Chapter Text
"7:58," Hen looked mumbled as she looked down at her watch, "shit!" Hen's pace picked up as the time quickly ticked towards late. She grabbed at the handle of the chemistry lab door.
"Right on time, Miss?" The older man looked at her, locking the door as it shut.
"Wilson. Hen Wilson." She looked to the ground. Way to make a first impression on the first day of her lab section of her chemistry class.
"It's a large campus, Miss Wilson," He looked at her, understanding in his eyes, "just don't let it happen again." He gestured to the room, inviting her to select her seat.
She scanned the room looking for an empty seat, preferably towards the back, hoping to soften the embarrassment of showing up right as the door was about to be locked. No luck. The only open lab stool was at the front of the room, right next to the board.
"Great," Hen walked to the front of the lab, tossing her bag under the table after grabbing her lab manual, "This was the only seat open, sorry about that."
The girl in the seat next to her looked over at her and smiled, "Don't worry about it. I don't mind sharing a front row seat," she reached her hand out to Hen, still smiling ear to ear, "I'm Karen. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other this semester." Hen took the girls hand and introduced herself as well. Karen's hands were soft-- warm. And that smile, it was the most beautiful thing Hen had seen. It was bright, kind, just like the girl who had been flashing it. Hen felt the blood rush into her own cheeks. She hadn't seen anyone that beautiful since, well, ever.
The older man made his way up to the front of the room, "Good morning. My name is Dr. Lloyd Stewart," he wrote his name on the board, "this is the lab section connected to Chemistry 103." He pauses for a moment, "If that is not the course you are enrolled in, please grab your things and exit the laboratory." The silence is filled with a few mumbles and the footsteps of about 5 students, who apparently thought this was the biology floor.
The class period was just filled with safety information, contracts and a lab tour. Before Dr. Stewart released the students, he told them, "I strongly suggest you get to know your lab partner. You'll want to trust them as your joint work will have an impact on your grade" he paused one more time, "and your safety, fire can be dangerous, you know." He thanked the class for their time and reminded them to prepare for their first lab the following week.
The two women picked their bags up and began to trek to the back of the classroom.
"So, Hen," Karen began, "I never got the chance to ask, what are you studying? What do you want to do?"
Hen opened the door, "I'm studying biology, I want to be a doctor one day, " She smiled, guiding the door shut between her and Karen, "what about you?"
"Aerospace engineering, I wanna go to space," She pointed up to the sky, "or help them get there. The world still doesn't like seeing people like us doing great things." Hen nodded in agreement. The two women walk out of the science building. The warm August air hits their skin.
"Anyway," Karen began, "what building do you live in? I'm in Hanover Hall. Third floor." She gestured toward the brick building in front of them.
"No way, me too." There was an awkward silence between the two of them, only to be broken by a third woman.
"Hey, baby!" The third woman places a kiss on Karen's cheek. Karen returned the gesture, grabbing the woman's hand.
"Oh, Hen. This is my girlfriend, Jenn."
She's gay. Hen was thrilled, but crushed at the same time. How could she already be this jealous over someone she JUST met. Jealousy wasn't part of Hen's nature. She was grateful for anything and anyone in her life, no matter how insignificant.