Free The Mechanics of Being Human by S. E. Campbell

test, so I thought I would drop by and give these to you. Who knows? Maybe a few hours extra studying can help you get bumped up a grade."
    "These are for me?" Fawn's eyes widened.
    "Just to borrow," Gavin said quickly. "To be honest, I called in a favor to get into the book supplies for these. After the test, I'll have to take them back to school before I get into trouble. I don't want to lose my place on the swim or tennis teams."
    "Thank you so much, Gavin." Fawn smiled at him. "That's a lot of trouble to go through just for me."
    "No problem." Gavin leaned against the door and winced. "Mind letting me drop these off inside? I don't know how your arms aren't killing you. You make me feel like a real wimp."
    Embarrassed, she stepped to the side and allowed him into the apartment. "Come in."
    After walking over to the counter, she laid the books on the granite and he laid his stack down next to hers. He grinned at her and she forced a smile back. The smile slipped off of his face and his brows furrowed as he leaned against the counter. His arms crossed over his muscular chest.
    "Are you alright?" Gavin asked. "You don't look well."
    "More family drama." Fawn shook her head, fighting down the urge to talk about it. She must honor her word to her parent's about not involving anybody else. "Life's been crazy."
    "Mmm. Life does that." Gavin studied her then glanced at his feet. "Well, if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here."
    "I appreciate that." Fawn looked down at an American history book. "And I appreciate these text books too. You don't know what it's like having to walk into a testing center with no knowledge about anything."
    "Believe me, I do." Gavin smirked at her. "Of course, that was my fault."
    She shook her head and laughed. When the laughter died away, neither spoke. Both of them shuffled their feet. Her cheeks burned but her skin tingled. She wasn’t sure if she liked it. The feeling was new and entirely its own.
    "Listen. Fawn." Reaching forward, Gavin grabbed her wrist. "After you're done with your test, what would you say about celebrating with me? Like maybe going to a movie or something?"
    The invite was special. Fawn could see it on Gavin's anxious face. It was just she wasn't sure why.
    "Okay." Fawn nodded. "I would love to do that."
    "You know what I mean, right?" Gavin swayed from side to side. "I mean, like a date ."
    Date. She imagined a couple holding hands. Now she understood why Gavin's invite was special. The idea he thought of her like that brought her immense pleasure. Yes, she wanted to go on a date with him. She wanted to stroll down the parkway hand in hand. She wanted to feel his warmth overwhelming her. I wonder if I've ever been on a date before. The answer was dull blackness.
    "I would love to go on a date with you." Fawn cocked her head.
    The grin that broke out on Gavin's face was bright enough to leave her stunned. His eyes sparkled and danced. Pink covered his cheeks. It amazed her he could be so excited about a date with her . She didn't feel good enough for a guy like Gavin who was sweet, smart, and apparently athletic too.
    "Well, that's great. I'll pick you up here." Gavin finally released her wrist.
    "Okay." Fawn nodded.
    The sound of yawning and feet stumbling came from her mom's room. His eyes darted toward the hallway, and she could tell he was nervous because his jaw tensed. He looked like a wild animal ready to sprint for the hills.
    "Well, I'd better go, before your mom eats me." Gavin took a step back and ran into the counter. The stack of books he'd brought toppled to the floor in a series of loud bangs. "Oops."
    "Fawn, what was that?" her mom called sleepily from her bedroom. Her bedroom door clicked open.
    "Bye, Fawn."
    Gavin waved at her and rushed to the door. She was left feeling much happier now, even though she had to pick up the stack of books on her own.
    ****
    While sitting at the couch with her mom beside her, Fawn leafed through the pages of a