is going to help me with Biology. Itâs just not something I can wrap my head around.â
Travis stood up. âCâmon.â
âWhat?â
âLetâs go get your notes. Iâm going to help you study.â
âTravisâ¦â
âGet your ass up, Pidge. Youâre gonna to ace that test.â
I tugged on one of Americaâs long yellow braids as I passed. âSee you in class, Mare.â
She smiled. âIâll save you a seat. Iâll need all the help I can get.â
Travis followed me to my room, and I pulled out my study guide while he popped open my book. He quizzed me relentlessly, and then clarified a few things I didnât understand. In the way that he explained it, the concepts went from being confusing to obvious.
ââ¦and somatic cells use mitosis to reproduce. Thatâs when you have the phases. They sound sort of like a womanâs name: Prometa Anatela.â
I laughed. âPrometa Anatela?â
âProphase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase.â
âPrometa Anatela,â I repeated, nodding.
He smacked the top of my head with the papers. âYou got this. You know this study guide backward and forward.â
I sighed. âWellâ¦weâll see.â
âIâm going to walk you to class. Iâll quiz you on the way.â
I locked the door behind us. âYouâre not going to be mad if I flunk this test, are you?â
âYouâre not going to flunk, Pidge. We need to start earlier for the next one, though,â he said, keeping in step with me to the science building.
âHow are you going to tutor me, do your homework, study and train for your fights?â
Travis chuckled. âI donât train for my fights. Adam calls me, tells me where the fight is, and I go.â
I shook my head in disbelief as he held the paper in front of him to ask the first question. We nearly finished a second round of the study guide when we reached my class.
âKick ass,â he smiled, handing me the notes and leaning against the doorjamb.
âHey, Trav.â
I turned to see a tall, somewhat lanky man smile at Travis on his way into the classroom.
âParker,â Travis nodded.
Parkerâs eyes brightened a bit when he looked to me, and he smiled. âHi, Abby.â
âHi,â I said, surprised that he knew my name. I had seen him in class, but weâd never met.
Parker continued to his seat, joking with those sitting beside him. âWhoâs that?â I asked.
Travis shrugged, but the skin around his eyes seemed tenser than before. âParker Hayes. Heâs one of my Sig Tau brothers.â
âYouâre in a frat?â I asked, doubtful.
âSigma Tau, same as Shep. I thought you knew that,â he said, looking beyond me to Parker.
âWellâ¦you donât seem theâ¦fraternity type,â I said, eyeing the tattoos on his forearms.
Travis turned his attention to me and grinned. âMy dad is an alumnus, and my brothers are all Sig Tau. Itâs a family thing.â
âAnd they expected you to pledge?â I asked, skeptical.
âNot really. Theyâre just good guys,â he said, flicking my papers. âBetter get to class.â
âThanks for helping me,â I said, nudging him with my elbow. America passed, and I followed her to our seats.
âHow did it go?â she asked.
I shrugged. âHeâs a good tutor.â
âJust a tutor?â
âHeâs a good friend, too.â
She seemed disappointed, and I giggled at the fallen expression on her face.
It had always been a dream of Americaâs for us to date friends, and roommates-slash-cousins, for her, was hitting the jackpot. She wanted us to room together when she decided to come with me to Eastern, but I vetoed her idea, hoping to spread my wings a bit. Once she finished pouting, she focused on finding a friend of Shepleyâs to introduce
Carmen Caine, Madison Adler