free Page A

wasn’t one of those girls that looked in the mirror all the time and popped their gum. He hated the sound of popping gum. When he was younger, that would send him right over the edge into a shouting mess. Over the years, he had learned how to better handle most social situations. It would never be comfortable, but he was able to make it through.
     
    Greer,
    Hi. My name is Alexis, and I’m your lab partner. Do you want to meet for coffee or lunch and we can figure out our schedule? I’m a pre-med major and a freshman and don’t know many people yet. I look forward to talking to you soon.
    Alexis
     
    She seemed nice enough. He looked around the room, wondering which one she could be. Was she blonde, dark-haired, or red-headed? Was she one of the girls sitting around on their phones, completely dismissing the teacher? She said she was pre-med. So probably not. That was a good sign. She was studious if she was pre-med. And she was in Biology 2 as a freshman, so she was smart. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.
     
    Alexis,
    I’m on campus Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I don’t live on campus since I’m from Tallahassee. I have one hour between my classes. I can meet you at 11:15 but I have to be gone by 11:45. Let’s meet at Pizza Hut on campus. I don’t drink coffee.
    Greer
     
    He reread the email to make sure it sounded okay before he hit send. His mom and his therapist had been teaching him for years how to communicate effectively that way. He could be rather abrupt and insensitive. Thinking that it sounded okay, he hit send and turned his attention back to Professor Wilkins, who was wrapping things up.
    “She’s a looker, huh,” a whispered voice came from next to him. Greer hated people whispering in his ear. The sensation of someone’s breath tickling him, and thinking of all the germs he could get from someone being that close made his stomach churn.
    He turned, gritting his teeth against the overwhelming feeling he had to wipe his ear. A guy had sat down next to him. One that he didn’t know, which was why he was talking to him. Greer realized he must’ve been talking about their professor. She was pretty, but he rarely was affected by those things. Most people were pretty on the outside but ugly on the inside, and he knew that all too well.
    “Yes, she’s pretty. But she’s the teacher. Teachers need to be respected.” The guy looked at him quizzically, and he knew that he was wondering what his deal was. Greer knew he was a good-looking guy, but he was odd. When he had first started college, he had been hit on by a lot of girls. His dark cropped hair and bright green eyes attracted them. He was tall and well-built, thanks to the time he spent in his garage working out. But it didn’t take long before they would realize that he wasn’t what they expected.
    He had come to terms with being weird, and that once people started talking to him they would just walk away. The very things that made him odd were also the things that made him really smart. He had been valedictorian of his class, which oddly enough hadn’t earned him any popularity.
    The guy mumbled under his breath and returned to his seat, looking out of the corner of his eye at Greer every few minutes. He could only imagine what words he was mumbling. He’d heard them all. Freak, retard, idiot, weirdo, queer; those were the favorites.
    When class let out, Greer made his way out of the doors, finding himself scanning and wondering which one of the girls was Alexis. He had never had a friend that was a girl before, other than his mom. He was even more awkward around girls than he was around guys. Next, he had his composition class. That was often hard for him because interpreting things wasn’t his strong suit. But he persevered, just like he did with everything.
     

     
    He was meeting her. In five minutes. This “Alexis” that he was going to be partnered in lab with the whole semester. He would have to talk to her a few