“Actually, Avery,” Mr. Walden sounded impressed, “this is a very intriguing project. Very sound. The judges will really love the personal element too.”

“I know the project isn’t technically physics—I’ll help him study that too, of course, to bring up his grade in class—but if he did the science fair with me, could it earn him enough extra credit to get him playing again? The team needs him, and it’s his senior year. It would be awful for him to miss out.”

Mr. Walden thought it over and then sighed. “I suppose as long as you were turning in weekly progress reports, I could talk to Coach Safford.”

Grayson gasped. “For real, Mr. Walden? I can play? I don’t have to miss any games?”

The look on Grayson’s face told me he didn’t usually have teachers willing to help him out. Sometimes it paid to be a nerd. I’d have to point that out to him later.

“If you do the work.”

Grayson scooped me up into his arms and spun me in circles. He’s so tall that my feet were at least a foot off the floor. “Holy shit, Aves! You’re the best! I totally owe you forever!”

“Language, Mr. Kennedy,” Mr. Walden scolded, but I noticed him bite back a grin when Grayson wasn’t looking. He watched us for a moment longer and then said, “Actually, I believe you might be on to something with Grayson, Avery. The, uh, social aspect of this experiment is undeniably in his field of expertise. I believe he could do well with this project.”

I laughed. Yes, Grayson would be the perfect partner.

Grayson put me down and eyed Mr. Walden and me warily. “Okay, what? I’m scared now. What in the world are you talking about? There is no way I am an expert in any form of science.”

“Not physics, chemistry, or biology maybe.”

“Actually, now that you mention it, I do all right with biology, if you know what I mean.”

“Mr. Kennedy,” Mr. Walden warned in a tired voice. “Avery, are you sure you want him for a partner?”

I laughed again. “I’m sure. Grayson was born for social science.”

“Social science?” Grayson asked. “What is that?”

“I’ll explain everything if you agree to be my science fair partner.”

Grayson looked positively torn. I think he wanted to help me, and he knew he needed the extra credit, but he also looked like doing a science project might actually be the death of him.

“What would I have to do?” he asked. The question seemed to cause him physical pain.

“Nothing too awful. No equations, anyway. Since I’m going to be the test subject, all you have to do is help me through the seven stages of grief. I need an impartial perspective, and you’ve already helped me get past the shock and denial stages. I managed the bargaining on my own. Sadly, it was rather pathetic, but then if you hadn’t encouraged me to lay it all out to Aiden, I probably wouldn’t have done that, either. So, really, you’ve helped me through them all so far. Now all you have to do is help me through the rest. Help me past my guilt and then the anger. Cheer me up when I get depressed, and finally, walk me through acceptance.”

Grayson stared at me, dumbfounded. “You’re saying that you want me to take you out and help you get over Aiden in any way I deem necessary—”

“I don’t think I ever said that.”

“Nope. I’m the unbiased opinion, remember? If we do this, you have to do what I say.”

“Within reason,” I argued.

“Within reason,” Grayson agreed. “I make you forget my brother ever existed by taking you out on lots of really fun dates, and I get extra credit for that?”

“You’d have to keep a journal of it all. We’d have to catalog our experiments, compile our findings into an organized study, but yes. Basically.”

Grayson still looked skeptical. “And that’s considered science?”

I nodded. “Social Science. It’s the study of people and relationships.”

Grayson’s jaw fell open. He blinked a few times and then let out an incredulous laugh. “You’ve got to be shitting me!”

“Mr. Kennedy, you’re already in detention!” Mr. Walden released an exasperated sigh.

“Sorry. It’s just, that actually sounds fun.” Grayson looked at me, still in a bit of shock. “You’ve got yourself deal, Aves. Consider me your science partner.”

Mr. Walden clapped with satisfaction. “Great! It’s settled then. Welcome to science club, Grayson.”

“Wait, what?”

Mr. Walden chuckled. “That’s my part of the deal. You want the extra credit, you take your brother’s place in the science club. You come to the meetings, work on your project with Avery, and you attend the actual science fair with the team in March.”

“You’re not serious, Mr. Walden. Join the freaking science club? That’s social suicide, not social science!”

“I am deadly serious. This is very important to Avery and the others. I will not let you take advantage of Avery’s work ethics. You will pull your weight and be a part of the team, or you can sign up for after school tutoring and hope you get your grade up before the end of the season.”

“Grayson, just say yes,” I begged. “We’ve already taken our photo for the yearbook. I’ll swear the gang to secrecy. No one will ever have to know.”

Grayson gaped at my friends, who’d been hanging on every word of our conversation and were all staring back at him in just as much shock.

“Please?” I whispered, taking his hand. “Do this for me?”

Grayson took one look at my desperate, pleading face and gave in.

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek as I squealed my thanks.

“And you said I’m cruel.” He shook his head as I stepped back. “All I ever do is tease you. You just turned me into a dork.”

Grayson

Okay, we will not discuss the fact that I am now an official member of the science club. I mean it. I almost said no to the entire deal because of the science club thing. Seriously, I think I’d rather fail physics and get kicked off the basketball team. But then Avery was there, hitting me full force with those big, hopeful eyes, and I couldn’t let her down.

She doesn’t understand the power she has with those beauties. I just joined the freaking science club for her! She thinks I did it for the extra credit, but I didn’t. I would have done the tutoring and begged to retake my final or something. It was all for her. What was wrong with me?

After school the next day—that first official day of the Avery Shaw Experiment—Avery survived a girls-only trip to the mall with Pamela and Chloe and got a complete makeover. She debuted the look that night when Pam and Chloe dragged her to my basketball game. I saw them walk in the gym ten minutes after the game started and promptly tripped over my own feet, losing us the ball.

The tight shirt and short skirt were majorly distracting—in the best way possible—and the strawberry highlights were totally inspired. I’d never seen the girl look more amazing. She turned all kinds of heads that night and didn’t even realize it.

I smiled to myself every time I overheard someone ask who the new hottie with Pam and Chloe was. Then I laughed when someone would answer that she was Grayson Kennedy’s new girlfriend.

The rest of the week Avery tutored me after practice. Then I forced her to do something fun and exciting and out of her comfort zone that would help her forget about Aiden. We did things that she and Aiden never did, went places they never hung out, and I introduced her to people he didn’t know.

She started referring to our time together as Life After Aiden. I called it Post Shower Avery and Grayson. She usually got mad at me for that. Usually. I considered the times she didn’t bother to yell at me a small victory.

One week turned into two and all of the sudden I was completely turned upside down. Avery had given me free reign of her social life, so I was supposed to be in control, but when it came down to it, I wasn’t in control of anything. Every choice I made was for her or about her. All of my free time was spent with her. It was like I was suddenly in a serious, steady, exclusive relationship but without any of the sexy benefits of a girlfriend. Crazy part was, I didn’t seem to mind. Well, I minded the no-kissing part a little bit. That was getting harder and harder not to do.