Page 26 of Dryad, Try Again
Tanner: It can be like a friend thing.
Tanner: How about another study sesh?
Tanner: I could always use the help on the next forestry quiz.
I’m sittingin the library staring at my phone. My thumb scrolls through the messages as I hold back the urge to reply. It isn’t exactly mature of me to avoid my friend-slash-crush. It’s been several days since I went to his house. Did I enjoy meeting his only family member and having her welcome me with openarms? Of course. Did my dick perk up at the sight of his sleepy ass stripping down to his boxers? Obviously.
But then I went and ruined it by involuntarily shifting. We were so,soclose to kissing and making my wildest dreams come true. But seeing his scar made me lose my nerve.Idid that to him. And I still shift by accident whenever we get close.How could we possibly pursue anything?
I groan and slam my head into my textbook on the table.
“Kovi?”
I glance up at the voice. I completely forgot I was in the library in a desperate attempt to avoid everyone I know. Is it dangerously close to Mummy Mocha where my crush works? Yes, but no one comes to this corner of the third floor except the student workers. And here’s one now.
“Niko, hey.”
“Is studying that torturous?” Niko pushes his book cart as he approaches me. He gives me an odd look that reads as a mixture of skepticism and concern. He’s dressed in all black as always, and I try to ignore the movement of snakes underneath his dark beanie cap. My curiosity for what his snake hair looks like is outclassed by my desire to not turn to stone. Despite our differences, he’s a chill gorgon of a dude. “I’m pretty sure you always ace your environmental classes.”
I smirk. “I do. Perks of being a tree.”
“That sounds like a young adult novel.” We share a laugh and he strolls along. “Something else in life gnawing at your branches?”
I snort and follow him. “You could say that.”
He casually places a book back. “You wanna talk about it?”
I sigh. “Boy troubles.”
“Boys are always trouble,” he deadpans, and I grin.
“Some humans are just hard to stay away from.”
He sniggers and places another book on a shelf. “I hear that.”
I shake my head and follow along. “Just another complication of growing up monster in a human world.”
Niko smiles as he continues putting away books. “Yeah. I’ve said it a hundred times, but I don’t think humans should have been allowed in. The world is a scary place outside these walls for monsters like us.”
I bite my lip; Niko’s made it no secret that he never wanted to go to university with humans. “That’s the thing, most humans are cool.”
“And this guy is breaking your heart?”
“Actually the opposite.”
“How so?” He hands me a book and points up to a high shelf. “Do you mind?”
I nod and take it. Then, I focus on shifting just my arm into a long branch. “Right here?”
“One more…to the left…perfect!” Niko gives me a thumbs up and I insert the hard cover into a vacant book space. “Thanks, Kovi.”
“No problem.” With the books all done, we end up back at my table and sit down. “I can’t…control my shifting.”
His eyebrows furrow and the snakes under his cap continue to squirm. “What? You literally just turned your arm into a branch and vines.”
“I can’t control myself when I’m withhim,” I whisper. I know we’re alone in this part of the library, but the confession still renders my tongue dry.
Niko frowns and toys with one of my books. “Sorry, man.”
