SAVANNAH
Blake let go of me and stepped out of the pool. Water cascaded down his toned muscles as he reached for his towel. I was still hazy with indecision, wondering why he stared at me that way and even muttered, "Not bad."
Was he talking about my curves or my legs or what? I didn't know what to think, but I knew if there was a man meant to find me attractive on earth, it wouldn't be Blake.
"You coming out or are you planning to turn into a prune?" he called over his shoulder.
I waved the thought away and hoisted myself out of the pool, wrapping my arms around myself instinctively.
"Your swimming classes will be twice a week," Blake said, toweling his hair, "but you have to tutor me three times a week."
I nodded. "Twice a week is enough. What about my math tutorials?"
"We can start with you tutoring me first," he suggested, flashing that smile that made half the girls in school weak at the knees. "I'll help you with math tomorrow after our class."
"Fine," I mumbled, reaching for my towel.
I dried myself quickly before changing back into my uniform in the locker room. My hair was still damp, and I could feel droplets trickling down my neck as I grabbed my bag and followed Blake out. School was done for the day, so we could have the entire courtyard to ourselves for at least thirty minutes before Mom came to pick me up.
School ends at 3, but Mom doesn't leave work until 4, then heads off to her night job at 6pm. Most nights I sleep alone; other times, she comes back by midnight. With these swimming classes and tutoring Blake, I wouldn't have to sit alone until she arrives.
We found a bench beneath a sprawling oak tree, and I slouched down, digging through my bag for my physics textbook.
"So," I started, flipping to the chapter we were covering in class, "I figured we could start with—"
Blake suddenly grabbed my hand, cutting me off mid-sentence. I looked up at him in surprise. His eyes weren't on my face but fixed on my hand.
"Your hands are trembling," he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "Are you okay?"
I looked down at my hand in his much larger one and felt heat creep into my cheeks. "I'm okay," I said, pulling away gently. "I'm just a little cold."
"Oh." He finally released my hand and leaned back against the bench. Was there disappointment in his voice? No, I was definitely imagining things.
"Let's get started then," I said, clearing my throat.
I began explaining the basic concepts he needed to understand before we could tackle the more complicated material. My voice gained confidence as I fell into the familiar rhythm of the subject I loved.
"So force equals mass times acceleration," I explained, drawing a diagram in his notebook. "That's Newton's Second Law of Motion."
"And what's the First Law again?" Blake asked, leaning closer to see my diagram.
His nearness was distracting. I could smell the chlorine from the pool mingled with something distinctly him—like pine and rain.
"The First Law states that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force," I recited, trying to ignore how his arm was now brushing against mine.
"So basically," Blake said, "things don't change unless something makes them change?"
I smiled, surprised he was actually paying attention. "That's right. Something has to disrupt the equilibrium."
His eyes locked with mine for a moment, and I felt that strange flutter in my stomach again. I glanced at my watch, suddenly very aware of the time.
"So what about the Third Law?" he asked, breaking the moment.
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction," I replied, flipping to the next page in the textbook. "Like when you swim—"
"Hey, Blake!" a voice called out, cutting me off.
I looked up to see Alyssa crossing the courtyard toward us, her designer bag swinging against her hip. Her eyes narrowed when they landed on me.
"What are you two doing together?" she asked, her voice sweet but her eyes cold as they flicked between Blake and me.
"Savannah's tutoring me in physics," Blake explained, leaning back casually. If he noticed Alyssa's hostility, he didn't acknowledge it.
"How... charitable of her," Alyssa said with a smirk.
Before I could respond, another girl appeared behind Alyssa. Unlike Alyssa, she barely spared me a glance. She walked straight to Blake, her hips swaying, and without hesitation, slipped into his arms.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," she purred, settling onto his lap.
Blake's arm circled her waist automatically. "Just getting some help with physics," he replied.
I watched, frozen, as Megan leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. My stomach twisted painfully, and I felt something inside me crack a little.
I thought he liked me, a traitorous voice whispered in my head. The rational part of me immediately scolded myself for such a ridiculous thought. Blake would never find a girl like me attractive. If he did, he wouldn't have spent the last year making my life miserable.
The quiet alarm on my phone chimed, saving me from having to witness any more of their display. I began shoving my books into my bag with more force than necessary.
"I need to go," I muttered, though I wasn't sure anyone was listening. "My mom's probably waiting."
My phone rang at that moment, confirming my excuse. But when I looked up to say goodbye, I was shocked to see Blake already walking away, Megan still tucked under his arm, her head resting against his shoulder.