I sighed. “Well…we’ll see.”
“I’m going to walk you to class. I’ll quiz you on the way.”
I locked the door behind us. “You’re not going to be mad if I flunk this test, are you?”
“You’re not going to flunk, Pidge. We need to start earlier for the next one, though,” he said, keeping in-step with me to the science building.
“How are you going to tutor me, do your homework, study and train for your fights?”
Travis chuckled. “I don’t train for my fights. Adam calls me, tells me where the fight is, and I go.”
I shook my head in disbelief as he held the paper in front of him to ask the first question. We nearly finished a second round of the study guide when we reached my class.
“Kick ass,” he smiled, handing me the notes and leaning against the door jamb.
“Hey, Trav.”
I turned to see a tall, somewhat lanky man smile at Travis on his way into the classroom.
“Parker,” Travis nodded.
Parker’s eyes brightened a bit when he looked to me, and he smiled. “Hi, Abby.”
“Hi,” I said, surprised that he knew my name. I had seen him in class, but we’d never met.
Parker continued to his seat, joking with those sitting beside him. “Who’s that?” I asked.
Travis shrugged, but the skin around his eyes seemed tenser than before. “Parker Hayes. He’s one of my Sig Tau brothers.”
“You’re in a frat?” I asked, doubtful.
“Sigma Tau, same as Shep. I thought you knew that,” he said, looking beyond me to Parker.
“Well…you don’t seem the…fraternity type,” I said, eyeing the tattoos on his forearms.
Travis turned his attention to me and grinned. “My dad is an alumn, and my brothers are all Sig Tau’s…it’s a family thing.”
“And they expected you to pledge?” I asked, skeptical.
“Not really. They’re just good guys,” he said, flicking my papers. “Better get to class.”
“Thanks for helping me,” I said, nudging him with my elbow. America passed, and I followed her to our seats.
“How did it go?” she asked.
I shrugged. “He’s a good tutor.”
“Just a tutor?”
“He’s a good friend, too.”
She seemed disappointed, and I giggled at the fallen expression on her face.
It had always been a dream of America’s for us to date friends, and roommates-slash-cousins, for her, was hitting the jackpot. She wanted us to room together when she decided to come with me to Eastern, but I vetoed her idea, hoping to spread my wings a bit. Once she finished pouting, she focused on finding a friend of Shepley’s to introduce me to.
Travis’ healthy interest in me had surpassed her ideas.
I breezed through the test and sat on the steps outside the building, waiting for America. When she slumped down beside me in defeat, I waited for her to speak.
“That was awful!” she cried.
“You should study with us. Travis explains it really well.”
America groaned and leaned her head on my shoulder. “You were no help at all! Couldn’t you have given me a courtesy nod or something?” I hooked my arm around her neck and walked her to our dorm.
Over the next week, Travis helped with my history paper and tutored me in Biology. We stood together scanning the grade board outside Professor Campbell’s office. My student number was three spots from the top.
“Third highest test grade in the class! Nice, Pidge!” he said, squeezing me. His eyes were bright with excitement and pride, and an awkward feeling made me to take a step back.
“Thanks, Trav. Couldn’t have done it without you,” I said, pulling on his t-shirt.
He tossed me over his shoulder, making his way through the crowd behind us. “Make way! Move it, people! Let’s make room for this poor woman’s hideously disfigured, ginormous brain! She’s a fucking genius!”
I giggled at the amused and curious expressions of my classmates.