Study Buddies

Tuesday September 4th

At least Andy wasn't caught off guard by his professor being unexpectedly attractive this time round, as he made sure to take the same seat as before and prepared for his first - well, technically second - foray into the word of political philosophy. As anticipated, Sara came and took her place next to him again, though not out of any interest in Andy. In fact, she had barely even looked up to see who was there.

The lesson felt even duller the second time around, but Andy managed to stay awake and alert long enough to be prepared when his moment came.

"So, who wants to remind me of the famous quote from Jean-Jacques Rousseau that served as the foundation for his most famous political treatise" Kara asked before her eyes settled on Andy "How about you? Let's see if you've been concentrating"

"Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains" he answered "Although, rather than advocating for a return to the wild, Rousseau went on to argue that we must restructure society through a fair social contract, creating laws and systems that reflect the general will, so that we can govern ourselves collectively while maintaining our freedom"

"What's your name?" the sexy Professor asked with sudden interest.

"Andy Aarons"

"Well Andy, that is absolutely spot on! You've officially got my attention!"

As Kara moved on with her lesson, Sara turned to Andy.

"Nicely done!" she whispered.

"Thanks"

"I'm Sara"

"Andy"

"So Andy, I'm kind of in the market for a study partner for the semester. Would you like to join me in the library after this?"

Well, it didn't sound like the hottest date imaginable, but she really was a cutie.

"Sure, sounds good!"

---

Not long after the lesson was over, Andy found himself sat in the library, somewhere he had intended to visit as little as he could get away with, opposite a girl he probably would have had no interest in getting to know if she wasn't so pretty and he wasn't a horny eighteen year old virgin.

Sara seemed like the classic teachers pet - a high achieving student who worked hard and did everything they were supposed to, and for the most part did it very well. Those types annoyed Andy because he'd never had the discipline to be like that, and he felt sure he was going to spend the rest of his life working for people like Sara as a result.

"So, I guess we're about the only ones spending Fresher's week in the library" Andy noted as he scanned the otherwise empty room the pair of them were sat in the middle of.

"Well then that's all the nicer for us isn't it? Almost like a date"

Wait, what? Was that very mild flirtation or a joke? It was hard for Andy to tell. Either way, he was ready to impress.

"Indeed. As Byron once said 'I only go out to get me a fresh appetite for being alone""

Sara actually laughed at that. Andy hadn't even realised it was supposed to be a joke.

"You like Byron?" she asked, her curiosity in Andy seemingly further piqued.

"Sure, among others" Andy nodded "Keats, Shelley...." he tried for the next few seconds to think of any other poet and failed "Byron.."

"It seems we share a passion for the Romantics" Sara smiled before leaning forward a little and holding eye contact with Andy as she recited "She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes"

"Yeah, I love that one" he bluffed.

"It's my all time favourite" Sara revealed "I actually have this silly little fantasy where a guy quotes it at me unprompted. I think that would make me melt. I can dream, I suppose"

"So you're single then?"

Andy definitely wanted to know the answer to that question, and there didn't seem to be any harm in asking it bluntly, since he now knew how to get Sara to invite him to the library on Tuesday any time he restarted.

"I am" she answered matter-of-factly, not bothering to expand on that or return the question "So you seem to have a real passion for Jean Jacques Rousseau?"

"Oh yeah, he's probably my favourite philosopher" Andy lied "Or in my top three at the very least. Who do you like?"

"I know some of what he wrote could be a tad controversial, but I've always enjoyed the work of Machiavelli"

"You like Tupac?" Andy blurted out with surprise "I guess you could call him a philosopher. I just never would have thought you were into 90s Gangsta Rap"

"I'm sorry, you think Machiavelli is a rapper?"

"Well he was one. Wasn't he?" Andy asked nervously "Why, who were you talking about?"

"You know what, I think I'm going to study in my room, alone" Sara announced as she closed her book and gathered her belongings "It's been nice to talk to you Andy, genuinely. I'm just not sure you're the right fit for me as a study partner"

At first Andy felt crushed by such an embarrassing nosedive and boneheaded faux pas. Then he reminded himself things like that were going to happen, especially in the early days while he was getting to know these girls, but would also be completely forgotten. As long as he was making progress in getting Sara to warm to him and learning more about her this had been time well spent, and he felt his morning had been pretty successful on both counts. He just needed to find out who Machiavelli was for the next time they did this, and learn to recite that poem she liked word for word.

Andy decided not to do any snooping for the rest of the day, and instead tried to read up and get a better understanding of the kind of things Sara liked. If she did end up being the right girl for him, he would need to take an interest in, and at least try and gain an appreciation for, her passions anyway and. though at surface level they didn't appear to have a lot in common, she was definitely nicer than he had initially thought.

Andy also didn't want to fuck the whole week up and have to go back to the beginning before he had another chance to check in with Gemma. Risks were okay to take if they might lead to a reward, but unnecessary risks were pointless by their very nature. Andy knew which girl he would be concentrating on tomorrow, and he had been in her room already.