Chase lets out a chuckle. “I can assure you we’re complete opposites.”
She softens up and offers him a smile, then Jordan motions to me. “And this here’s Velyn, not Chase’s girlfriend but rather his bestie.” Jordan turns to Chase, “There, did I get it right?”
Chase smiles, feeling victorious. “Yes.”
Ava offers a quick hello, and once again, Jordan continues. “So Velyn here is in first-year Honors Calc and seems to be having a bitch of a time with it.”
“Gallagher?” Ava asks. I nod in confirmation, and she lets out a snicker. “Yeah, ouch! The man’s a genius but can’t teach to save his soul. It’s like he just expects that everyone was born with the ability to grasp it at the snap of his fingers. Fyi, it isn’t any better in year four.”
I must look like a wide-eyed bobblehead as I blurt out, “You’re in fourth-year calc? Who even does that?”
Ava laughs. “I love a challenge.” She looks back to Jordan with a smile; obviously, an inside joke then turns back to me. “Do you want some help with it? I, unlike Gallagher, am quite good at teaching.”
“You wouldn’t mind? I mean, you’re probably already buried in a heavy workload of your own.”
She fluffs me off. “Nah, I’m actually ahead with most of my assignments. I’d love the change-up; sometimes going back to basics is a good refresher.”
“Did you just call first-year Honors Calc a good refresher? I think you may be insane,” I add. Ava lets out another laugh, this time with the rest of us joining her. “Well, if you have the time, I could really use the help and it would be greatly appreciated.”
“Absolutely! I have no classes on Mondays, and I’m open after two every other day. I managed to get all my classes in the same time block, so my days are pretty consistent. Just let me know your schedule and we’ll set something up,” she replies.
Jordan stands from behind, offering her his hand. “Well, now with that all taken care of, let’s get out of here, babe. I’m starving and hoping we could hit up the little diner that serves up those kick-ass subs.”
“Are you talking about Subbies?” I ask.
He nods. “That’s the one. They make the best subs in town, and the rest of the menu’s pretty decent too. You and Chase should check it out.” I look to Chase and we both let out a laugh. “What, too good for diner food—are you one of those sushi eating snobs?” Jordan asks.
“No, not at all,” I quickly reply. “I love Subbie’s…I love it so much that I got a job there.”
“No shit?” Jordan lets out in a snicker. “That explains a lot.”
I sit up. “What do you mean?”
“Dylan’s the one that got me going there weeks back. Said they had these great hoagie’s and the view was optimal. I didn’t know at the time what he meant by the view was optimal, but now it all makes sense.”
Brow raised; I lean in further. “Are you trying to say that Dylan thought I was good looking.”
Jordan laughs, his hand running down his face. “It all makes sense now—what a little shit.
“What?” Ava, Chase and I all cry out in unison with a quick ‘shh’ from the librarian.
Jordan looks back down to us shaking his head, wraps his arm around Ava, then before they walk off, he says, “You don’t want to know.”
“What the—? He can’t just leave me hanging like this; I need to know what he was saying?”
Chase shakes his head. “Honestly, Vel, it could be anything and is most likely nothing. Jordan’s a nice guy but a little flighty sometimes. Who knows where his brain’s going with all that?”
“But I want to know where his flighty brain’s going...I'm curious now.”
Letting out a groaned breath, Chase looks to me, knowing exactly what he meant. “Jordan seems to think my brother may have a thing for you.”
Laughter rips through my body and shoots out my mouth. The librarian directs yet another warning at me, so I raise my hand in acknowledgment and mouth a quick sorry, then turn to Chase. “Stop joking. I was seriously asking.”
“I’m not joking, Velyn.”
“No. No way. Your brother hates me. Hell, every time I catch him even remotely looking at me, he has a scowl on his face.”
Chase shrugs. “I don’t know, Vel. Jordan may be onto something. Most girls fall at Dylan’s feet without even a word from him. They just fall at the slightest of smiles he may throw their way. But you didn’t, and I think that may have bothered him. Especially with, well, let’s just say it didn’t sit well with him.”
“Chase, you can say it—especially with where I come from and the fact that I’m poor.”
I look away from him. I’m not upset about it, just disappointed there are still people that think I’m less of a person because of where I live.
With a deep breath, I look back. “Well, if that’s the case, then that’s his problem. Maybe if he showed a little respect to the people beneath him, they wouldn’t think he was such a douchebag.”
Chase nods. “I’m starting to see that now. I used to think it was all an act. That he said those things just for the shock value and to see my reaction, but lately, he’s proven otherwise, which sadly makes me realize Dylan’s not whom I thought he was at all.
“No, I think to you as his brother he was that person. I just don’t think he cares or can care, for anyone else that way,” I try to reassure Chase.
“Yeah, well, it’s going to make for one lonely life if he keeps it up. Even I have a limit, and hopefully, he’s starting to see that.”
I
