Cara Playing Cupid

Chapter 16 - Height

"How you even pulled this off is beyond my imagination." Sophia laughed as she tied her curly brown hair into a messy bun.

"It's Cupid magic," I smirked, flipping my hair, that was parted from the middle.

"What now?" Daphne sat on the bed, hugging her knees like a scared toddler.

"Now..." I plopped down next to her. "You're going to help Elijah with science."

"But I'm terrible at science." She murmured.

"That's why we have Soph!" I nudged her. "Don't worry. Just take deep breaths and enjoy being in the same room as your dream guy."

Sophia scoffed, earning our attention. "Enjoying won't do anything if she doesn't actually talk to him."

"She will! We'll help her." I gave her a side hug. "That's what friends are for."

We exchanged encouraging smiles, and then the doorbell rang, making her shoulders tense. We bolted towards the window and saw Elijah standing at the door, and Blake was nowhere to be found.

"Open the door." I practically shoved her toward the door. "Go!"

She hesitated, glancing back at us, but obeyed, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"I don't think this is going to work," Sophia said when she walked out.

"Why not?" I frowned, crossing my arms.

"Daphne and Elijah don't seem compatible," she shrugged, her tone casual but her eyes serious.

"They haven't even started. How can we judge their compatibility?" I argued. "Daphne's just shy around him."

"My point."

"Huh?"

"Daphne's always shy around him. How will she ever get comfortable?"

"It'll take time-"

"I think you should give it a rest." She interrupted.

"Why?"

"This study date will be enough to make them close. We should see how everything goes after that naturally for a while."

"But-"

"Come on, Cara. You're the one who said 'slow and steady,' remember?" She raised an eyebrow.

My shoulders slumped and I sighed. "Fine."

"Good! Now let's go!" She grinned, grabbing my hand and led me downstairs.

It was a good thing Samuel wasn't home, or else his presence would have only complicated things.

We walked into the living room to find Elijah and Daphne sitting awkwardly on opposite sides of the couch, and an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air. Sophia shot me a knowing look, and I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, Elijah!" I greeted him, and a smile broke across his face.

"Hi, guys!" He beamed, glancing between us. "Blake's on his way."

"We can wait for him or..." I shot a sideways glance at Sophia. "We can get started."

"How about we dive into science first?" Sophia suggested. "You two can work on calculus when he arrives."

"Good idea." I agreed.

We settled onto the floor around a large square table, the carpet soft beneath us. Elijah sat directly in front of me, with Daphne to my left and Sophia to my right. Sophia, the only one with a brain among us, began explaining the basics of the topic. Daphne and Elijah listened quietly while I brainstormed ways to nudge them into conversation.