Out of Reach [Traci&Kasten]

[Traci Douglas]

[ www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=92260901 ]


Traci had lost track of exactly how long she’d been inside the library. There was a test coming up and after asking the professor what to study, his only answer had been everything. Everything?! Did he know how much material everything was? Surely he was out of his god damn mind. Now, here she was slaving over everything just because he’d been too lazy to actually tell the class what it was going to be on. Sometimes her professors irked her, and she couldn’t figure out why they decided to become professors in the first place. It obviously wasn’t because they wanted their students to do well or anything.

Traci let out an aggravated sigh as she ran and hand through her hair. She had somehow managed to take up an entire table worth of books and papers. Many students had chosen to steer clear of her for obvious reasons. She looked like a woman with a mission, because that’s what she was on. She wanted to graduate top of her class with actual hard work and dedication. It wasn’t enough to just pass a class. She had to be the best in it. She needed to be the expert on any and every subject matter dealing with business. She wanted to nail a salary job right out of college, and to do that she needed to prove that she was better than everyone else.

She was a nice person, just her initial demeanor would say otherwise. She was always focused and determined that people thought she looked angry. It would probably explain why she didn’t have many friends outside of her close circle of girls. However, inside the business school she was known for helping other students out if they needed it. She was great at multi-tasking and handling large workloads. She was also known for taking zero bullshit and putting someone in their place real fast. Traci viewed herself as a woman, a woman who deserved respect.

Traci skimmed over various textbook pages and jotted down notes. The pages were filled with sticky notes covered in key terms and things to remember. She brushed a strand of dark hair behind her ear as she leaned over the table to read a few lines from one book to another. She came across a term that make her furrow her brow. Fuck, what did that even mean? She flipped through the other books, but couldn’t find the meaning behind the term. “Shit,” she whispered under her breath as she straightened up and placed her hands on her hips.

With pursed lips, she turned to walk down a section of business related books. She skimmed over the spines of the books trying to find something she thought would help her. She searched high and low, looking for a book of business terms and definitions that offered a more insightful look on the vocabulary with specifics. Traci wasn’t about to give up looking, and she continued her search through different isles. Finally, after what seemed like forever of searching she spotted it on a high shelf. “Damn, today is just not my day,” she said letting out a sigh as she realized she wasn’t tall enough. She glanced around trying to spot a ladder, but there were none to be seen. “Well, here goes nothing,” she said to herself as she got up on her tippy toes and stretched her arm up trying to grab it. It really was useless though, because it was very much out of her reach.

[Kasten Donovan]

( www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=92265413 )

Between classes, gym, and working at the local clinic, Kasten spent a lot of his time studying in the library. Places like Starbucks were too loud and crowded with teenagers who hadn't the slightest clue about the real world. Even his own room was difficult to study in, what with all the distractions such as TV and his Playstation 3. On top of that, having a bed across from his desk was the worst temptation of them all. Silence in the library wasn't enforced, but there was a general courtesy among the students and that was enough for Kasten to maintain his focus.

Biology was a tough major, especially since the military was all he knew since the age of seventeen. Not only was he adjusting to the civilian life, Kasten was also playing catch-up for all the years that he'd missed. It was challenging, but if there were other students out there that could do it then so could he. Graduating at the same time as his childhood friends wasn't a big concern to him. Actually, he didn't mind being in his first year at the age of twenty-four. Slow and steady wins the race.

Stifling a yawn with the back of his hand, Kasten decided to take a small break and walk around to wake himself up. The temperature in the library was always a little chilly and despite having been stationed in Alaska for the last seven or so years, he wore a thin sweater over a white button-up for comfort. The hidden tattoos softened up his tough-guy exterior and made him appear more approachable as well as professional.

"Let me help you with that," he spoke softly, reaching up and pulling the book out from the shelf with ease. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I just--I was passing by and--You were struggling..." Kasten's mind and mouth couldn't agree on the right words to say and thus, he decided to silently give up and just smile at her.

[Traci Douglas]

Traci was really starting to get pissed off at this book. Who in their right mind would put a book so high? And where were the damn ladders/step stools, whatever the hell they were called. She wasn’t even that short, and she was wearing heels. She knew she shouldn’t be so irritated, but the stress of studying was really starting to wear her down. It wasn’t even the studying that had initially irked her, but the fact that she had come across a term that she didn’t know. She was supposed to know everything, so she figured she had the right to be pissed.

