“Because we’re awesome.”
“And modest.” Auggie laughs.
“And if it doesn’t quite work out the way we’ve planned, we’ll come up with new plans,” I say.
“We will. Because we’re awesome together. And that isn’t a big-headed thing to say,” Em says.
Auggie holds our hands. “We are awesome together. That’s a fact.”
31
AUGGIE
One of our lecturers decides to give us a fantastic welcome-back-to-university gift of a pop quiz. Seriously, I thought those only existed in the teen movies set in the US that Emory loves to watch. I don’t even know what ‘pop quiz’ means. Certainly not a quiz on pop music or anything even remotely popular. Popular bands. Popular chocolate bars. Popular films. We have no warning, no prep time, and unsurprisingly, I stare at the question sheet and can only think of about two answers out of twenty questions. I do leave the professor lots of doodles, though. He should be grateful that I don’t litter the answer sheet with gazillions of profanities. I want to, but I hold back.
“You hated that, didn’t you?” Emory asks as we leave the lecture theatre.
“That obvious?”
He winces. “Yes. Sorry.”
I gesture in the direction of the lecture theatre as we walk away from it. “Who springs a test like that on the first day back after the holidays?”
“It was pretty mean.”
“Do I dare ask how you did?”
Emory shrugs. “I won’t know until we get the results back.”
“I bet you aced it.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“I thought you liked tests.”
Emory smiles. “I like exams that I can revise and prepare for thoroughly. Surprise tests are not my favourite thing in the world.” He nudges my elbow. “You are, though. One of my two favourite things anyway.”
“Why do I feel like you’re about to burst into song?”
“Will it make you laugh if I do?”
I side-eye him. “Yes. Will you?”
His cheeks flush pink. “I love you and would do anything for you, except a musical number in the middle of university. Sorry.”
I put my arm around his shoulders. “It didn’t hurt to ask.”
“What I will do is help you come up with a revision schedule and stick to it.”
I groan. “Already? We’ve got six weeks until our exams begin. Why do we even have exams this year? Surely we should have them all at the end of our third year.”
“And have to remember everything we’ve learnt this year and next year?”
I sigh. “Good point.”
“And six weeks isn’t that long.”
“I guess not.”
