“Hey, Noah,” she said as she handed him his quiz. “Great job, as always.”
“Thanks, Blaise,” he said while setting it aside.
“You’re easily top of the class,” she added, and I slid further down in my seat when she lingered near his chair. “Well, I’ll see you later.”
Noah offered a thin smile before looking at his quiz, and I watched her watch him a moment before she clutched the stack of quizzes to her chest and turned away.
I bit my cheek as she sashayed down the aisle, trying to fool myself into blaming my tight chest on the quiz.
“I’m screwed.” I forced out a slow breath and lowered my forehead back down to the desk. The bucket hat got in the way, and I readjusted it. There wasn’t enough coffee in the world to handle this. “It’s over. I’m done. There’s no way he’ll let me stay in the class now. Not with aD.”
“It could be better.” Noah’s voice was far more even and pacifying than mine. “But it’s not the end of the world.”
“It really is, though.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “I’m going to lose my scholarship and get shipped back to my parents inKansas.”
Noah chuckled, and his chair shifted closer. “It’s not that dramatic.”
I popped my head up and blinked at him. “Yes, it is. My parents are insane. Like dictator-level insane. Ican’tgo back there. I won’t.”
“Take a deep breath.” He held out a hand. “Let me see your quiz.”
I slid the sad excuse for a quiz across the desk before turning away so I didn’t have to watch the train wreck head-on. He glanced over the first couple pages while my stomach twisted itself into knots as I imagined my mother throwing a welcome home party.
She’d probably make me play Beethoven.
I hated Beethoven.
Noah cleared his throat, and I looked over to see his brow pinched as he flipped a page over. “I don’t understand. You play piano, but you never learned this? A third of the quiz is defining terms.”
I winced, vaguely recalling Slade saying something similar. “I neverhadto learn this stuff.”
“Didn’t you take Music Theory in high school? Oranymusic class?”
“My parents thought school-sanctioned programs were juvenile, so I only took private lessons—which I mostly zoned out during, I’ll admit.”
“Then how’d you learn to play?”
I half smiled as I thought back to how I’d mess around with the keys. “Playing was the easy part. I just listened to a song then copied it. My tutor never noticed I wasn’t learning the book side because I played fine.”
His gaze shot up to mine. “You play by ear?”
Did he have to sound so shocked? It wasn’t that rare. “I guess. Yeah.”
He nodded slowly before setting the quiz down and sliding it back across to me. I made a face at theD, but didn’t bother to flip it over this time. Noah tilted his head and gave me a considering look before nodding again. “I’ll help you.”
I froze, staring at him. “What?”
“I’ll help you study,” he said with his gaze locked on mine.
“What?” I asked again before shaking my head. He was talking crazy. “But—no. I’m already in your debt. I can’t afford to pay you to tutor me, too.”
Noah lifted a shoulder and packed his own quiz away. I couldn’t help but think he did it so I wouldn’t have to look at hisA. “I don’t need money, but you need help.”
“And you’re going to help me… why, exactly? Out of the goodness of your heart?”
He smiled at that and leaned back in his chair. “You help children learn to play. Why shouldn’t I help you learn the technical jargon? Playing by ear is no small feat. There’s just a disconnect with the text material.”
I was unsure if I should feel insulted. “Are you comparing me to a kid?”
