Noted

TWENTY-FIVE

a/n: notes at the end of the chapter. 

(If I were naming chapters, this one would be called Library Shnanagens)

 enjoy xx

***

June has no idea why she keeps getting herself involved with the Nilsson twins, specifically Christian. All she knows is that lunch has occurred and she's on her way to the library with her English textbook and laptop. But after a torturous session in food tech with Mrs Crawford (and a very angry annoyed partner in Emily), all June wants is for things to work out in her favour.

She finds Christian in the back with his textbooks, eyes focused on his laptop, brows forward in concentration. It does something to her lungs, making the sunlight illuminating the grey blinds look romantic. It illuminates him in a way June doesn't like to acknowledge.

So when she places her belongings across from him, she makes it a point not to look at him to keep her sanity. She takes a seat and opens her document where the essay remains the same.

"You're unusually quiet," he says, closing his business textbook. He scans her face, looking for any clues that might lead him to guess. She tries to keep her face neutral, but the blush creeping up her neck is showing. His eyes land somewhere on her face. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing from the usual." He doesn't stray his eyes from her. She's finding it difficult to breathe. "I'm just stressed out." Compassion laces in his face. June forces a smile that she knows doesn't reach her eyes. "Can we just get a move on?"

A smile pinches up from the corner of his mouth. He leans back and folds his arms across his chest. "Absolutely. Let's see what you got, Ledge."

She raises her brows. "Are we calling each other by our last names now, Nilsson?"

"Stop getting distracted and start writing."

She huffs. "I don't know what I'm doing."

"Do what you can," he says with a patience she's never experienced from him before. "Start with a rough draft, highlight the three main points of your essay, and then expand on them. They don't have to be perfect and they don't have to make sense."

"What is the point if they don't make sense? I'm not writing a book, it's a thousand-word essay!"

"Tackle it the same."

She's dumbfounded enough to forget the way his eyes drop to her mouth. "I don't think you understand how serious this is, Christian. If I don't get a high distinction, we're both in trouble. I can't risk it without having a grasp on the perfect formula with the perfect persuasive techniques to get the perfect score. I'm not you." She shakes her head, fear overriding her vision. "I'm gonna fail this."

"You're not," he insists. "I'll make sure you won't. Once you're done writing, I can then offer you my advice."

"Christian, this is insane. I haven't received a score over seventy-two for English. Okay? What don't you get? I'm not doing this!"

"Stop saying that." Something in Christian's eyes snaps the moment words leave her mouth. He sits back with a slouch, a curl forming over his lips. She's seen him use that expression on her before, back when they had that massive blowup at Phoebe's place. "I understand a lot more than what you're giving me credit for, June. Stop insulting my comprehension abilities because you're too insecure to do the damn work. All I'm doing is trying to help you get started, but all I get from you are excuses. Are you too lazy to try? Is that it?"