Danika's Gift

Danika’s Gift

By

Jayn Wilde

Chapter 1

“Sam, it hurts.” I whined.

“Oh stop it Dani.  Let me just push a little harder.”  Sam’s faced twisted, cheeks puffed.

“It won’t fit.  You can’t just jam it in there.” 

“I am going to make it fit.  You will love it, I promise.”

“Sam, this isn’t the way it works you know.”

“Oh Dani, I know what I am doing.  You will thank me for it later.”  Sam winked.

I let out a strangled cry as it finally slipped in.

“Now, we just need to get the other one in and you’ll be good to go.”

“Look, Sam, you are my cousin and I love you.  But, squishing my feet into these boots just to impress a bunch of strangers on my first day is not a good idea.”

Samantha sighed and plopped down on the couch.  “Fine.  Wear those damn sneakers then.”

Without another word, Sam huffed out of the bedroom, leaving me to wrench the leather boot off of my swollen foot.

****

“Let’s do this
.” Sam nudged my shoulder.

“I don’t think I can
.” I stared at the grass by my sneaker-covered feet.

“I will be here to help you. “

I sighed and waved my hand towards the admissions office.  Sam took the lead and I followed her to the doors.  Sam, or Samantha, was not just my cousin, but also my best friend.  She understood I was “special” and even though she couldn’t wrap her brain around what I could do, she loved me regardless and looked out for me.  The only problem was Sam was three years older than me, so it would be unlikely we’d have any classes together.  She was working on a degree in Business Administration and I had no idea about my own goals.  Sam had big dreams for her future and a plan in place.  Me, well, I just wanted to get through this one day without falling apart.

I’m here Mom.  Give me the strength I need to get through this day.

              I had already registered online for my classes and picked up my books last week.  Now all I needed to do was navigate my way through the crowd of young adults around me and get to my classes.  No one there looked at me strange.  No one there knew me.  In fact, there were very few people from Greenburg that could afford to come to this university.  The only students who ended up here were on scholarships, usually athletic ones, and a handful of academic ones, like me.

“Will you join a sorority?”  Sam’s question woke me out of my stupor.

“Are you kidding?”

“I know you aren’t really comfortable making new friends
.  A sorority has a family atmosphere and that might do you a lot of good.”

“I’ve read enough books and watched enough movies to know I am not sorority material.” I let out a
nervous laugh.

“You never know
.”  Sam looked sideways at me, avoiding direct eye contact.  She knew the subject would freak me out, but she approached it any way.  “Plus, it looks good on a resume.”

“Not for me.”  I avoided the real thoughts I had.  The thoughts of how I wouldn’t fit in and they’d probably skin me alive once they knew the truth about me.  “I just want to be a faceless cog in this place.   Just be a normal girl doing the daily normal stuff.”

“Normal, you are definitely not.” Sam smirked.  Sam knew my IQ was off the charts and she tried to focus my attention there, instead of on my gift, or curse.  “You could academically run circles around ninety-nine percent of the school population.  Probably even give a few professors a run for their money.”

“Here’s my class,” I interrupted her.  I knew what she was doing.  I appreciated it and yet I knew it was just a tactic my family had in place
to distract me.  Especially when I was wallowing in guilt, fear or depression.

Sam sighed
. “Ok.  Keep your phone on vibrate.  Text me if you need anything.  I’ll see you later.”  She gave me a quick hug and went off to her own class.  I turned and looked into the lecture hall packed with students.  Kids my own age.  I stood in the hallway for awhile, contemplating going home.

“Hey, you coming?”

I turned to my left and looked at the source of the voice.  It came from a huge, muscled chest standing not more than a foot away from me.  My eyes traced the chest up to the muscular neck above it and slowly up to the handsome face staring down at me.  I wasn’t short by any means, at five foot eight, but this guy seemed to tower over me.  He had the most amazing green eyes I had ever seen that crinkled at the corners as he smiled.  My eyes slipped down to his lips, deliciously curved in a big smile with perfect white teeth.  My eyes continued to scan up and down his face, to his dark brown wavy hair and back down to his perfect nose and then to his strong jaw line.  He was tanned, muscular, and hot as hell.  I felt my knees go weak and my heart beat race.  He was so close that I could smell his soap and shampoo; he smelled of citrus and a hint of something musky.  I opened my mouth to speak, but it was too late.  Professor Corbin announced the start of class and asked us to take our seats. 

Mr. Hottie moved past me, his arm brushed gently against mine.  He winked at me as I just stood there
dumbstruck.  Professor Corbin cleared his throat and I hustled inside, taking a seat as far as away from everyone, including Mr. Hottie, as I could.

I
tried to focus on Professor Corbin for the remainder of the time.  He was talking about what he required of his students, basic math principles and the curriculum for the course.  As I sat there, I sensed someone looking at me.  I dared not look, but I had a feeling it was Hottie.  I tried not to look, honest.  It was just that I dropped my pencil and couldn’t help but see him when I straightened back up in my seat.  Yep, Mr. Hottie was staring at me.  My stomach did some weird flip-flop.  There was a look in his eyes that I didn’t understand.  What good was an IQ of over one sixty if a person had no people skills?  I felt utterly confused and uncomfortable. 

As Professor wrapped up class, I put my books together.  I couldn’t stay here, not near
Mr. Hottie.  I needed to get away and forget those eyes.  Those dreamy emerald eyes that did funny things to my stomach.  I waited until all of the other students left, pretending I was busy packing my messenger bag.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Hottie standing just outside the door, surrounding by a small group of cheerleaders.  Well, they may not have been cheerleaders, but they all wore short skirts, had perfect hair, perfect faces and perfect bodies.  I noticed he laughed as one of the girls stroked his arm and spoke in his ear.  Frowning, I turned towards the skinny, balding man shuffling papers.

