Maya did not look back for the remainder of the lecture.
Not because she did not want to, but more because she did not feel the need to.
Despite her best efforts, she could not ignore the dull, distracting presence that had been lingering behind her since the beginning of the lesson.
Every few minutes she would hear a burst of laughter coming from behind her, followed by one of Carter’s teammates mumbling something that caused the remainder of the group to erupt into laughter.
Professor Hale continued writing on the whiteboard as if he hadn’t heard the commotion, and Maya slowly tightened her grip on her pen.
Physics was always so simple.
Everything had a pattern to it.
Every formula could be explained, and every mistake made was easily understood.
People didn’t have that same quality.
And if anything, Carter Vance was the most frustrating example of that since arriving at Briarwood University.
Maya shook her head and forced herself to pay attention to the lecture as she copied the equations up on the board onto her own notebook.
Her handwriting was always perfect, every number lined up precisely as it was on the ledge below the board.
If she concentrated hard enough, perhaps the lecture would be over before Carter decided to ruin another moment of her day.
Minutes later, Professor Hale lowered the marker from the whiteboard and set it aside on the ledge before turning to face the class.
“That will be all for today. I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday”
As soon as he finished speaking, the room began to empty.
Chatter erupted throughout the lecture hall as students grabbed their things and filed out the door.
A handful of them rushed to exit while others lingered nearby to ask their professor about the homework.
Maya didn’t do either.
She simply set her notebook down on her lap before shutting it and placing it along with the rest of her items in her bag.
Olivia gets up.
“My head is killing me. I will see you back at the apartment.”
“Oh, okay. I’m right behind you,” said Maya as she smoothed out the creased pages and replaced the misplaced pens.
After finally zipping her bag shut, she stood up.
Maya intended to leave quietly, but apparently fate had other plans.
“Hey, Genius”
Maya stopped dead in her tracks and closed her eyes briefly before turning on her heel to face the source of the voice.
Her eyes landed on Carter, who was leaning nonchalantly against a desk beside the door with one hand resting lightly on his bag.
The corners of his mouth twitched up into a grin that she was sure had gotten him into plenty of trouble across campus.
It did absolutely nothing to sway her emotions.
“What?” she asked curtly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Carter shrugged his bag from his shoulder and relaxed his stance against the desk before responding, “Just wanted to know what I did to make you use that horrible word”
Behind him, two of his teammates exchanged glances and stifled snickers.
Maya looked at him like he had grown a second head.
“You overheard one sentence and decided interrupting my morning was a good use of your time”
Carter chuckled and shook his head.
“It sounded like something worth investigating”
Maya didn’t smile.
“You could have asked”
“I did ask,” Carter replied, his smirk growing.
“I just wasn’t given an answer”
Maya studied him for a long pause.
Neither of them spoke.
The lecture hall slowly emptied around them, with the sound of walking feet growing quieter with each passing second.
“You’re failing physics,” was all she said finally.
The smile slid from Carter’s face instantly.
“… Who told you that?”
“No one,” she answered simply.
“Then how do you know”
Maya gestured vaguely at the room behind her.
“You rarely take notes. You spend every class conversing with your team instead of paying attention to the professor, and half the time you don’t even look at the board.” She paused and met his eyes.
“It wasn’t hard to put together”
One of Carter’s friends let out a low whistle.
“Damn,” he said before realizing everyone had heard him and quickly looked down at his phone.
Carter didn’t acknowledge him at all.
“And you understand everything Professor Hale teaches?” He said instead, watching her with an amused expression
“Yes”
There was no doubt or hesitation in her answer.
She simply stated it as a fact.
Carter found himself smiling.
“Well then, I hope you can find it in yourself to help me out”
Maya nearly laughed.
“Carter, I wasn’t implying that I tutor people normally”
“I’m not asking if you normally tutor people,” He said, stepping closer to her, careful not to invade her space.
“I’m asking if you will tutor me”
“My answer is no,” She said, adjusting her bag on her shoulder before attempting to walk past him.
Carter simply moved out of her way again.
“I don’t think that’s something you can decide”
Maya narrowed her eyes at him, annoyance flashing across her expression for the first time since he’d seen her.
