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Quinn’s fingers are already hooked around his headphone cup, ready to block the world out again. So I just fall into step beside him across the lawn, since we happen to be going in the same direction. Not that he even gives me any notice. All while the stupid Scantron burns a hole in my bag, and I try to look like a guy who thought the test was only kind of crap instead of degree-ending crap.
He pivots off without even a wave goodbye when we reach the Language Arts Building.
Fucking fantastic.
I stop on the path and scrub a hand over my face. Two almost-conversations with my new roomie in three days and I’m batting .000. Thank god I’m a hockey player and not a baseball player. And I’m great at making friends. The literal best. Besides Luke, he might have me beat.
As if my thoughts conjure my friend, I spot Luke and Will across the quad and head their way. Luke knows Science. Maybe he’d be up for being a tutor.
“Hey, loser,” Will calls out as I near them. “Help me cheer this guy up.”
“I’m fine, asshole,” Luke grumbles.
He doesn’t look fine. He’s got his backpack hooked over one shoulder looking as if it’s weighing him down, and he’s staring at a point somewhere past Will’s left ear. His usual grin is missing. The sparkle that I know is Luke has dimmed.
“He’s not fine,” Will says, pointing at him with the hand that is not already holding a smoothie. “He doesn’t even want one after practice.”
That does it.
Luke always wants a smoothie. It’s probably one of his favorite things. The Scantron failure drops to the last place of my worries so fast I almost hear it hit rock bottom. So I shelve that problem for later and drop an arm over his shoulders, tugging him closer to me.
“Okay,” I say. “What happened? Who do I need to beat up for my fake-boyfriend?”
The corner of his mouth quirks up. There it is. A crack in the wall.
“Guess.”
I grin down at him. “Coach Silas?”
“Bingo.”
“You should stop messing with that man, he’s fucking you up.”
“Nothing Riot can’t solve with my boyfriend, right?” He bats his eyes at me.
“I can get down with Riot. I need to dance.”
“Then it’s a date.”
“I still don’t know why you didn’t pick me for your fake-boyfriend. I can act,” Will grumbles. “Also, you just told Danny boy everything with a single question? Dude, I thought we were best friends.”
“Ty is your best friend,” I say.
“I have two best friends,” he replies.
Luke snorts and leans a little more of his weight into my side. I squeeze his shoulder once and steer us toward the dining hall. This is familiar ground at least.
THREE
QUINN
The first day of classes is always exciting. The possibilities of learning new things, it’s my favorite thing. Especially if it’s about science.
Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I know more than my new professor on the topic of Analytical Chemistry. Which is a depressing thought. I aced the Scantron, and if that was supposed to be to see what we knew ahead of teaching us, I should just be given an A+ now.
I’m still slightly annoyed when I leave the building and cut across the lawn toward Language Arts.
Hopefully, French V will require more effort.
