The Nerd Tutor And The Hockey Captain

There were three things I hated about Northridge University. Rich people. Group projects. And Finn Jasper Mitch. Unfortunately, all three had a habit of finding me. I stared at the name written at the bottom of my assignment sheet and wondered if Professor Matts had a personal grudge against me. CHARLOTTE BENNETT + FINN MITCH No. Absolutely not. I gazed around the lecture hall, hoping I had somehow read it wrong. Maybe there was another Finn Mitch. But there wasn't, because twenty feet away, the actual Finn Jasper Mitch was sitting with half the hockey team around him. He was impossible to miss. Six-foot-four, with shoulders so broad I imagined I'd disappear in a hug from him. He had dark blond hair that looked like he'd run his fingers through it one too many times. His university hockey jacket hung open over a black T-shirt, and even from across the room, I could see the faint bruise along his jaw. The girls around him were laughing at something he'd said. Yeah, he was the very picture of a hockey playboy to stay away from. I mean the guy didn't have to try to get attention. He breathed, and people noticed and flock to him. Who wouldn't? He was the captain of the Northridge Wolves. And also the son of former NHL legend Marcus Mitch. His life had been arranged for him as a future NHL draft pick before he'd even had a say in it. I resented him already. Not because I knew him, but because I knew people like him. It infuriated me that he was one of the privileged ones who would never have to calculate the cost of a textbook before buying it. And more importantly, I knew he was the kind who treated grades as meaningless results instead of the actual lifelines they were to me. I sighed and slumped over my desk. I couldn't afford a luxury guy like him on an important project with a strict professor such as Mr. Matts. He would ruin everything for me. My scholarship covered my tuition, housing, and the bare minimum of everything else. One mistake could turn four years of hard work into a very sad goodbye. I looked down at my assignment sheet again. "No. I will not allow this to happen." I raised my hand, and Professor Matts looked at me. "Yes, Ms. Bennett?" "I would like a different partner." His hockey teammates and the puck bunnies erupted into laughter. Professor Matts didn't laugh. He raised his hand, and the class fell silent. "What's your reason for that?" I glanced toward Finn and wondered if it wasn't obvious already. "Because I actually enjoy graduating." The room erupted into laughter..Even Professor Matts looked like he was fighting a smile. However, a deep voice came from the back. "Wow." I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. "I've never felt so appreciated." I closed my eyes for one second. Professor Matts folded his arms. "Mr. Mitch, since you're here five minutes late, perhaps you can explain why Ms. Bennett is so eager to escape you." Finn stood, he was even taller than I'd calculated and that was even more irritating that I cared enough to have noticed. He walked down the stairs, one hand holding his phone while the other was shoved into his pocket. "I'm sure Ms. Bennett has a very good reason," he threw back at the professor, keeping me in his sights the whole way down. "I do," I shot back, rising from my seat. He stopped beside my desk and looked down at me.nFor a moment, neither of us spoke. His eyes were darker than they'd looked from across the room. Hazel, maybe. There was a tired aura behind them that didn't fit the confident smile plastered across his face. Just when I was starting to feel sorry for him, he smiled and ruined it all. "Hi, partner." "I haven't agreed to that." "Neither have I." I frowned, he turned toward Professor Matts. "I would also like a different partner." The professor's eyebrows rose. "And why is that?" Finn pointed at me. "Come on, man. She looks like she wants to murder me." "I do," I said in agreement. A few people laughed again, and Finn's smile widened. "See?" Professor Matts sighed. "You two are staying together." "But..." "No." "Professor..." "No." Finn looked at me, and I returned the stare. We both spoke at the same time. "This is a terrible idea." Professor Matts picked up his papers. "Excellent, then. You'll have plenty to write about." The class laughed as he walked away, and I packed my laptop into my bag. Finn leaned against the desk and kept smiling. "So?" I ignored him. "What are you doing after class?" he asked, clearing his throat. "Studying." "Okay, and?" I didn't answer. I just zipped my bag. "Anything else?" He gestured with his hands, looking frustrated that I hadn't offered more. "And I'll be sleeping." He laughed. "Dorky, aren't you? Do you ever have fun?" "Don't call me that. But yes, I do." "When?" I looked at him, finally exasperated. "When people leave me alone." His smile disappeared for half a second and then it came back. "You're funny." "Do I look like I am?" "No." I thought he'd finally leave me alone to sulk, instead, he pulled out his phone. "Give me your number." "No." I started walking away, but he blocked me. He waved the phone in front of me and blinked. "No?" I nodded. "No." "Dork, we have a project together." "Again, that's not my name. And that's why we use emails." He paused and then stared at me. "You really hate me, don't you?" "I don't know you well enough to hate you." "Yeah, that's almost sweet of you." "Not my cup of tea. Move. I have a lot to cover." He laughed again, and I was finally able to walk past him. "Make sure to be at the library tomorrow. Six on the dot." He turned at that. "Six in the evening?" "Yes. Or do you want to wake up at six in the morning?" "Neither will work. I have practice." "Okay, then come after practice." "I might be late." "Whatever. But show up, and don't f**k this project up for me.”