Page 28 of Nobody in Particular

You can come hang if you want

Another medical drama?

Or that dating show you love?

I’ll be one sec.

October 2

I don’t even remember falling asleep.

It was annoyingly fast.

Yikes

Sorry

I wanted to poke you awake.

But you look sweet when you’re unconscious.

I couldn’t bring myself to.

But you’re happy to bother me when I’m conscious?

Perfectly.

Ready for breakfast?

Yeah

Come down whenever

One sec.

TWELVEROSE

Our history professor, Mr. Sheffield, apparently decides it isn’t necessary to provide us with a warning before he announces he wants us to pick a partner for next fortnight’s presentations on Henland’s role in World War II.

He gives us two minutes to pair up amongst ourselves. Molly, Eleanor, Danni, and I look awkwardly between us. This is the first time we’ve been directed to choose partners this school term. It seems as though the most logical arrangement would be Eleanor with me, and Molly with Danni. This would suit me well enough; however, I’ve been getting to know Danni lately. And the more time I spend with her, the more I want to.

And so, when nobody else speaks, I do. “Would you like to be partners?” I ask Danni directly. “I might have a biased take on history, but I do have access to an impressive array of primary sources, so it all tends to balance itself out in the end.”

Danni glows noticeably at the invitation. “You’ve gone from offering to tutor me to wanting to work with me?” she asks. “You know I don’t know any of this stuff.”

“Are you volunteering to be the face of the operation?” I ask. “How are you with public speaking?”

“Terrible.”

“We’ll figure something out,” I say, and with that, we’re sorted.

Molly stares at Danni with a look I can only describe as betrayal. I hadn’t thought she would especially mind, given she and Eleanor are on perfectly good terms. Although, now that I think of it, maybe it’s less that she minds being with Eleanor, and more that she minds Danni being with me.

“You and me, baby,” Eleanor says to Molly, either unaware of Molly’s displeasure or choosing sagely to ignore it. “The dream team. We’re going to ace this.”

Molly gives Eleanor a sharp side-eye. “You’d better pull your weight.”

“Since when do I ever not pull my weight?”

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