Dear Chaser

Chapter 8: Official Couple (Final)

Life became easier after Hardin went to serve prison time.

I no longer felt restricted, caged, or depressed and now I am trying to get my life back on track.

Jake and I became closer and closer each passing day.

The more we talked, the more I felt at peace with him.

He became the source of light I needed to be happy whenever I'm down.

Sometimes, I look back and can't believe the mess he helped me get out of.

It's almost as if my toxic relationship with Hardin never existed.

But I wonder...Does he feel the same way as I do for him?

With Hardin out of the picture, a sense of relief washed over Lisa, lifting the weight of fear and worries that plagued her for so long. She no longer hid or lied about her feelings or alienated herself from everybody else besides Hardin. In that summer, Lisa had to retake physics 1 again after dropping out of it during spring. With Jake's support and guidance, she tackled the daunting task of retaking physics 1, drawing on his expertise and knowledge to help her succeed. One day they were sitting outside on a gray bench near the physics building and Lisa got stuck trying to get this one particular question correct in her homework. Jake was sitting next to her.

"I keep getting question 8 wrong," Lisa groaned. "And I only have two more attempts left."

Jake looked at her notebook, his eyes scanning the problem. "Really? Do you mind if I take a look?"

Lisa shrugged. "Sure, if you remember how to do this, Jake..."

Jake peered closely at the work vs. object number table that had Lisa stumped. "Hmm... Let me see. Oh, I remember being stuck on this too. You need to use Boyle's Law formula."

Lisa's face lit up with a hint of recognition. "Oh, that formula! I don't think I remember how to use it. The pace is even faster in the summer than it was in the spring."

Jake agreed. "Yeah, the professors are pretty demanding. I'll check my old physics notebook. Maybe I've got some notes on Boyle's Law in there."

He dug into his backpack and took out his old physics notebook. He relentlessly searched inside to find notes he wrote down about Boyle's Law until he finally did. After flipping through several pages, he found the notes he was looking for. "There it is! I even wrote down the same question with my work." 

Lisa leaned in as Jake explained the solution. "Basically, you solve it the same way I did," he said, pointing to his notes.

After about five minutes of concentrated effort, she inputted her answer and watched in disbelief as the system marked it correct. A broad smile spread across her face. "I got it right! Finally!"

Jake grinned, clearly pleased. "I knew you'd get it eventually."

Lisa's curiosity got the better of her. "I'm surprised you managed to take so many notes in class. The professors rarely pause, and they talk so fast."

Jake shrugged modestly. "I tried to take as much as I could. Plus, I practiced a lot from the textbook and watched some YouTube videos to help with the concepts."

Lisa nodded thoughtfully. "I wonder how you managed your time. I was rushing to finish my homework the night it was due."

Jake's expression was thoughtful. "I believe nothing is too hard if you keep practicing and improving."

Lisa looked a bit worried. "I heard Physics 2 is even tougher. I hope you do as well as you did in Physics 1."

Jake's eyes brightened at the mention of his plan. "Speaking of which, I'm getting Study Edge when that class starts. I've heard the lectures aren't great."