The Splintering of Heart

I sit on the train that is going to take me to the university of my dreams, UCLA. The person sitting next to me is looking at his phone, he was looking at the campus of UCLA. "Are you going to UCLA as well?" I ask in a small voice. The guy looks at me like I'm crazy and then I realize that he probably can't hear me because of how crowded the train is.

"What did you ask me?" The guy says, I smile after looking into his eyes, which are bright emerald green. His voice is loud and clear, his arms strong and muscular.

"I asked if you were going to UCLA as well." I say, raising my voice.

"Why yes, I am. I'm assuming that you're going to UCLA. I'm there for basketball." The guy says, I smile when he flashes his extremely bright white teeth.

"I'm Char Floyd. Short for Charlotte. What's your name?" I say.

"Oh, I'm Nathan. Nathan Heart." The guy - Nathan Heart - says, I smile at him, my teeth white, like his. "Wow, your teeth are pretty straight. Let me guess, you were 15 and they made you get braces?" Nathan says, I nod, happy to be getting to know this guy.

"I'm in a sorority. Are you in a frat house?" I ask. Nathan shakes his head and I smile.

"So, why are you going to UCLA? Like which sport are you doing?" Nathan asks me.

"Oh, I have a scholarship for the horseback riding team and the dance team. Do you only play basketball?" I tell him.

"Nah, I play baseball and hockey as well. That's cool that you're an equestrian, I mean, I could tell the moment I sat down next to you, you smell like the barn." Nathan says. We both laugh at his joke and then I ask the questions that have been suspended in the air between us for twenty minutes.

"So, where are you from and how old are you?" Nathan looks at me for a minute before answering.

"I'm from Kanas city and I'm 18. What about you?"

"I'm actually from Kanas city too, I'm 18 as well." I answer.

"Your name is Char Floyd, right? Char is short for Charlotte?" Nathan asks, I nod and he continues. "No wonder why your red hair looked so familiar! We were in school together until 9th grade! You had moved to a different part of Kanas and went to a different high school!"

I think back to the 8th grade, then I quickly go through everyone from my classes and realize that, yes, Nathan and I did go to the same school. "Wow. Didn't we date for a while in 8th grade?" He nods, "But then I had to move and we decided it was best for us." He nods again.

"Nathan, it's our stop. Come on!" I say enthusiastically. Nathan chuckles and grabs my suitcase from above us, he also grabs his suitcase. "I can take it." I say, but he just nods toward his computer bag. I grab it and take my purse as well. We walk off the train and then we see this setting of people holding signs with names on them, drivers have signs as well, little kids are running around their parents, who look very annoyed.

"Uh, do you want to hitch a ride with my driver? We can drop you at your dorm." I ask. I spot my driver, standing in the least crowded space he could find, he's holding a glittery sign with the name "Char Floyd" on it.

"If it's okay with you." Nathan says. Nathan sees the sign and my driver, he starts rolling our suitcases towards my old driver. Considering I've only been here once with my father for a business trip, you would think I would have a different driver, but no.

My driver - Mr. Rodgers - smiles when he sees me. In fact, his face lights up. "Char! I was so excited for you to get here, that I made you this sign! I hope you like it!" Mr. Rodgers says. He was a funny old man, but he was great. I thanked him and took the sign. He opened the trunk for Nathan to put the suitcases. "Who is this? Do I need to dropkick him for you?" Mr. Rodgers asks.

Nathan looks up from putting his suitcase in the trunk and it seems like he's a little scared. "No, no. Mr. Rodgers, this is Nathan Heart. He's an old friend of mine. I told him we could take him to his dorm." I say quickly. Mr. Rodgers looks at me and then back at Nathan.

"Okay. Which set of dorms is yours?" Mr. Rodgers asks.

Nathan pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and reads it quickly. "Are you aware of the dorms right next to Sorority house number five?" Nathan asks, Mr. Rodgers nods.

"I'm in that Sorority! That's nice." I say. Mr. Rodgers nods to me and then watches Nathan carefully as he closes the trunk.

***

The ride to the Sorority, Frat, and Dorm houses was long. So long, in fact, that Mr. Rodgers decided to ask Nathan if he was planning on getting closer than he already was to me. Nathan and I both knew what that meant, so we quickly changed the subject.

"Mr. Rodgers, have you seen my father lately?" I asked Mr. Rodgers looked at me through the rearview mirror and shakes his head.

"Mr. Floyd gives me small jobs. Picking you up, getting groceries, going to the dry cleaners, getting him lunch, dropping and picking him up from places. I do all of that most of the week." Mr. Rodgers answers. He turns onto yet another highway and then speeds up to the limit.

"Oh. I'm sorry he's having you do all that." Nathan says, I forgot he was there.

"Mr. Heart. I love doing this job. Mr. Floyd pays for my housing and pays me double the amount his other employers get." Mr. Rodgers says, his voice a bit sour. Nathan shuts up for the rest of the ride.

***

When we finally get to the Sorority house and Dorms, Mr. Rodgers is smiling. "He used to go here for football, it's where he met my dad and where his football career ended." I tell Nathan in a whisper in the back seat.

Mr. Rodgers unloads the suitcases for us and then I give him a little peck on the cheek before he takes Nathan off to the side. Their conversation ends with a strong hug and then Mr. Rodgers gets in the car and drives off.

"What'd he say to you?" I ask, curious to know what they chatted about for five minutes.

"He told me to not play around with your feelings or your dad was going to be out to get me and to take care of you." Nathan says as he leads my suitcase and me to the door of the Sorority house.

"Okay. Anyway, it's a little late and my stuff is in boxes in my room. Goodnight Nathan. I put my number in your compute case by the way." I tell him, then I leave him with a fast kiss on the lips and walk inside my new home, leaving him stunned.

***

I wake up to girl's feet walking up and down the stairs. I look around my room. My dad had it painted lavender and everything in the room was either lavender, teal, or white. I liked it, I especially liked the bedspread, which was all the colors of my room and it had matching pillows. A slight knock on my door woke me up to my fullest.

"Come in." I say, trying to fix my messy hair. One of the girls I had met the night before - I think her name is Carline - comes into my room.

"There's a man in the foyer, he said he was waiting for you and that he wanted to take you to your first horseback riding practice." Carline says. I smile and have her go back to her room so I could get my riding things on.

After I have everything on and ready, I walk out of my room. I see girls everywhere. They all hide behind doors or walk back into their rooms before I can say hi. At least all of the girls I didn't meet last night. Being the daughter of the dean and the daughter of an extremely famous fashion model meant that I was the queen bee here.

I walk into the kitchen quickly and grab a freshly made blueberry scone, then I down some milk and walk out into the foyer. I find Nathan looking around and around the foyer as if it's amazing, he's holding a box.

"Nathan! Good morning! How are you? What's in the box?" I ask.

"Good morning, I'm good. You'll have to look yourself. I found it on the doorstep, addressed to you." He answers. I smile and take the box, then I hear a car horn beep.

"That would be Mr. Rodgers. He must be driving us." Nathan says and then we walk out of the house and slide into the car.

***

"A new riding helmet! Dad, you are amazing! I missed you so much!" I say to my father. He smiles at me and then turns me toward the window. I look out over the fields that are for the university's horses and smile. "It's so beautiful here, Dad. The horses eating the wildflowers and the butterflies soaring through the sky." I mutter, my father chuckles.