She stared at it and looked like she was debating whether to stab me with the pen. “Tino. Why does my English homework look like a Halloween coloring book?”
“Because literature is full of monsters,” I said, pleased with myself. “And also, you need to lighten up.”
She made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a growl. “Remind me again why we’re studying together?”
“Because you love me,” I said automatically.
Across the cafe, the bell over the door jingled as a group of juniors walked in, sneaking glances our way, of course. Yet another reason that I thought it was obvious this wasn’t an actual study date—it was like we were sitting in a giant fishbowl, being watched on all sides. That mixed with the rickety table, dim lighting that was the worst for actual studying, and the classic coffee shop jazz music playing through the speakers didn’t really make this the ideal place to learn.
The girls ordered and moved their way down the counter ending up only a few feet away from us. Not quite close enough for me to be able to overhear their conversation, but enough that I noticed every time they looked over and broke into giggles. Lilah’s shoulders stiffened and she angled her body so she was facing the window.
“Ignore them,” I whispered. Her eyes flicked to mine, looking unamused. I was sure that she was remembering the girls from the hallway yesterday. I wished I’d gotten the chance to give those girls a piece of my mind, but they’d all scattered the moment that the bell rang, just like how Lilah had run off. My heart was shattered seeing the broken expression on her face as she ran off, but I push the memory aside and tap her hand with my pen. “Come on. You’ve got that quiz on Friday. Let’s make Heathcliff proud.”
Lilah flipped to a fresh page that was covered in my doodles on the margins. “He’d probably just brood about it.”
“Then you’ll fit right in.”
She kicked me under the table. I took it as a good sign.
For the next fifteen minutes, I was on my best behavior. Quizzing her properly with only very minimal distractions (the main one being that I read the questions as dramatically aspossible because watching her roll her eyes was my favorite hobby).
“What is the name of the village near Wuthering Heights?” I read off the practice quiz, putting on my worst British accent. When Lilah snorted, I added, “Go on, m’lady.”
“You sound like you’ve never met a British person in your life.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It wasn’t.”
“You’re smiling,” I said.
“That’s just my face.”
“Sure it is.”
Her knee brushed mine under the table—probably by accident, but my brain didn’t get that memo. She didn’t pull away and I sat practically frozen in place, barely daring to breathe in case it made her realize what she was doing and pull away.
Lilah stole the practice quiz back from me and smoothed it out on the table. “I think I’ll do better if I don’t have to hear the questions in your voice.”
“That felt very pointed.”
“Good.”
We managed another stretch of quiet study before I couldn’t take it anymore. She’d been rereading the same paragraph for ten minutes, the frown between her eyebrows deepening.
“You look like you’re about to die,” I said, leaning over her shoulder. Her hair brushed against my cheek, and I pretended I didn’t notice how my pulse jumped.
“I’m fine.”
“You’ve been on the same sentence for?—”
“I’m fine, Tino.”
“You should stop trying to fight the book. It already won,” I said. She huffed a laugh but it didn’t reach her eyes. I frowned. “You’re stressed about the quiz.”
“I can’t fail another one,” she murmured. “I’ve been rereading the same section for twenty minutes and it still sounds like gibberish.”
“Then stop reading it.”
