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“Look, I know it’s tough.” She squeezes my arm, her tone getting serious. “But I’m sure you can charm this chick into tutoring you, and you might even be able to persuade her to do a chunk of your assignments too.”
“You think?”
“Yes.” Blake laughs. “If football is your superpower, then the ability to charm anyone is your trusty sidekick. I don’t know a soul on the planet who doesn’t like you. This girl is gonna be just the same.”
“Thanks, sis.” I sit up, feeling slightly better. Maybe things don’t have to be as bad as I think they are. “Let’s just hope she’s not pretty.”
Blake snorts and sits up beside me. “Is that really such a problem? You can’t control yourself around hotties?”
I give her a helpless shrug and she rolls her eyes, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “Let’s look her up and see. What’s her name?”
Pulling out the paper, I show it to my sister, and she googles this Elizabeth chick. I peer over her shoulder as she scrolls through different options, then says, “Here we go. Elizabeth Satchwell. There’s an article about her in the Nolan U paper.” Blake snorts and shakes her head. “She’s a brainiac, dude. Won some academic prize in her freshman year for?—
“Lemme see.” I pull the phone out of her hand, enlarge the image, and find myself staring at a girl with mouse brown hair and drab clothes that look like they belong to an old-school grandmother. She’s standing there holding a trophy and obviously wishing she was anywhere but posing for this shot.
I blink and shrink it back, passing the phone to my sister.
She takes a look, then snorts. “Well, I don’t think you’re gonna have a problem.”
“She’s not that bad.”
“She’s no supermodel, dude.” Blake raises her eyebrows. “Unless you’re into women who...”—she makes the photo bigger—“look like they suck on lemons.” She giggles. “You’re gonna have your work cut out for you charming this one, but at least you won’t be tempted to screw her in the back of your truck.”
“Blake.”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up.” I swallow and stand from my bed, slapping my sister’s leg. “Let’s go play some pool.”
She smirks at me, then snatches my wrist before I can walk away. “It’s gonna be okay, bro. This girl’s gonna help you pass.”
“If she agrees to do my work for me.”
“She will.” Blake winks and saunters past me. “Who wouldn’t want to help out Nolan U’s superstar Cougar?”
Rolling my eyes, I follow my sister down to the rec room on the bottom floor and am determined to demolish her at pool. I need the win like I need fucking oxygen right now.
I am not looking forward to this second semester one little bit…
Or is a certain tutor about to change his mind?