[COMPLETE]
Emerson Castell loves facts.
Enjoying the how and why of everything, she never fails to let her obsession seep into every aspect of her life, including her relationships - or lack thereof.
Leo Caruso is no stranger to a busy social life...
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Kalani kept trying to mention something to me in English class the next day, but it went in one ear and out the other, just like Mrs. Evans' droning lecture on nineteenth century poetry. No matter how hard I tried to focus in school today, I couldn't stop thinking about the fact I'd finally had my first kiss, and it'd gone nothing like how I thought it would.
Actually, I'd never put much thought into my first kiss, figuring it'd happen in college at a party or maybe on a first date at a beach somewhere. Instead, I'd been alone in Leo's home, fresh off all the conflicted emotions from his fight with Franco, whose blood had stained those hands cupping my face like glass he'd been afraid to break.
I still felt the shadow of his lips on mine every time I pressed them together, and worse yet, I wanted them there again. Kissing him had unlocked a hunger inside of me that I hadn't known existed, one that would consume me if I weren't careful enough.
"Alright, class," Mrs. Evans began, picking up a stack of papers that could only be our tests from last week. "I have graded your tests, and I must admit, I'm not pleased. The class average was a meager 68."
Her eyes scanned the expanse of the room. They settled on the chunk Kalani and I sat in, and I nearly melted. Was she looking at me or Kalani?
"When I call your name, come and get your test, and then you may leave."
Name after name was called, and every time she began one that started with an E, I was ready to hop out of my seat. Except I had to wait. Even after Kalani picked up hers and stared at it like a science experiment that had yielded some unexpected results, I was still stuck in my seat.
At last, Mrs. Evans called me over.
"Here you go, Emerson." She jutted her hand out with the test face-down, even though there was no one else in the room. I flipped it over and for a moment, saw a big, fat 68.
"It's upside down," she pointed out, clearing her throat. I snapped out of it and flipped it over, finding a big, fat 89.
In my thirteen years of schooling, I had never received an 89 on anything.
"But what did I do wrong?" I blurted out before even looking at the corrections on the test. I then flipped it over and my eyes traveled to the entire section I had left blank.
"You didn't get anything wrong. But I just wanted to tell you to be careful not to skim over sections next time. I know you could've gotten those eleven points easily."
I nodded through a wince and darted out of class. Kalani lingered in the hallway, with a group of other guys and girls equally appalled at whatever was scribbled in red ink on their tests.
"Emerson! What'd you get?" Kalani rushed over to me and pulled me to the side. Before I even answered, she added, "Would you believe I got a 52? My mom is literally going to kill me. A 52 isn't even in her language. Oh God, I'm gonna die." She stopped talking and glanced at the downturned paper in my hands. "Wait, let me guess, you're all sad-faced because you got a 98 or something?"
