Page 72 of You Float My Boat

I tugged hard on the rowing strap, shooting back in my seat to fire up my muscles while simultaneously trying my best not to think about the way my stomach had curled in on itself.

I knew Evie had messed me up enough that I’d spent the best part of the past few years avoiding girls. Maybe that was the problem. That I’d avoided girls for so long, it had never occurred to me that I might like Violet.

Or maybe I liked Violet because I’d been avoiding girls for so long.

No, that wasn’t it. I liked Violet because she was incredible.

I liked Violet because she made me laugh.

And I liked Violet because somehow, whenever Iwas with her, she made me forget about absolutely everything except being in that moment.

Everyone flinched as a whistle pierced the air.

‘Are we here to talk about girls or to win the Boat Race?’ called Coach.

‘Boat Race,’ came back the unanimous response.

‘Good, and Fellows, don’t think I didn’t notice you were late.’

A loud groan sounded out followed by a chorus of whoops and cheers. I joined in, but only in body, my mind was miles away. Back with Violet.

For a genius it might have taken me longer than it should have to figure out Ilikeliked her. I just hoped it didn’t take me quite so long to figure out what to do about it.

11. Violet:

(When the day takes an unexpected turn)

‘Class, I’m expecting your papers in by next Thursday. If you have any questions, please remember my office hours are not twenty-four/seven. As much as I love teaching you, I also love having a life outside these four walls.’

There was a chorus of groans though I couldn’t tell whether it was to do with the paper we had to hand in or the lack of help we’d have with it because Professor Simpson’s office hours were only between eleven a.m. and two p.m. Otherwise known as lunchtime.

Right on cue my stomach rumbled, its Pavlovian response to any class ending. Stella was stuck in French all day, which meant I’d be grabbing a sandwich on the way to the library for a couple of hours before my next class. And given Professor Simpson’s classes always tended to run over, I was thankful I could take a more leisurely approach compared to most of my classmates now sprinting to their next lectures.

Shoving everything into my backpack, I heaved it up and just about managed not to topple over as I looped my arms through it. I could probably try out for the army considering the weight of it and pass with flying colours.

‘There needs to be a one-way system here,’ I grumbled to no one, rubbing my shoulder after being knocked hard by someone rushing too quickly to notice me as I pulled my big woolly hat down over my ears and walked outside.

I was not suited for the cold. And January seemed to be getting colder and colder.

‘Violet … Violet … wait up.’

By the time I’d turned around at the familiar voice, my face was already sporting a wide smile, coupled with a little confusion, because there’s no way I’d have forgotten any plans I had with Charlie. But there he was, running towards me.

Even after all the time we’d spent together recently, my heart still hadn’t got the message and predictably it stuttered against my ribcage for a couple of seconds, like I’d somehow trapped a butterfly in my chest. If my focus hadn’t been so intently trained on him, I’d have noticed the group of girls walking by, all of them nudging each other and turning around as he jogged past.

He stopped a metre away from me; the green of his eyes seemed more emerald today, even under the peak of his navy baseball cap I could see them glinting.

‘Hey, what are you doing here?’ I asked, ignoring the kick in my pulse. ‘Did I forget that you were meeting me?’

Even as I said it out loud, I knew it seemed unlikely.

‘I was passing by and remembered you had a class today.’

‘Oh,’ I replied, and watched as his smile turned into almost a wince. A grimace even.

‘Actually …’ he scratched through his thick stubble, and his perfect white teeth caught his bottom lip, ‘that’s a lie. I wanted to see you.’

My brows knitted together, and it took me a moment to figure out what he’d said, but as it sounded exactly like he’d come to meet me, specifically, all I could manage once more was, ‘Oh.’

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