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“Later?” I asked when Jake looked like he might object. Relieved when he relented easily enough, I shut my backpack up and went to sling it back on, but he caught it.
“I’ll carry for you. Might be easier on… you know.”
The corner of my mouth ticked up. “Thank you.”
“Hey, whatever I can do to help.”
So much for making them stop asking. My nerves were taut by the time we reached G’s room.
“Hey,” he said as we came in. “You guys can work on your reading, but, Frankie—I know there’s a lot that’s been going on, but I think you should go back and review those last two chapters.”
Jake set my bag down next to my desk as I slid onto the seat. “Did I mess up something on the test?”
“The tests are a barometer to see where you are, if you were to take the exam today, that section wouldn’t quite get to a 2 for your overall score.”
My gut sank. If the cramps had been bad before, they were worse now.
“It’s not a big deal,” G continued. “Still early in the year. So go back through those last couple of chapters, and we’ll do another test on Monday. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Not even a 2.
Harvard required a 5 on AP tests. A 4 would get advanced standing, but not the credits I’d need to cut back the number of paid classes I’d have to take.
“I’ve got a meeting, so you two get to work and I’ll see you both tomorrow.” Then he was out of the room and it was just me and Jake.
G hadn’t said Jake needed to go back over the last two chapters. I really should have just not come to school today. Maybe I’d skip tomorrow.
Between my grades and now that test score, what was I going to lose?
“Want me to quiz you after you read?” Jake offered. “It’s been a crazy week.”
“It’s fine,” I said. I wasn’t going to cry. “I just need to focus, and I haven’t been doing that.”
My focus had been in shreds for days. I was barely getting to my homework in and around everything else. I could have done more last night after work, but I’d been with Jake, and that seemed way more important at the time.
It was still important.
“Hey,” Jake’s soft voice pulled my attention. He crouched next to my desk one hand on my leg. “Talk to me. That’s one test, and sure, it sucks, but he’s right, you’re brilliant. You just need more time to read and maybe not me keeping you up all night.”
I laughed a little. “Maybe…” I dug my book out of the backpack and then looked at the envelope.
“Jake, can I ask you a question?”
“Always.” He hadn’t moved away, so I shifted a little to face him.
“Would you have dated Maria if I’d not flaked last spring?”
Surprise flickered across his face. “We’d already kind of gone out a couple of times back then—usually in the group. Not really dates.”
“Yeah, but you took her to the spring dance.”
He sighed, but didn’t look away. “Yeah, I did. It was kind of so we would both have someone to go with.” He made a little click of sound and grimaced. “You stopped talking to us right around then. Got super busy and stuff. Maria was around…”
“So in other words, you asked her out because I was gone?”
“Well, when you put it like that,” he sounded vaguely disgusted. “Why are you asking?”
“Something I heard Sharon say in the bathroom.”
