Page 4 of Fast Break
“Well, it can either be burned by direct combustion into heat or converted through chemical or biological processes into liquid or gas fuels,” I explain.
“Right,” he repeats, still mulling before those bright green eyes of his spark to life. “Is this like those green city buses that run on garbage?”
“Exactly,” I smile, showing way too much encouragement over something we learnt last year. Although to be fair, JT wasn’t here during that syllabus, and I can’t blame him for that. It’s probably why Mr Peters paired him with me in the first place.
“Okay,” JT smiles, suddenly more confident with our choice of subjects. “I think I can work with this.”
I just grin and pull out my laptop, not minding this partnership pairing at all. And I assure you, that’s an academic first for me.
JT and I spend the rest of the lesson jotting down some ideas, but time gets away from us before we settle on anything specific. He has more ideas than I expect, and even though half of them are way too outlandish for a school science project I am glad for his enthusiasm.
It is just before the bell rings for the end of class that I turn to look at him, trying not to focus on the way his teeth are sinking into the tip of his pen.
“I’m not sure how much further we’re going to get today. Do you want to make some time to catch up after school so we can plan this project out?”
“Sure,” JT says, sitting higher in his seat. “I have basketball three nights a week though but I’m free Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
“Three nights a week?” I repeat, slightly surprised at the demands of his sport on his time.
“Yep,” he returns. “Training on Mondays and Wednesdays and game night on Fridays. We also havevoluntarytraining sessions on Sunday mornings but they’re voluntary in the same way oxygen is for breathing.”
I realise I’m smiling as JT talks, those expressive green eyes filled with light, his love of basketball shining through. “Ah, I see,” I nod. “So not voluntary at all.”
“Bingo,” he grins and my heart jumpstarts in my chest. Ridiculous, really.
“So tomorrow then?” I hedge. Tomorrow will be Tuesday, and I really want to get this project underway.
“Sounds great,” he replies. “Um, where should we meet?”
“You can come back to my place if you like,” I offer. “It’s just me and my mum and she works shifts so it’s usually pretty quiet.”
“Definitely your place then. I have two younger siblings and it is never quiet at my house.”
“Alright. You want to give me your number and I’ll text you my address?” I keep my tone as casual as possible even though my heart has upped its pumping rate. I don’t know why. I’m literally asking the guy to come over to work on a science project. It’s not like it’s a hookup or anything.
“Sure,” JT says, pink lining those cheeks again as he fumbles with his phone, dropping it in the process. I pick it up from the table and hold it out for him, his eyes fixed to the table as he mumbles out athanks. He unlocks his phone, and I enter my details into his contacts and hand it back. He dials my number and I hear it ringing in my backpack before he hangs up.
The bell tolls and we both reach for our bags and stand. He’s smaller than me which I’m a little surprised about considering he’s on the basketball team and the rest of those guys tend to be huge, but I kind of like that about JT. It’s only an inch but I like the way his green gaze turns up to me, that original shyness back in place that we had somehow smoothed over while we worked together. And don’t ask me why but I love that little hint of shy from him. It’s completely at odds with the types of guys I’ve been with in the past but it’s adorable on JT.
Damn, I really hope he’s not as straight as I think he is.
Neither of us has moved when his cousin reaches us, arms wrapping around JT as he claims him back from me. JT startles before laughing and shoving his cousin off his back. I just watch, not sure of my place there anymore as JT is subsumed by his large group of overly loud friends and he disappears into the corridor, just one backwards glance spared for me.
CHAPTER 3
jt
“So, how did you go working with Quinn?” Trey asks, his arm draped heavily across my shoulders as we walk the corridors. Trey has this way of taking up all the space in the room. I am slightly more aware of the way we make others scurry from our path as we walk down the middle like we own it.
“What’s this?” Vince asks as he joins the two of us heading for the cafeteria.
“Just talking about our class science project,” Trey explains as Marco and Kye fall into formation. “JT got paired up with Quinn.”
“Queer Dayton?” Vince chuffs, pumping his eyebrows suggestively. Something sparks to life in my gut at those words whilst simultaneously setting off an unexpected flare of annoyance.
“Seriously, Vince,” I eyeroll.
“What? It’s just a play on words,” Vince grins back. “You know, cos he’s gay. Queer Quinn. It’s funny.”
