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His head drops back “You’re lying”

I’h as my affirmation and shake my head

I swear he ss a sh when I quickly search for proof he’s huone

He pauses a moment, then asks, “What do you know about me?”

“You play football, have for years”

He nods “You dance, hip-hop mostly”

Coe

I nod, willing o where I expected him to start

It doesn’t work and the words escape “You have a thing for sex in water”

He doesn’t even blink “You’ve never had sex”

My head tugs back at his sudden and so surely stated claim

I eye him as he does me, and a slon takes over

I’ and it won’t work

He can mock or make fun of me all he wants

I shake onna confirm or deny what you’ve heard, so don’t bother with this little tactic”

His pointed expression deepens, and the longer he’s silent, the et

Very slowly, his eyes narrow “Confirm what, exactly?” He leans closer “And heard what from who?”

I scoff, looking away

I get it, I openedup his sex life, that’s in, and I’ive hi me say it out loud

Nico’s gaze is laser focused for a long lances off

He doesn’t say another word the rest of class, nor does he the remainder of the week

When week two rolls around and it’s more of the same wasted time, I’m over it and attempt to strike casual conversation, but Nico quickly affirms his attitude

He falls asleep propped against the tennis court gates, and since I have noain in s

Nico is suddenly wide awake and gone as soon as he’s excused, but I hang back, cautiously approaching our teacher once the one

“Ms Davenport, how can I help you?” The weariness in his tone isn’t ht with the intense sets of pairings he set up

I take another step toward hiet their phones can’t overhear “I know you asked me not to complain, but I’ve tried to talk to Nico and he’s about as interesting as a cardboard box He doesn’t want to converse, which is fine on a norrade because I don’t knohat to do at this point”