Knopki

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The day is brisk and overcast as you're walking to class. The chilly November air cuts right through your jacket and you hug it tighter around your frame, leaning forwards to brave the breeze. Around this area, it's always cold and overcast, but you moved after getting a scholarship to your dream college, so the bad weather seemed small to you when you accepted the scholarship. Only on days like this, walking to class at 7 AM in the freezing cold, you almost regret your decision.
Morning classes are so lame.
You're staring at the damp black pavement as you walk, watching your boots go right, left, right, left.
Suddenly, you slam into a hard force and stumble backwards, almost losing your balance.
He catches you by the arm and chuckles. "Hey, watch where you're going, steamroller."
You look up at the beautiful boy standing before you. His smile is warm and his eyes are golden under the gray sky. He is the most beautiful boy you've ever seen.
"Sorry," you mutter. Then you look down. There's a skinny black cat at the boy's heel and it's staring at you through squinted eyes.
"Don't worry," the boy leans down and picks up the cat. "Black cats being bad luck is just superstition. You don't believe all that, do you?"
You shake your head wordlessly. The cat burrows into the boy's arm and starts to purr.
He leans down to plop the cat back on its feet on the ground and outstretches his hand. "I'm Knopki."
You mutter your hellos and shake his hand. His skin is ice cold.
"Your hand is cold," you say. you automatically feel so stupid. You can't help yourself, though. Your thoughts have completely flatlined at this point.
He grins. "Yeah. It's cold out here today."
You nod in agreement. A silence follows, but it's not awkward. It feels comfortable. You don't even know this guy, but you feel totally comfortable around him, and his weird, glare-y cat.
"You go to the college down the way?" Knopki asks, tilting his head down the long, long path ahead of you.
"Yes, and I'm going to be late. Excuse me."
You try to push past him, but he stops you with just a gentle stare. You're frozen.
"I just came to take Bella on a walk," he replies casually. "My car is just over there," he motions over his shoulder. "I'll give you a ride. I'm going that way too."
You know it's dumb to get into a car with a guy you don't know, but it's cold, you tell yourself. You tell yourself that you are just trying to get out of the cold.
But really, you just want to spend more time with the handsome, mysterious Knopki.