SAVANNAH
After last night's party, I didn’t want to get out of bed, let alone go to school. My eyes were puffy from crying, my body still sore from Blake yanking me out of the pool like I was some lost dog, and my pride? Well, that had drowned the moment I decided jumping in would fix everything.
But skipping school wasn’t an option. Mom would ask questions, and I didn’t have the energy to lie convincingly. So, I dragged myself out of bed, shoved on my uniform, and barely spoke a word through breakfast.
"Savannah, you okay?" Mom asked as we pulled into the school driveway.
I forced a smile. "Yeah, just tired."
She gave me that look, the one that said she didn’t buy it but was letting it slide. I waved her goodbye and stepped out.
The moment I set foot on the school grounds, the weight of everyone's stares hit me. I could feel their eyes tracking me like searchlights.
Were they laughing about what I did last night? Did they think I was desperate? Or were they talking about how Blake had saved me?
My stomach twisted. I didn’t need their pity. And Blake? Ugh. The way he dragged me out like he owned me, then told me I didn’t belong there? That was worse than any of the names he'd called me before.
Muffin. Savvy. Freakshow.
He could save me from drowning, sure, but saving me from humiliation? He made it worse.
I headed towards my class, keeping my head low. Just before I got there, I noticed a crowd gathered near the board outside the principal's office. It clicked immediately, Physics test results. Mr. Lane never gave us our papers personally. Instead, he loved the public shame or glory of pinning them up for all to see.
I scanned the crowd, and sure enough, Alyssa wasn’t there. She never came to check her results herself. Her minions usually did the dirty work.
The group parted slightly, and I slipped through the gap. In my hurry, I bumped into someone.
"Watch where you're—" I started but cut off when I looked up to see Blake.
He was standing so close I could smell his cologne, clean, fresh, expensive. He had his usual laid-back look: ripped jeans, white tee, black hoodie thrown over his shoulder like he didn’t care, but I knew he did. His hair was a perfect mess, and those damn blue eyes were staring right at me.
My throat went dry. All the anger I’d rehearsed in my head vanished like smoke.
"You passed," he said.
I blinked. "What?"
He nodded toward the board. "Ninety-five. That’s your score. Congrats."
It took a second to register. I looked at the board, scanned the list, and there it was:
Savannah Williams – 95/100.
A smile broke across my face before I could stop it. I had worked hard for that. Finally, something good. But curiosity got the better of me, and my gaze trailed up the list.
Blake Armstrong – 30/100.
I felt guilty almost instantly. I shouldn't have checked. I turned around quickly, and there he was, still standing, and staring at me, with hands in pockets, expression unreadable.
"I wasn’t… I didn’t look at your score," I blurted.
He raised a brow. "I didn’t say anything."
"But you were thinking it."
He smirked. "You’re a terrible liar, Savvy."
My cheeks flushed. "Don’t call me that."
I tried to move past him, but he shifted, blocking my way. I stepped right, he followed.
"Seriously, I’m not in the mood this morning," I snapped. "I have class."
"You checked my result, Savvy."
I folded my arms. "I already said I didn’t."
He leaned in, eyes twinkling. "But you did."
I pushed past him, walking away faster than necessary. I just needed to escape before I did something stupid again, like jump into another metaphorical pool.
"Savannah."
I stopped.
His voice wasn’t teasing anymore as he called me that. He sounded serious. I turned around slowly. "What?"
He looked uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was thinking you could help me.”
I blinked. "Excuse me? Help you?” I furrowed my brows in confusion.
“Will you be my tutor in Physics?"
“What?”