The Flynn Effect

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Jo

AMANDA FLIPS THROUGH her notebook and scrunches her brows. "I can't believe I forgot my third point. Sorry, can we start over?"

Cass groans as she places a hand on her head and Austin goes back to his phone. Mel isn't present today and Khalid is half-asleep. "Sure. I think we could use a five minute break."

"You're an angel," Cass says and stands up, causing a dent in the circle we've made together and walks over to a table at the edge of the classroom, before climbing over and lying down on it.

"Wild party last night?" I ask Amanda as I get to my seat and she nods.

"One of the football boys threw a party. It was insane and they wouldn't stop drinking. I have a better alcohol tolerance than these two idiots," she tells me, pointing at Khalid and Cass. She turns to me now and raises a brow.

"Where are you going, looking all glammed up?"

I'm taken by surprise immediately. Cass groans from where she's sleeping on the table, "I wanted to ask the same thing."

"I'm not—" I fumble with my book. "I just thought I'd look good today."

Amanda smiles and rolls her eyes. "You always look good, Jo. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."

I shake my head and blush. That makes me feel even worse. I didn't think I looked too different when I was dressing up this morning. I'm wearing the dress Eloise took me to get at the thrift store the other day and I lazily styled my hair. Plus, I applied minimal makeup. If Cass and Amanda are thinking this way, then I probably don't look as ordinary as I thought I did. Oh god, what if Daniel sees me as desperate?

The door bursts open and Khalid jolts from his immobile state. He groans loudly at the same time Cass does while Flynn walks inside.

He's not wearing an ordinary black Tee today. It's a Rage Nation black Tee. The Rage Nation. Their newest merch. I can't take my eyes off it. I've always wanted to get one but they're rare in this part of the country and freaking expensive.

"Sorry," he whispers and closes the door gently behind him before his eyes meet mine. They drop to my dress and my legs and back to my face. He doesn't look too happy.

"Hey Flynn," Amanda greets, tracing words with a pen on her book. "We're just getting started."

"Actually, we could cancel today," I say and Austin looks at me in the eye for the first time today. I ignore the pointed look that Flynn gives me and I continue. "Yeah, I mean, half of you are hungover and not functioning effectively so, why not?"

"You're the best," Amanda says and yawns loudly, like she's been trying not to.

"Agreed," Khalid groans and gets to his feet. He stretches his arms above his head and grabs his bag before going out with Austin following right behind him. I get to my feet and gather the strewn papers from the floor and the table before assorting the important from the unimportant.

Amanda gets to her feet too but after she stretches her arms, she walks over to Cass and taps her gently. They both wave me goodbye before exiting and closing the door behind them.

Flynn and I are on the only ones left in the classroom. And I can feel him staring at me.

I shove some papers into my bag and when I turn around, he's manspreading on the chair facing me and his arms are folded together, tattoos on display on his right. The silence is awkward and deafening and I clear my throat, dragging his gaze away from my dress and up to my face.