Page 67 of Withered

Jake is still sitting on the chair, his hands behind his head. When I look around, everyone is working on a solution.

“How come you’re not solving?” I ask him, confused. I did notice him writing, but it was only for about five minutes.

He looks at me and replies smugly, “I’ve already finished.”

“You’re joking, right?” I ask him. He couldn’t possibly finish all of that quickly.

He just smirks and ushers me over to his copy. Taking a quick peek, a gasp leaves my mouth as I see he has completed his work. I close his copy a little loudly and give him a deathly glare.How did he complete it so fast?

I pout as I stare at Professor Williams. He’s not only a jerk, but he’s also a genius. That makes me pout even more.

He calls out, “Hey, Pouty.”

I choose to ignore him.

“Pouty,” he says again as he taps my shoulder.

I still don’t look at him.

“Rose,” He calls me. And my name sounds so good coming out of his mouth.Damn him and the accent.

“What?” I answer, annoyed.

“Let’s compare our answers,” he suggests.

I think over it, then say, “Okay. You are getting so many of them wrong.”

“You wish, Pouty.” He smirks.

“Stop calling me that. I have a name,” I speak through gritted teeth.

“Sure thing, Pouty.” He chuckles.Does he ever listen?

We compare our answers and have all of them right.God, I hate him so much.

“Nice work.” He winks and shows me his palm.

Puzzled, I stare from his palm to him.

He rolls his eyes and says, “You know, when people do this, you are supposed to high-five.”

It’s my turn to roll my eyes, but I give him a high-five. When our hands connect, I recall the same hand doing things to me yesterday. My gaze is glued to our hands, and I quickly remove them. Jake moves in his seat as if he knows what I’m thinking.

I couldn’t sleep last night as I replayed our moment like a tape on a loop. I called Kristy, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her.

The rest of the class flies by. Just as the bell rings, Jake gets up quickly and exits the class. I pack my stuff and head for my next class.

When compared to other subjects, world history is rather boring. But I kind of like it. The professor is amusing and keeps the students entertained. The lesson passes by while he cracks jokes in between.

The lunch bell sounds, signaling that it is time to eat. I briefly stop by my locker to put my belongings away. Hallways are crowded, so I have to push my way past the sea of people.

Kristy is sitting in her usual place, but the person next to her has my attention. The whole cafeteria is staring at our table, probably assuming things.

“Why are you sitting here?” I ask the intruder.

“I invited him here,” Kristy says as Tyler looks at me. “Is that all right?”

I glare at her for cutting in but shrug nonetheless. I’m perfectly okay as long as it’s just him. We talk—well, Kristy talks and the rest of us simply listen. Tyler is whipped as I eat my lunch in quiet, examining both of them.

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