“Has he loosened up about my job yet?”
“Not really. But can you blame him, Kat? That boy is crazy about you.”
“He is not,” I argue. “Dylan and I are just friends.”
“Are you sure about that? I don’t screw any of my friends on a regular basis.”
“You know?”
She rolls her eyes. “Of course I do; I’m not stupid.”
“Is he telling people about us?”
“Relax, Kat. He hasn’t said a word. I can just tell. It’s cool; Dylan’s hot. A bit annoying, but I can see why you’re attracted to him.”
“I’m not attracted to him,” I begin. “Well, I mean, I am attracted to him, but it’s not like that anymore. We haven’t been together in a long time. And before that, it was only once in a while to scratch an itch. He knows it’s nothing serious.”
“Are you sure about that?” she challenges. “Because from where I’m standing, he’s pretty smitten, and he has been for a while.” She nods to the doorway where he’s standing, watching us. “Please go talk to him. He looks like a sad puppy.”
“It’s too early for this crap,” I grumble. I walk over to Dylan and give him a small smile. “Hey.”
“Hey, Kitty. How’ve ya been?”
“Okay. Busy.”
“With work?”
“Yep. They’ve been training me for the past few weeks. I’m finally going on stage tonight.”
He frowns but says nothing.
“Nothing to say about that?” I challenge.
“I have plenty to say about that; just nothing that you want to hear.”
Well, at least he’s learning.
“Look, Dyl, I don’t want to fight with you.”
“Me neither. I miss you.”
“So we’re good?”
“We’re good,” he repeats.
“OKAY PEOPLE, MOCK MIDTERMS ARE ON MONDAY. Remember, the test is broken down into six parts: multiple choice, character matching, character analysis, style prose analysis, and two sections with short answers. Go through your notes this weekend on the novels we’ve read so far. Make sure you can clearly and succinctly articulate your own interpretation of the themes and arguments.”
I’m captivated as I watch Gavin address the class. I left his bed only a few hours ago and I can’t stop obsessing about how badly I want to crawl back into it. After he left for work, I took a shower before going home. It may be a bit stalker-ish but I had to use his soap so I could still smell him throughout the day. I’m sitting here at my desk like a weirdo repeatedly sniffing my skin, hoping that no one notices. As the bell rings and students begin rushing out the door, I’m firmly rooted in my seat.
“Kat, are you coming?” Dylan asks.
“I’ll meet up with you later. I have to ask Mr. Cooper a question about the test.”
“Why does it matter? It’s not the real thing.”
“It matters because the actual exam is almost half our final grade and I want to prepare for it as much as possible. I think Mr. Cooper’s idea to have a trial run was brilliant.”
“Of course you do, my beautiful overachiever. So I’ll see you at lunch?”