“You must work very hard, little bird,” Blaze says, smiling at me. “And even then, it will take time to master.”
“I will,” I say, nodding again. “I’ll work very hard!”
“Tonight, then,” he says, bobbing his head. “Here, after your Chemistry class. We will begin.”
I express my thanks eagerly as I get to my feet, holding out a hand to shake Blaze’s, but to my surprise he holds out his arms and wraps me in a warm hug. I laugh and return the gesture. He steps away after a moment, heading towards another door in the room, as Faiza comes to my side.
“He’s cool, isn’t he?” she says, looking after him, fond.
“Did he teach you?” I ask, curious.
“He still does,” she says with a sigh, turning to smile at me. “You never really finish learning – not quite. Plus, obviously, he can still kick my ass
