Page 7

Chapter six

A Noble Act

Karma

Today’s the day! I’m gonna carpe the fuck out of this diem!

I settle into my favorite spot in the student writing center—a quiet nook with comfy chairs, partially hidden by a tall potted plant. Josh should be here any minute. Now’s my chance to capture my dream guy’s attention by doing something ‘gallant’. I just hope that helping him write his graduation speech will make me look like a knight in shining armor.

“I appreciate this, Karma,” Dean Owens tells me for the third time. “I wasn’t sure if I’d ever talk Josh into giving the commencement address. Back when I was a student at Spartacus, I would have given my right arm to speak at graduation.”

“Spartacus University is your alma mater, sir?”

“Class of ’92!” He puffs out his chest. “Though I wasn’t half the student that Josh Malik is. We’re lucky that he’ll be completing his graduate studies here. MIT wanted to steal him from us.”

MIT? Holy shit! I knew Josh was out of my league. Who am I kidding? He’s out of my solar system. Not that I’m a bad student—I’ve got a 3.7 GPA, thank you very much—but I’m nowhere near MIT-material. No wonder Josh didn’t call me for a date. I’m not exactly on his level.

So much for carpe diem . The only thing I’m gonna seize today is a nap once this is over.

“Excuse me, hello?” Josh calls from the doorway, a little out of breath. He has a backpack thrown over one shoulder and, with his collared shirt and khaki pants, he’s got straight-laced schoolboy written all over him.

God, he’s so cute. Well, at least I can enjoy the eye candy while I do my noble volunteer work.

The dean walks over to greet him. “I found a top-notch writer to help you with your speech, just as I promised. Mr. Wilson, come meet Mr. Malik.”

I step forward into the center of the room and lift my hand in a tentative greeting. “Hey, Josh.”

His eyes grow wide when he sees me. “Oh. Karma. Um… hello.”

“You know each other?” Dean Owens looks back and forth between us. “Excellent. I’ll leave you young men alone. Keep me updated on your progress, and remember—graduation is just a few weeks away.”

Before either of us can say a word, the dean hurries out of the room and down the long hallway. We both watch him go, then glance at each other awkwardly. Josh bites the corner of his lip. I stick my hands in the pockets of my jeans.

“Uh… sorry for not calling you,” he says.

“No worries.” I shrug a shoulder. “I hope I didn’t offend you when I asked you out.”

“Oh. I-I wasn’t offended.” He ducks his head. “I’m really grateful that you’re willing to help me. Um, that is if you are still willing…?”

You bet I am. I’m not gonna pass up the chance to spend time with Josh, even if he doesn’t want to go out with me. Who knows? Maybe I can change his mind if I can figure out how to act noble.

“I’d love to help,” I tell him. Placing a hand on the small of his back, I guide him to our table. Once I pull out a chair, I wait for him to take a seat in it before sitting down across from him.

Vibe check: Am I Prince Charming or Creepy McCreepster?

Josh avoids my eyes as he pulls a notebook from his backpack. “Um, thank you. I’m a disaster when it comes to writing speeches. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Why don’t we start by brainstorming some ideas,” I suggest, “and see if lightning strikes?”

His head jerks up. “Lightning? Wh-what do you mean?”

OK… so, that was a weird reaction. Does he have some kind of phobia about storms? “Y’know, let’s come up with a list of ideas and see if any of them inspire you. I’m sure we can find a topic that you’re passionate about.”

He gives me an uneasy smile. “Yes, of course. That sounds like a good place to start, or it would if I wasn’t so boring. I don’t think I have anything to say that anyone would find interesting.”

Pfft . He could read an encyclopedia on stage and I would pay to see it. “Everyone feels that way at first. The secret to a great speech is connecting with your audience. Just tell them about your dreams.”

“My… my dreams ?“ His eyes widen.

Sidebar: can we take a minute to talk about Josh’s eyes? They’re pitch black, like the deepest night, with rays of light shining from their centers. ‘ Moonbeams ‘, as Shelley would say. Only a true poet could find the words to describe their beauty.

“Yeah, your dreams.” I lean forward with my chin in my hand. “Tell me what you’re passionate about. I want to know what excites you.”

A blush creeps onto Josh’s high cheekbones, adding a golden glow to his deep bronze skin. “Do you really want to know what excites me?” he asks.

More than he could possibly know.

“I do.” I scoot a little closer.

His lips part as he leans toward me. “Travel. I want to see the world.”

I glance down at his mouth, then back into his eyes. “Me, too. I’ve always dreamed of exploring our beautiful planet. Just me and somebody special… off the beaten path… camping out under the stars.”

“That sounds wonderful,” he whispers.

