Page 15 of More Than Chemical
“Thank you for the chemistry…” And for some embarrassing reason, my words stopped.Help.I meant to say chemistry help.I hadn’t finished the sentence, and now it was too late. Too awkward. My face heated to the temperature of a Bunsen burner.
He swung around and smiled, creases sinking into each side of his mouth. He lifted his hand and waved. “No problem.”
And then he was gone. The pulse in my throat fluttered to a frenzy. I snatched up my phone and scrolled through my contacts toD.There it was. No last name. Just Dallas.
My thumb hovered over the entry, but I didn’t tap on it, afraid I’d accidentally call him. I turned off my screen and put my hand over my heart.Omigod. What had just happened?
Six
One Perspective
I’d arrived early to chemistry lab, uploaded the write-up I’d finally finished, and was now sitting on a stool next to my workstation, staring at Dallas’s name in my phone. It had been three days since he’d put it in there. I still hadn’t touched it.
Emma had been disgusted, told me to delete it right away.
Priya remained neutral.
I still hadn’t decided what to do.
True to Dallas’s style, he hadn’t pursued me. In fact, I’d barely seen him since the laundry room. So it was up to me. If I wanted to connect with him, I would have to do the connecting.
I turned off the screen and slid the phone into my backpack. I’d checked the dean’s list. Jay was right. Dallas had been on it last semester. Finding his name had also solved a mystery.
His last name was Reynolds. Like the tin-foil. It was a bit disappointing. I was expecting something magical, not kitchen supplies.
As soon as I had his full name, I did what any girl would do—I looked him up on all my social media platforms. Strangely, I came up with nothing.
Everyone was on social media. Even I had accounts, under my new name, of course. I’d deactivated all my others.
I chewed on my bottom lip. Maybe we were more alike than I thought. We were both hiding from something.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a long, lean body enter through the doorway.
Jay.
I hopped off my stool and cornered him at his lab station. “Hi, stranger.”
“Hi.” He unzipped his backpack and got out his work, all while he avoided eye contact with me.
“I’m sorry.” My stomach was in knots.
“For what?” He put his lab notebook on the table, still not looking at me.
“For being mad after class the other day.”
“No big deal.” He glanced at me. “I’ve already forgotten about it.”
“You have?”
“Yeah.” He looked away from me again to fish through the lab drawer.
“Then why haven’t you answered my texts?”
“I’ve been busy getting in some long runs.”
“So we’re cool?”
“Sure.”
