18

I tried to get to History early on Thursday, but Tyler was already sitting in his seat when I walked through the classroom doors. A few stapled stacks of paper were sitting on my desk. Tyler was tapping on his notebook absently with his pen and started jotting down a few words as I walked up the steps.

"You actually do live in the dorms, right?" I asked him as I walked past. He looked up at me, furrowing his brows and frowning. "You don't shower at the gym and spend the night in the lecture halls when you're not crashing on my futon?"

He rolled his eyes, but he smiled.

"One of these days I might actually beat you to class," I said, sliding into the chair and glancing over the pages.

And maybe get you to say something to me.

Tyler: Not a chance

I put my phone down and turned to look at him. "Oh really? That sounds like a challenge."

He shook his head at me, but he was still smiling.

***

Tyler and I were leaving class when I thought I saw my mom walking ahead of us. She was a tall woman with long strawberry blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail wearing a green shirt and khakis. My mom's signature hairstyle and outfit.

Would she really come all the way from Montana to try to convince me to rush?

My heart in my throat, I grabbed Tyler's hand, and moved us to the grass, positioning him between us.

I can't deal with this right now.

"Don't move, I think I see my mom," I whispered, standing on my tiptoes to look over his shoulder at the woman that was walking away. I placed my other hand lightly on his shoulder to help keep my balance.

"We aren't close," I whispered. I could feel my hand starting to get sweaty in Tyler's as he gripped it a little tighter. "She's an archaeologist, and she's supposed to be on assignment in Montana until at least the beginning of next year."

The woman briefly turned around and I saw that it wasn't my mom. It was so obvious, now. Her hair was too dark and she was too tall to be my mother.

"False alarm," I let out a long breath, going back to standing on my flat feet. Looking over Tyler's shoulder, I could just make out the woman walking away before she was swallowed up by the crowd.

I took a deep breath and took my hand from his shoulder to pull my phone out of my pocket and check the time. "I'm going to be late for Spanish, I have to go." I reluctantly let go of Tyler's hand a split second before he let go of mine.

We started walking in the direction of the Language Arts building. "I'm going to The Roasted Bean to study after. Meet me there?"

He nodded, and we split off into our separate directions.

I had been at The Roasted Bean for about an hour when I got a text from Tyler.

Tyler: I'm almost done at the library. Are you still at Roasted Bean?

Me: I'll probably be here for a few more hours

Tyler: Cool

I turned my phone over and went back to studying past tense conjugations. I almost jumped out of my seat when Tyler pulled out the chair across from me and sat down. His foot brushed mine and a slight flush fell over his cheeks. I looked up as he looked down, avoiding eye contact.

So he feels it, too.

He pulled out a music theory book and notebook and nodded toward my drink. "Sunset Tea Slush," I said, reading the name on the label. "It's pretty good. It's a combination of cranberry juice, lemonade, and mango tea."

He gave me an unsure look. "I'm going to try every drink on the menu before the school year is over. This is my favorite one so far."

Tyler smiled and shook his head before opening his book and starting to take notes.