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There is no way in hell I am going to tell her what is going through my mind. If she doesn't feel the same way about me, it would ruin our friendship and make the next few months pure hell for me.
"Nutrition," I spit out.
"What?"
"Our nutrition class," I explain, an idea forming in my mind.
"Okay. What about it?"
"I failed it last semester. No one knows. My parents don't know I'm taking an extra class, and I can't tell them because they'll be disappointed. So I have a proposition for you."
The way the wordpropositionrolls off my tongue, there's no way she missed the innuendo. Not that I meant for the word to come out sounding so ... dirty. But it did. And here I sit, waiting for her to say something.
Piper shifts in her seat, crossing then uncrossing her legs, but remains silent.
"I'll help you with your thesis, give you my undivided attention, and make sure you have all the information you need if you help me with the class. If you tutor me and make sure I don't fail. Failing again is not an option for me. If I want to play ball in the spring, I have to pass and pull my GPA up."
"Okay," she says, drawing the word out, sounding confused. "You do realize I haven't taken the class yet, right? That I might not understand it enough to teach the material to someone else? And we're already partners for the semester."
"Aren't you a certified genius or something?" I point out in an attempt to lighten the mood. I know for a fact the girl is intelligent beyond what she is willing to admit. According to Lo, who was bragging about how Piper helped her with a class her freshman year, her IQ is one point away from genius level.
"Or something," she mumbles.
"I know you can't promise I'll pass, but you can promise to help. To try. And I can do the same."
My mother has always said that when I grin at her, she has a hard time saying no to me. That my inner goodness shines when I smile. My eyes light up and show how genuine I am.
So call it cheating if you want, but I don't feel bad when my lips curl up. Or when I lift my right brow in challenge as she stares at me, attempting to decide what she wants to do.
The air between us grows even thicker with each minute that passes, the silence stretching on. You would think we were in a world of our own, but the sounds of the kitchen coming to life just outside the closed door remind me we're not. That someone could holler for my help any minute. Before she accepts my proposal.
"You make it hard to say no to you, but I think you're already aware of that." Her words slice through the tension that has started to build.
"Is that a yes?"
Squaring her shoulders, Piper looks straight in my eyes and nods her head once. "Yes, but I have one condition."
"So our mutually beneficial agreement comes with conditions?"
"Only one."
"Okay, I'm intrigued. What's your one condition?"
"I don't want special treatment. I'm here to learn. To help. While we're here, you're my boss. Outside of here, we can be friends."
"We are friends, Piper."
"I know, and we need to keep it that way."
Against my better judgment, I nod in agreement.
"Promise?" The determination in her eyes sparks something inside me.
Something that has me wanting to break the promise before I even say the words.
