Tests are myenemy.
It’s the reason I’m sitting in the library, after eleven o’clock at night on a Tuesday, when I could be in bed with Ash.
She’s made me so happy over the last few weeks. She made me happy before that, too.
When I’m with her family, it’s often easy to forget what they do. Seeing Ollie nagging Rory to do homework, Cillian playing piano for Ollie, or Shai and Cillian playing guitar and piano for Rory and Ollie.
When Tiernan and Dean slip upstairs to their room to read classics together, something Aislin told me they do, and I saw them once when the door was cracked open, and they thought no one was home.
When they share meals and tease each other, and Rory paints Shai’s nails, and all the new model planes they build together.
The way they all love Aislin fiercely, tease each other mercilessly, and just…love. They all love big, and Ash loves the biggest. She makes me feel full in a way I’ve never experienced, and that’s how I know I made the right decision.
And it’s absolutely not what I should be thinking about right now when I have a major anatomy and physiology test tomorrow.
I look back at the book beside my open laptop and try to focus.
The library is blissfully quiet tonight, and I’m able to dig in and actually get some work done. I’m not sure exactly how muchtime has passed when I hear a noise and look up just as I see Curtis coming to the table.
His blond hair is messier than usual, like he’s run his hands through it a million times. He’s likely frustrated about a test like I am. The little bit I got to know him, I learned he’s very vigilant about school and grades, putting a lot of pressure on himself.
“Hey, Zuri,” he says with a smile. “Can I sit?”
“Sure,” I tell him, not wanting to be rude. “How have you been?”
“Stressed. Overwhelmed. My physics teacher has it out for me. I think she hates me.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t hate you,” I tell him. “But I get how it can feel that way sometimes.”
He looks at me for a moment, like he’s not sure what to say, before replying, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“You can study with me here for a bit. I can help if you need it, but I won’t be here too much longer.”
He beams in this sweet, almost needy way that makes me feel slightly guilty for not trying to be friends with him more. “Really? That would be great!”
I glance at my cell and see that it’s eleven fifteen. I write out a quick text to Ash to let her know I’ll be leaving here by midnight and will meet her at her dorm. It’s closer to the library, so we’re staying there tonight.
“Who was that?” Curtis asks.
“My girlfriend. I was just letting her know when I’d be back.”
“Oh. Is that the dark-haired girl I always see you with?”
I never realized that Ash and I had passed him when we were together, but I guess it makes sense that he’d see us around campus. “Yeah. Let’s get to work, though.”
“Okay,” he says easily, pulling his laptop from his backpack.
I don’t get much more studying done myself as I work with Curtis on his physics and listen to him complain about hisprofessor basically doing her job. Was he always this whiny? I guess I didn’t get to know him well enough before to notice.
We’re only at it for about half an hour before Curtis squints, pressing his fingers to his temples.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, concerned because, honestly, he doesn’t look that good all of a sudden. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I just got hit with a migraine. They wipe me out fast when this happens.”
“Shit. That sucks. Here, I’ll help you pack everything in your bag.”
“No, no. I can do it,” he insists, and I watch Curtis fumble through it. He’s sweating profusely now, shaking, and clearly agitated.
