Page 78 of Exchange of Heart

I stopped outside the door to tie my laces while Corey took his seat, then gave our teacher, Brad, one of Corey’s nods when I entered. Seeing my body in my seat sent a shiver up my spine. I was a ghost hovering above, watching my life play out. I placed Corey’s expensive laptop onto my desk and sat in the seat I’d admired all year. The excitement fizzled within ten seconds when I realised this seat had uneven legs. I wobbled back and forth then turned to Corey.

‘This seat is wonky,’ I said.

He stared into my eyes and smiled. ‘I know.’

I wobbled the chair again. ‘This is going to drive me mad. Why haven’t you switched chairs before?’

He shrugged and tapped his pen against the desk. ‘Someone’s gotta have it.’

A few other students’ side-eyed us, waiting for a typical argument to break out. Corey glanced around, then back to me.

‘Should we give them a show?’ he asked.

‘It would be rude not to.’

He cleared his throat with a feminine cough. ‘I love your shirt. It makes your biceps bulge.’

My eyes widened as Corey fluttered the long lashes he’d been gifted with when he took my body.

‘What are you—?’

‘And that hair! Have you switched to a new shampoo?’ Corey spoke over me.

He stood and walked next to me, then raked his hand through my blond curls. I gulped when I realised he was putting on a different kind of show to our typical bickering.

‘Nora, you sweet little thing. How kind of you to notice.’ I smiled, choking back my laughter.

The other students in the room glanced between us, mouths parted in confusion. Latham, the young kid obsessed with Corey, lifted his lips and scowled.

‘Shall we get started?’ Brad asked, his forehead scrunched as he stared at us.

‘Learning is growing,’ Corey just about sung the words.

‘I do not sound like that,’ I whispered through a laugh.

When class ended, Brad had a permanent new brow crease from observing me and Corey for the last hour. Latham lingered by the bin pretending to empty rubbish from his bag, glancing at me every three seconds.

‘Are you ready to go?’ Corey packed away his laptop while I waited by the door.

‘Did you arrive with her?’ Latham stared at me, not realising he’d just insulted the rich man he’d been trying to befriend all year.

‘Is that a problem?’ I cocked an eyebrow which I’d secretly been practicing in the bathroom mirror ’til I could raise it as perfectly as Corey.

Latham shuffled closer, deeming the few steps between us too far for him to be able to continue trying to worm his way in.

‘Ah, I, um, ah.’ Latham’s eyes widened in frantic panic. ‘I didn’t realise you were friends.’

‘Yeah, well. We’ve made amends. Get used to it,’ I snapped.

‘I’ll meet you at the car. I’m starving, we should order Italian for dinner.’ Corey brushed his little fingers along my broad shoulder before walking out the door.

He’d delighted when we’d arrived and realised Latham would be bothering me throughout class instead of him.

‘Wait, are you sleeping with her?’ Latham’s youthful eyes widened.

‘Excuse me.’ My voice echoed through the room, chairs squeaking as people tried to get a better look.

Corey mustn’t have made it far down the hall, because his head popped back into the room a moment later.