Page 20 of Head Under Water

“I swear I won’t. We’ll be in this together. Fake partners.”

“We’d be real partners,” I tell him, my voice low.

“Fine. Fake friends, then.”

The taste of pennies fills my mouth. There’s not been a single day of my life that hasn’t been dedicated to hating Will. How would we even pretend to be friends? I wouldn’t know where to start. But…he’s right. I need to pass this class, and doing it this way means an easy A.

I hold my breath. “Fine. But if you use this to embarrass me, or to trick me, or to set me up for some weird little game you and your friends are planning, I will sneak into your bedroom at Christmas, and I will kill you in your sleep.”

He nods solemnly. “Understood.”

We set to work, typing silently next to each other and flipping through stacks of papers we’ve printed out. I’m busy trying to organize a spreadsheet while Will pieces together figures from three different graphs, when I feel him tap my arm.

Begrudgingly, I look up, blinking. “Yes, friend?”

“Money Bags is here.” He jerks his chin toward the door, and I follow his gaze, then immediately regret it.

Banks has just walked into the library, a stack of books in his arms. He catches me staring at him, and it’s so obvious I can’t even pretend to have been looking elsewhere. I give him a small smile, heat climbing my neck, and turn away. Will’s eyes twinkle as he watches me, taking far too much delight in my discomfort.

I glare at him, unblinking. “Stop. You look like the Cheshire Cat.”

“He should be so lucky.” Impossibly, his smile grows wider. “Update. Money Bags is coming over here.”

My stomach plummets. “Stop. Will. Stop. Please. I’m begging you. Please. Will.”

“Banks, hey!” Will calls, his voice too loud.

“Shhh.” Someone at a table nearby shushes him, but Will isn’t fazed.

To my utter mortification, I sense the presence of someone standing next to me. He balances his books on the edge of the table and brushes my shoulder with his fingers. “Hey, Opal. And, uh, sorry…I’m blanking.”

“Will,” Will tells him. “Opal’s best friend.”

“Ah, hi. Right. You guys having a late-night study sesh? I always like the library best at night.”

The joy on Will’s face could light the room. “Yeah, we’re just sesh-ing it up, you know.” He jerks his folded arm inward, like aww shucks. He’s making fun of Banks, and Banks either doesn’t realize it or doesn’t care.

“For statistics,” I tell him. “Will and I are the class volunteers.”

“Really? Congrats, you guys. That’s fantastic. Professor Gene can be harsh, but you’ll handle it.” He’s looking directly at me, and the reassurance feels like exactly what I needed to hear. Then, as if he remembers Will is there too, he says, “Well, I don’t want to interrupt.”

“You’re not interrupting at all,” Will says, clearing a space at the table. “Do you want to join us? I, for one, would love that.”

Banks hesitates. “Um…I appreciate it, but I have to prepare for a lecture, so I should really focus. It was nice to see you. I’ll see you in class, Opal.”

“A lecture?” Will calls, drawing Banks back before he has the chance to escape. I sink lower into my chair. He’s doing this on purpose, and he’s enjoying it.

“Oh. I’m a TA. Working on my PhD. It’s why I’m taking the cross-listed statistics course.”

“A TA working on his PhD, hmm? Wow. A lot of letters. That’s impressive. You’d be, like, a doctor,” Will says, still teasing. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him.

“Not the kind you’d want to call on a plane,” Banks tries to joke. He scrubs a hand over the back of his neck. “It’s just for elementary education. Probably overkill, but…I like to be prepared, I guess.” Scarlet patches spread on his cheeks. “Better than falling behind.” He meets my eyes, and my heart picks up the pace. He’s so handsome, but that’s not why I’m intrigued by him. Not really. It’s…a steadiness. He feels grown up. Like nothing rattles him.

“That’s really cool,” I tell him, trying to make up for Will’s obnoxious comments.

“Well, I should get back to it.” He takes a step away. “Nice to see you both.”

When he disappears, my eyes linger. Following him. I can’t help it. He’s so…normal. So calm. Sure of himself.