Bad Romance

Chapter 6

Within the following weeks, midterms started. Daniel had been trying his hardest to help Steve, and mostly it works. He's caught up with mathematics and trigonometry, as well as chemistry and mostly Literature. To say Moby Dick and Pride and Prejudice was an easy study would be a lie. But Rogers had it for the most part. It was in the other classes he was struggling, those dealing with foreign language. In particular, French. 

"I just... I don't get it." he says. "The words are kind of easy to remember. But as for the whole grammar and remembering how to pronounce things and put it all together... it just doesn't make any sense. Maybe... maybe I should just ask Madame Carter for her input. Ask for her help."

 At this Daniel instantly tenses. This is Rogers excuses for being alone with Peggy. This is his excuse for being with her all the time.

"She won't be much help, Steve. Carter's leaving town soon." Daniel lies. 

"Wait, what? How do you know  that?" 

"I already asked for her help last week on this damn thing," Another lie. "She said she'll try to do more explaining and break it down as much as she can, but it's not guaranteed it'll be that easy by exam week. Apparently she's going back to England with some family business or something."

"And she just... told you all of this?" Steve's face could only be described as intrigued, and uneasy. To think he traveled all  this way only for her to leave again. This thought only infuriated him more. 

"Yeah she said she'l help with what she can but it won't be for too long because she's leaving for a while. Said it was something with her family and that we'd be getting a substitute to replace for the time being."

Steve then sits silently, his gaze wondering back to the paper in his hand. Just then Jack walks up to them and nudges Daniel.

"What's that?" He points the study guides and his roommate shakes his head. 

"We're studying for the exams. You know, something you should be doing." Thompson laughs at this and sits down. 

"Yeah not a chance. Only person who can get me to study is Angie. And she has a particular way of helping in that category." He winks as he says this and Daniel sighs with an eye roll. "I can guarantee you we did a lot of studying last night." Steve looks up and smirks, holding back a laugh. 

"The exams are literature, language, math, and science. Not human anatomy." Daniel retorts, making both young men in his group laugh.

"Says the virgin." Jack retorts back, making Daniel snicker. 

"Yeah you of all people would think that wouldn't you." At this they stare at him, unsure what they heard. He looks away from both of them and flips through his book, avoiding them. But they won't let him. 

"Daniel." Steve says. "You got a girl?"

After a few moments of silence Steve asks again, but Daniel never replies so Jack chimes in again. "Danny? You have someone on the side we don't know about?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Who's asking?" He smirks while picking up his notebook, but Jack takes it from him and closes it. 

"Obviously we are." Thompson says unamused. "Seriously though, who is she? I haven't seen anyone around the dorm lately, or well ever."

Both Jack and Steve are entirely interested in this topic, much to Daniel's dismay. They lean in slightly, captivated and intrigued to know. If he didn't know any better he's compare the two in front of him as  year old girls gossiping on the playground. 

"Look, she doesn't go to school here, okay? She lives in town." Half lie, and he knows this. When Jack and Steve share a look, Daniel sighs again. "Do you really think I spend all my time in town just visiting my sister and nephew? I mean I love them but... they aren't the only people I know."