trying to remember the
line of conversation. “Avery’s coming back to class and I wanted to help her
catch up.”
His eyes narrowed just enough for me to notice, and his
mouth turned down at the corners. I hadn’t noticed before, but he had very nice
lips.
“You didn’t answer,” I said, “so I can assume you’re not
interested in helping?”
He held my gaze.
“Why didn’t you go on that trip to the coast?” he asked, and
it was so random and sudden that I just opened my mouth in confusion, unable to
find any words. He meant the one where Kyle kissed Avery and our circle of
friends got obliterated? “Sorry. Never mind that too. I have some notes and
papers for…her.” He opened his backpack and took out a folder.
I planned to put it in my bag but for some reason I opened
the folder instead and glanced at the two sets of neatly labeled papers. It
looked like I had put it together. Guess I’m not the only organization freak
around here.
“Nash, thank you.” I did put them away then, and suddenly I
wondered why he was on this part of campus. “You don’t take any art classes, do
you?”
“No, why?” He kept his gaze on me all this time. I had to
look away from the intensity. “Oh, I just knew you did, and I wanted to give
those to you.”
He tracked me down for this? I glanced back up at those
searching eyes and that feeling hit again. It wasn’t the dizziness, but
something that had been coming and going for about a week now, just some kind
of strange sensation of knowing.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Jazz?”
I liked how my name sounded on his lips when he used the
shortened form. I stared for a minute before realizing I hadn’t made any
attempt to answer.
“I have to go. I’m late for class.”
He tilted his head, squinting a little like he was curious,
but he didn’t say anything or try to stop me as I hurried off.
What was that ?
Had I made myself sick thinking about Corbin? Or did I just
need to eat?
I hurried to my next class—in the English department—even though
I was really late. Everyone was seated and our professor Tony was walking to
the board when I slipped in and sat in my normal seat. I dug a energy bar out
of my backpack pocket and nibbled it, trying to pull together some scattered
thought. That feeling, it’d started in a dream the first time. I wasn’t sure
what that meant.
I found myself wishing this was drawing or painting, instead
of an English lecture, because I’d rather be doing something than sitting with
my thoughts running crazy circles in my head.
Nash was hot, smart, and a little mysterious to me, but he
wasn’t my type at all. I mean, yeah, he was hot and looked somewhat like
Corbin. But he’d dated a friend. So why had that thought even crossed my mind?
I began discreetly sketching a blurry, dreamlike picture of
a boat on water in my notebook so I could keep my mind off of Nash. It quickly
became apparent I’d have to paint this. It’d work much better in oils than
pencil. So I switched to practicing henna designs, making circles, swirls and
flowers. I have a box of new henna mud waiting for me at home, and I’m dying to
try some designs on skin again.
Will Avery miss drawing, if she can’t anymore? That whole
situation blew my mind. I can’t believe it, and yet I saw the artwork she did
while Marcus was supposedly in her head. I’m just glad it’s over…and secretly
glad it wasn’t me dealing with all of that.
For some reason, that thought led me back to Nash. Whatever
weird thing happened back there, I’m staying the hell away from it.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, making me jump. I slipped it
out as carefully as I could so the professor wouldn’t see. It was a text—from Nash.
Odd, since I was just thinking about him. And also odd because we’d just
talked.
When is Avery coming back?
Damn. He was still in love with her. I sighed and
texted, Tonight.
He texted right back: So you don’t need tomorrow’s notes?
Is that
line of conversation. “Avery’s coming back to class and I wanted to help her
catch up.”
His eyes narrowed just enough for me to notice, and his
mouth turned down at the corners. I hadn’t noticed before, but he had very nice
lips.
“You didn’t answer,” I said, “so I can assume you’re not
interested in helping?”
He held my gaze.
“Why didn’t you go on that trip to the coast?” he asked, and
it was so random and sudden that I just opened my mouth in confusion, unable to
find any words. He meant the one where Kyle kissed Avery and our circle of
friends got obliterated? “Sorry. Never mind that too. I have some notes and
papers for…her.” He opened his backpack and took out a folder.
I planned to put it in my bag but for some reason I opened
the folder instead and glanced at the two sets of neatly labeled papers. It
looked like I had put it together. Guess I’m not the only organization freak
around here.
“Nash, thank you.” I did put them away then, and suddenly I
wondered why he was on this part of campus. “You don’t take any art classes, do
you?”
“No, why?” He kept his gaze on me all this time. I had to
look away from the intensity. “Oh, I just knew you did, and I wanted to give
those to you.”
He tracked me down for this? I glanced back up at those
searching eyes and that feeling hit again. It wasn’t the dizziness, but
something that had been coming and going for about a week now, just some kind
of strange sensation of knowing.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Jazz?”
I liked how my name sounded on his lips when he used the
shortened form. I stared for a minute before realizing I hadn’t made any
attempt to answer.
“I have to go. I’m late for class.”
He tilted his head, squinting a little like he was curious,
but he didn’t say anything or try to stop me as I hurried off.
What was that ?
Had I made myself sick thinking about Corbin? Or did I just
need to eat?
I hurried to my next class—in the English department—even though
I was really late. Everyone was seated and our professor Tony was walking to
the board when I slipped in and sat in my normal seat. I dug a energy bar out
of my backpack pocket and nibbled it, trying to pull together some scattered
thought. That feeling, it’d started in a dream the first time. I wasn’t sure
what that meant.
I found myself wishing this was drawing or painting, instead
of an English lecture, because I’d rather be doing something than sitting with
my thoughts running crazy circles in my head.
Nash was hot, smart, and a little mysterious to me, but he
wasn’t my type at all. I mean, yeah, he was hot and looked somewhat like
Corbin. But he’d dated a friend. So why had that thought even crossed my mind?
I began discreetly sketching a blurry, dreamlike picture of
a boat on water in my notebook so I could keep my mind off of Nash. It quickly
became apparent I’d have to paint this. It’d work much better in oils than
pencil. So I switched to practicing henna designs, making circles, swirls and
flowers. I have a box of new henna mud waiting for me at home, and I’m dying to
try some designs on skin again.
Will Avery miss drawing, if she can’t anymore? That whole
situation blew my mind. I can’t believe it, and yet I saw the artwork she did
while Marcus was supposedly in her head. I’m just glad it’s over…and secretly
glad it wasn’t me dealing with all of that.
For some reason, that thought led me back to Nash. Whatever
weird thing happened back there, I’m staying the hell away from it.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, making me jump. I slipped it
out as carefully as I could so the professor wouldn’t see. It was a text—from Nash.
Odd, since I was just thinking about him. And also odd because we’d just
talked.
When is Avery coming back?
Damn. He was still in love with her. I sighed and
texted, Tonight.
He texted right back: So you don’t need tomorrow’s notes?
Is that
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