Helping Hand: An Unlikely Deal

Chris didn’t feel like going to class, something that became more and more common as of late. This wasn’t high school, though. Tardiness wasn’t punished the same way.

No one would ring his parents. No one would give him detention. All he accomplished by skipping lectures was miss the information he needed to learn.

Thankfully none of his classes took attendance. Some did. He heard others talking about it in passing. Apparently those classes allocated a small portion of their final grade to it.

Everyone hated the professors that did, but none of his were so strict. At least there was that one saving grace. It didn’t make up for everything else, though, but it was something. He could, after all, spend a little extra time studying to go over what he missed.

Honestly, sometimes he thought it was better that way. Maybe he should give up on classes entirely and just do it all himself. The only thing stopping him from doing that was the actual class work itself. They announced the various assignments and tests in person well before anywhere else. Sometimes even only there.

“Assignments, huh…” The young man sighed, deep in thought as he lay back, looking up at the clear, blue sky.

He knew what was coming. It was just a matter of time. He thought college would be different, that this would be a second chance for him. Alas, fate said otherwise.

Even here he couldn’t escape it. The final nail in his coffin awaited him: the dreaded group assignment. Somehow he hadn’t been given one yet, but it was only a matter of time. Schoolwork, whether that was at the high school or college level, was lousy with them.

For your average Joe, working in a group was no big deal. Most of the time you could partner up with your friends in the same class as you. Simple really, but not so much for one like him.

You see, Chris had no friends. None whatsoever. Not just at college either.

He had no one in his life he would’ve considered as such. He hadn’t, not for a long, long time. He was fine with that, or so he told himself. A flimsy lie, all things told. If true, why then had he worried so much at the start of the year, desperate to fit in? Why did he, even now, look around at all the people walking past him in the quad with jealousy in his eyes?

Was it his fault he didn’t fit in? Was it his fault he lacked the confidence to put himself out there? Was it his fault he was so pathetic?

Why, yes. Yes, it was.

He knew it to be true. Deep, deep down, there was no denying it. Everything bad in his life was his fault. Everything one could want had been handed to him on a silver platter, and he fumbled it. Badly.

Sure, he wasn’t the most handsome man in the world, but he wasn’t anything to scoff at either. It didn’t help that he took little care in his appearance, that he let his curly hair fall down in front of his eyes. Nor did it help that he carried himself with a slouch or that general, gloomy vibe of his.

Even with all that working against him, he still could’ve gone and put himself out there. Why, even just a few weeks ago there were all sorts of fun events being hosted by the school and its students. Orientation week was the time to get out there and make new friends, yet he had been too afraid. The story of his life.

Fear ruled him. It weighed upon everything he said, thought, or did. And now, because of his fear, he blew his one chance not to be such a miserable loner, or so he told himself.

The truth was that even now it was still actively his fault he had no friends. Nothing stopped him from getting up and chatting with any Tom, Dick, or Harry that crossed his path. Sure, it might not work. He might’ve made a fool of himself before seeing any real results. There was no way to make friends without that risk, but it wasn’t like that was something he would ever do. He didn’t have the courage nor the confidence to. It would’ve taken a miracle to change that, a miracle, or… a desperate young woman with no sense of shame.

“Chris, right? I’m not sure if you remember me, but we went to high school together.” A familiar voice called out to him, one he couldn’t immediately place.

Whoever they were, they cast a shadow over him, looming above as he lay sprawled out on the grass. This was his favorite place on campus. It was just close enough to the quad to feel like a part of the thriving school life. All while being tucked away to the side so that no one disturbed him. Well, most of the time no one did.

The contrast between shadow and bright blue sky hurt his eyes. They blinked repeatedly, watering a little as they struggled to adjust. He even threw his hands up to give himself more shade and help them along in the process. Yet, of all the people it could’ve been standing there, he didn’t expect it to be her. Maria.

When was the last time Chris saw her, at graduation? Yeah, that had to be it. Why was she here then? Did she get into the same college as him?

That shocked the young man, to say the least. Admissions here were not easy. Part of the reason he was even able to get in was because of his father, a distinguished alumnus and donor. Hell, entire buildings were named after him.

By comparison, her parents definitely didn’t donate jack shit to the school. That left her grades as the only way she could’ve gotten in, an almost equally baffling prospect.

Had she always been a good student in high school, and he just didn’t realize? It made sense. After all, he never really paid much attention to her when it came to those things. Honestly though, he didn’t expect it. Not in the slightest, not with how she looked, something that hadn’t changed in the time since he last saw her.

Maria carried herself as she always did, like she owned the world. Ironic, considering their respective upbringings. One, the scion of a ridiculously wealthy entrepreneur, and the other… Well, her family was dirt poor, and that was putting it nicely, not that her attire betrayed that fact.

