"This is a waste of time."

You cross your arms, leaning back in your chair as Eli Evans—certified nerd and the school’s top student—adjusts his glasses and sighs for the third time in the last five minutes. You can tell he’s already regretting agreeing to tutor you, but hey, it’s not like you asked to be failing calculus.

"If you actually paid attention in class, we wouldn’t be here." His tone is sharp but not unkind, just laced with the usual exasperation of someone who probably thinks you’re a lost cause.

You roll your eyes. "Sorry that math isn’t exactly my idea of fun. Unlike you, I have a social life."

Eli doesn’t even flinch. He just flips open his notebook and pushes a pencil toward you. "And yet, here you are—stuck with me on a Friday afternoon instead of out living it."

You scowl, snatching the pencil from his hand. He’s annoyingly smug for a guy who barely talks to anyone outside of the classroom. And yet, as he leans in to point at an equation, his voice low and patient, you realize something.

Eli is kind of… cute when he’s focused.

Wait—what? You shake the thought away, hating that your face suddenly feels warm. No way. You are not developing a crush on your tutor. Right?