Page 55 of And They Were Roommates

Instead, Xavier laughs deeply, in a manly way I wish I could, filling up the room. “I’ll teach you the correct form.”

He walks up behind me and readjusts my grip.

My body tenses. He’s close.

“Face your hands away from yourself,” Xavier instructs, and I try to pay attention over the blood pumping in my ears. “Your grip should be slightly wider than your shoulders.”

“Okay.”

After a few more adjustments, Xavier steps back, and my shoulders finally relax.

He lifts his stopwatch. “Go!”

I flex my biceps. The bar lowers, and my forehead nearly taps the bar. But then my arms give out, and the bar slaps back into place. I grunt.

“Try again!”

I follow Xavier’s instructions. The bar gets closer. Closer.Closer.I finally feel a tap.

“One! Make it two!”

One turns into two; two turns into three in a row.

“Time!”

My arms crash down, burning like they went through a paper shredder.

“Three,” Xavier calls. “Not bad, but we can improve.”

So, I performed worse than he expected. The failure knocks me hard. “Do you actually think my grade rank will get better by finals?”

“Why wouldn’t it? I’m the best trainer in Au Sable Forks.” He grins.

A smile breaks across my face too. For someone so kind, the fact that Xavier has stayed single since his breakup last year is an eighth world wonder.

Would he say anything if he found out what I’m hiding?

“Did you know Jasper has a poetry book?” Xavier asks suddenly.

“Huh?”

“You had questions about his love life? That may help. You’ve checked it out?”

I keep forgetting Jasper handed me a signed copy when we moved in earlier this month. “No. How’d that book even happen?”

“I think Jasper already had a decent following online when he came to Valentine, but then P.M. helped him blow up over last year’s winter break. His book came out a bit after. Sucks that Jasper isn’t doing any new writing for his followers while he’s here.”

“He’s leaving things inactive? Can’t he update during breaks, like you said?”

Xavier bends down to perform more witchcraft on the machine weights. “I think he’s chosen this hiatus on purpose to focus on Valentine.” He smirks. “I don’t know if you know how famous Jasper is—he’s, like, over-a-million-followers famous nowadays. Power of Rank One for you.”

Jasper’s full name next to a100on the ranking board flashes through my brain.

“How?!”

Xavier startles so much that his grip slips, and weights slam together. “How what?”

Did I say that out loud? “I just don’t get why he’s Rank One.”

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