Saving Laurel

38. Cora

Wes Thompson

Laurel wants me to meet her parents.

I swear I'm not freaking out.

A tic runs through my right side and I launch the pen in my hand.

Okay, so maybe I'm freaking out a little.

"Did you need this?" Cora asks, stooping down to reach my pen that landed near her desk.

Heat rushes to my face and I smile. "Yeah thanks."

Then I whistle and my head jerks to the side twice. It seems I swapped this particular tic for a noise. I haven't "whooped" in a while but I'm not sure if the trade off is any better.

We're all supposed to be working on the homework that was assigned, it's actually a pretty decent system, I'll give the old geezer that. Mr. Wilkins is at least 65, definitely retirement age, with no sense of humor and little patience for my tics. But that's not the point, the point is he explains the math lesson for the first half of class and then we get to do the homework for the second. For most everyone, this is great and honestly it helps me too except math makes my head explode and focusing in this class is practically impossible from way back here. But it's whatever.

I miss Cora leaving her desk because a tic happens, followed by me shouting "fuck off" into the air and I don't become aware of her until she slides into the empty seat beside me, her dark skin rich against the light blue shirt she's wearing.

"So how are you Wes?" She asks, setting her books down in front of her.

No one usually sits by me. I'm disruptive and none of my friends are in this class so naturally I'm tucked in the back alone. Which also sort of sucks because it's hard to concentrate in the back of the class. Lots of things for my ADHD to distract me with.

You know, besides myself.

And it's that particular thought that makes me realize I never answered Cora. If I'm being honest, I'm not entirely sure what she asked me anymore but I'm usually pretty decent at guessing. It could only be a couple things, right?

"Okay." I offer her a smile because I'm not really sure what's going on but I don't want to seem like a jerk.

Though I don't really know why I'm so worried. Cora's never been anything but nice and patient with me.

"Do you mind if I sit with you today?" She places my pen down on the table and instantly I'm embarrassed I didn't take it from her sooner.

I mutter out an apology she doesn't acknowledge.

I also don't answer that question, it wasn't really a question though more of a formality than anything, I think. Why would I mind if she sat beside me?

"How's Peter?" I ask her, carefully picking up my pen incase another tic comes.

Cora has a really pretty smile, her lips full and teeth perfectly white. Honestly she should be on a toothpaste commercial or something. But I've never not seen a genuine smile from her. And they're the kind of smiles that make you want to smile too. They sort of warm you from the inside out and make all your troubles quiet for a moment.

But this smile lacks some of that infectious happiness that is Cora and without her having to say anything, I feel like a jerk for mentioning Peter.

"We actually broke up." She tells me.

My usual tics come before I can say "I'm really sorry."

And I mean it. Peter is a great guy and Cora's awesome. They were like the golden couple or whatever you want to coin them as. But besides all that they both seemed really happy when they were with each other.

Her shoulder shrugs, her black hair slipping from on top it and it falls down her arm in one smooth wave. It almost steals my focus. Almost.

"It just got too hard with him away at MIT." She says. "We never got to see each other."

My head bobs in agreement even though I've never had a long distance relationship or any relationship unless you count the hook up I had with Cora's friend Bethany the summer of junior year. Probably wasn't one of my finer moments but it wasn't like girls were breaking down my door to get to me. Bethany however was at least mildly interested, asking me to hang out with them a few times prior. It was a lot of work though, trying to pretend like my tics weren't eating me alive and after we hooked up I was exhausted and I let myself relax and well, Bethany wasn't as cool with the tic fit that followed.

It was okay though. Bethany's alright but the only thing we have in common is currently sitting beside me.

"Still sucks." I tell Cora and she lets out this light chuckle, her real smile returning to her face.

She leans into me a little, nudging my shoulder with hers as she says "it does".

I can't help but smile too, cycling through my normal tics as I do.

"So can I ask you something Wes?" Her voice is low, brown eyes meeting mine. "Do you like Laurel?"

I was going to deny it, the words on the tip of my tongue but I can feel my face flush and my lungs deflate and my throat tighten and I know without a doubt if I were to try and deny it, the words would come out all high pitched and strained. And I'm not about to embarrass myself anymore than I already do.

So I laugh a little and drop my gaze to the desk to try and hide just how red I actually am right now.

"Yeah." I confirm it.

"You guys would be cute together." Her statement has my eyes lifting back to hers.

Maybe it's curiosity, mostly, probably, the need to see her face as she says it. Brett's words have gone through my thoughts more than once but as I sit there and take in Cora's features she looks the same as always. Genuine and sincere and I'm basically certain Brett has no idea what he's talking about.

Cora's just really nice.

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I love Wes 💙.

Also, I've said this before but if you haven't gone or aren't actively reading o__marcella__o you should definitely go read her new book Royals. Two chapters in and it's amazing. Shit one chapter in and it was amazing.

Also also, it's inspection day!!! Cross yo fingers that the house checks out! I'm so excited!