As ever, the young woman’s clothes looked like they fell off the pages of a fashion magazine. Trendy and current were just a few words to describe it. Along with them, you could also say colorful, and honestly… a little slutty.

Chris only noticed that latter part when he caught a glimpse up her rather short skirt. Lace. Skimpy, red lace graced his vision. Only for a brief moment, however, and that wasn’t because of anything she did to cover herself. If she knew what she was flashing him, then she didn’t care. Either that, or she was oblivious.

No, it was his natural reaction to blush and look away that left the glimpse brief. As much as he wanted to stare, even one as inexperienced as him knew better than to do so. In high school he had a certain reputation. Nobody knew the line between being a quiet kid at the back of the classroom and a creep as well as he did. The latter wasn’t something anyone wanted to be labeled as, especially him. His social life might’ve been horrible, but it wasn’t that hopeless yet.

As such, he made sure not to stare at Maria’s breasts either. She didn’t make it easy on him though. That chest of hers was quite something, and then there was her tank top. It left quite a bit of skin exposed. Oh, and she clearly wasn’t wearing a bra underneath it. A fact that was evident not only because of the lack of straps. If anything, that was barely noticeable in light of her nipples. The thin fabric did little to hide their shape.

Sitting up and facing the young woman was a struggle unto itself. If the issue of where to look wasn’t enough, his heart pounded in his chest. His palms grew sweaty in a matter of moments, and his head felt light. It was always like this when he talked to strangers. And that was before all the overly critical thoughts entered his head too.

He just had to overthink every little thing he might or might not do. It was, honestly, torture, but he couldn’t help it. This was who he was. It was the reason he was such a loner, the reason he hated himself so goddamn much.

“Maria…” He said her name, slow and drawn out, with an almost question tilt to it. “Yeah, I remember you.”

“Oh, good. I was afraid you’d forgotten. I mean, we didn’t really interact much… if at all.” She laughed, her voice soft and melodic despite the slight awkwardness to it.

Chris’s heart practically skipped a beat as he made eye contact with her. Just for a moment, all things considered, but that was enough. The woman’s eyes were so beautiful, so blue. They shone like the ocean on a bright summer’s day.

Almost immediately he averted his gaze, looking down awkwardly at the ground. The move was so sudden and so obvious that he felt like a fool because of it. Why did he react like that, like a kid putting their hand on the stove? There was nothing wrong with looking someone in the eyes. Reacting as such just made him look guilty of something else, of looking somewhere else.

Still, despite his self-consciousness, he couldn’t get that image of her out of his head. It wasn’t just her eyes that drew him in either, but everything about her. From her long golden hair to her plump pink lips, every part of her worked together to become one even more amazing whole.

What was the saying again, greater than the sum of one’s parts? Well, what did you call it when that happened, but the individual parts weren’t anything to scoff at either?

The answer was, you got Maria, a girl so beautiful she could’ve been a model or something else of that ilk. And with such potential, the fact she was here, at this college, talking to him no less, made absolutely no sense.

“So…” Chris nervously fidgeted, his fingers unable to sit still for even a moment as he spoke up. “What did you want?”

His words came out cold and callous, as they tended to do. In truth though, he was genuinely curious. His lack of experience when it came to interacting with others always came back to bite him. Thankfully though, she didn’t seem to care, or at the very least, didn’t show it.

“Your family is rich, right? You don’t live in the campus dorms, do you?” She asked.

Understandably, he frowned, unsure how to take such a question. In high school everyone knew he came from money. That was a given at such a prestigious private school… Which, now that he thought about it, meant Maria’s presence there was also strange.

How did her parents afford the tuition? Was she there on a scholarship from the very beginning? Was that how she got in here too?

Chris pushed those questions aside and focused on the matter at hand. After all, they weren’t important, merely a distraction from more pressing concerns.

The question was why she wanted to know this. Sure, he was rich. Everyone that went to that school was. Well, mostly, but even then his family’s wealth was on a whole different level.

Was she just another flunky that wanted to suck up to him? He had his fair share of experience with them. And while the thought of indulging them to ease his loneliness crossed his mind, it sickened him. They sickened him. Had they no shame? Honestly, they were worse than people that were assholes for seemingly no reason.

“Why do you want to know?” He asked rather coldly, and this time the tone was purposeful.

“I was wondering, maybe… I could stay with you. My roommate at the dorms is… Well, let’s just say it’s not working out. I need somewhere to stay. Urgently.”

Chris paused, taking his time to think this through. Not one to rush into decisions, this was nothing new to him. Yet another reason why he found conversations so hard. He just had to overthink every little thing. Sometimes that was good, such as now. This wasn’t a decision to make rashly after all. Other times, though. Hell, most of the time, it really was a detriment.

Maria, though, read a little too much into his prolonged silence. How could she not, with how intensely he glared at her while he sat there, silent as a mouse? As such, she rambled on, trying to make her case despite how desperate she came off.

