Page 23 of Evergreen Academy (Society of Magical Botanists #1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

A lex was waiting in the seat next to mine when I got to Psychology the next day. “Hey, hey,” he said casually. “What are you doing at lunch? Want to grab food in the food court?”

My stomach flipped in a not-unpleasant way.

“I like to crank out my psychology homework right after class, since it’s usually pretty quick. We could work together,” he added.

“Sure. That sounds good.”

Our instructor began to speak then, and I turned my attention to her. Could Alex hear how fast my heart was beating? But then my stomach sank when I realized that I would only have about fifteen minutes available before I needed to head to Evergreen Academy.

When class ended, I quickly gathered my things. “I do have to be somewhere off campus by one, but I can grab food for, like, fifteen minutes? ”

Alex smiled. “I can eat fast.”

“What about our homework?”

“That was just an excuse to ask you to lunch.”

Ohhhkay then. I bit my lower lip, smothering a smile. “Well, in that case,” I said, trying to make my voice sound light, “I’m in.”

The cafeteria was busy, but we managed to get through the line within a few minutes. I’d never eaten here before, since my classes let out at noon and I would head home and eat there or at Vera’s Café. Alex swiped a meal card while I paid with cash.

“So, how do you like it here?” I asked as we took a seat.

“At SCC? Or in Weed?”

“Both.”

“I like it. The forest feels like it’s holding a secret, you know?”

I glanced at him in surprise but clamped my lips shut. There was no way he knew about Evergreen Academy. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, like the lemurians under the mountain.”

I laughed. “You’ve heard about that already? I didn’t realize the local lore was getting around.”

“I had to do a little research before coming here. Just making sure I wasn’t walking into anything crazy.”

I raised my eyebrows. “And you heard about the lemurians and still chose to come?”

He laughed. “The stranger, the better.”

“Good to know.”

“So, is there anything about Weed you think I should know? Favorite dives? Local secrets?”

“Well, you already know about Vera’s.” I racked my brain. “ There’s an amazing place to get a burger and ice cream, but it’s a bit of a drive and way out in the middle of nowhere.”

“I’m not opposed to a drive. Or things that are in the middle of nowhere.”

“What else?… We have an awesome little ski park.”

“Nice. Do you ski?”

“I snowboard.”

“Really? I’ve never tried either. I might have to check it out this year.”

My brain started to swirl then, wondering if I’d have time for snowboarding this year. During my conversation with Alex, I’d almost forgotten I was attending a magical academy.

My world felt like it was split into two distinct halves—the time when I was at Evergreen Academy and the time when I was in my regular life.

I glanced at my phone and realized with a sinking feeling that time had run out already. I needed to get to Evergreen Academy for my second set of new classes. “Sorry, I’ve got to get going. See you Thursday?”

Alex’s smile was bright. “I’ll save you a seat.”