“Excuse me?”
Before he could respond, another voice interrupted.
“Miss Lin”
Both of them turned to see Professor Hale approaching at a slow pace.
He clasped his hands together behind his back as he stopped to look at Maya over his glasses.
“Would you walk with me for a moment?”
“Certainly, Professor,” Maya said and followed him out into the hallway, leaving Carter waiting.
Ethan wandered over to him a moment later and nudged his ribs.
“So…” He drawled.
Carter looked at him
“I don’t think she likes you,” was all Ethan said
A grin spread across his face.
“I noticed”
The hallway outside was much quieter than it had been in the lecture hall.
Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows overlooking the courtyard, casting small spots of light across the floor.
Students passed by occasionally, but no one really paid much attention to Maya and Professor Hale as they walked side by side in silence for nearly a minute.
“You are currently the highest-performing student in my class; in fact, you’re the top girl in this school, even smarter than Kayvia, who is in her final year,” the professor said finally.
“Yes, sir, I know,” Maya replied politely
“I’ve also reviewed your file”
She tensed slightly.
“You have excellent grades, you lead the cheer squad, and you volunteer your time at St. Mary’s Hospital. You’re applying for the pre-med recommendation this semester, so you don’t have to worry about next year”
“Yes” was all she said
Professor Hale smiled slightly.
“I thought so”
They stopped again near one of the large windows overlooking the science courtyard.
“I want you to tutor Mr. Vance”
“I will not,” she said quickly
Professor Hale didn’t seem surprised.
“You answered rather quickly”
“My schedule is full,” she said, crossing her arms.
“I have classes every day, plus cheer practice and volunteer work. Whatever little free time I have is spent studying”
“I understand,” He said
“I also don’t tutor students who refuse to help themselves”
“I already spoke with him,” Professor Hale said
“And?”
“He understands that this is his last chance”
Maya looked skeptical.
“You can’t be sure he will actually put in the effort”
No, I can’t be sure, he admitted.
However, I believe you will give him the best chance possible.
Remember, Ms. Lin, you need the pre-med recommendation.
Maya looked down at the floor.
She had been meticulously planning and organizing her life for years.
Every aspect of it carefully mapped out.
Every spare second accounted for.
Adding someone else into her routine would only disrupt the order she had worked so hard to achieve.
Professor Hale waited patiently for a moment before speaking again.
Finally, she sighed and rubbed her temple.
“…Fine”
He smiled.
“I expected no less.”
Several minutes later, Maya wandered back into the hallway outside the lecture hall.
As she expected, Carter had not left.
He lounged idly against the wall, scrolling through his phone with the ease of someone who had nothing better to do
He looked up as she approached and tucked his phone back into his pocket.
“So,” He drawled, “What did he say?”
Maya stopped in front of him.
“I don’t tutor people, but I will tutor you,” she said
For the first time that morning, Carter looked genuinely surprised.
“That was fast”
“It wasn’t because I suddenly like you,” Maya added
“I figured,” He said
“You’ll show up on time”
“I will”
“You’ll bring your textbook, your notebook, your calculator, and every other assignment you haven’t completed yet”
Carter scratched the back of his neck.
“The notebook might be a problem”
“It won’t,” she said evenly.
“You’ll also pay attention during every session”
“I can do that”
“You’ll complete every question I assign,” she said
Carter raised his eyebrows.
“And what if I don’t do that?”
Maya met his gaze without hesitation.
“Then you fail Physics,” She said simply.
“And the moment you stop taking this seriously, I’m done”
There was a long pause between them.
Carter was studying her carefully.
It was clear he wasn’t threatened by her words.
She certainly wasn’t intimidated by him.
She meant every word she said.
A slow smile played across his lips.
“Looks like I don’t have much of a choice”
Maya simply nodded.
“No,” She agreed.
“You really don’t, and you will pay me one thousand five hundred an hour, and that’s two hours a day, so 5 days; that will be fifteen thousand”
“You got yourself a deal”
She turned on her heel and walked away, her back facing him as she exited the door.
Carter watched her go, a small grin on his face as he muttered something to himself.
Somehow, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, he found himself looking forward to Physics much more than practice.