Page 45 of You Float My Boat

‘We are now.’

‘Charlie, we have tutorial,’ he pressed.

I looked at my watch. ‘In half an hour.’ Though I knew it could say we were running late and I’d still be walking in whatever direction Violet was going.

As if to illustrate the point to myself, I reached out and took all her books from her – I was wrong, that literary guide had to be nearer ten kilos, and Violet Brooks was freakishly strong.

Her entire face screwed up, and the little line that creased her nose deepened, ‘What are you doing?’

‘Carrying your books for you.’

‘Why?’

‘Because you have a lot, and they look heavy.’

‘We’re not in the nineteen-fifties, I can carry my own books.’ She reached to take them back, but I shifted around so she couldn’t, only to grin wide when she huffed a little.

I liked that little huff more than I wanted to admit.

‘I’d just let him Violet, Charlie seems to do what he wants,’ grumbled Gordon.

I refrained from pointing out that he was perfectly free to go to class, and I’d meet him there.

‘He does, doesn’t he?’ she replied, though I didn’t miss the little curve of her lip as she side-eyed me.

‘Are you reading English?’ he asked, as the three of us made our way in the direction Violet had been heading.

‘Yes.’

‘I enjoy English. In my first year I took it alongside Physics, to help me balance my coursework. I very much enjoyed Shakespeare, although I wasn’t a fan of Professor Simpson. A bit subpar, in my opinion.’

Violet’s eyes widened, ‘You took English for one year as an extra credit?’

‘Gordon’s a genius, more so than me,’ I winked as she turned to me, her mouth slightly open. ‘I’m just of the regular variety, therefore can only do one subject at a time.’

‘Well, I’m impressed.’

‘Have you been to the Globe?’ he continued, ‘I go every summer with my parents, we sawTwelfth Nightlast year.’

I peered around Violet to look at him, ‘That’s what Violet’s studying. She just got the part of Viola in the summer production. I’ve been helping her learn lines.’

‘You?’

‘Yes.’

‘Actually, I have a Shakespeare class, but the play is separate,’ Violet added.

I’d never been on the end of one of Gordon’s withering looks before, and now I had I could safely say I’d been put in my place. Evenheknew Shakespeare wasn’t my forte.

I decided to stay silent after that, and the three of us walked along the pavement towards the library. Me carrying Violet’s books, while the two of them compared their favourite characters, and while I had nothing much to add to this conversation, it was almost enough that I could witness it. Violet was quite simply mesmerizing.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the way her entire face lit up as she debated with Gordon. I couldn’t even remember a time I’d seen Gordon talk so excitedly about something that didn’t involve an equation.

But Violet had this way of bringing everyone under her spell, and it seemed even Gordon wasn’t immune.

By the time we arrived – far too quickly in my opinion – my heart was pounding out a beat I didn’t recognize.

She stopped right before we reached the steps and turned around. ‘Well, here we are.’

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