a's

t biology. Mrs. Hastings was about to assign partners for our semester project, a

nced. "When I call your names, please move to sit wi

skipped

ows how to pla

as to stay away fro

Kaelen e

elected each pair for their academic performance, and you'l

Hastings," K

elen had ever spoken or agreed to a teacher's decision. He was alway

he seat n

, feel the weight of him settling into the chair besid

s said, handing out the pamphlets. "You should read the notes on ce

rozen in my seat, l

e partners," Kae

ot looking at him

between us, thic

ty: "So where do you think it's best to have

ected from him. He knows his father is w

t know," I murm

town's library?

ould the Blackwood heir suggest a public

there," I rep

chool. I stood to leave-and hi

roz

his voice still arrogant

walked away befor

mered agains

a trap? Or had we just cro

- 5:00 p.m. - T

five minut

oden shelves gleamed faintly under the warm yellow lights. Dust motes drifted in the afternoon su

the back, where I

und. He didn't hesitate. His eyes locked on me immed

ng strides and dropped his bag

th a greeting. "And we're going to need all the infor

wait for a

second, confused-then g

He's still cold and arrogant. But

d pulling books off the shelves without asking. Principles of Genetics. Molecular Cell Bi

nd pulled my own. Genetics: A Mod

he books were so heavy, and he

the table, both of us had a sma

across from

wkward. Tentative. Like two people who had accidentally walked i

ght bitterly, opening the first book. And her

heritance, describe how traits are passed down through generations, and identify the roles of

e, across from him? Th

Pages filled up.

combinations, debating whether to ask him or figure it out myself. D

inance in the phenotypic ratio for the secon

reat it like standard Mendelian inheritance. The heterozygous genotype results in a blended phen

e's smarter than I thought, I muttered to mys

I ended up at home, but I knew he would just brush it off as usual, putting up hi

r a second, just long enough to notice-before his ey

ke an hour, he clo

ptly, standing. "It's late.

d up, s

already slinging his bag over

the dust, and the strange feeling that something had

y chair across from

was t