“Wedid it.”
He wore a giddy expression as he tackled me into a hug, nearly toppling us over. The wind was knocked out of my lungs as he wrapped his arms around me, our bodies teetering to the side.
With my face tucked under his chin, I watched the muscles in his biceps flex with every squeeze. It was suffocating, but in a good way. I bit my lip, struggling to grasp the fact that not only was Elliot Keller undeniably attractive and charming, but now it was safe to say he was pretty smart too when he wanted to be.
The two of us were forced to pull apart when we were handed a small plastic trophy. Our fingers connected as we raised the token of our success to the sky.
We almost looked like a real couple.
Thirteen
“Guess what?” Elliot ran up to me, his eyes wide with enthusiasm.
“Uhhh…you found a cure for the common cold?”
“Okay, I’m notthatsmart.” He paused. “But, I did get a ‘B’ on our AP Lit exam!”
“No way! Are you serious?”
“Check it out!”
He held up his exam, shaking it obnoxiously in my face as the sound of crinkling paper filled my ears. My eyes darted back and forth across the paper as I tried to make out the writing on the front while he continued to wiggle the flimsy sheet from side to side. I shook my head and snatched the exam from his fingers, smiling when I saw his grade was an 82%.
“Hey, look at you, Mr. Smarty Pants! Congratulations!”
Without missing a beat, he wrapped his arms around my torso, pulling me so close that I could barely muster a single breath as the air was expelled from my lungs. A jolt of electricity shot through my core as he squeezed me tightly within his embrace, and my feet left the ground.
Like literally.
He lifted me up, twirling us in circles while laughing uncontrollably. When I returned to solid ground, our eyes met, and I found it impossible to look away. My heart raced as I gazed at him in wonder.
“I think some of your smarts are rubbing off on me,” he joked while running his hand through his hair.
“Or…” I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. “You’ve been learning a lot more than you think during our study sessions.”
“Potato,putahto.”
“Seriously, give yourself some credit.”
“Clarke,” he chuckled. “Let’s face it, I would be nowhere without you.”
My eyes widened.
Did he really mean that?
I searched his face for some kind of answer, only to come up empty. Elliot seemed as unreadable as ever. The two of us had been doing this dance recently, testing the bounds of our relationship. Sure, it was safe to say we were friends, but it was the not-so-subtle glances and flirty comments that made me question my sanity. I pulled at the hem of my rose-colored shirt, trying to appear casual.
“And without you, I’d still be playing mean girls with Meredith and drowning in a sea of unholy pickup lines with Ryan. Call it even?”
“Not until I pass AP Lit, and you become Prom Queen.” His eyes twinkled as he smirked down at me and winked. “Do you think we should take some of the same classes next semester?”
“I guess that’s probably a good idea. Do you have anything in mind?”
“How about art history?”
“I’d rather die.”
“Ooookay,” he drawled while leaning against the nearby lockers, crossing his arms. “What do you think then?”
