"Vera Gilmore and Casey Parker," the professor called tiredly.
Vera pulled a rather tragic face. The act had begun already. "Professor, Casey can't talk. He was already losing his voice a little yesterday when we were practicing our presentation one last time but now it's completely gone! I'll have to do his parts for him."
The professor looked between the two of them. "Can you really not talk, Casey?"
Casey knew what he had to do. They had gone over this. He shook his head as confidently as he could and began mouthing his lines, as practiced. He was a little shaky but since he wasn't actually having to form the words and was just moving his lips, it looked realistic enough.
It was a miracle that the professor bought it. Casey had been worried this wouldn't work and the professor would see right through them.
"Very well. I suppose it can't be helped. The least you can do is be in charge of changing the slides. Here." Casey was handed the clicker that controlled the projector and his knees nearly buckled in relief.
It worked! Their crazy plan actually worked!
Vera went through their whole presentation like a pro as he changed the slides. She grinned at him, flushed with success, as everyone clapped and he actually managed a tiny smile in return.
When they sat back down, she whispered, "How's that for never acting before? Go me!"
Casey was inclined to agree. That had worked so much better than he ever would have imagined. He couldn't have pulled something like that off on his own.
How was he supposed to repay her for this? He would feel like he owed her for the rest of the semester, if not for the rest of college for her help. He had already looked into her tip about the disability office and as long as he went to the doctor and got a note, he would be able to get out of public presentations for the rest of the time he was here. That was HUGE.
If only he had known such a thing existed in high school. Or even sooner in college. He would have saved himself an awful lot of humiliation and anxiety.
Casey had to be sure no one nearby saw him talking so he scrawled a note. 'I really owe you one. Is there anything I can do to make up for it? Anything at all…unless it involves presenting'
Vera let out a small laugh. "Tell you what. I'll call us even if you buy me a smoothie from the place in the student center."
A smoothie was a small price to pay for all the help she had given him. He saw the trade as incredibly unequal but if that was all she wanted, he wasn't about to argue with her.
'Done'
"Cool. Tomorrow during the break between our classes?"
That break started at 1 PM. Casey asked Vera if that was when she wanted to meet and she said yes. Just like that, he found himself buying a girl food for the first time in his life.
He freaked out about it the whole rest of the day. He knew it was just returning a favor but he had seen people get smoothies together in the student center before. It was a popular date spot.
"What's with you?" Kane asked as soon as Casey got home and threw himself onto the couch with a groan.
"Somebody saved my life and all they want in return is a smoothie."
"…what?"
"I don't get it. I made an idiot of myself trying to practice this stupid presentation in front of my project partner and instead of making fun of me, she came up with this plan to get me out of having to present by lying to the professor. It actually worked and I didn't get in trouble at all!
"I'm pretty sure she only did it to save her grade along from suffering with mine but she still did the whole presentation by herself and when I asked her what I could do to repay her, all she wanted was for me to buy her a smoothie," Casey finished, still drowning in confusion.
Kane looked at Casey like he was an idiot. "You're freaking out over repaying a favor because it involves a girl?"
"Why wouldn't I? I've never had a girl do me a favor before! Or even talk to me more than absolutely necessary. This is weird for me, okay?"
"You're pathetic."
"I'm fully aware of that. So, what do I do?"
"Buy her the smoothie then never talk to her again. Simple as that. Getting involved with other people only stresses you out and you know it. That isn't worth the hassle, especially since you have so many other things to deal with," Kane pointed out reasonably.
He had a point. Casey did have a lot of other things to deal with. He had to start looking for internships soon for academic credit and he absolutely dreaded it because he didn't think it was possible to get through an interview without screwing it up. He needed to get an internship over the summer to avoid having to do it during a regular semester his senior year.
"But what if she talks to me again after I get her the smoothie?" he asked.
Kane rolled his eyes. "Casey. You're literally never going to see this girl again once the semester ends. You only have the one class together, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"And she isn't in your department?"
"No, she's not."
"Then I don't see what the problem is. Just suck it up for the rest of the semester then move on. You can barely take care of yourself; you don't have time to worry about anybody else."
Another excellent point. Casey really didn't have the capacity to worry about anybody else. He shouldn't be panicking like this. Vera didn't mean anything by wanting him to return the favor, even if it was at a spot that was typically used for dates. She probably just liked smoothies.
She would never like somebody like him. This was simply repaying her. Nothing more would come of it.