15

I knew I was supposed to be doing homework. I had made sure I had a big break between Chemistry and Twentieth Century Fiction on Fridays so I could make sure I was caught up on everything. But, what was I doing instead? Sitting in the library, writing a limerick about that dumb toaster that I couldn't get out of my head.

This tiny kitchen appliance

Has no need to be used by science

It's best friends with bread

This one is red

Placed here as an act of defiance

After Everly and I finished the scavenger hunt, I'd taken a deep dive into the history of the little toaster outside of the Chemistry building. There'd been a significant graffiti problem in the past, and students were required to log a certain amount of volunteer hours to help clean it up. After the problem subsided, someone painted a bright red toaster on one of the benches outside of the Chemistry building. No one knew who did it. Administration had wanted it removed, but some students had protested, so it stayed. Once every few years someone would touch it up but never added to it.

I looked up from finishing my limerick and saw Tyler quickly walking by with his head down. I called his name, and he looked surprised, taking headphones out of his ears.

I gestured to the seat across from me, and he pulled the chair out and sat down. He reached into his backpack and handed me a stack of pages. It turned out to be three packets all stapled together.

"You really are good at research," I said, setting them on the table. "If I'd been in charge of finding these, we'd still be at zero. I have a printer, if you ever want to use it. You can send me the links for these– " I patted the pages. "– and I can print them out. Save you some quarters."

I couldn't believe that our library still used the antiquated system of charging quarters for printing instead of using our IDs to charge it to our student account like the bookstore did. He gave me a thumbs up and took his laptop out of his backpack and set it on the table.

"Do you know about the toaster outside of the Chemistry building?" I asked.

He looked up at me and nodded very slowly.

"Like you've seen it?"

He nodded again, slightly more enthusiastically this time.

"Read this," I said, handing him my toaster limerick.

I watched him read it as a small smile crept onto his face. He read it again, and the smile got bigger. He handed it back to me and quickly pulled out his phone.

Should I ask him about the texting thing?

Tyler: This is really good

Tyler: You should do this more often

"You think?" I asked. I loved writing poetry in high school but hadn't made time for it since starting college. I had a full notebook of incomplete poems at home, and suddenly wanted to finish them all.

He nodded again. I smiled at him, then looked at the time on my phone.

"Oh, shoot, I need to go. I'm going to be late for class. I'll see you around?"

He gave me a small smile and a little wave as I headed to class.

***

Tyler: Hey

Tyler: Is that offer to crash on your futon still good?

I didn't think you were actually going to take me up on it.

I reluctantly put Fahrenheit 451 down on my desk to text him back. After fighting myself to read it for the better part of half an hour, I'd finally gotten into the story.

"Burn everything," I quoted to myself, deciding how to phrase my response.

Absolutely! Ugh, no, Alexia. That sounds way too eager. Keep it casual. You aren't even really friends yet.

My heart started racing and I decided on a simple response.

Me: Sure is

Oh, that's so bad! Hurry, say something to make it better.

Why am I so nervous?

Me: Come up whenever you want

Me: 364

I shook my head, wiping my sweaty hands on my shirt. That definitely did not sound better. It sounded dumb. Flipping my phone upside down on my desk, I took my glasses off and put my head on my arms and groaned loudly.

My phone pinged with a text.

Oh, great. I bet Tyler changed his mind.

It wasn't from Tyler, it was from Dad.

Dad: Lunch date tomorrow?

Me: YES

Me: Can we get pizza?

Dad: Of course

Me: Yay! Meet at The Spot at like 11?

Dad: You got it

Dad: I'll see you then

Turning my phone over and opening Fahrenheit 451 again, I tried to distract myself until Tyler showed up.

After reading Bradbury's five firefighter rules several times without paying attention, I received another text from Tyler.

Tyler: Almost there

I heard a tentative knock on my open door. I turned around in my chair and saw Tyler standing in my doorway. His backpack was slung over his shoulder, and he had a guitar case in his hand.

"Burn everything," I said again, earning me a wide-eyed look from Tyler as he stepped into my room and walked past my desk toward the futon.

"Sorry," I said, raising the book. "I have to finish this by Monday and I'm determined to finish it today. Make yourself at home."

I closed my eyes and shook my head, cringing at how much I sounded like my dad. When I opened them, Tyler was half-smiling at me and sitting tentatively on the futon. His backpack and guitar case were on the ground at his feet.

Leaning back in my chair, I put my feet up on my desk, and continued reading.

I was almost halfway through Fahrenheit 451 when I started hearing music. I looked up and noticed Tyler quietly strumming an unfamiliar melody on his guitar. As soon as he saw me looking at him, he stopped, his cheeks flushing.

"No, keep going," I said. "It's not going to bother me."

I tried to get back to reading, but I spent more time listening to Tyler play. Several times, he abruptly stopped and wrote in his notebook.

Oh, he writes songs. His interest in my poetry makes so much more sense.

I made it through ten more pages when Tyler abruptly stopped playing and put his guitar away. Looking up at him, I softly said, "It really is okay."

Brushing his dark hair off his forehead, he shook his head. He pulled out a textbook and notebook, leaned against the wall and started reading.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to read anymore." I'd managed to get through five more pages, but just couldn't focus anymore. He had put his guitar away and was reading from a textbook and taking notes. "Would you mind if I turned on the TV?" I gestured to the remote on top of the mini fridge.

It felt weird to ask permission in my own room, but I didn't want to be rude. I wanted Tyler to feel as comfortable as possible.

He grabbed the remote from the top of the mini fridge and gently tossed it onto the futon, closer to me. I picked it up and turned the TV on, looking for some true crime to watch.

"What are you studying?" I asked, scooting closer to him, trying to peek at his book.

He held up his book, showing me the front. I made a face. "Calculus? Gross."

Tyler rolled his eyes at me, but he gave me a half-smile.

Three Forensic Files episodes later, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. My head was resting against the back of the futon, just inches from his shoulder.

I looked up at him and said."I'm going to get ready for bed."

He looked at me with those green eyes and held my gaze for a few seconds. My heart rate jumped and my mouth was suddenly dry. Taking a shaky breath, I abruptly stood, grabbed my pajamas and toothbrush, and went across the hall to the communal bathroom.

That was unexpected. We're definitely more than just classmates now.

When I came back in, Tyler was lying on the futon under the blanket. He was curled on his side, trying to cover as much of himself with the too-small blanket as he could.

I turned the light off because I couldn't hide my smile. His face was illuminated by his phone screen.

"Good night," I whispered, crawling up the ladder to my bed.

Tyler: Good night

I saw a small smile.

Tyler: Thank you