No One Has To Know

-24-

Song: Dancing With Our Hands Tied

Artist: Taylor Swift

*~*~*~*~*

"Cody, you're good at statistics, right?"

"Uh—no."

"Well, you're going to help me, anyway." Heather didn't give her friend time to react before sliding her assignment across the lunch table before him. "I've always been great at math, but statistics are killing me. I just need to get through this last semester."

Cody blankly stared ahead. "Heather, I won't be of much use in this subject."

"Then start learning!" she snapped. "I have to finish this in two hours!"

"Why did you wait to ask for help until the last minute?"

"—Because," Heather scoffed, "I was busy with my other homework." Sure, if "homework" entailed private hands-on lessons from Alejandro while he helped her study, then Heather was working hard. It's not like she planned on ditching that assignment—she just got caught up in those green eyes (she also did every single one of her other assignments before even thinking about statistics), candlelit dinners, and competitive board games on the living room floor.

"Mhm. I'm sure you just didn't want to do it," Cody replied nonchalantly.

"That couldn't be further from the truth, Cody," said Heather. "Wanting help from you doesn't mean I don't want to try. You know I'm giving it my all this year."

Cody felt queasy. With this new information about his friend, he didn't know if she was genuinely trying her best in her last semester. For all he knew, Alejandro could be cheating the entire system for her. But Heather had stopped making Beth do her homework for her years ago, and the Heather that Cody knew would never even dream of taking the easy way out when it came to her future.

"Ok," Cody replied to his friend's statement. "Just checking up on you."

Heather narrowed her eyes at him. "You've been acting so weird. Did Sierra start harassing you again? Because I am not—"

"No, Heather, it has nothing to do with Sierra," Cody rubbed his forehead. "It's fine. It's nothing."

"Tell me what it is, Cody." Heather folded her arms across her chest, now worried. She thought about how he acted a couple of weeks ago when he brought up Alejandro. If there was any chance that Cody found out, Heather needed to know immediately before he did something stupid.

"Like I said, it's nothing. I've just been worried about you lately. You're acting different," Cody said.

Heather let out a scoff. "I'm acting different? You're the one who keeps poking and prodding me with all these random questions."

"Random? You're the one who started the statistics question today."

"Yes, but I meant all the other questions you asked me this week! 'Heather, do you have a boyfriend? Do you think my professor is fucking his students'?" She imitated Cody's voice.

"I do not sound like that," Cody chuckled.

"You kinda do."

He stuck out his tongue. "Whatever. At least I don't sound like Cameron. It's like the dude still hasn't finished puberty."

"That, I can agree with," said Heather. "Now, tell me what's going on before I make you."

Cody paused. "Heather, all I said was that I'm worried about you. If something's going on, tell me."

"I guess you'll never get an answer out of me because nothing's going on. I think you're just losing it, Cody," Heather laughed.

Cody hung his head in defeat. All he could do was pray for the school year to be over soon because he didn't know how much longer he could keep this secret.