After a while, Anna gets up from her bed, gathers some clothes from her wardrobe and goes to take a shower. When she emerges from the bathroom, she is wearing a long-sleeve, loose-fitting shirt in a soft grey colour. The word, 'dream' along with a star design, is printed on it in a darker shade of grey. Her pyjama bottoms are also loose-fitting and feature horizontal stripes in alternating shades of light grey and white. Her hair is damp from the shower, and she walks over to her desk and picks up her laptop. She places it on the bed, then gets her biology textbook out of her purple backpack. She goes to sit on the bed, opening up her textbook on one side and opening up the laptop on the other side. She types in her password and openes her browser to typed out an email to Zack.
From Anna
To: Zack
Subject line: Quick revision
Hey, I just finished taking a shower. Now, I am snuggled up in bed, doing a quick revision. Remember to study.
The notification alert on Zack's phone cuts through his pacing like a starting gun. He practically dives for the device lying on his bed, unlocking it with shaky fingers to reveal Anna's email address at the top of his inbox. His heart does a somersault as he reads the subject line: "Quick revision." Opening it reveals exactly what he hoped for– proof that she is safe at home, thinking about him even while focused on biology notes. "Just finished taking a shower," he reads aloud to himself, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. The mental image of steamy water cascading over her curves sends heat pooling low in his abdomen. "Snuggled up in bed…" he sinks back into his mattress cross-legged, rereading every word multiple times as if searching for hidden meanings or secret messages only meant for him.
Zack's green eyes trace each word carefully, committing every detail to memory. The picture she paints– Anna wrapped in blankets, air damp from the shower, as she reviews textbook chapters– is both mundane and incredibly intimate. It is the kind of ordinary domestic scene he has never truly experienced before. "Studying," he mutters, a fond smile playing on his lips. Of course she is studying; of course, she is responsible even when they are apart. That is just her. Without conscious decision-making, his thumbs begin typing against the screen. His fingers fly across the keyboard with surprising speed for someone who usually hates writing anything longer than a text message.
From: Zack
To: Anna
Subject line: Quick Revision
I am studying too. History notes. Trying really hard not to think about you naked in bed. Probably failing miserably.
He presses sent before overthinking it, then immediately regrets not adding something smoother or more romantic. Anna smiled as she saw his response on her laptop. Of course, he was imagining her naked… she typed out a quick reply.
Glad you are studying. I am pretty distracted by images of you too. I miss you already.
Zack's phone vibrates again, and he nearly drops it in his eagerness to open the latest email. Seeing her words– "I miss you already"– causes a genuine, boyish grin to spread across his face. The simple confession sends warmth spreading through his chest that has nothing to do with arousal and everything to do with pure affection. "Miss me already?" he reads aloud, leaning back against his pillow with a satisfied sigh. "God, she is perfect." His fingers fly across the screen without hesitation this time.
You have no idea how much I wish I was there right now. Instead of studying history. I would rather be memorizing every inch of your body. Tomorrow morning can't come fast enough.
Anna finally finished revising her biology, she closed her biology textbook and looked at the latest email.
I agreed, I also can't wait for tomorrow or this weekend. Just remember to get plenty of sleep tonight.
Zack reads Anna's final email, a genuine smile spreading across his face. The simple instructions to get sleep feel so domesticated, so normal, yet it sends a warmth through his chest he has never experienced before. "Plenty of sleep," he repeats softly to the empty room, setting his phone down on the nightstand. "Right, because we have a whole weekend planned and I need to be sharp for my history test." He glances at the clock– it is already past nine. The idea of studying feels foreign when all he can think about is Anna snuggled in her bed just a few blocks away. For a moment, he considers driving over there, but common sense wins out. Instead, he grabs his textbook from the desk drawer with a sigh of resignation. "Okay, Zack," he mutters to himself. "Two hours of studying. Then maybe I can fall asleep without dreaming about her."
Anna closed her laptop and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she rinsed out her mouth, she heard her parents coming home. They were arguing about something. Anna went downstairs, and as she ascended the staircase, she heard snippets of their conversation. "Well, maybe if you didn't work so much…" "don't shift the blame…" When Anna reached the living room her parents went quiet. "Oh, honey. What are you still doing up?" her mother asked. "I was just about to go to bed, wanted to get in some extra studying for my test tomorrow," Anna said softly. Her mother nodded, pleased. "Good, you should get some rest," her father said, with a slightly guilty look on his face. "I will put Kyle to bed," Anna offered and held her hand out to Kyle, who eagerly stepped forward to take her hand. "Thank you, we appreciate that," Anna's mother said. Anna and Kyle walked up the stairs to his room, while her parents remained downstairs. Anna tucked Kyle into bed. "It is all my fault," Kyle confessed with a soft shy voice. "Because I am not smart like you." Anna looked at him with a sympathetic expression and sat down on the edge of his bed. "Now, don't say that" she said softly. "Everyone is smart in their own way. And everyone is special in their own way. Mom and dad aren't mad at you, their just worried." Kyle sniffed lightly. "Hey, no need for tears. We love you no matter what, okay. But if it will make you feel better, I will help you study," Anna said reassuringly. Kyle smiled lightly and nodded. Anna stood up and walked over to the light switch by the door. "Good night," she said sweetly and turned off the lights. In the hallway, she could hear the muffled arguments coming from downstairs. Anna closed Kyles' bedroom door and went into her room. She laid down on her bed and looked up at the ceiling.