𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 ━ shawn hunter¹

5│KILLER BEES

The dark-haired boy sat next to her and was supposed to be looking at the same papers but his mind was clearly elsewhere as his glassy gaze was focused on her face, not the table in front of him. She sighed. "Shawn, the third president?"

"Your freckles are really cute," he said with a little sigh. "Like stars."

She rolled her eyes. "Focus, you goof. The third president?"

"Your eyes are really pretty too."

The only other response she received from him was a gentle tug on one of her braids. The redhead frowned for a moment before she lit up with an idea. She stood and quickly moved to her fridge where there was some leftover cake stored from her mom's birthday. Pulling the cake she'd made out of the fridge, Juliet cut a slice and put it on a plate before she brought it over to the study table.

"Okay Shawnie. I know you like cake, so for each answer you get right I'll give you a bite. How does that sound?"

"I'd rather have a kiss."

She tried to ignore the pink that colored her face. "Cake or no deal."

He made a visible effort to bring his gaze to focus on her. "Fine, I'll try. What's the question?" Juliet repeated herself only to earn a disheartened look from the boy. "I dunno. They're all dead, aren't they?"

"Just because they're dead doesn't mean they're not important. They helped shape our country! George Washington was one of the Founding Fathers. He fought in the Revolutionary War and helped free America from Britain. If he hadn't, we'd still be a colony and probably would have a very different system of government than we do today."

The redhead sighed again as she saw Shawn's dreamy look. "I love it when you talk smart," he said.

"Shawn."

"I'm sorry, Julie. I can't remember any of this stuff."

"Yes you can, Shawnie. You're selling yourself short. Let's see, who's the first president?"

"George Clooney," he answered promptly.

"George Washington. You know the capital of the US, right? Washington D.C.? Maybe you can remember it like that. Try again. Who's the first president?"

"George Washington," he answered dutifully, causing her to smile brightly at him.

"See? I told you you could do it!" The redhead cut off a piece of cake and handed it to him.

Shawn took it but didn't eat it. "I only know 'cause you just told me. Ask me in five minutes and I'll say George Burns."

"At least you've got his first name right," she encouraged him. "Just remember the capital of the US. What about the second president?" He gave her a blank stare as he continued to hold the fork with the cake on it. "John Adams. He was a baseball player, wasn't he?" she prompted him. "In the Philadelphia Phillies. You can remember it like that."

"Cory could remember it like that if you told him. I just can't do school. You can even remember stuff you don't care about, what am I supposed to do? You're just too smart for me."

Juliet shook her head. "If I was too smart for you I'd hang out with Minkus but I'm here, with you, and there's no place else I'd rather be. We're gonna solve this together, Shawnie. I won't let you fail," there was so much determination in her voice that it even surprised him. "We'll figure out a way for you to remember stuff."

His expression softened and the hand holding the cake lowered. "I think I just fell in love with you again."

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[Present day]