In Your Veins

Chapter 2

Thursday.

I drum my fingers, looking at the clock.

Fifteen more minutes until this class ends.

Haven't I been here before?

There's one difference between this time and the last, though. I have not forgotten about my tutoring responsibilities.

How could I, with such an interesting person to tutor?

I can't get his bright yellow eyes out of my head. They're like the eyes of a bird of prey, watching my every move ever so intently.

How interesting.

Two o'clock hits, and I'm on my way again. I won't be late this time.

I walk into the library, where people are just starting to settle. I look out for the dark-haired boy I saw last time.

As I scan the room, I feel a tap on my shoulder. It's him.

"Hi, Alette," he says, colour rising in his cheeks.

It might be because he's so pale, but he's constantly blushing. I feel the same way in new social situations, to be honest. I'm just glad my skin is tan enough not to show when my face gets hot.

"Hey," I reply. "Shall we get started?"

He nods. "Let's go over to my table."

One by one, we pass the coloured tops of the library tables until we get to a purple one. There, Khiere sits down and waits for me to do the same.

Something about this table strikes me as odd. I look around the room at other tables. Red, blue, yellow, green.

Maybe the pair for this table has been kept somewhere else?

I push it out of my mind. Khiere once again pulls out a few sheets of paper as I take a seat.

It doesn't seem like his writing has improved much from last time. Time to break out the pen.

"Look, you've forgotten a line in your header," I say, pointing to the top of the first page. "You have to put your name above the professor's name."

"Where?" he asks.

"Here."

I write his name where it's supposed to go.

Khiere LastName

"It's Aquile," he says. "My last name, I mean."

I write again.

Khiere LastName Aquile

"There. It goes there, okay? Don't forget, or you'll get marks deducted," I tell him.

I don't know if he heard me. He's looking at the paper.

"What else....?" he asks, finally looking up from his writing.

Most people I've tutored get defensive of their work when I try to correct it, or at the very least remain neutral. Why does he seem eager...?

I look through his paper. Most of it consists of such silly mistakes that I can't believe he'd make them twice. I look up at him. He's looking directly at me.

I go back to studying his essay. I don't want it to seem like I'm interrogating him, but I need to gauge the kind of guy he is. Would he really make mistakes like these?

"So," I start, "what are you studying?"

"I, uh....double major," he replies. "Computer science and....biology."