Potentially You and Me (Two Truths and a Lie)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: STUDY SESSION PART TWO

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: STUDY SESSION PART TWO

Some plants have seeds, and some don't.

     Trent's pen is blue, and he's got a swatch of it on the side of his hand from dragging it against his notebook page.

     Plants that don't make seeds and have no roots, stems, or leave structures are algae.

    Trent twirls his pen between his fingertips. He tucks it under and over his first three fingers before swinging it back.

     Plants that don't make seeds and have some structure are moss. Plants that don't make seeds, but have structure are ferns.

     Trent places the end of his pen between his lips.

     Plants that have seeds, but no flowers are conifers. Plants that have seeds and flowers are flowers.

     Trent tips his head ever so slightly in my direction. His pen is still pressed up against his lips as his eyes burn into the side of my head.

     I don't move my head. I just use my eyes to look up at him. 

     He looks away.

     Back to the plant kingdom.

     Repeat.

     Trent's actions are easier to memorize than my classwork. They always are. A pen twirl, pen to lip, a glance, and repeat. A jaw scratch, a neck scratch, an arm or leg stretch, and repeat. I thought it would be easier to ignore now that we no longer have any classes together, but I was wrong.

     "I have a question."

     "I have an answer," I say without looking up.

     "If you could switch bodies with anyone or anything for one whole day, would you do it?"

     My pen drops. "Really?"

     "What?"

     "We're not in philosophy anymore."

     He chuckles. "You really hated it that much?"

     "No, not hate just . . ." My lips pull together as I attempt not to mirror his smile, but it's hard. It's always hard. His amusement is contagious like an invasive plant species. "Okay, yeah, sometimes. It's just sometimes science"—I use my thighs to lift up my textbook— "is easier."

     "Point taken." He tilts his head as if to make an invisible tally mark in the air. "But you still didn't answer my question."

     I mockingly roll my eyes. "My sister I guess."

     "You guess?"

     "Yeah." I laugh. "I seriously want to know what it's like to be the younger sibling for a change, but I think she'd hate me for it." His eyebrows crinkle, and I lift my textbook up again. "She'd never be able to handle all of this. Even if it's just for a day."

     "Makes sense." He laughs. "Hell, it even looks like gibberish to me." He leans over, passing a glance at all the black pen ink covering my notebook.

     I shoo him away. "What about you?"

     "Me?" He sprawls as hand across his chest. "Well, I'd have to think about that." The pretend cigar comes back as he purses his lips, but he throws in a pointer finger and thumb check mark below his chin, making me gently reach out and whack him.

     "You're such a weirdo."

     He sobers up. "No, that's Zack."

     I laugh. "I don't know."