“I can’t really pay rent or anything, but I’ll be a good roommate. I’ll clean up, do dishes, or cook. I practically helped raise my three brothers, so I’m handy around the house.”

Still, he said nothing, so in turn her desperation only grew. “What about if I help make you popular?”

It was a long shot, but one that got an immediate reaction out of him. Not only did he stiffen up, as tense as a board, but his voice came out rather forceful.

“What do you mean?” He practically shouted at her.

The volume alone would’ve drawn eyes in their direction if not for the general hubbub of campus life. Instead, it drowned him out, keeping their conversation private.

“I mean…” Maria had to think fast. After all, she didn’t actually know what she meant. She had said the first thing she could think of, as she continued to do. “I could give you a makeover, or something like that. You know, show you how to look after yourself and dress well. I could… let’s see, what else could I offer? Oh, I could teach you how to talk with others and be more approachable. Look less like a loner. That kind of thing.”

Chris shot to his feet, causing the young woman to flinch. For a second she thought she might’ve offended him. That last bit of her offer had been a little backhanded, hadn’t it? Insulting him was the last thing she meant to do.

Thankfully, that fear faded when she noticed the look in his dark brown eyes. They sparkled with something deep… a sense of hope, maybe. If that was the case, she didn’t have any hesitation about exploiting it. A little callous, sure, but she had no shame when it came to such things.

“I could even show you the ropes when it comes to getting a girl. I’m sure I can think of a few tips when it comes to that. Like how to kiss or even… Well, you know.” She made a rather lewd gesture with her hands, insinuating sex. “With my guidance you’ll graduate from being a virgin in no time.”

That really left him speechless. Tips when it came to… that. And, not to mention… showing him the ropes. Was he reading too much into it, or did it sound like she was going to…?

No, he definitely was overthinking it. She might’ve dressed a little slutty, but as far as he knew, she wasn’t that kind of girl. As popular as she was in high school, she didn’t have that kind of reputation.

Still, even if that wasn’t the case, he had to admit the offer was too tempting to refuse. Honestly, she convinced him with the makeover alone, and yet more kept getting added on. She wasn’t good at negotiations, was she? Not at all.

Her loss was his gain. This was the chance of a lifetime. He could finally get the second chance he always dreamed of. The best part was that this time there would be someone there to make sure he didn’t screw it up too. He couldn’t believe his luck, yet…

His father always told him, “Never take the first deal you’re offered.” He never had a chance or even a motive to put that into practice before. Not until now.

“Would this guidance be…” He hesitated to say it, more than a little afraid to, but in the end he got there. “Practical?”

“Practical?” Maria repeated, questioningly. It took her a second to understand what he meant. “Oh, you want to… Yeah, I guess if that’s what it takes, I can… personally teach you how to kiss and all that… other stuff. But nothing without my consent first, understood? I’m not afraid to knee you in the crotch if you get too handsy without my permission.”

The young man’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. How could she agree to that so easily? She was going to show him the ropes firsthand! And eventually… take his innocence. Finally!

Chris had longed for this moment for so very long. A part of him thought it might never come. He couldn’t have been more excited, and that was no understatement. The thought of it left him speechless, or at least, it would’ve if not for her threat. That alone gave him the courage to respond promptly.

Even then it was just a quick nod of his head and a single word. “Understood!”

“Good. I think we’ll get along great. You seem nice enough, if a little… unused to interacting with strangers.” She smiled cheerfully while choosing her wording carefully.

“So… Do you want me to show you to the apartment now?” He offered, completely missing the latter part of her comment. He was just so excited about the future that lay in store for him. He couldn’t think of anything else.

“Oh, right now?” Her eyebrows raised, taken aback by the suddenness of it all. “I, umm… I have a few classes. How about we exchange numbers and you text me the address so I don’t forget?”

In his hurry to pull his phone out, Chris nearly dropped it. It wouldn’t have been a big loss if he did. Even smashing the screen was easily fixed. The cost wasn’t even pocket change to one such as him. He was more concerned with how foolish being so clumsy made him look.

Soon enough, though, it was all sorted. It really didn’t take much effort to send each other a text and save one another’s numbers. Other than family and various services, it was the first contact he saved in his phone. A cause of celebration to be sure, something he would’ve done if not for her continued presence. He wasn’t complaining, though.

“My place is really close. Only a little walk away, so drop by whenever you want to settle in. Oh, and give me a heads-up when you arrive. The concierge are strict about who they let up on their own. I’ll have to introduce you to them personally before you can come and go freely.” He spoke hurriedly, practically tripping over himself to get it all out. Even that was impressive, at least for him. It was the most he had ever said to another person, family and teachers excluded, in a long, long time.

“The concierge?” Maria frowned as if unfamiliar with the concept, at least in terms of an apartment and not, you know, a hotel.

Really, although she knew he came from a wealthy family, nothing could prepare her for just how rich he was.