Page 20 of XO

“Even an asshole can be smart.”

Truer words could never be spoke.

I look behind me and scan the library.

“She has cheer practice,” Jacob announces, intercepting my thoughts.

“So, she won’t come in here screaming like a banshee if she sees me with you?”

“She doesn’t sound like a banshee.” I raise a brow, and he accepts defeat. “Okay, she does. But for today, you’re safe.”

Reluctantly, I take a few steps in, conceding my own defeat and take a seat opposite Jacob. Uncapping my pen, I wait for him to start.

“So, I’ve had a look at the results from your last test paper,” Jacob starts before I groan with embarrassment.

“Johnson showed you?”

“He did. I needed something to go off of.”

“If you dare hold this over me, I’ll find some way to get you back.”

“Let’s say I do hold it over you, you’ll never know when I strike.” He’s playful, but his track record suggests he’s definitely adding this to his arsenal.

“I always know when you strike. You make sure of it. The bigger the audience, the better.”

“Everyone has a weakness. Let’s just say calculus is yours.”

“And what’s your weakness, Jacob Lynch?”

He doesn’t say a word, just holds my gaze for a long, intense moment. A moment which causes my heart to thud. Breaking the hold, Jacob clears his throat and straightens his papers. “Let’s get started,” he says, dismissing the question.

I don’t press the issue because I’m thrown by his reaction.

For the next thirty minutes, I listen as Jacob runs over the error of my ways with each incorrect answer on the last test. He surprises me further by explaining calculus better than Mr. Johnson who’s been our teacher for years. Jacob’s patience in painting a mathematical picture for me turns out to be more beneficial than anything I’ve learned in class. The bell trills through the library signaling the end of recess, and as we pack our belongings, Jacob turns personal. “Kevin still asking you to prom?”

Stilling, I take a moment to consider how to respond. His tone is an unfamiliar one, so I’m careful how I tread. “Yes, but I’m confident he’s joking. Must be something about you boys that you love seeing me react to your jokes.”

Jacob shakes his head slightly. “I don’t think he’s joking.”

Sitting straight, I prop my calculus text on my lap. “So, I’m not understanding. What’s the problem?” I understand my father having problems with it, but not Jacob. He’ll be preoccupied elsewhere to care an inch about what I do.

Jacob rubs his perfect jaw, contemplating his next delivery. “It’s just…”

“What?” I prompt when he stalls.

He looks up and smiles, but it’s reminiscent of my father’s from just last night. It lacks all sincerity and truth. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” he says, changing his mind.

“You don’t start a conversation like that and then say ‘don’t worry about it,’ because that’s exactly what I’m not going to do.”

“You should only be worrying about it if you agree to be his date.”

So, now he’s throwing semantics at me.

I huff. “I didn’t agree to anything. But that doesn’t stop a girl from wanting to know what’s got you so pissed off when you shy away from giving the warning.”

He shrugs his shoulder defiantly. “I’m not pissed off.”

“Well, kind of feels that you are.”

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