Forever Altered Read Free Page A

For the
first time all semester, I understood the experiment. 
    “That’s
it,” he declares like it is no big deal.  I look around.  The rest of
the class is still working. 
    “You’re
sure?”
    “Positive.” 
He smiles that lopsided, make-my-breath-catch grin before continuing. “You
don’t believe me?  I haven’t gotten anything less than a B since the first
day of class,” he says pretending to be insulted. 
    I
laugh at him and play punch him in the arm, which is firmer than I thought it
would be.  Damn, this guy is hot.  “Do you want me to copy all of the
data into your book for you?  I promise to make it neat,” I tease.
    “No,
we can do it when we get together to write up the report.  No big
deal.”  He shakes his head then he walks away to put the microscope back
in the cabinet.  When he gets back to our table, he starts packing up his
bag. 
    “Do
you want me to write it up since you basically did the entire experiment by
yourself?  All I did was write some stuff down.”
    Rocco
seems nervous as he finishes packing up and pulls his bag onto his
shoulder.  I guess he didn’t trust his grade with someone who admitted to
having trouble in this class.  Can't
say that I blame him, but it still feels crappy. All my life school work has
come easy and the one time I have trouble, it gets thrown in my face.
    “No,
I don’t mind helping,” he manages to say as he starts walking towards the
door.  I follow without even thinking about it.
    “I
could write it up and give it to you ahead of time to check it over, if you
prefer?”
    He
instantly turns around with his brows drawn inward and clears up what he means.
 “I didn’t mean for that to sound like I thought you aren’t capable of
doing it.  I just meant you shouldn’t have to do it alone.”
    “You
should make me do something.  You did the whole lab while I just sat
there.”
    He
smiles down at me as he puts his hand out gesturing for me to go first through
the door and down the hallway.  “You helped.  You wrote the stuff
down and you even managed to write it down correctly.  I kept an eye on
you.”
    I
actually laugh a little despite the fact that he is making fun of me.  “I
happen to be a very good record keeper.”  That makes him laugh again.
    “So,
when are you free to get together?”
    “Well,
um, I’m done class tomorrow at five and I’m off on Fridays.  How about
you?”  He means to work on the assignment I keep chanting to myself. 
We make it to the front door of the building and he reaches out to open it for
me.  “Thanks,” I murmur. 
    “No
problem,” he utters like it was no big deal.  “How about I swing by your
apartment around five-thirty, after your class tomorrow?”  Rocco glances
at me briefly before turning forward as we walk down the path toward the
apartment building, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. 
Jeans that happen to look really, really good on him.  Thankfully he looks
away because my anxiety started again.  There wasn’t anyone home except me
on Thursdays at that time.  I don’t really know this guy and it would be
uncomfortable being alone with him.  He speaks again before getting an
answer.  “I’d tell you to come to my apartment, but I wouldn’t want you to
go to an apartment with a bunch of guys you don’t know.  And I’m pretty
sure your apartment is cleaner than ours.”
    “Okay. 
Come to my apartment tomorrow at five thirty,” I agree.  I’ve seen my ex’s
apartment at his school.  Guys living on their own should not be allowed.
    “I’ll
give you my cell number.  I don’t really check my room phone very
often.  This way if something changes, you can let me know.”
    I
pull out my cell and punch his number into my contacts.  Then send him a
text so he has mine, too.  No reason to sit around all night if he has
something else to do.  That’s what I tell myself about giving him my number
anyway. 
    Rocco’s
face lights up