It’s another day for Milo in his Biology class; he purposely rushes to get the seat he’s hoping to get. He gets to the class before his classmates do, taking the seat he wanted. Everyone else begins to walk into the class after him, including Gwen.
Gwen takes her seat alongside Milo. He flashes her a smile in which Gwen awkwardly looks away from.
Ms. Swanson: Good morning, class; today we’re doing study prep for the exam marking the end of the marking period. This test is very important toward your final grade for this marking period, so please take advantage of the time we have today.
Milo takes out his notebook and looks at Gwen.
Milo: Is it okay if we worked together?
Gwen looked up at Milo. She shrugged her shoulders up.
Gwen: Sure, I guess.
Milo smiled as he moved his seat closer to Gwen’s desk, carrying his textbook and notebook in hand. Gwen watches Milo as he does.
Gwen: So, what do you want to cover first?
Milo was shocked that Gwen was being cooperative with him.
Milo: Uhm, let’s start with the anatomy section first.
Gwen nodded her head as she flipped through the pages of her notebook. Her notes were organized by different colors of highlighters. Milo was impressed.
Gwen: So, I think Ms. Swanson is going to start us off with the basics, like the vocabulary and definitions of them.
Milo: *sighs* Of course she would.
Gwen: It’s simple memorization. If you find keywords in the definitions, you’ll be able to figure out the term for it.
Milo: Really?
Gwen nodded her head, flipping through the pages of her notebook.
Gwen: For example, “cranial” has the word “cranium” in it, which is related to the brain. If the definition has either of those two words in it, you’ll be able to figure out by process of elimination the proper definition.
Milo listens to Gwen intently. Occasionally, he’ll take down notes in his notebook. Gwen watches him.
Gwen: You really don’t know what’s going on in class, huh?
Milo: *defensive* Science isn’t my strong suit.
Gwen doesn’t say anything back. Milo looks up at her and notices that Gwen looks uncomfortable.
Milo: Sorry, I just… don’t like when people do that to me.
Gwen: No, no; I’m sorry. I shouldn’t had assumed anything.
The table is now silent. Milo takes a deep breath before saying anything.
Milo: I just don’t get it the way Ms. Swanson teaches it. I get that she’s trying to be as informative as possible, but the way she teaches it just sounds a lot more confusing than it already is.
Gwen: It’s understandable. If a certain subject isn’t your strongest, it could be a little bit confusing to understand. For me, it’s band.
Milo: *shocked* Wait, really?
Gwen nods her head before fidgeting with the pen in her hand.
Gwen: Pathetic, isn’t it? To have trouble in your own major?
Milo: Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you can’t have trouble with it.
Gwen’s face softens as she looks up at Milo. This is the first time Milo is actually looking at Gwen straight in the face. He notices her eyes are a unique shade of blue and grey; more like purple.
Milo: If you ever need help with the songs, you can ask me.
Gwen: *dismissive* Oh no, it’s fine. I sort of already get extra help from Nicki; a girl in our strings section. Do you know her?
Milo: *excited* Of course I know Nicki! She’s one of my best friends.
Gwen: She’s really nice to me. But she’s been helping me out, sometimes during our lunch breaks and stuff. But thanks again for offering.
Milo smiles at Gwen. Ms. Swanson is heard asking the class to wrap up their study discussions. The bell rings, officially ending the class for the day. Milo quickly snaps back to reality, getting my books packed into his book bag. A moment later, he hears Gwen call his name.
Gwen: Hey, Milo?
Milo: Yeah?
Gwen: I apologize for all that dual major talk I gave you the other day. Most of the dual majors I’ve come across seem to all be the same.
Milo: True. *reassuring* Not me though.
Gwen smiles at Milo’s response. He smiles back at her. There’s something about Gwen that simply intrigues him.
Letters From Liz. 