I shuffled papers around on my desk, hoping to appear like I knew what I was doing. “So the assignment? We should probably work on it.”
Troy cleared his throat and tapped the pencil I gave him. “I, uh, don’t think we’re going to have time to finish it in class. We might have to get together later tonight and work on it.”
I felt a blush creep across my cheeks. We were halfway through first semester and this was the first time a guy had remotely asked me out. Sure, Troy was only suggesting it because of the assignment, but it still embarrassed me.
Gina, my best friend, was the pro at this. She got asked out all the time. But I had a hard time putting myself out there. Opening up or whatever. Especially after my parents’ train wreck of a marriage.
“I have plans tonight,” I told my notebook. “We’ll have to find another time.”
He shook his head and I instantly disliked the vibe coming off him. “It has to work. I have practice the rest of the week.”
“It doesn’t work,” I insisted. “I can’t just… reschedule.” I bit my lip, not wanting to go into specifics about the details of my plans. They weren’t life or death, but I had been counting down to this night for the entire semester. Troy Cameron was not going to get in the way.
“Listen, I’m busy the rest of the week and I have a game on Saturday. You’re going to have to move stuff around.”
Whatever small amount of camaraderie we’d established in the last five minutes disappeared. This guy was such a tool. “Step off, Troy. Tonight doesn’t work.”
Students started to stand around us, gathering their notebooks and backpacks. Troy didn’t move. He just sat there, staring at me, waiting for me to give in.
So not going to happen.
I turned to face him, towering over him for the first time ever. “Look, let’s just divide the project up. I’ll do half. You do half. And we can meet together before class on Monday to combine our projects.”
He held my gaze and I noticed for the first time that his eyes were blue. “You don’t even know what the assignment is.”
My eyes narrowed and I felt like punching something. How could he possibly know that? “Okay, Dexter. Why don’t you tell me what it is, then we can divide it up.”
His smirk was cruel and victorious. “I’ll tell you tonight. When we work on it.”
I glanced at the big clock over the exit. I didn’t have time for this bullshit. “I told you I can’t do it tonight.”
“I told you it’s the only night I have.”
“Whatever, Troy. Be a douche. I gotta bounce.”
I grabbed my backpack and shoved my notebook into it on my way out. I took the wide stairs upwards to the exit without looking back.
