9. Study Buddies #2
“Don’t mention it, babe.” Again, she looks at me as she cups his jaw. “And don’t worry, we’ll fix your ID problem pronto. I’ll call my fake ID guy and we’ll get you something that looks better than real just in time for this weekend’s rally.”
For once in her life, Gen’s bragging is justified. Her fake ID guy is a real artist. We might not need fakes anymore since, aside from Becks, we’re all twenty-one, but she hooked up most of the team with fakes and they never failed to get us served in town or on the road.
“Great, thanks.” Becks grumbles, attempting to free himself from Gen’s poison ivy grip but failing miserably. “I can’t say I’m gonna be sad to leave Beavis Rawbottom behind.”
“Nah,” the smile on Tucker’s face is evil. “We can’t let Beavis Rawbottom fade into obscurity. We needed a good nickname for you on the ice, and I think Beavis is perfect.”
Becks begins shaking his head before Tucker is even done announcing his decision. Rookie mistake. My brother has played hockey long enough to know that once a nickname has been chosen, there’s no use in trying to fight it.
“Yup.” I chuckle. “As team captain, I second that.”
“Oh, come on, Mack,” Becks whines. “Can’t you choose something a little more dignified?”
I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t feel a little bit of perverse satisfaction at lording my captaincy over him. “No can do, Beavis. You know better than me that nicknames are often funny. What did they call you in Bridgeport?”
“Nothing. We didn’t have nicknames.”
“What?” Tucker snorts. “Another fact that proves that the Bridgeport Tigers were a bunch of psychos. What team doesn’t have nicknames? And Mack is right. Most of our nicknames are funny.”
Becks doesn’t look convinced. “Yeah? What do they call you, then?”
“I’m T-Bone.” Tucker offers. “Because I almost missed my first starting game after I spent the night before boning a bunny after a party. And obviously T is for Tucker.”
Before Becks can keep arguing, Colsen backs Tucker up. “They call me Pinky. Because I wear a pink t-shirt under my jersey for good luck. It began after a laundry accident. And since I scored a hat trick the night I was stuck with the pink t-shirt, it became my nickname.”
“What do they call you?” Becks glares at me.
“Tweety,” I offer. “Because of my incessant chirping with our opponents. As you can see, it’s just funny. If I can be Tweety, you can be Beavis.”
A loud growl is the response to my decision. But it doesn’t come from Becks.
“Sorry, guys.” Tucker chuckles. “I’m really starving. And if we don’t hurry, they’re going to close breakfast. I had my heart set on some biscuits and gravy.”
“We should go too,” Gen says, dragging a reluctant Becks toward the door. “I don’t have anymore classes this morning. I’ll walk Becks to his next class, so he doesn’t get lost.”
Tucker turns to look at me on his way to the classroom door. “You coming, Shayba?”
“I’ll catch up with you.” I say. “There’s something I need to do first.”
I want to see Talia a little more and in a different setting without our brothers in the way. Inspiration just struck me, and I wait until Tucker is gone to put my plan into action.
“Hey, wait a second.” I close my fingers around her wrist to stop her. I make sure I don’t hold her too tight, but it isn’t lost on me that this is the first time I actually get to touch her other than a greeting hug. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Our eyes lock, and I spot a ring of green in her irises, around her pupils.
For a second, a crazy, intrusive thought comes to my mind. What would happen if I cupped Talia’s pretty face with my hands and kissed her until we’re both breathless?
I’m pretty sure she would kick me in the balls harder than one of my record-breaking slapshots.
“Macklin?” Talia’s question pulls me out of my lovesick trance. “What did you want to talk to me about? Maybe we could talk while we walk to the library? I really want to borrow as many of the books on this class’s syllabus as I can. I really don’t have the money to buy them or rent them.”
Oh, yeah. Right. I’m definitely better off going with my plan rather than risking being maimed in an empty classroom for trying my luck with my teammate’s sister.
I don’t like that I’m about to lie to her and act dumb when I’m not.
But it’s for a good cause, and maybe one day we’ll tell this story to our grandkids.
If she doesn’t send me packing. “I need your help. I don’t know what I was thinking when I signed up for this class.
I’m way, way out of my depth with both Roman history and with the art part.
I think I need a study buddy. Maybe even more like a tutor. Would you be able to help?”
She doesn’t respond straight away. Her teeth scrape over her bottom lip as she considers my words.
My heart is beating so fast that I can feel my pulse roaring in my ears.
“If you’re so out of your depth, have you considered dropping out? Cantucci said it was an option; she won’t be opposed to that.”
No, no, no. She’s about to turn me down.
“The thing is that it’s too late to enroll in another elective this semester, and I’m trying to get as many credits as I can knocked out this year so I can finish my degree online in case the right offer comes along next year. Dropping this class wouldn’t be ideal.”
Her bottom lip is trapped between her teeth again. I wish it were me, tormenting her lips with my teeth. I wonder if they’re as soft as they look.
“I want to help you, Macklin.” She sighs. “But I really don’t have the time. I need to get a second job if I want to make it this year without asking my parents’ help with my living expenses.”
“I can pay you.” The words tumble out of my mouth as I’m scrambling for a way to convince her.
Talia shakes her blonde head. “I can’t take your money.”
“Why not?” I argue. “A lot of students get paid for tutoring.”
“Yeah, but you’re one of my brother’s best friends. It doesn’t feel right.”
The solution is on the tip of my tongue. “Fine. How about I buy you copies of the books we need for this class? You just said they’re expensive. And if I got anyone else to tutor me, I would still have to provide the books.”
She isn’t convinced. “But the tutor would probably use their own books. And besides, if they have them at the library why waste your money?”
“Think about it. When you’re done, you could sell them to the second hand textbook shop on campus. This way you aren’t taking my money, but you’ll be getting something out of helping a friend in the end.”
She thinks it over, and I see it in her eyes when she’s made up her mind. “Ok. But I’m saying yes to the books only because like this I don’t have to worry about re-borrowing every couple of weeks. And we split the money when I sell them at the end of the semester.”
“Deal.”
We exchange numbers so we can decide on a studying schedule.
I spend the rest of the day with a smile on my face at the thought that I have Talia’s number and an excuse to see her all semester that won’t cause Tucker to kill me. Hopefully.