𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 |𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐊𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐙| 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃

𝑾𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑰𝑺 𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑷𝑬𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮?

𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗔'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩

"As we discussed at the beginning of the semester. Your dual thesis will count as fifty percent of your final grade for this class," Mr. Berry announced, standing in the front of the auditorium of my psychology class.

Cain raised his hand. He was sitting on the other end of the wide-open space that was filled with seats for students.

"Yes," our professor called on him. "Mr. Foronto."

"What do you mean by dual thesis?"

"I mean you and your partner will present a dual thesis on the laws of attraction. It will be good practice for those of you who will be going onto graduate school."

"So, what you're saying is my final grade will rely on someone else?"

"Yes, choose wisely."

Great.

Our professor proceeded to hand out directions for our final assignment while I contemplated who would be my partner. I didn't exactly make any friends or acquaintances in this class over the last semester. I kept to myself, I was there for one reason and one reason only.
     
To learn.
     
Not sure how long I sat there, thinking about it, when out of nowhere I heard Cain's voice hovering above me, "What do you say?" I peered up at him. "To what?"
     
He cocked his head to the side before sitting in the empty seat beside me. "Partners?"
     
"You're joking, right?"
     
"Never been so serious in all my life."
     
"You think I'm going to rely on you for passing or failing this class? Right before graduation?"
     
"So not only do you think I'm a man whore, you also think I'm stupid?"
     
I don't think." I nodded. "I know."
     
"Johanna, I have a three point nine GPA. I'm graduating Summa Cum Laude."
     
"You're full of shit."
     
He reached into his backpack. "Read 'em and weep, darlin'." I grabbed his transcripts out of his hand. Right there in big, bold letters, Cumulative GPA: 3.9
     
"Wow," I breathed out. Shocked was an understatement.
     
"I know, pretty impressive, right?"
     
"I mean yes but that's not what I was thinking."
     
"Care to elaborate?" I lifted my eyes to him. "You actually carry around your transcripts?" He shrugged. "Helps me get laid."
     
"Ugh!" I smacked the papers on his chest. "Ow. Rude."
     
"At least I was right about my first assumption. I stand corrected. You're smarter than you look."
     
"I was kidding. I just left the dean's office and he gave them to me."
     
"Dean's office?"
     
"Yeah, he wanted to congratulate me on making his list every year since we started college." I sat there, my mind blown. "How did I not know this?" "There's a lot that you don't know about me, Johanna. This is just one of them."
     
"I guess so."
   
"So what do you say? Partners?"
     
"I think I'd be the stupid one if I said no."
     
"Damn. You sure know how to give a compliment."
     
I chuckled. "I'd be honored to be your partner on this assignment. Will you please accept my profound apology for judging your dumbass face?"
     
"Better, we'll keep working on your social skills though."
     
"I can't wait." The sarcasm in my tone was evident.
     
"Let's get started. Your place or mine?"
     
"Definitely mine. I don't trust your place to not be crawling with women."
     
"Dude, do you think I just hold them captive or something?"
     
I grabbed my backpack and stood. "At this point, it wouldn't surprise me. You seem to be full of them." "Them or it?"
"You tell me."
     
He stood, walking out of class next to me. "I'd much rather surprise you." Glancing up at him, I asked, "Where did you park?"
"Parking lot outside of the building. You?" "I parked by the cafeteria."
     
"All right, I'll drive you over to your car."
     
"Sounds like a plan. You can follow me home from there."
     
"Johanna, I know where you live."
     
"Okay, stalker. That didn't sound creepy or anything."
     
"I'm a man of many talents. Wait until you taste my cooking."
     
"You cook?"
     
"Yeah, I'm starving. You got food?"
     
"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"
     
"I have food. I like to eat and unless I cook for myself, I'd starve." Who was this guy?
     
"I have food."
     
"Great. I'll whip us up something."
     
Once we arrived at his truck, Cain did something I never expected... He opened my door for me.
   
"What?" he called me out on it. "You don't think I know how to be a gentleman? You wound me," he said with his hand on his heart. "It's like I don't even know you."
     
"Sad. We've been in each other's lives because of Tom since we were kids."
     
"I've never seen you open a door for a girl before."
     
"You're not just any girl." He reached his hand for me to take and helped me step into his lifted Chevy.
     
"I'm not?"
     
"Nope. You're Tom's best friend and what kind of friend would I be to my boy if I didn't take care of his most prized possession?" My eyes widened and before I could reply, he shut the door. It didn't take long to drive to my car. Twenty minutes later, he was following me inside my apartment, ready to plan out our assignment.

𝗧𝗢𝗠'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩

It was almost eleven at night by the time I drove passed Johanna's, apartment complex. Her place was visible from the road and I could see the light in her bedroom was still on. At the last second, I decided to stop by and see what she was up to. We never announced our random arrivals. After the day I had, I wanted to chill with my best friend.

I spent most of the afternoon at my father's shop. He was showing me the ropes and what my responsibilities would entail once I graduated.
     
I was exhausted from hearing him say, "Tom, are you listening?" I was, sort of.
     
The fact he thought it was normal to work until this late at night was an ongoing argument between him and my mom. She didn't understand it either.
 
I stopped at the gas station and picked up a bag of Skittles, they were Johanna's favorite. Parking my car next to hers, I made my way up the stairs to the second floor and walked right in. Mentally chastising her for leaving her door unlocked, again.
 
"Johanna, how many times do I have to tell you to lock your—"

I stopped dead in my tracks, standing at the foot of her bedroom door. Knocked on my ass by what I was walking into.
Johanna was sitting against the headrest of her bed, a notebook in her lap.
  
"Hey," she greeted.
    
My eyes shifted from her to the person I least expected to see.
     
In her bed.
     
Cain was laying down on the end of her mattress, looking up at the notebook in his hands. A bunch of textbooks and food in between them. "The fuck?" I questioned, causing Cain's gaze to focus on mine.