Page 31 of You Float My Boat

Gordon’s mouth dropped open. ‘You’ve never taken physics?’

Evie shrugged, ‘Does A-level count?’

It was only when his mouth still hadn’t closed, and his eyes looked like they might fall out of their sockets that Laura jammed an elbow into his ribs. ‘Gordon, don’t be rude.’

Gordon was too speechless at the thought of someone not caring about physics the way he did to retort. Instead, he dropped his head, turning closer to me, and mumbled something which sounded a lot like, ‘Good job our group is sorted.’

‘Sorry,’ Laura cringed, gesturing her hand around the three of us. ‘This is Gordon by the way, and Charlie.’

Evie’s gaze moved slowly from Laura and across Gordon until it landed on me again, and she casually tucked a lone strand of hair behind her ear, but I didn’tmiss the sly curve of her lip. The others might not understand what it meant, but I knew exactly.

‘Oh, Charlie and I go way back. Don’t we, Charlie?’

I didn’t reply, but Laura’s eyes lit up the only way one’s could when they didn’t realize they were in the presence of evil. ‘That’s great, oh you should join our … OWWW!’ She squealed loud enough to cancel out the ringing in my ears. Huh. ‘Gordon! That was my foot.’

I summoned every single drop of discipline I had not to laugh as Gordon stepped back. Because if he hadn’t just stomped on Laura’s foot, she’d have been crying from the kick to the shins I’d have given her. My plans to avoid Evie weren’t about to get shelved at the first hurdle by Laura being far too nice for her own good.

‘Sorry,’ Gordon replied, not seeming sorry in the slightest.

Laura looked like she was about to argue but thankfully that was the moment the classroom door in front of us swung open, providing a much-needed distraction. Out swarmed a large-ish group of first years, from the looks of their deer-in-the-headlights expressions, all clamouring for the exit, and sprinting down the stairs in their break for freedom.

It was the same expression I imagined I’d had after my first class with Professor Rivers – someone I’d once heard described as the Marmite of the physics department. In what I’d found was atypical of a physics professor, he didn’t like the sound of his own voice. More so, he pushed you to think. As a result, his classes were some of my favourites. On the flip side, students who liked the structure of physics weren’t so keen onhim, but in the end couldn’t argue with the grades he always seemed to coax out.

By the time the man himself arrived at the threshold of the classroom to summon us inside, the corridor had started to empty once more. Younger than most other faculty members, Professor Rivers still had the youthful exuberance of someone who remembered what it was like to be a student, even if the bushy handlebar moustache was more reminiscent of an American railroad owner, than of a man who realized that facial hair was actually a trend.

‘Ah, my final year students. Come in, come in,’ he boomed, waving us forward.

Gordon shot forward with a quick ‘Good morning, Professor,’ rushing to get the seat he wanted before anyone else sat there. Though if they had, he’d only have made them move.

I was tempted to run in after him, but instead I stayed where I was, knowing Evie would do exactly the same.

I turned and blocked her way. Any other person would have been startled at someone stopping directly in front of them, but not Evie, standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. She’d been watching every move I’d made since she arrived.

‘Charlie …’ she began, her big blue eyes widening. Her skin was absolutely flawless; not one single line or crease or divot formed as she looked up at me.

‘Evie,’ I cut her off before she wasted both our time, ‘we have to get through the next eight weeks of being in the same room as each other. Please don’t make it harder. We have nothing to talk about, but I will be civilwhen required within these four walls. Outside of it I will go back to pretending you don’t exist.’

I could have predicted she’d huff a little in indignation, and it only hardened me further. ‘God, Charlie, come on. You’re so dramatic.’

‘Listen to my words. I do not want to talk to you.’

I left her standing in the doorway and I stalked inside, making my way to the spot near to where the others were sitting.

‘Well done, mate,’ I muttered to Gordon as I sat down next to him.

‘Close call, Charlie. We definitely wouldn’t get a first having someone who’s only taken A-level physics in our group …’ I could almost see the scorn forming a puddle on the floor underneath him for how thickly it was dripping, and once again I stopped myself from laughing.

I didn’t look at Evie again, though I knew she’d sat down when Professor Rivers closed the door behind her.

Brooks:

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