After ten minutes of Cora and Nandini giving me pointed looks and giggling whenever Ace so much as glances my way, I drag him to the library to study instead. I thought that since it was first period, we could have a more leisure-based study session with my friends, but I underestimated how chaotic they can be.

Ace completely ruins the five seconds of peace I’ve acquired when he opens his mouth. “Wasn’t yesterday fun?”

Yes, I want to say. I wish we could have lived in that moment forever.

Instead I sigh, sliding The Great Gatsby across the table. “I guess, but we have to study, Ace.”

“Oh, so you’re back to being boring,” he says with a pout, but there’s a teasing light in his eye.

“Shut up,” I say, tapping the book pointedly. I can’t think about the fact that, every time I look at him, my heart skips a beat. “You have to pass the English Regents.”

“After all the hard work you’ve put in, I don’t see how I could fail,” he says but obligingly takes the book.

“I’ve tutored you for a week and a half,” I say, shaking my head. Saying the time frame puts a lot of our interactions into perspective. I’ve clearly been spending too much time with him. “You’re not ready to pass the Regents if you still can’t focus on a book for more than ten minutes.”

“I can focus on a book for more than ten minutes,” he says. He even has the audacity to look fake offended as he unwraps a lollipop.

“Yeah?” I raise my eyebrows at him. “Prove it.”

“I will,” Ace says, a determined set to his lips. He cracks open the book and flips to the first page while sucking on his lollipop. The first page. Oh my God.

I leave him to his own devices, taking out the study guide I prepared for this week’s sessions.

Ten minutes later, I look up, expecting him to be doodling on the table or staring at me. Instead, there’s a furrow to his brows and his eyes are focused on the page. His lips are moving faintly around the lollipop, as if he’s mouthing along to the words.

I’ve never seen this serious look on his face before. He flips to the next page without glancing up and continues reading.

I look away. If Ace is reading, if Ace is actually studying, this might be the best development yet. I don’t want to ruin it by distracting him.

Another ten minutes pass as I work on some of my own stuff. When I look up again, one of his legs is pressed against his chest, bent at the knee, book resting atop it. He’s reading with a thoughtful expression on his face, stormy eyes narrowed with focus.