Page 19 of Sidelined

I sat over closer to him, so I could look at his work.

"Is there a trick to the trick questions?" he asked. "Like you answer A, then B, then C, then D? Or some other order?"

"No," I replied firmly. "But even if there was, I wouldn't tell you, that would be cheating."

"And there's nothing you hate worse than someone who cheats," he observed.

I looked up into his gorgeous brown eyes. "Something like that. Cheating doesn't help anyone. Sooner or later, you get caught." I wasn't just talking about schoolwork. If he was dating that cheerleader, he shouldn't be flirting with me.

"Right." His breath brushed over my lips. “Caught.”

My heart did a staccato beat in my chest, then melted into a puddle. For a long time we sat like that, staring at each other. He leaned forward slightly.

I thought he was going to kiss me.

In a surge of panic, I sat back, out of range. What was I thinking?WasI thinking?

I swallowed. "The only trick to the trick questions is knowing why one that seems almost right, is actually wrong."

"So the trick is to study my ass off?” he said.

"Yep," I said lightly. "It sucks, but it's the only way."

"Sucks," he said vaguely. He was staring at my mouth. "Yeah, it would. I mean, does. Couldn't they just make a test where there is only one right answer and the rest are just silly? Like, who was the chick Romeo was in love with: Juliet, Wonder Woman, fried chicken or a potato?"

I burst out laughing. "The answer might be all of the above."

Conrad chuckled. "If he knew what was good for him, it would be. But only if he's a fan of DC." He smiled at the surpriseon my face. "I looked it up. I still don't really get what the difference is."

"That is a debate for another day," I said. Personally, I was an equal opportunity geek, I liked them all.

"I look forward to it," he said.

I looked down at his paper. Once he passed this test, we had no reason to see each other ever again. He would get on with his life, and I'd get on with mine. The debate about Marvel versus DC would go un-argued, at least between us. I'd never even get a chance to introduce him toDoctor Who, orStar Trek. Who knows, maybe he'd find his way to those things on his own.

"At least you know who Juliet is," I said.

The change in him was instant. Like someone tipped a bucket of heartbreak all over his head.

"Yeah, they fell in love and then they died." He looked away. "What a waste. I mean, they had all that life to live, memories to make, and they just threw it away like it's nothing."

I wanted to reach out a hand to him, but I was frozen. I could see he was hurting, but I had no idea why.

"Yes, it's a tragedy," I said softly. "People don't always appreciate what they have."

"Yeah." He sounded choked, like he was going to cry. He swallowed audibly.

"Are you okay?" I asked gently. "Can I get you a drink of water?"

Without looking back at me, he shook his head. "I should have asked you that." He got out of his seat and headed to the kitchen.

By the time he returned with a glass in each hand, the smile was back on his face.

He handed one to me. "Just think, in two hundred years people will be studying stuff that's coming out now. Movies, books, comics. And teachers will be torturing them withquestions about it all." He grinned, but it lacked some of the humour from before.

"That's one reason I want to write," I admitted. I sipped my water, partly to hide my face behind glass.

"Books?" he asked.

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