His head is bowed over his desk, and he scribbles furiously like he抯 taking down every word Professor Green says. Except even from my table behind him, I can see what he抯 really doing is coloring in the block letters of the notebook brand on the front.
When the professor has finished and given us the go-ahead to start, I sigh and glance at the empty chair next to me. It抯 the third week in a row that my lab partner has been a no-show. She抯 either dropped or on her way to failing.
I read through the instructions that I partially missed while staring at Liam. He and Jordan always walk in at the last second, so it really isn抰 my fault that I need the first few minutes of class to scope him out.
I pull my hair back into a ponytail as Liam stands in front of his stool. He抯 tall, and his broad shoulders pull the fabric of his shirt as he leans over to scribble something on a piece of paper. His partner is less enthusiastic, sitting and watching as Liam gets them started.
Blowing out a breath, I drop my gaze back to my own desk. I like physics, but this is going to be a lot to get through on my own.
揗iss Johnson.?Professor Green approaches my table as I抦 re-reading the first steps of the lab. He clicks his tongue, hand on his hip as he looks at the empty space beside me. 揧our partner is missing again.?
I offer an awkward smile.
揟hese labs are really meant for two.?He opens his stance and stares down his nose at the classroom. My pulse thrums quickly as he weighs his options. Every other table is paired up. It抣l be just my luck that he抣l decide to be my partner or stick me with a group that ignores me and continues in their happy twosome. I hate this kind of attention. It抯 like walking into a room full of people or being called on in class. My skin itches and I twist my hands in front of me.
It feels like everyone is avoiding looking up from their table because they know Professor Green is searching for somewhere to place me. It抯 irrational. I know this. Most of them probably don抰 even realize what抯 happening. It isn抰 like they notice me any other time, so why would now be different? Still, I hate the thought of being added to a group that doesn抰 want me.
揕et抯 put you with Mr. Price and Mr. Thatcher.?
My heart drops into my stomach. Frozen, I don抰 speak or move while Professor Green steps closer to Liam and Jordan with a pleased smile at his problem-solving.
揗iss Johnson will be joining you until her partner returns,?he tells them.
To my horror, Liam looks around, completely clueless about who Miss Johnson is.
It抯 me, you idiot, I scream in my head, then silently apologize because it isn抰 his fault I抳e never once worked up the courage to speak to him. Actually, that isn抰 true. Once, I sneezed, and he said, 揃less You,?and I thanked him.
Jordan and Liam finally locate the only unpartnered person in the class. Liam抯 eyes widen in an observing sort of way as he stares at me. He lifts a hand in a polite wave. Jordan scoots his stool over with a loud screech against the tile floor.
I scoop up my belongings, and on rubber legs, I move the eight feet from my table to theirs.
揌i, I抦 Liam.?He moves into the middle spot behind the table and offers me his chair. 揟his is Jordan.?
He leans back slightly so I can see Jordan on the other side of him.
I nod to each of them.
揑 didn抰 catch your first name,?Liam says. 揢nless you want us to call you Miss Johnson.?
揇ai-sy.?My voice shakes on both syllables.
His smile sets free a thousand butterflies inside of me. This close, he seems so much taller.
揅ool. Nice to meet you, Daisy. We were just about to trace the rays of the concave lens. Do you want to do the honors??
Jordan snorts. 揌onors??
Liam ignores him and flips on the light on the projector. Rays of light stretch out onto the paper. I抦 still partially frozen.
揘eed a pencil??He lifts his from the top of his notebook, and because I抦 not sure where mine is at the moment, I accept it.
My hand shakes as I trace along the rays with a ruler. I抦 embarrassed to admit how his presence a mere foot away from me has me unsteady on my feet and struggling to make air flow through my lungs.
The daisy charm on my necklace swings forward as I crouch over the table. Liam drums his thumbs absently on the table.
揟here,?I say when I抦 done.
I finally get a deep breath that clears some of my nerves, but then I get a big inhale of his faint cologne, and my chest tightens. He even smells perfect.
Liam looks to Jordan. 揥hat抯 next??
Jordan stays sitting on his stool while Liam and I finish marking the paper. Every step, Liam checks with him, and then the two of us complete it. I can tell it抯 how they always do things, and it doesn抰 surprise me that Liam has been doing the brunt of the work.
While Liam reads through the next step in our assignment, I take the opportunity to stare at him up close. His brows tug together in concentration, and the tip of his tongue pushes between his teeth. He has great bone structure, high cheekbones, and a long, straight nose. He抯 clean-shaven, and his skin has warm undertones that make his blond hair and blue eyes contrast nicely.
I feel Jordan抯 gaze on me. When I meet his dark stare, a humored smile curves his lips. Blushing at being caught checking out his friend, I fidget with my necklace and look around at the other tables while Liam finishes.
揝o, Daisy.?Liam抯 voice brings me back. 揥hat抯 your major??
揚hysics,?I say automatically in the practiced response I抳e honed, and then I add, 揳nd art. Physics and art.?
A slow smile lifts the corners of his mouth. His forehead crinkles as his brows raise in surprise. 揇ouble major??
I wet my lips and nod. A few seconds pass before I realize the polite thing to do is ask him the same question back, even if I already know the answer.
揥hat about you??
揅ivil engineering.?He pokes his pencil toward Jordan. 揃oth of us.?
I refuse to look at Jordan again, but I aim a smile between them.
After thirty minutes, my anxiety finally abates enough that I find my voice.
揧ou play hockey, right??
揧eah.?Liam beams at me. 揌ow抎 you know.?
I point to Jordan抯 Valley U hockey T-shirt.
揜ight. Have you been to a game??
揘o,?I admit, now wishing I hadn抰 brought it up.
揥hat? Never? What year are you??
揝ophomore.?
He shakes his head and shoots me a playful smile. 揧ou抮e missing out. We抮e pretty good.?
He抯 being modest. They won the Frozen Four two years ago, and last year got pretty close to going back to the national tournament.
Jordan, who抯 stayed quiet except for reading instructions, speaks up, 揇on抰 bother, man. It doesn抰 really seem like her kind of thing.?
He does a quick and dismissive once-over of my dress and boots. At five foot four, I抦 slightly shorter than average, and my small bone structure makes me look younger and smaller than I am. I probably won抰 be strapping on pads anytime soon, but violence in of itself doesn抰 bother me. Though admittedly, I don抰 completely understand why anyone thought it was a good idea to put a bunch of guys on ice skates and give them sticks and permission to ram into one another.
揑t is,?I protest.
揧eah??Jordan grins. 揗y mistake. Who is your favorite hockey player??
My cheeks heat with embarrassment.
揌ome games are the best,?Liam ignores him, leaning forward and blocking Jordan from my view. 揟he roar of the crowd and excitement is like a big party. You should come sometime and see for yourself.?