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She sighs. “It’s too bad he’s Darryl’s teammate. Boys tend to have codes about that shit.”
“I don’t want him anyway,” I say. My traitorous stomach flopsas I think about the kiss again. “I’m not getting involved with anyone right now.”
“So, if he came up to you and asked you on a date, you’d say no?”
“Like he would.”
“You kissed him and ditched him. Guys like the chase.”
“Well, I hope he doesn’t waste his time.” I check my phone. I’m going to have to hustle if I want to get to class on time, since the building is across campus, so I stand, grabbing a napkin for the rest of my bagel. “I’ll see you later.”
“Are you going to that writing class?”
I roll my eyes. “Unfortunately.”
When I transferred to McKee, some of my credits didn’t transfer over with me, so I’ve been working double-time to finish every requirement and graduate on time. This writing class—an introduction to college writing—is the most annoying of all of them. Insulting, too—I’m a business major, I’ve written plenty of papers over the course of my college career. I’d have preferred to be working on my photography this whole time, but that’s life.
“You’ll get through it. Text me what you want to do for dinner later,” she says.
I wave goodbye and head out into the morning. It’s still way more summer than fall in terms of the weather, so after a few minutes of fast walking, sweat starts to gather on my forehead and under my arms. I hitch my backpack further onto my shoulder, lengthening my stride as I hit one of the many hills on campus. We’re only about an hour outside of New York City, so not in the mountains, but I swear it’s like McKee terraformed the place to be extra hilly. I didn’t need to bring my camera with me, but I like carrying it just in case I get inspired, and now I’m regretting it, because it keeps slapping against my hip.
I make it with a minute to spare, find a seat in the back, and take out my notebook, along with a gel pen. They’re my one school-related luxury. Something about writing notes in sparkly purple instead of plain black makes studying business when I’d rather have been a visual arts major just a tiny bit more bearable.
The professor, who, no surprise, is an old white dude, starts to talk about the importance of taking this class seriously because it sets up everything you do in college. It’s not bad advice, but definitely meant for the baby-faced seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds around me. Essay structure? Check. The importance of outlining your work? Double check. Peer feedback? Got it. The one thing I can say about this class is that it will be an easy A, and considering the five other classes I’m taking to stay on track with wrapping up my major requirements, I can’t complain.
“Let’s take a closer look at the syllabus,” the professor says. “Make sure you get a copy.”
Someone drops into the seat next to mine. I suppress a snort. Poor baby freshman. I’d bet five bucks it was an alarm malfunction.
Whoever it is, they smellreallygood. A bit like pine.
I look up, and my heart does a little surprised flop in my chest.
“Hey,” says James freakin’ Callahan. “Got an extra copy of that?”
Chapter 6
James
“Yo, Coop! Get your ass up if you want a ride!”
I keep pounding on the door as I shout. I have no idea how my brother manages to always be on time for hockey, but late for everything else. He’s like a hurricane, but the eye of the storm is always hockey.
Seb walks out of the bathroom at the end of the hallway, a towel wrapped around his waist. He snorts as he takes in the scene. “Still not up?”
“You heard him last night, right? ‘James, we have class at the same time, let me tag along with you?’”
“Yep.”
“Jesus. Cooper, I’m not going to be late for the first meeting of this stupid-ass class!”
The door flings open, revealing my brother, who looks about ready to skin me alive. His eye is actually twitching. I give him a grin and say sweetly, “There’s Sleeping Beauty.”
“I hate you.”
“You love me. I don’t know how you’ve survived college without me.”
“He barely has,” Seb pipes up, which causes Coop to give him a death glare. He looks like he’s considering violence, so I step between them swiftly. Seb might’ve been adopted after his parentspassed when he was eleven, but he and Coop act like honest-to-god twins. Which means a lot of hitting.