“Professor?”

“Yes, um, Miss…?

“Danika.
  Danika Rodriquez”

“Yes, I
’m sorry.  It takes me awhile to remember everyone’s name.  Then, once I do, the course is over.”  He chuckled as he shoved papers into his bag.

“I think this class isn’t right for me.”

Professor Corbin stopped and looked at me.  “Why ever not?”

“I looked at the curriculum, and it is…well…basic.”

“Yes. This is Algebra One my dear.”

“I know.  It’s just that I already learned Algebra.  I chose the courses the website said were required.  I’m just afraid of wasting your time,”
and mine
, I added silently. 

“So you are advanced in your education then?”

“I believe so.  I was home schooled and my mother taught me Algebra a few years ago.”

“A few years?  Dear, how old are you?”

“Seventeen, almost eighteen.  I learned Algebra at 11 and Calculus at 13, Physics at 15.  I honestly think I signed up for the wrong courses.”  Suddenly, my stomach twisted as I realized that my entire schedule was probably made up of classes that I had already studied.  Being in advanced classes as a freshman was not going to accomplish the normal scenario I had envisioned for myself.  I immediately felt frustrated and depressed at the same time.

“Let’s get you over to the main office and see if an advisor can help you with your classes my dear.  I do teach advanced math as well, so perhaps you will be in another of my classes.”

I nodded and waited for Professor Corbin to finish packing his bag.  My eyes drifted to the doorway again.  Mr. Hottie wasn’t there anymore.  Perhaps he overheard our conversation.  Perhaps he felt I was “too smart” for his liking.  I knew I wasn’t his type, but the realization that I was a freak on a whole new level depressed me further.

****

“Hey.”  A deep voice bellowed just behind me.

I tried to swallow the knot that formed in my throat.  I watched as Mr. Hottie stepped closer, his hair glistening in the afternoon sun.  Out here, in the courtyard, with the slight breeze bringing his scent to me, I felt my knees go weak.  The pink and white flowered trees behind him, the image was one straight from a romance novel or one of those shampoo commercials.  His smile was big and bright as he came within a few feet of me and stopped.

“Oh.  Um.  Hey.”  I sounded like an idiot.  My vocabulary was extensive and the best I could do was utter a few sounds that mimicked words.  His presence unnerved me to no end. 

I turned and walked away from him.  I felt the sudden need to run and get as far away from him as possible.  Having had little interaction with others over the past few years, with the exception of Sam, made me uncomfortable in public.  But, whatever emotions this guy was stirring within me was confusing and I was scared.

“So I wanted to talk to you after class.”

“I have to get going.”  I didn’t slow down, but his long, powerful strides kept him right next to me.

“Yeah.  Ok.  I wanted to invite you to a party this weekend.”

“Why don’t you invite one of your groupies?”  I could see my car just ahead and quickened my pace.

“Groupies?  Oh.  No.  Those girls just like to hang around me.”

“Egotistical much?”  I shot him a darting glance as I fumbled with my keys.

“No.  Just being honest.”  He grinned at me and I could swear I saw a twinkle in his eye. 

“Anyway, I’ve got to go now.   Thank you for the offer, but I’m busy.”  I pulled my door open, stepping back and bumping into his rock hard chest.

He leaned over and the heat of his breath swept over my ear, causing shivers to run through my body.  “I didn’t say when the party was.”

I slid away from him and down into the seat of my car.  My heart was racing.  I stared up at him, waiting for him to move his hand from the doorframe.  He didn’t get the hint until I turned the ignition and the car roared to life.  His smile became even larger, showing off perfect teeth set between those luscious lips.  With a shrug, he simply turned and walked away.

I slammed the door shut, hit the lock button and watched him sidle away.  He was sinfully gorgeous and his walk was confident.  He never glanced back.  I took in a few deep breaths as I fastened my seat belt. With shaking hands, I shifted the car into gear and headed home.

****

“So, how did it go?” Sam peered at me over her can of cola as she sipped it.

“Horrible.”  I poured myself yet another cup of coffee.

“Ick, how do you drink that sludge?”

“Same way you drink that crap
.”  I laughed at my cousin.  We were both sugar and caffeine junkies, we just had different sources and neither liked the other’s.

“So tell me what was so horrible
.”

“I picked all the wrong classes.  It was a mess.  Luckily, my first class was Algebra and once I realized what I had done, the Professor helped me straighten it out with an
advisor at the admissions office.”

“So that wasn’t so bad.”

“No, but I also bumped into a guy going into class.”

Sam set her can aside and leaned over the table at me. Her eyes scanned my face.  “And?”

“And, nothing.  He seemed to be waiting for me after class.  But after I talked to Professor Corbin, he was gone.  Guess I am too nerdy.”  I didn’t want to mention how he followed me to my car.  She’d go crazy if she knew I blew him off like I did.

“Hmmmm…” Sam had a weird expression on her face.  “What did the guy look like?”

I described Mr. Hottie to Sam, but downplayed it a bit.  I didn’t want her to know I was all hot and bothered over some guy whose name I didn’t even know.  Honestly, it was the first time I had come into contact with a guy and I probably just let my imagination get to me.

“He doesn’t sound familiar to me.  Not that I know everyone on campus, but at least he doesn’t have a reputation that makes him known, if you know what I mean.” Sam winked and I laughed.

“Anyways, it doesn’t matter.  My classes are all switched around now, so the chances of running into him again are pretty slim.”  I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice, but I don’t think Sam was convinced.

“Did he have anything
special
going on?” She hooked her fingers as she said the word special.

“No.  Honestly, my gift has been
quiet since Mom died.  No one has any lights, colors, shapes around them.  It’s almost like the gift died when she did.”  I wiped away the tear that fell as I spoke.