Where Lost Things Go | ✓

【拾贰】WHEN ITS JUST THEM

chapter 12.
when its just them

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REAGAN WAS ALREADY there when Asher walked into the library that Sunday. Making his way behind the counter, he placed her cup of coffee before her and took a seat.

"Let's get crackin' on bio," he said loudly, pulling out his notes and handing them to her. "Test me." He leaned backwards in his chair and tucked his arms behind his head.

Reagan glanced at his study sheet before turning back to her doodle notebook. "Phosphodiaster bonds."

"Bonds between phosphate groups and pentose sugar in nucleic acids."

She glanced at the next question. "The Calvin Cycle."

"Uhh," Asher spun around in his chair as he scoured his mind for the answer. "A process for aerobic cellular metabolism where Acetyl–CoA and - "

"That's the Krebs Cycle," Reagan interrupted without looking up.

Asher stopped midspin and stared at her, "What?"

Reagan paused her drawings and met his gaze, "You were describing the Krebs Cycle."

"Yeah I know. Sorry, I confused them for a second," he said dismissively, squinting his eyes at her. "But how do you know? I didn't know you studied bio."

She looked back down at her sketchbook, "My mother taught me."

"Like, in high school?"

"Yeah," she said simply.

Asher leaned back in his chair and continued spinning. "Damn, if I'd known you were so good at bio, I would have asked you to help me study a lot earlier."

"I'm okay at it."

"You're telling me you haven't taken a single Bio course in college yet?"

Reagan shook her head.

He let out a breath, impressed. "You tell me what the Calvin Cycle is, then."

She looked at him tiredly, "That defeats the purpose of helping you study."

He scooted forward and looked at her with interest, "Just do it."

She sighed, "The Calvin Cycle is a process of photosynthesis where sunlight and carbon dioxide are used to make nutrients. Three CO2 molecules combine with three RuBP receptors to make six molecules of G3P - "

"Shut the fuck up," Asher said in amazement.

"Okay."

"No I mean," Asher laughed as he grabbed his study guide and flipped through it. "You're amazing. I kind of want to test you now."

Reagan grabbed the study guide back. "You're the one taking the exam tomorrow."

Flipping to a random page, she asked the next question.

They passed the afternoon like that, with Asher freaking out every time Reagan revealed her knowledge of the subject. She had a feeling he was getting some questions wrong on purpose just to test her.

When he asked her to explain water potential to him, he stood over her and watched in fascination as she demonstrated on paper. Leaning over her, he pointed down at her work, "That's the solute potential?"

"Yes."

"And the pressure constant is given?"

"Yes."

He nodded in understanding, and all of the sudden he realized how close he was to her. He quickly stepped away.

He wondered what was going on in that mysterious mind of hers. She seemed to know everything about everything. Every time he studied with her, she had an expert answer to whatever he was working on. No matter the subject. No matter the difficulty. Her knowledge in biology impressed him, and he wondered what other talents she kept hidden.

When 6 PM rolled around, Asher sighed as he leaned back, exhausted from all the brain power he exerted. "Thanks, Reagan."

She smiled at him. It surprised him, because it was one of those rare smiles that actually reached her eyes.

"This helped a lot," he said, packing his study materials away. "You're helping me with my homework next time." He slung his backpack over his shoulder.

"I think this study session was more than enough to pay you back for the coffee," she said as they walked around the counter.

He held the library door open for her, "Consider it a down payment for future coffee."

"I'll think about it."

They walked down the street, the orange sunset paving the way for them.

"Hey Reagan?" he said, after a moment of silence.

She hummed in response.

"What's the diameter of the Earth?"

She looked up at him with a funny look, "Eight thousand miles."

He had no clue of knowing whether she was right or not, but he trusted that she was.

"What's the atomic number of Sulfur?"

"Sixteen."

"What's the capital of...Ghana?"

"Accra."

"Whats - "

"Asher," she interrupted. "What are you doing?" She looked both ways before crossing the street. He trailed behind her, a shoulder's width apart as he watched the sun beams bounce off her hair.

"Testing you."

"Why?"

"No reason," he said. "You're a genius, you know that?"

"I'm not."

"You literally know everything."

"I'm just good at memorizing," she said quietly.

They stopped in front of her building.

"Whatever you say, but it's still amazing," he said excitedly, looking down at her. She stared back wordlessly for a moment. He remembered how he shivered the first time he had ever looked into those dark eyes. Those same eyes held him captive, only slightly brightened by the glow of the reaching sunset.

She turned away and began walking into her building. "Good luck on your exam, Asher," she said without looking back.

He watched her walk in and disappear from his sight, her presence still lingering in the air.

Smiling, he began his walk back home, thinking about how much he loved the way his name sounded on her lips.