"Hey, do you have partner for this assignment yet?"

Things were progressing gooooood. Slow, but gooood. He had worked on the courage to greet her at the beginning of their class, introducing himself. They even exchanged small talks. Later on she laughed at his jokes. Sometime they passed small trinkets around as needed--borrowing and returning pencils, highlighters...

...and now she ambushed him with this.

"Notyetnoumhowboutyou."

Her eyebrows furrowed. He wanted to slap himself.

"Come again? Didn't quite hear you the first time."

"Um, no. I haven't. You got one?"

That's it. Good, brain. Stop, heart.

She smiled. SHE SMILED.

"Good. Wanna group up with me? I'm not the best but I can do pretty well."

"Sure."

She checked her scheduler app. He kinda expected it to be neat and pristine but the pages were more aptly described as well-used, with circles and underlines and thousands of notes lining the margin. She flipped back and forth, clicking her tongue.

"It's... due next week, right... so... I've got Friday empty, you think it's okay?"

"After two okay with you?" Yes. Calm, suave. He wouldn't scare her off behaving like a madman.

"Sure. Your place? I live in the dorm and the hall's got this nasty habit of partying on Fridays. If it's no good, well...there's always the cafe."

Alright, it was more than he bargained for but he would leap at the chance.

"I happen to live at the mainstreet." Keep going. "Alone."

WHAT THE HELL NO WHY DID HE HAVE TO SAY THAT BACKPEDAL ABANDON SHIP FAST.

"I mean---ok, uh, I hope you aren't getting the wrong idea, I mean we could dothisundisturbedertheassignmentImeannothingelseIswear--"

He was reduced into mindless sputtering hoping she wouldn't report him right away to the Student Welfare and the silence that followed next was among of the most frightening ten seconds in his life.

Then she laughed.

"It's okay, I get it. Man, are you always this serious?"

"I... just. That wasn't the best phrasing."

"That I agree. Oh, look at the time. I should go to my next class. See you this Friday! Oh, and here's my number, text me your exact address." She laughed again as she waved him goodbye.

It was clear as a bell and so dreamy and he was so freaking doomed.

He clutched the note she left in his hand and his chest burst with such joy that he felt like he could hug Professor Smith for this assignment.