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Heat kissed my cheeks. “Well, when a routine works, it’s better to stick to it.”
“True enough.” Ms. Fajardo wasn’t much older than my mom. She had a pageboy cut to her dark brown hair, really kind brown eyes, and a smile that welcomed questions. She also possessed a terrific sense of humor. This was the first year I’d actuallybein her class, though I’d met her way back in ninth grade when she talked to our Honors Humanity class that served as my English credit that year. “Come on in.”
I straightened and slipped in the door. Instead of following, Coop just leaned in the doorframe.
Ms. Fajardo had already pulled out her sticky notes and wrote down the name of three books. “I’m assuming you finishedThe Death of Ivan IlyichandMiddlesex?”Those had been on our summer reading list.
“In June,” I admitted ignoring Coop’s drawn out“nerd” from where he stood at the door. Hands behind my back, I flipped him off.
Ms. Fajardo glanced past me to Coop. “If you haven’t finished them, Mr. Brennen, you won’t be ready for today’s introductory quiz.”
“I’m good,” he declared, much to my surprise.
Twisting, I stared at him. A, he was in AP Lit? And B, he’d done the reading?
“I finished the last one yesterday.” He tapped his chest. “Not a nerd.” He pointed at me. “Definitely a nerd.”
Rolling my eyes, I returned my attention to Ms. Fajardo. She just shook her head while still chuckling. “Then this list is for you, too,” she informed him. “You’re going to have independent reading each quarter. This is the first quarter choices. Pick whichever one you like. If you have it with you, and there’s free time in class, you can read it then.” Without missing a beat, she focused on me. “You should probably grab all three, because I know you. You’ll finish them by the weekend.”
Face hot, I just grinned. “Like I said, when it works…”
“Yes, yes. It works. Okay. Go on.” She pressed the sticky note to my hand. “I’ll see you both in fourth.”
Oh. Cool. Coop and I had Fajardo together before lunch.
“See you then!”
As Coop fell into step with me, he peered at the list. “How many have you already read?”
I skimmed the list of books then had to bite back a laugh.
“Two,” Coop answered before I could. “My money is on two.”
Dammit. “Yes, I’ve already read two of them.”
He laughed and hooked an arm around my shoulders again. “Gonna be my study buddy, right?”
“Depends,” I countered. “You didn’t tell me you were taking AP classes this year.” In fact, he’d avoided them when at all possible. Dual credit was where he’d focused his efforts. If you were going to school in state, dual credit was better.
“You didn’t ask,” he challenged. Without missing a step, he guided me to the next classroom. AP French. Four years and I’d gotten pretty good at the language, so this year would be fantastic. Madame greeted us both, though Coop hadn’t set foot in French after sophomore year. Since they only required two years, that was all he intended to do.
With Madame’s notes added to my sticky, we went on. AP World History with Mr. G was an independent study class. He wasn’t in his classroom, but there was a note on his door addressed to me. Coop laughed his ass off when I snagged it.
By the time we’d swung by AP Calculus, AP Government and AP Economics—gov was on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while econ would be Tuesdays and Thursdays for the fall semester. The schedule would flip-flop in the spring—Coop was over the tour and hurrying me along. It helped that those teachers weren’t there.
“I’m sorry, Coop,” I said as we jogged down the stairs to hall A so we could make our way to the lunchroom.
He paused on the last step and stared at me. Since I was two steps up from him, we were almost eye-to-eye. “For what?”
“I kind of ignored you this summer.” Coop was right about that. We’d picked our classes last April, two days after the spring formal and fundraiser, and I’d—I’d been a little sore.
“Yes,” he said slowly, eyeing me. “You did. Lucky for you, I forgave you for that already.”
A laugh escaped and I shook my head. “I really am sorry.”
“Fine,” he said all too easily, but that was Coop. “You can make it up to me by driving me to school this year. And maybe giving me rides home.”
“I’m pretty sure you were going to ride with me anyway…” Then again, he’d just shown up at my car this morning. He’d been waiting for me. Maybe it hadn’t been a sure thing for him.
