Schooling the Jock (Nerds Vs Jocks #1) - - Eli Easton Page 0,36

but something about him seemed more relaxed. On the opposite side of the window seat, with his feet stretched out and one inch from touching Eli, was Micah. He looked a lot like Eli, with his dark hair and eyes, but his face was fuller, his hair buzzed very short. One arm was in a cast, and in the other, he held a sippy cup, his lips fastened over the sippy part, dark eyes red from tears, still angry and miserable. He had the weighted blanket over his lap and glared out at the world.

So much not a happy camper.

His eyes warned me off even an attempted hello, but I smiled and winked at him before turning to Jesse and his mom. They were doing their kitchen act again. Mrs. Knox was at the stove making pancakes while Jesse was putting banana stars onto a row of plates on the counter.

Jesse looked up at me and gave me a half smile but no greeting. I got it. Silence was golden. Micah was okay for the moment, and there was no point in setting him off.

I stepped closer to Jesse and whispered, “I thought I’d go for a run.”

Jesse’s nostrils flared, and there was a look of longing in his eyes, but he nodded. “Go ahead,” he whispered back.

But his mom turned from the stove and grabbed my arm. She spoke low too. “Jesse, you should go along. Maybe after breakfast?” She gave me a questioning look.

I shrugged and nodded. I could wait.

“You don’t have to,” Jesse whispered.

I just rolled my eyes, picked up a pitcher of OJ on the counter, and carried it to the kitchen table, then hung my jacket on the hall tree.

Breakfast was fairly calm. Mr. Knox came in from the barn, and pancakes lured Eli and Micah to the table. Micah was still clearly pouting and irritated af by his cast. It was like watching a cat with a brand-new plaster on one leg. Everything he tried to do, and couldn’t manage, annoyed him. Eli attempted to pour syrup for Micah and ended up putting half the bottle on his plate. Micah screeched when Mrs. Knox tried to take the plate away, presumably to pour some off.

“He wants all the syrup,” Eli explained in a firm voice.

“Well, it is a special occasion, being home from the hospital,” said Mr. Knox, looking at his wife.

So Mrs. Knox put the plate back down in front of Micah. He immediately picked up a spoon with his uninjured hand and scooped some syrup into his mouth.

“You guys gonna head back tomorrow?” Mr. Knox asked Jesse.

“We should,” Jesse said reluctantly. “I have classes on Monday. But if you guys need me—”

“We’re fine,” Mrs. Knox insisted warmly. “We’ll be back in our routine. Won’t we, boys?”

She looked at Micah and Eli. Eli looked at Micah. “Micah thinks we should have at least a week off school. Because of his arm.”

I had to bite back a smile.

“Mmm. Does he? Well, I think he’s lucky he broke his right arm since he’s left-handed. He can still do his sums,” Mrs. Knox replied easily.

“Do you guys go to school near here?” I asked Eli.

Eli tapped the table meaningfully.

“He means they go to school here. Mom homeschools them,” Jesse explained.

“I like reading about animals and people,” said Eli. “And Micah likes math.”

“Both excellent choices,” I said.

Micah looked up from his syrup to give me a cold stare like I was making that up.

“Really. I love math,” I assured him. “It’s good to know math if you’re going into computer programming, which is what I study. Math is logic. And computers are allll about logic.”

Micah put down his fork and made a series of gestures with his hands. It didn’t look like ASL, but I wasn’t sure.

“Micah likes computers,” said Eli. “Me too.”

“Micah loves logic puzzles,” Mrs. Knox added. “We buy him those Dell logic puzzle magazines. He goes through them like they’re nothing.”

“Oh yeah?” I gave Micah a smile. “I love logic puzzles. I have an app on my phone.”

Micah stared at me.

“Micah wants to see that. Me too,” said Eli.

“If you finish your breakfast, maybe Dobbs will show you later,” Mrs. Knox bargained.

“These are really good pancakes, Mom,” Jesse said, taking a big bite.

If he was trying to refocus the twins on their meal, it worked. They both dug in.

After breakfast, Mr. Knox asked the boys if they wanted to go out and say hi to the animals. There was fussing with coats, more annoyed