(The only study date pictures I could find were from Good Luck Charlie 😂)

"Alright, mental check list. Skirt? Short. Hair? Effortlessly messy. Makeup? Caked on. Lips? Plumped. Socks? Slutty. Cleavage? Out. Smile? Dumb and in love. Eyes? Hiding their power and smizing lovingly. Giggle? Girly and innocent. Snort? Ready to display interest. Boyfriend? No where in sight. I think I'm ready." Rachael thinks out loud as she checks herself out in the school bathroom mirror. She walked out and peered around the hallway sneakily head towards her seventh period class in library.

Scanning the large area she spotted her target sitting at one of the library tables alone skimming through a book he didn't really seem interested in. She sat down in the seat directly beside him. The boy looked up at her and almost choked seeing her sitting there. "Koff! Koff! R-Rachael what-what're-What are you doing?"

"Sitting down?" Rachael giggles looking at him as he avoids eye contact.

"Well yeah...I-I know I just...you don't-you never sit near me during study hall." He says awkwardly, pulling his shirt collar away from his neck acting as if it was a snake curling up around him and closing off his airways. "Do you-do you need something or-?"

"No." Rachael smiles sweetly as he looks up at her only to look away to hide the color that rose to his cheeks. "Can't a girl just sit beside you without wanting something in return?"

"No! No of course they can! I wasn't you know insinuating they can't I would never do that! That's awful. I just-you never talk to me unless you have to. I was just-I am just a little confused." Peter rambles, nervously.

"Confused about what? Why a girl would bother to pay attention to you? Or why an eight would talk to a ten like you?" Rachael asks, innocently, as she gently placed a hand on his collar and flipped it back down into place. She felt his breath hitch under her touch and watched the color drain from his face, collecting in his cheeks. He didn't respond and she took his silence as his answer. "What are you reading?"

Peter took a deep breath thankful for the out she gave him. "The Accidentally Universe. It's about comparing worldly conflicts to science and seeing how they compare."

"Don't you like it? You don't really seem all that interested in it." Rachael asks watching his reactions carefully.

"No I actually really like this book I've just read it before and it's one of those books you want to talk about with someone, but no one's ever read it so you can't." Peter explains seeming very passionate about it.

"Yeah, I can't say I read that one as a kid and I read everything. From fantasy to genetic engineering." Rachael says standing up. "Come with me."

Peter cocked an eyebrow at her. "Where are we going?"

"Just come one." Rachael laughs, walking back towards the book stacks. He followed her apprehensively. She pulled a book off one of the nonfiction shelf's and put his book back, before sitting down in one of the little nooks in the back of the library, sitting down on a bean bag like cushion. Peter watched her confused and she patted the spot next to her for him to join her. "I got a book we'll both like and if we're both reading it then you'll have someone to talk about it with."

Pete sat down beside her nervously and she opened the book to the first page, holding one side of the book while he held the other to keep it in an even spot between them.

"Read to me, tiger." Rachael says leaning into him a bit.

"Out loud?" Peter asks confused, blushing profoundly at the nickname.

"Yeah. I'm dyslexic if we read it individually we'll be here all day because of me." Rachael says.

"Oh...I didn't know that. You're so much smarter than everyone-" Peter starts.

"No one would have guessed. I know." Rachael says finishing his sentence, having heard it so many times before.

"Sorry...I'll start then I guess." Peter says nervously. He started off a bit rocky, but slowly got more relaxed as he continued, reading carefully, quietly, and with diction.

She didn't mean to, but about halfway through the period she fell asleep with her read resting perfectly on his shoulder. Something he didn't anticipate was that it didn't make him nervous or stiff with her pressed up against the side of him. It made he feel warm and comfortable. A wide smile and a strange bubbly feeling in his stomach grew every time he looked at the sleeping girl. He had stopped reading at this point and was just watching her. And unlike other guys he wasn't focused on the things he could see more clearly in this position like down her shirt or under her skirt if he wanted to. He was focused on the way her nose scrunched up from time to time to correlate with the thoughts racing through her head, the scent of flowers that seemed to radiate off of her, the way her brown hair cascades over her shoulder with a stray strand that had fallen in her face and the way her chest moved slowly with ever breath she took. He shouldn't be okay with this or enjoying it. He probably should have stopped it before it started. She has a boyfriend after all, but he couldn't lie to himself. He never wanted this to stop.

It didn't take long for the bell to ring and pull him out of his thoughts. He removed his gaze from the girl to close the book he's not sure either of them had actually read and then looked back at her. He really didn't want this to end and he didn't want to wake her up. She looked so peaceful, but he knew he couldn't have it that way and gently nudged her.

"Rachael? Psst. Rachael? Wake up. Rachael?" He nudge her again.

"Mmh?" She grumbled tiredly, her eyes fluttering open for a moment before opening fully.

"Come on. The bell rang we gotta get to class." Peter says softly, blushing a bit as he realized just how close they were.

She looked up at him not moving from her position. "Stay with me? Please..."

"I-I have to get to Calc. I can't..." Peter says growing nervous again.

"You don't have to do anything." Rachael says setting a hand on his chest making his breathing hitch for so long she was scared he forgot how to breath all together.

It took a minute for him to get his bearings back before speaking again. "No, I really do have to get to class if I'm late again I'll get a detention."

He snaked his way out from under her awkwardly, standing up. She sat up and fixed her hair, taking his hand when he offered it to her. "Thanks, tiger."

"I-I uh...You're-You're welcome." Peter stutters anxiously as he quickly heads back to the table where he felt his stuff, and almost sprinting out of the library.

Rachael smiles, shaking her head. "What am I ever going to do with him?"