𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭

thrity eight

Delphine

I knew this sports science exam was going to be brutal, but somehow, now that I was actually in Eliza's dorm room, sitting cross-legged on her floor with textbooks sprawled around me, the reality felt even worse.

I glanced around at the organized chaos of her room: posters of bands she didn't actually listen to, a half-broken disco ball hanging from the ceiling, and clothes scattered across every available surface.

It was chaotic, but it was so Eliza.

She was across from me, lying on her stomach with her notes spread out in front of her. "Alright, Delphine, deep breaths. You're a machine at memorizing stuff; you've got this," she encouraged, her voice cheerful as ever.

But my hands were practically white-knuckling the edges of my textbook, and all I could think about was how completely unprepared I felt.

Sports science wasn't my thing.

Skating? Yes.

Technical breakdowns of how muscles moved and how joints worked?

Definitely not.

"Easy for you to say," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "You're a natural at this stuff. I feel like the words are just blurring together."

Eliza snorted, reaching over to lightly flick my shoulder. "Girl, please. I see the way you zone in when you're studying. You just have to... do your weird focusing thing and you'll get through it." She wriggled her fingers dramatically, trying to mimic my serious 'exam face.'

I couldn't help but laugh. "Weird focusing thing? Thanks for the confidence boost, Eliza."

Eliza grinned, unfazed. "Exactly. That's what I'm here for. Now, seriously, let's go over the muscle groups again. You've already got the skeletal structure down; it's just these last few bits."

I forced myself to nod, flipping through my notes, but the words still felt like a jumbled mess in my brain. I could feel the weight of the competition still lingering over me, the pressure that had only gotten worse after winning first place. I should've been on top of the world, but instead, I was struggling to balance everything, and this exam felt like the tipping point.

Just as I was about to dive back in, there was a knock on Eliza's door. Ethan and Kaiden strolled in, each carrying stacks of snacks—chips, sodas, and an impressive array of energy drinks that I assumed were Kaiden's contribution.

"Thought you two might be starving by now," Ethan said, tossing a bag of chips in our direction. I managed to catch it with one hand, already feeling a bit more human with the promise of sustenance.

"Perfect timing, as always," Eliza grinned. She sat up, grabbing a drink and twisting off the cap, taking a long swig before giving Ethan a playful glare. "You're staying to study, right?"

Ethan gave her a look of exaggerated horror. "Studying? I thought I was just here to bring snacks and moral support."

Kaiden, however, was already settling down on the floor next to us. He picked up one of my textbooks, flipping through it with the casual ease of someone who actually knew what he was looking at. For a moment, I just stared at him, a bit surprised. I hadn't pegged him as the academic type, but then again, Kaiden always had this calm, observant way about him. It was like he was good at everything without trying.

"What chapter are you on?" he asked, glancing up at me.

"Uh... muscle groups," I mumbled, trying not to let on how flustered I felt under his gaze. It wasn't that I wasn't used to people watching me or anything, but Kaiden had this intensity about him that made me hyper-aware of myself. I felt like he saw right through me, and right now, that wasn't exactly comforting.

He nodded, pulling one of my notes toward him. "Alright. So, what's stressing you out? I can go over it if you want."

I blinked at him, momentarily thrown off by the offer. "Uh... everything?" I half-joked, but it wasn't far from the truth. "I mean, I get the basics, but it's like the second I start going into the details, my brain just... shuts down."

Kaiden raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk on his face. "Your brain shuts down? Delphine, you can memorize complex skating routines in your sleep."

"That's different," I argued, feeling my cheeks flush. "Skating is instinctual. This is just... numbers and diagrams and—ugh."

"Muscles are instinctual too, in a way," he countered, giving a small shrug. "You use them every day, especially with skating. If you can break down routines, you can break down muscle groups. Think of them as parts of a whole, like different moves in a sequence."

It was kind of amazing how he made it sound so simple. I sighed, taking another look at my notes, trying to channel that mindset. Maybe he was right; maybe I could handle this. I just had to think of it as another routine, another part of my training.

"Alright," I said, mostly to myself. "Let's give this another shot."

We spent the next hour going over muscle groups, Kaiden explaining things in a way that somehow made the information stick. Every now and then, he'd throw in a fact that made the whole thing a little less dry, like how the gluteus maximus was the strongest muscle in the body or how some muscles could work twice as fast under certain conditions. His tone was casual, but I could tell he was focused, his eyes never straying far from the textbook or my notes.

I'd never seen Kaiden like this, completely in the zone, and it kind of put me at ease. Somehow, the stress felt less suffocating with him around.