Ryan had a head full of dark hair and he was barely taller than I. Because his t-shirt was a bit tight, I noticed his athletic build. His baseball cap was pulled low over his eyes, so I could see only his perfect, white smile, and a deep dimple on his left cheek. The other girls in the group seemed to appreciate his presence.

“Look at you, being all responsible!” Kim said.

“Josh was going to come, but he ended up going on a date,” Ryan explained, pulling up his cap to display his bright green eyes.

“Hmmm,” Kim hummed, angling her neck so I would get the full effect of her accusing expression.

Beth did the same.

Ryan was suddenly uncomfortable, his eyes darting back and forth between the three of us. “What did I say?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I grumbled, shouldering past Beth.

I sat in the chasm between Ryan and Lisa. While everyone discussed their notes and how confused they were, Ryan turned to me.

“Are you taking chemistry? Do you get any of this?” he complained.

“What are you having problems with?” I asked.

He smiled. “You’re not having any problems, are you?”

Feeling caught, I smiled and then erased a line toward the top of his paper. I explained his mistake and started writing it down in my own girlie script. “Do you see how I got there?”

Ryan nodded, still unsure. “I see how you got there, getting there on my own is the persistent problem.”

As the night wore one, I erased quite a bit on Ryan’s paper. We had hundreds of tiny shreds of decimated eraser all over us. His patience and humor made the night go much faster, although I worked on his chemistry and didn’t study the notes I had brought.

“I appreciate you helping me,” Ryan said, folding his paper into his book.

“I’m not sure how much I helped, but you’re welcome. We have study group here twice a week, come anytime.”

Ryan’s face lit up. “I will. Thanks. Uh…some of us guys are going out for drinks this weekend. It’d be cool if you’d come.”

“There are only a handful of places I can get in to.”

Ryan winked at me. “That won’t be a problem.”

It sounded harmless enough. “That sounds fun. I’ll see what the girls are doing.”

Kim looked at her watch and yawned. “Stick a fork in me. I’m done.”

“Nigh, are you ready?” Beth asked.

“Nigh?” Ryan asked with a raised eyebrow.

I grimaced. “It’s a nickname they came up with to torture me. Don’t call me that.”

“Noted,” he said.

Kim and I stood, waiting for Beth to gather her miniature office supply store.

“This is why I don’t bring anything,” Kim said, gesturing to Beth.

“You borrowed my pen!” Beth objected.

“Oh. Right,” Kim said, tossing the pen into Beth’s bag. “All packed.”