AXEL
My breathing falters for a second as Hayley approaches, but I can't tell if it's from the anxious look on her face, or just her sheer presence. She settles onto the chair next to me, adjacent to Lucas.
Her lips part open, then close again, like she's slowly choosing her words. Then the worried look on her features softens. “How was your paper?”
I breathe a small sigh of relief, beaming. “My paper was actually great.” Not that being certain of only half of your answers is such a glorious feat. But given my history with arithmetics, I'll gladly take it. “I don't mean to brag, but I did get tutored by the best,” I flatter, still grinning.
Hayley cheeks flush red and she looks away, dismissing my tease with a shrug. “I didn't do… much. And you're a quick learner,” she says with a f
