Scene From Searching For Moore - Julie A Richman

Searching for Moore

ALT POV/Book 1, Chapter 3

Mia Silver stopped and looked at the campus map in her hand.  If the university chapel was on her left, then she needed to keep going straight to find Brewster Hall and get to the next freshman orientation session.  This next session had freshmen reuniting with their parents, and looking at her watch,  Mia realized she had better get a move on it.

Buzzing with excitement, as she made her way across campus,  Mia was enthralled at how foreign and different everything seemed, adding a heightened sense of adventure.  From the Spanish mission-style architecture to the alluring, majestic  mountain range that appeared like a painted backdrop to campus, her new bucolic southern California home was about as far from the frenzied energy of New York City streets as one could get.  Mia keenly took it all in. Not a single detail escaped her as she rushed across campus.

The one thing in this brand new and foreign environment that struck her as being completely odd - and was totally unexpected -  was the clothing of her fellow female classmates.  They were all in dresses. Mia didn't own a dress.  She didn't think any of the girls she went to high school with back in New York City owned dresses either. A dress was definitely not on her radar screen when she shopped for her college wardrobe and now she was literally the only co-ed in the freshman class not wearing a dress.

 What was that about?, she wondered.  

And then there were the dresses themselves - did these California girls know nothing of fashion?  Sheesh.  Pastel gingham maxi-dresses tied with matching satin sashes.  Seriously? Did somebody raid a prop shop?  It was like a tripped out version of The Wizard of Oz.

She saw her parents up ahead talking with some people and quickened her pace up the walkway to what she assumed was Brewster Hall.  Her father was talking to a very attractive, tall couple.  They were both blonde and had classic WASP good looks - definitely part of the country club set, Mia thought.  The man was in khakis, a blue blazer, and a white Izod golf shirt, the woman wore a pale blue linen shift dress cut with classic lines.  Her mom appeared to be totally engrossed in a conversation with a tall blonde guy.  His back was to her, but she couldn't help but notice his broad shoulders and long legs.

"There's Mia," her dad announced, as he spied her coming up the path toward them.

Everyone turned to her,  including the guy talking with her mom.  A small gasp escaped her throat and she hoped that she was far enough away that it was inaudible to them. 

Even from a distance, she could tell that his translucent eyes were the color of the sky on a clear spring day, and they were smiling at her, although his lips were only curled into a half smile, as if he were more perplexed than happy.

Mia thought that she'd never seen a guy so perfect looking and so damn handsome - New York boys didn't look like this - not even at the top prep schools.  If she could create the perfect California boy - this was him, standing before her.  Tall, blonde, blue-eyed, muscular, tan. Most eighteen year old guys were not sexy.  This guy was sexy and she couldn't tell if he totally knew it or was if he totally oblivious to it.

The smile on her face continued to grow as she neared him and she hated that she couldn't control it.  She wanted to appear cool and aloof and her damn smile seemed to have a mind of its own.   As she approached, his smile began to mirror hers and match the smile that was already in his eyes.

Inexplicably, Mia felt like she was looking at her best friend, yet this beautiful boy was a complete stranger.  Why did it feel like she knew him forever and like they could run wild together?  She could almost see their laughter, somewhere out of reach,  as if hanging on the edge of a distant dream.  Mia knew in that instant, that this was what people meant when they talked about déjà vu. Was there something about him or was it because he was so gorgeous?,  she wondered.

"Hey," it was out of her mouth before she could even think.  So much for acting cool and aloof, she self-chastised.

"Hey," he was smiling back at her, head slightly cocked to the side as if he was still trying to figure something out.

Their eyes met, just for an instant, his narrowing, as if he were asking her a question.  She wasn't sure what the question was.  But she was sure her answer was, "ok, let's."  The response in his eyes was odd, like he wanted to say, "Yeah, let's," but Mia wasn't sure he knew how and she just wanted to tell him, "trust me."

"Honey, meet Mr. and Mrs. Moore and Schooner,"  her dad offered.

Schooner?  Maybe they weren't country club people. Maybe they were yacht club people.  Clearly, someone was a boat lover. Schooner ... what an odd and interesting name, she thought.  But it fit him - this tall blonde god.  It was actually perfect for him. Of course he'd be named Schooner.  He could actually pull off the name Schooner. 

Hell, looking like that, he could pull off anything he wants, thought Mia,  including my pants, shirt, and bra.  In that instant, Mia also knew, that a guy like Schooner Moore would only ever see her as a buddy and that she was clearly imagining whatever it was she thought happened when their eyes first met.  But then, what was that ...