Page 18 of Okay, Cupid

I give Neve my username, and watch as she types it in.

“Oh wow, off the grid, huh?”

“My sister makes me keep it locked,” I tell her.

At least there are actual posts up there. I learned to keep pictures consistent for moments like this. I watch Neve hit “Request to Follow” before she slips her phone back into her pocket just as Mrs. Henry clears her throat and tells us to pay attention.

“Okay, so I want to take the time to go over last week’s exam.” Mrs. Henry taps on the SMART Board she’s standing in front of. “You all did well, but the last three questions stumped more than half of you, so we’re going to review.” She taps on the board again and an equation pops up.

There are a few groans.

I write down the formula in my notebook: x2 + 9x + 16.

Then I stare at the numbers and letters. What the fuck does any of this mean?

“Who can tell me what we do next?” Mrs. Henry asks. “We’re looking to determine whether this problem is a perfect square.”

Not a single hand goes up, not at first at least.

“Come on, guys. We’ve been over this before.”

Alice raises her hand.

“Yes, finally. Alice.”

“Factoring the 16, you’ll find that it isn’t a perfect square because 9x isn’t equal to 2(x × 4),” she recites, which is extra impressive because she’s got her phone out again and has gone back to secretly reading her manga.

I can admire the dedication.

“That’s correct!” Mrs. Henry grins and turns to the board. “We’re going to go through what Alice just explained, step by step.”

It’s only then that I notice Huy out of the corner of my eye, his shoulders hunched and eyes close to his notebook like he can’t see or something. He turns, and I think he’s staring at Alice, looking right at her.

It’s enough for me to sense that spark. So much can be said with just a look.

Then he notices that I’m staring at his staring, and I panic and look away. I can just play it off, can’t I? Except our eyes most definitely met. I sit there, counting the seconds in my head until I think it might be safe enough to look back in his direction.

One. Two. Three.

Are three seconds enough? Well, now it’s been four, and now five. So, five has to be enough, right? He’s not looking at me anymore. What am I up to now? Ten? It’s got to be at least ten seconds.

Maybe I’m up to twelve now?

I’ll give it fifteen.

I’ll look back at fifteen seconds; surely, he won’t still be looking at me.

I glance in his direction one last time, just to make sure he doesn’t seem weirded out or annoyed, that he doesn’t think I’m a weirdo for staring at him. I was just trying to get a read on his body language, see how he was doing. I didn’t mean to stare.

Except he isn’t looking my way anymore. He’s focused on the board, taking his notes, brushing his hair out of his face when it falls free of where he’s tucked it behind his ears.

Alice is a lucky girl, to be tied to this boy by some invisible string, her fate decided by the universe.

I just need to pull it in the right way, bring them back to each other.

This should be easy. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

At lunch, Neve, bless her heart, helps me avoid the cliché that haunts many a coming-of-age movie: grabbing my tray and wandering aimlessly around the cafeteria, waiting for an empty seat at an unclaimed table to be freed up before I just go eat in a nasty bathroom stall.