We stare into each other’s eyes for a second or two before I sit back and take a deep breath. “But what I mean is, why are you passionate about aerospace engineering? What about astrophysics excites you? Maybe we should brainstorm those topics for your speech.”

“Oh, my career goals. Of course.” Josh stiffens in his chair, looking everywhere except at me. “I plan on studying for a doctorate in aerospace engineering with a focus on astronautics. My goal is to work for NASA. “

I knew it. Josh is out of my solar system. “Wow, that’s incredible. Tell me more about being an engineer for NASA.”

“Well, um… it’s important to my father that I have a successful career.” A line appears between his eyebrows. “NASA is very prestigious—only the best aerospace engineers are hired by the agency.”

“Sure, I get it.” Even my parents, who are super chill, want me to be successful. “But what made you decide to be an aerospace engineer? Why did you choose that instead of astrophysics?”

The golden glow on his cheeks turns to a burnished red. “I-I need to make wiser decisions now that I’m an adult. Astrophysics was just for fun. Engineering is a practical career choice.”

“Plus, you must love it, right?” I ask him. “Otherwise, there’s no way you could’ve earned two bachelor’s degrees by the age of... what? Twenty-two?”

“Something like that.” Josh looks down at the table, biting his bottom lip.

Is he hiding something from me? “How old were you when you started at Spartacus University?”

He peeks up at me through his lashes. “I was fifteen when I first got accepted, but my parents said I was too young to study abroad. They wouldn’t let me move to the United States until I turned seventeen.”

Whoa. When I was fifteen years old, I was still learning basic geometry. At seventeen, I was trying to wrap my head around precalculus. “Dean Owens says that it’s only taken you three academic years to earn your bachelor’s degrees. That would make you…”

“Almost twenty.” Josh sinks into his chair.

He’s only nineteen? That’s four years younger than I am—a lot younger than most people I date. Oh god, maybe I am Creepy McCreepster. What does it say about me that I’m still attracted to his schoolboy vibe? “So, you’re saying that you’ve earned an engineering degree in three years—with a bonus degree in astrophysics, for fun —and you’re graduating top of your class... at the age of nineteen?”

“I’m not weird.” He juts out his chin. “I just got an early start. My parents believe in homeschooling.”

“Seriously? Mine, too!” That’s another thing we have in common. Who knows what else we might share? “And I don’t think you’re weird. I think you’re amazing.”

“Me?” Josh glances over his shoulder, then turns back to me with a look of surprise.

God, he’s so stinkin’ cute! C’mon, Karma—keep your mind on the speech. “Anyway, like I was saying, you must love aerospace engineering. What about it excites you?”

His nose wrinkles. “Do you want to know the truth? It’s actually kind of boring. But I’m good at math and problem-solving, so a career in engineering makes sense. If I focus on astronautical engineering—developing technology for use in outer space—then maybe I can work on space rovers or something. That wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Wait… you think it’s boring? “ Well, we can scratch aerospace engineering off the list of speech ideas. Who wants to hear about a sensible career choice, much less a ‘dream job’ that isn’t so bad?

“Well…” He hesitates before rushing on. “What I’m really interested in is space itself. That’s why I want to work for NASA. Just to be close to all of that research… It would be a dream come true! But at least I’ll get to do a little bit of that this summer. I have an internship in the Cosmology department researching dark energy!”

What the heck is dark energy—or cosmology, for that matter? “Honestly, Josh, I don’t know anything about that stuff. Could you tell me something about it?”

“Oh, it’s fascinating!” Josh leans forward in his chair, gripping the edge of the table. “Let me tell you about my favorite fields. Astronomy studies all the objects in space, learning how they move and what they’re made of. Astrophysics, on the other hand, focuses just on the small to medium-size objects—applying the laws of physics and chemistry to develop theories about them. Cosmology develops its theories by studying the largest structures within the universe.”

“Like the Big Bang Theory?” I ask.

“Exactly!” His eyes light up. “The theory of how the universe began and how it continues to evolve. Scientists know that the universe is expanding at an exponential rate, but we don’t know how or why. I want to play a part in answering those questions in any way I can.”

I can feel the energy rolling off him. He really is into this stuff. “That’s what you should talk about in your speech, Josh. Everyone loves a good mystery, and you’re obviously passionate about the subject. The audience will eat that shit up.”

“Really?” He blinks. “You don’t think it’s too boring?”

I reach across the table and place my hand on his. “Josh Malik, you are about as boring as a supernova.”

He glances down at our hands, his long lashes fanning against his cheeks. After a moment, he peeks up at me. “So, that vegan place you told me about… Would you still want to go there with me?”

“Are you free later this evening?” I ask him.

Josh bites his lip and nods.

Holy shit! Tonight’s my night!