Before the first period, she found his face smashed on the desk, his eyes tired and using eye drops to take a nap.

"Is it weird I feel my skin is burning," holding it upright when his mental space imagined it was melting off and Camila had to blow it back up to his face. The real one sensed the heat, having to wake him up from his nap.

"Oh, you're here. Did your family emergency get figured out?"

Guilt squinted her eyelids. "It's getting there. Thanks a lot for the grade boosts."

As she was about to head to the locker room, she got lost in the traffic, dealing with juniors having a conversation, blocking her path, but not being loud enough that she could hear classmates bring up her name.

"I heard Ms. Thorn says Camila's grades have been going up in math."

"Really? All she does is draw in class and talk to Silas."

Hey! Well, they're not entirely wrong.

"Still, there's no way, even Hillary's struggling to get that work done."

"Maybe she was super smart in the school she came from?"

"Maybe she was only smart because she was making guys at her own school come well and she ran out of sausage," snickering.

Camila sucked her teeth. I barely dated anyone while I was there!

More comments lead her to slam her way through the girl's bathroom on the fifth floor, changing quickly and heading up to the gym, where she found him dressed and about to fall asleep.

She caught his head before it fell on the bleachers.

"What time did you fall asleep?"

"Huh," yawning, "two. Mom asked if someone was offering me sex to do their work for them."

She always choked on her water. "Why wasn't money the first thought on her mind?"

"Hey, that's what I said. Hey, I get more practice out of it, and we could study later if you want."

She's just acting nice to wrap him around her finger, what a slut.

You're just jealous she did it before you could.

It's not her fault he's a simp.

She's probably a pick me that shit talks us behind her back.

At this year, I'm worried you won't graduate if you don't change things up.

"Pelirroja, staring out and contemplating about life is my job," he teased. "You okay?"

"Sure." Right, he doesn't think like that. Still, recalling Ms. Dreaden's words, aren't I just using him too?

She got a text while he started falling back asleep.

Hey, let's go out again tonight. I want to patch more wounds with you.

Camila's heart waned, but typed her decision.

I need to focus for now, pressing send. She sighed. "I have to evolve too."

—

He burst up awake.

"Whoa, did you get dehydrated again?"

He shook his head. "I had a," blushing, "dream about you."

"One that made you change the sheets?"

"You used some funny ornaments to save me from a murderous Santa."

"Did we win?"

"Well duh, it'd be a nightmare if we didn't!"

"It'd suck dying in your own dream."

"No, I mean watching you die," clutching his forehand, "and never being able to tell you."

"You'd care that much if I die?"

His face widened. "I'd be devastated if your rose wilted too early."

Was that supposed to be honest or a pun? Either way, blowing off that stress, "that means a lot. Aha!" She started sketching out an idea she had, while he picked her up.

"Come on," pulling out an umbrella. "You gotta get credit, so let's walk, talk, and draw."

"Why did you bring an umbrella to gym class?"

"Heads!"

He opened it, shielding them from a basketball.

"I can only take so many balls before I get drained," watching her trying hard not to laugh. "I'm gonna lie and say I said that on purpose just to make you feel better," as they started walking on the outer lines on the gym floor away from the other groups. "What's up?"

"When I asked you to help me out, something did come up, but it wasn't a family thing. My ex, he wanted to talk to me."

"Oh," sharpening his attention. "So you two caught up but lost track of time this week," pinching the envy out of his system. "Do you feel like it's working out?"

"Right now, we feel like we're still close. But," turning to him as he shifted the umbrella to stop an incoming ball, "I don't want to use you to figure that out."

"It's okay. I was going to ask you if we could have a study dat-study later during lunch. Senora would let us stay up."

"I was gonna ask you first. But less bad jokes, I wanna get better at it."

"But you laugh!"

"Because it's funny how weird they are," laughing at his annoyed approval.

"And one more thing. For our English project, um, wait, you think horror movies are cute?"

"Well duh," changing up his facial tone and vocal an upbeat, lovesick tone. "Nothing's sweeter than people falling in love while trying to stop mass murderers, right?"

She was about to disagree, but with doubt came thoughts. "What makes it work?"

"I guess it would be the final girl and guys. The girls are usually troubled, have issues at home, bullied, but learn to step up and try to deal with the killer."

"They aren't perfect but never give up."

"And the guys use their pain to help her and the others try to survive. Going from strangers to friends, and more, and they win in the end? Makes it worth it."

Intrigued, she made her rough outline of his dream with the exact notes. It feared a female teenager making a killer trip with the axe they were about to use on a younger male.

"Looks awesome! Okay, I'll get started on the script."

"No!"

Her immediate response stopped his movements.

"You're always doing something for me. I wanna do most of the work this time!"

"Huh? I'm not mad at you."

"No, I want to earn this A!" Determination spilled out her mouth. "I'll work on it, you can edit and add anything, but I wanna make it up to you."

Silas nodded. "Well every creator needs a good editor. Let's do this!"

After he took a well earned nap of course.