Page 110 of The Seducer
“Hey, you forgot to mention me,” Marco called out.
“I don’t think that was a coincidence,” Shelly, who sat next to me, mumbled.
“What did you say?” Marco asked her, but I had no doubt he had heard her.
“Nothing,” Shelly said with an exaggerated fake smile.
Marco planted his elbow on the table and spoke to Tristan. “You wouldn’t believe it, but when Shelly arrived here from the Motherlands, she was quiet as a mouse.” He sighed theatrically. “How I miss those days.”
“But, Shelly, you’re fifteen, and you get to be here,” Tristan pointed out.
“That’s not the same thing. Shelly isn’t a student,” I reminded Tristan.
“I could be an assistant teacher too,” Tristan suggested, planting his palms on the table and leaning forward.
Shelley gave him a sympathetic glance. “The reason I can be an assistant teacher is because I already graduated high school more than a year ago.”
“Told you she was a genius,” Marco raised a brow. “It’s a shame all that brainpower left no room for humor.” Marco shrugged and shot Shelly an exaggerated smile of his own. “I guess no one’s perfect.”
“I never claimed to be perfect,” Shelly said, unimpressed. “To be honest, there are days where I question everything, but you know what comforts me?” She looked at Marco, who shook his head. “It’s a comforting feeling to know that if I ever decide to kill myself, I can simply climb up your ego and jump down to your IQ.”
Marco’s lips tugged upward. “Ah, funny. So you do have a little humor underneath that academic cluster in your brain.”
Shelly ignored him and looked back at Tristan. “My time here will be limited anyway. I’ve decided that I’ll start my psychology degree after Christmas.”
Christina looked up. “Good for you, Shelly. Do you think they’ll let you start in the middle of the year?”
“My mother already spoke to the University and they’re putting together a special schedule for me that will allow me to finish my degree in two years instead of five.”
“That will make you a seventeen-year-old psychologist.” Finn shook his head. “That doesn’t sound right to me.”
Shelly shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, since I don’t see myself working as a psychologist.”
“Then why get a degree?” I asked in surprise.
“Because I’m hoping to understand some of the things that puzzle me about humans, before I move on to things that interest me more.”
“And what would that be?” Boulder asked.
“Functionality and design,” she said. “I like to optimize things, and I wouldn’t mind working for James for a while.”
“James?”
“The factory owner we visited during our field trip to the Motherlands,” she said. “Their research and design department intrigued me.”
“I’m sure you’d be a real asset to them,” Archer complimented her. “Kya could contact James if you’d like.”
Shelly shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I think I’ll get my psychology and engineering degrees first.”
“Why stop there?” Marco teased. “Why not throw a few extra degrees on top while you’re at it?”
Shelly angled her head and I got a feeling that she was analyzing Marco, breaking down his words and deciphering them to determine if he was serious or not. She had very little facial expression, so it was hard to read her, but her eyes shone with intelligence. “Maybe I’ll study more later, but with the two degrees I should be close to nineteen or even twenty like you are now.” She looked at him. “Maybe I will be as mature as you then.”
“Maybe,” Marco said with a grin. “And maybe you’ll be as blissfully happy as me.”
Shelly frowned. “I doubt it.”
“Don’t be negative.”