Actually, her short temper had started with a lovely phone call from her father. He had proceeded to tell her everything she wasn’t doing right, and that her studying wasn’t enough. Hello?! She’d been doing nothing but studying. Even at work she had her nose in a book between clients and phone calls. What did he mean she wasn’t studying enough? Okay, so she might’ve hung up on him ‘accidentally’, which had only made him more pissed off. He just didn’t understand. Everything she was doing, all her hard work, was for him and to make him proud.

Traci was so close to just giving up, and maybe crying, but a voice from her side had her head turning. She turned her head in time to watch a man grabbed the book for her. He had made it look so easy that she was slightly insulted. Did she ask for help? No. She didn’t need anyone really. Traci leaned back on her feet and turned to face the man who had helped her. Clearing her throat she fixed her bloused and wiped out the light wrinkle in her skirt. She was about to thank him when he said she had been… struggling. “Excuse me?” she said offended,” I wasn’t struggling.”

She didn’t mean to sound rude, but he had been caught off guard. She did a lot of things, but Traci Douglas did not struggle. She realized she had been glaring at him slightly as blinked a few times and pinched the bridge of her nose with closed eyes. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, trying to calm her nerves,” that was rude of me.” This was her third year in college and she sometimes acted like she had the stress of a first year. She needed to learn to cool it a little. “I feel awful for that little outburst,” she said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear,” you were only trying to help.” Well, she totally made her initial reaction completely like a bitch. Great. “Thank you for grabbing that book,” she said offering a weak smile while outreaching a hand toward him to shake,” I’m Traci, Traci Douglas.”

[Kasten Donovan]

Kasten quickly wiped the silly smile from his face, but remained amused at how easily offended the woman was. Clearly, she was the type of woman who never wanted to show any form of weakness and he knew that showing his amusement would further insult her. He dropped his eyes to the floor and took a step back before speaking. "No, I'm sorry. I may have overstepped my boundaries," he apologized, looking back at her now with raised eyebrows and a gentle smile.

"Kasten Donovan," he responded, taking her extended hand in a firm grip. Aside from her mini temper tantrum, Traci appeared to be very professional from the way she presented herself. Surely, she'd just been stressed. "You're welcome," he added. At this point, Kasten had no idea how to further the conversation without sounding like a creep.

"It's like all the professors had a meeting and decided to schedule all their tests the same week, huh?" he finally asked. It seemed to be something safe to say. Kasten was sharing their studying pains without actually hitting on her in the process.

[Traci Douglas]

Traci felt completely awful for how she’d acted. She’d been under a lot of stress and it was totally starting to show. She cursed herself for her poor actions and responses. Surely this guy would never talk to her again, perhaps he’d even tell all his friends about the bitch he’d just encountered in the library. Jesus, she was just not going to win. This was why it was hard to balance a social life while being one of the top students in the university. Everything was just too damn hard, and her sass had to go and just ruin everything. This was probably also why she didn’t even have a boyfriend. She was just too much to handle for anyone.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Kasten,” she responded, noting his firm grip. Someone’s handshake told a lot about them, and so far he was passing. He was dressed nicely and professionally, something rare to see around campus. Traci took her looks seriously, and if a meeting was to be held on a spur of the moment notice, she’d always be ready. Besides, she felt better when she looked better. She watched what she ate and she worked out regularly. Body image was a big deal, but she also wasn’t about to stick her fingers down her throat to achieve it.

She let out a wry laugh, more at the professors than anyone else. “Tell me about it,” she said, gripping the book with a slight eye roll,” my professor literally told me to study everything. Everything. Sometimes I wonder what I’m paying for.” She was really a friendly and talkative person when she wanted to be, her whole bitch of a first impression had been a surprise to even her. Hopefully he’d realize she really wasn’t some crazy evil diva in the library. “I’m a business major,” she told him while motioning to the term book in her hand,” and you’re majoring in, let me guess… something with science?” She honestly had no idea, but she wanted to have a simple conversation to possibly ease her nerves.