I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. It was totally not his fault I wasn’t paying attention. I just kept trying to picture him in other clothes, with his hair styled out of his face. I had the sneaking suspicion that underneath all of that hair and bad clothing was a super-hot guy. A hot guy I really wanted to get to know better. A hot guy that was getting paid to spend time with me, ugh.
“You’re great, it’s just me. There’s just something about history… history and I just don’t mix. I mean, it’s all in the past. The past should just stay in the past. They should be teaching us to forget about it.” Like I just did. I would have so aced a test like that.
Brett looked at me and I could just tell he didn’t believe me. So I reached out with pleading eyes and placed my hand on his hand. “Please? Do you know what’s going to be on the quiz? If I don’t pass this class I won’t get to walk.”
It was going to take a miracle as it was. I was going to need a few hundreds to bring up my D minus-minus. And we were only halfway through the first semester.
Brett looked down at my hand on top of his and from the look on his face… I quickly jerked my hand away. Ugh, I didn’t think he liked me touching him. He looked like I had made his skin crawl.
I started to turn away in defeat. Fuck. History sucked, and my future was looking more and more like summer school.
“Open up the back of your book,” Brett told me and I spun around to look at him.
He was not looking at me though, he turned back around and was looking at my book on the table.
“Okay,” I said softly and reached out, cracking my book back open.
“Flip to the practice section in the back,” he said while pulling his messenger bag off the back of his chair.
I flipped to the back of my book. “Okay,” I said, wondering if we were going to do the practice quiz to prepare.
“The pop quizzes are always those practice quizzes.” Standing up, he slipped his messenger bag over his shoulder. “They give you the answers right there.”
I leaned forward and squinted at my book. Sure enough the answers were right there, right after the questions but upside down.
“If you memorize them, you should be good.”
“Thank you,” I sighed in relief and looked back but he was already gone.
I heard the deep rumble of my dad’s voice then the front door opened and closed. I looked back at my book with a frown. Either Brett was telling the truth or he was so insulted by my inattention he was lying so I’d fail.
There was only
one way to find out.
* * *
I stared down at my pop quiz in disbelief. I aced it. I fucking aced the thing. 100% Yes!
I was so dumbfounded, most of my friends had already left the classroom without me. I glanced up and the classroom was nearly empty. Ms. Henry was gathering up her purse and coat at her desk while tucking a stack of papers underneath her arm.
“Well done, Miss Taylor. Keep up the good work,” Ms. Henry nodded at me and walked briskly from the room. I heard the sharp tapping of her heels as she rushed down the hall, trying to beat the bell.
Shit, I was going to be late for my next class. I jumped up from my desk and slung my backpack over my shoulder.
“So, how did you do?”
I spun around with my quiz still clutched in my hand and gasped. How long was Brett standing there? Has he always sat behind me?
I recovered quickly though.
I waved the quiz at him and told him with a squeal, “I aced it!”
“That’s great,” he grinned at me.
And I don’t know what came over me, but I was just so happy, so grateful, I stepped forward and gave him a great big hug. He immediately stiffened in my arms but it didn’t register at first. No, I was so wrapped up in myself that I lifted up on my tiptoes and placed a kiss against his cheek and told him, “Thank you!” before I realized he had turned a bright shade of red and his face was twisted into an ugly, pained expression.
I giggled nervously and then felt bad, like I just sexually harassed the guy or something.