“It was a long time ago,” I shrugged.
“I want you to work on something for me before our next session,” she said in an optimistic tone that indicated our hour had come to an end. “From now until next week, I want you to write down every good thing you do.”
I raised both eyebrows up. “Huh?”
“It can be anything from picking up a piece of rubbish to helping a duck cross the road,” she went on. “Anything good you do, write it down.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I have a feeling you’ll be surprised by what that list will show.”
***
The first good thing I did that week was not brag when success was delivered with a ninety-eight percent on my second assignment inPsychological Manipulation.Nathaniel Carrington received a ninety-five.
I could tell he was disappointed by the slump of his shoulders and the way he hung his head. He was gripping the edge of his desk for so long that his knuckles had gone white.
A satisfied smile tugged at my lips as Professor Haywood congratulated me on my first-place ranking.
Nathaniel’s head whipped around to find me, but I pretended not to notice, ignoring him as if I didn’t even care that Ifinallybeat him—as if I wasn't fighting a wide smile and pleasant hum.
We were even. Each of us had outperformed the other in one assignment, Nathaniel the first, I the second. The third would determine our final ranking. And it was going to be me. It had to be. I would not lose again.
The second good thing I did that week was not punch Nathaniel in the face when he approached me after class, laptop clutched in one hand while the other slipped inside his long, charcoal coat.
“Congratulations on your results,” he said smoothly, matching my pace as he walked beside me. “You must be pleased.”
And you must be devastated.
“I am,” I said. “Are you?”
Nathaniel’s lips spread into a tight smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I can do better. I know I can do better.”
“Good for you.”
“I have a question.”
“Make it quick.”
“You didn’t get full marks. What was your feedback?”
I came to an abrupt halt, eyes narrowing until Nathaniel was barely visible beneath my long lashes. “Why would you wantmyfeedback? You didn’t get full marks either. Shouldn’t you be focusing on your own failure?”
Nathaniel inhaled sharply at the word failure. “I just want to know if we’re having the same problem. We both improved a lot in this assignment but we’re clearly lackingsomething.”
“Why do you care if we have thesameproblem?”
“Because if wedo,we can work together to fix it.”
A cold laugh escaped my throat before I had the chance to rein it in. “I already told you I have no interest in working with you.”
“Why not?”
I didn’t answer. I simply started walking again, hoping he would get the hint and leave me alone.
“Is it because I won that trivia contest last semester?” Nathaniel asked as he followed. “I feel like you’ve hated me since then.”
“I don’t hate you. I don’t even think about you.”
