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5

TJ

By Thursday, I hadn’t made much progress in getting to know Jimmy, and I was starting to get frustrated. You’d think that since we were roommates, we’d have plenty of opportunities to talk, but our schedules didn’t seem aligned. When we did happen to be in our room at the same time, Jimmy hadn’t been overly forthcoming when I’d attempted to draw him into conversation.

So far, I’d learned he was a year younger than me and had graduated from Astaire High School. But these days, he and his brother shared an apartment above an auto shop in Brinkley, the neighboring town about twenty minutes away from Astaire. I discovered he was an education major like me, though he’d taken classes at the community college in Brinkley for the past couple of years, which explained why I hadn’t seen him around campus.

Aaand that was it. That was all I’d managed to get out of him in several days. I’d invited him to eat with me a couple of times, but he’d declined. He’d been very polite about it, saying, “No, thank you,” but not offering any explanation for his refusal before returning to whatever he was doing.

It left me frustrated yet more intrigued than ever.

I could honestly say, without any ego, that most people were comfortable around me. I’d been told all my life that I was easy to talk to. I was generally a pretty cheerful guy and did my best to be friendly with everyone I met. I was great at making conversation, no matter the circumstance or occasion, and I was an equally good listener. Mostly, it all came down to the fact that I was good at reading people. If you just paid a little bit of attention and listened more than you spoke, you could get a sense of the essence of the person. And at the end of the day, most people just wanted to be seen.

I was starting to suspect Jimmy was the opposite. I didn’t think he wanted to be seen much at all. It only made me more determined to figure him out. To unlock his secrets. To figure out what made him tick.

I walked into my Adolescent Psych class about three minutes before eleven on Thursday, and my attention was immediately grabbed by the halo of blond curls that could only belong to my current obsession. Smiling broadly, I made my way down the row to the vacant seat next to him and sat down.

“Hey!”

He glanced up, eyes widening slightly as he said, “Hi,” then turned his attention back to the open novel in front of him.

“For class or pleasure?”

“What?” He flicked his eyes back to mine.

“Your book. Are you reading it for a class or for pleasure?”

“Oh, um…” He glanced back at the book as if he’d forgotten it was there. “For pleasure.”

“What is it?” He flipped it over to reveal a tattered copy of Heartstopper, Volume 2 , and my brows shot up in surprise. It was one of my favorites. “Have you seen the show?”

He leaned in, warming to the topic. “I love the show!”

“Same! Nick and Charlie are so sweet.”

“Good morning, class.” Our professor strode through the door, heading directly to the front of the room. “My apologies for my tardiness. Let me just get my laptop set up and we’ll get started.”

I turned back to Jimmy to finish the conversation, but he’d already tucked the book away and was leaning back in his seat, putting distance between us. The tenuous moment of connection we’d established was gone. Dammit.

* * *

The fifty-minute class felt at least three times as long and had anyone quizzed me over the information covered, I would have failed spectacularly. I spent the majority of class hyperaware of Jimmy’s every movement. And though I’d done my best not to, I’d found myself glancing in his direction so often I was surprised I didn’t have a crick in my neck.

Finally, Professor Samuels wrapped up his lecture and Jimmy and I began to pack up our belongings.

“You want to grab lunch?” I watched him, steeling myself for his usual polite rejection.

He closed his eyes for a moment, as if he were collecting himself, and I frowned, unsure what to do with that response, but then he opened them and said, “Okay. Sure.”

“Really?” I smiled wide as if he’d given me the most precious gift rather than simply agreeing to share a meal.

He shrugged, suddenly looking unsure, and I quickly schooled my features before my over-the-top enthusiasm scared him away.

“You want to grab something at the union? What time is your next class?”

“Not until three.” He shrugged. “We can go to the union.”

We stepped outside into the hot August sunshine, the humidity causing me to sweat almost instantly, and began strolling down the sidewalk toward the union. “How did you end up in my Ad Psych class? I didn’t see you there on Tuesday.”

“The section I was originally enrolled in had a couple of last-minute drops, so they shuffled the rest of us into other sections due to low enrollment.”

“Lucky me.”

He didn’t look at me, but I caught the upturn of his lips. I considered it a win. We stepped into the cool air of the union and headed toward the food court. I let him take the lead and followed him to the sandwich bar, where we each got sandwiches and chips, then found a spot to eat near the window.

“How are you liking your classes?” I asked before biting into my ham and Swiss.

“They’re fine.”

“Are you finding your way around okay?”

“Yeah.”

I took another bite.

“How does it compare to your classes the last couple of years?”

He studied me. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m asking if you like it here?”

He shrugged. “It’s fine.”

I took a few more bites, trying to think of another angle to get him to open up.

“So I know you’re an ed major, but what subject are you focusing on?”

“English. I want to be an English teacher.”

“Yeah?” I smiled, hoping he’d share more.

He didn’t.

“I’m getting my ed degree too.” That earned me a glance but nothing more, so I continued. “Theater, with a music minor.”

“You said the other day that you still dance.”

I was ridiculously pleased that he’d asked. “I teach classes at my old studio a couple of times a week. I’ve got a couple of classes tonight, actually.”

He nodded but didn’t offer further comments. Jesus. He was a tough nut to crack.

“I want to perform on Broadway someday, but getting my ed degree seemed more practical. Plus, I’ve taught dance classes for years, so teaching theater felt like a good fit.”

“Makes sense.”

I finished my sandwich and started on my chips, all the while studying him surreptitiously, cataloging all the little ways he was different than I remembered. He still had that same riot of curls and those same amber-colored eyes. And though they still had a sad quality, I thought maybe he looked a little less haunted by whatever had sent him into the woods that day. I didn’t think he’d grown much taller, but he had filled out his frame a bit. He was still slender but in a healthier way than the almost gaunt appearance he’d had before.

“What?”

My eyes shot to his, and I realized I’d been caught staring. I wasn’t the blushing type, so I shrugged and shot him a grin. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be a dick. I just still can’t believe you’re here.”

One corner of his mouth tipped up tentatively. “It does seem like a pretty crazy coincidence.”

“It does.”

He nodded, and I couldn’t help but grin. “Are you always so reticent?”

That earned me another smile. I felt like I’d won the damn lottery.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use that word outside of the pages of a book.”

“I figured you’d appreciate it.”

“I do.” And then he blushed, ducking his head as he picked at his chips. God, he was cute. He crunched on a chip, then said. “I’m just not very good at it.”

“Good at what?”

“Talking. To people. Especially people I don’t know.” He shoved another chip in his mouth.

“So get to know me.” I hadn’t meant the comment to come out flirty, but when his eyes flashed to mine like he was trying to ascertain if there was some deeper meaning, I didn’t bother to take it back or cover it up. I couldn’t deny I was drawn to him, but I really had no ulterior motive. I just…wanted to get to know the guy who’d occupied my thoughts for the last five years.

“I’m not very good at small talk.”

“Come on. I have an idea.” I stood, grabbing my half-eaten bag of chips and pushing in my seat.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m going to show you who I am.”