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“Mr. Fletcher!” Misty’s face brightens. “What a nice surprise. Did Mr. Morgan recruit you to chaperone our little study session?”
As if my dad knew I invited everyone here to study. And even if he did, finding someone to supervise us in his absence would be the last thing on his mind.
“Actually, I was just leaving.” Paul smiles, looking far more relaxed than he did a minute ago. “You kids have fun studying. If you need anything, I’m just across the street.”
“Thanks, Mr. Fletcher.” Misty waves as he heads outside before shutting the front door. “Well, let’s get to it! I can’t fail biology or my grandma is going to shit a brick. I’m serious. She’ll ground my ass until I’m old and gray if I don’t get at least a B on this thing.”
“No one is flunking anything. Don’t be such a drama queen,” Sienna interjects with a roll of her eyes.
“Easy for you to say. Your grandparents have bigger things to worry about than what grade you get on some stupid test.”
Sienna’s expression hardens. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No. I don’t. Why don’t you explain it to me?”
Misty flips her blonde hair over her shoulder, pointedly avoiding Sienna’s glare. “Like I have to spell it out.”
Oh, boy. I know exactly where this is going. Misty’s grandmother is barely in her fifties, young enough to still keep tabs on everything Misty does. Sienna’s grandparents, on the other hand, are both in their late-seventies, so things work a little differently at her house. Sienna spends more time worrying about them than they do hovering over things like homework and grades. And judging by the look on her face, she doesn’t appreciate Misty pointing that out.
“You guys grab a seat and unpack so we can get started. I’ll go get us something to drink,” I cut in, not entirely convinced this study session was such a good idea after all. Especially if Misty and Sienna are going to spend the whole time at each other’s throats.
“No need to bring anything for me. I brought my own brain food and fuel,” Sienna grumbles, pulling out an energy drink and a Ziploc bag containing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from her backpack before settling into one of the recliners.
“I wouldn’t mind a Coke if you have one,” Jalen says as he drops onto the floor, propping his books against the coffee table.
“Diet for me,” Misty singsongs before settling beside Jalen, putting as much distance as possible between herself and Sienna’s wrath.
Yeah, sure. Let me just pull those out of the imaginary fully stocked fridge. You know, the one I can’t afford.
I head into the kitchen to fetch the only options I can offer my friends—water and more water. Thankfully, I stashed away a bag of chips for a rainy day, so at least I have that.
As I reach for a bowl on the top shelf, Milo steps in behind me, his arm reaching over my shoulder to grab it with ease. He sets the bowl on the counter before taking a small step back.
“Thanks.” I open the bag and pour the chips into the bowl.
“When you asked me to come over to study this afternoon… well, I thought it was going to be only the two of us.”
“Whatever gave you that idea?”
“Well, we did spend the week being lab partners. I guess I just figured—”
“Sienna, Misty, and Jalen are in the same class we are, Milo. We all need to pass this test. I just thought the more the merrier.”
“Sometimes more doesn’t exactly mean better,” he mutters.
“You’re acting weird.” I shove the empty chip bag into the trash. “Cut it out.”
Without further word, I head back to the living room, Milo trailing after me like a lost puppy with a few water bottles in his hands.
What is up with him lately? I swear the boy has a gift for confusing me over absolutely nothing.
I take my place on the sofa. Milo sits beside me, unusually quiet now, his attention fixed on the biology textbook resting in his lap. For the next few hours, we concentrate on everything we learned in Ms. Mallory’s class, making flashcards and testing each other until we’re as prepared as we can be for tomorrow’s exam.
“I should get going. It’s getting pretty late, and my mom will be pissed if I miss dinner,” Jalen says, grabbing his things and shoving them into his backpack.
“Yeah, I should go too. If I don’t know it by now, I’m never going to,” Sienna mutters as she gathers her own things.
