Faking It

Chapter 12: Just Say Yes

Text from: Jake Morris-Whittaker, 6:16am

Ellie's Daily Reminder 12/180: Sometimes, you just have to go for it
(No, I don't mean second dessert)

What about third dessert?

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

🥺🥺🥺

Fine 🧁🧁🧁

😍😁😍
Love you Jake

~*~

William's petition to change our tutoring schedule worked, and on Tuesday, I was spared the oppressive silence of study hall. When I arrived at our usual room, William was already dressed for tennis practice.

"Hey," he said with a smile, closing his laptop. "I hope you don't mind, but I'll have to skip out a bit early. Forgot we're doing a round robin with the JV team today."

"No sweat." I thunked down in my seat and kicked my sports bag under the table. "It'll give me a chance to change for practice without having to pull a Superman in the phonebooth move."

"A superhero reference?" William lifted an eyebrow. "You didn't strike me as the type."

"Are you kidding?" I gushed, dumping my books out. "I've seen every Avengers movie enough times I could recite them from memory."

William's other eyebrow hopped. "Oh?"

"Uh, yeah! Winter Soldier is hands down my favorite."

"Winter...soldier."

"Captain America? The second one, with Bucky and...you've never seen it."

William grinned ruefully. "Nope. Not a single one."

I sank back into my chair. "Seriously?"

"I'm more of a Parasite, Shape of Water kind of guy."

I made a face before I could stop myself. I'd thought only snooty artist types watched movies like that. Besides, I watched movies to be entertained, not to think too hard. Or to be put through the emotional wringer. Maybe if we ended up dating I could help him see the light.

William had the good grace to laugh at my expression, then tapped the textbook. "Let's get to work."

Thankfully, his notes on my chapter summary weren't as brutal as last time. But it was still abundantly clear that I was way too far behind my classmates. He was patient with me though, and every time he praised me for remembering something right, or naming the right general at the right fort in the right year, something inside my chest glowed a little brighter. He explained a particularly fraught standoff between the Union and Confederate army in a way that had me hanging on his every word before his phone alarm went off.

"Ah, too bad. Well, that's all for today," he said, hastily closing up his books.

"Okay but like if all history was as interesting as you just made that"—I whistled—"I wouldn't be so far behind, that's for sure."

William smiled and ducked his head. "It's nothing. I like it, so it's easy to make it interesting. I could geek out about this stuff all day."

And I freaking loved it.

As I shoved my books into my bag and stood, it must've been that silly, lovesick thought that made me say, "Okay so how about this, then. You make history entertaining, and I'll help you improve your taste in movies."

"What's wrong with my taste in movies?" William asked, jokingly affronted as he held the door for me.

"Well for starters, you haven't seen a single Avengers movie."