genius boy.

“I don’t know how,” Emma sighed as she took a sip of her coffee. “How do you find the logicality in your best friend just kissing you out of the blue? I don’t know how I feel, I mean, I think I do but I don’t. What if I like him and something goes wrong? I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.” 

“I think there’s a line where you go from thinking logically to overthinking, and you’re passing that,” James answered. “Get rid of that part, because it’s not logical.”

“Of course I will, mate,” he spoke, patting the other on the shoulder. “What do you take me for, some sort of animal?”

“Some people have the most unorganized work spaces, I’m just making sure.”

“Why not?” Nora asked, puzzled. “It’s only recommendations, I’m not asking for something big like a car, pfft.”

“Well, she’s dead, so like, unless you can talk to the dead, or have an ouija board, I don’t think I can help with that.”

Emma sighed as she started to play with the bottom of her shirt. Typically, she knew that in any situation, especially one where Emma didn’t know the answer she could ask him and receive an intelligent answer where she lacked one but now she didn’t even know what type of answer she wanted to receive from James. “I don’t know, maybe?” Emma offered, “I’ve never even let myself think that. It’s never been apart of the equation, you know?” She then said, “I feel so stupid for pushing him away.” 

“Why don’t you put it into the equation?” James replied. “Think about it logically.”

Lola tried to stifle a laugh, “Sorry. It’s not funny,” She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly with a smile, “It’s nice that you’re reading her favourite book. I would do the same. I don’t think I’d ever put it down really.”

“Come on, it kind of is,” James replied, cracking a small smile. He shrugged. “In my case, I can’t seem to finish the book.”

“You should, totally. I’d love to hear some of her other recommendations too, seeing as we have similar taste.”

“Yeah, I uh, can’t get that for you.”

“Mate. You have not seen me in a lab yet,” he smirked, “Not to burst your bubble of me being a perfect lab partner or anything, but when the centrifuge gets going, I tend to beatbox to it. Or rap. One of the two.”

“I guess I can put up with it, if you at least keep things in order,” James replied.

“You realize there’s a way to prevent that, right? Ever heard of sunscreen?”

“Ever heard of SPF 70 not working?”

Emma didn’t know why she had even tried to lie. In the back of her head, Emma knew she wouldn’t be able to slip anything past him and still, she had tried. With a sigh, Emma replied, “Noah kissed me and we haven’t talked since and… you know, it’s a lot.”

“Okay,” James started, trying to rack his brain around it. James had never been one for romantic gestures. It was one thing that really puzzled him. “Okay, so uh, do you like him?”

“I’m glad we’re in agreement, then!” Sofìa exclaimed, “There will be no judgement at this ping pong table.” She spoke, as if willing the phrase into existence. Sofìa picked up the paddles and passed one to James, holding the ball up. “Do you want to serve?” 

“No, you can,” James replied.

Emma passed her skewer along to James before moving to pick up another to try again, planning on watching it more intensively this time. “What do you mean? I’m fine.” She replied quickly, as if it were a prepared response. “It’s just been a long week, you know?” 

“You’re lying,” James replied bluntly. “Do you need me to make a powerpoint on what you do when you lie, because that would be an easy one.”

“Really,” Nora affirmed. “Well, you can tell your mom that she’s got excellent taste. A book before it’s time, really.”

“Uh, I’ll try and let her know,” James replied awkwardly.

Wes was slightly taken aback. His lab was a place where he let loose, sung to himself and spoke all his thoughts out loud, good or bad. “Right. Noted,” he replied swiftly, “I often can’t help what comes out of my mouth, but know that I won’t intentionally say something dumb or gross.”

“I can tell,” he replied bluntly, “but I’m pretty sure that I’m used to your usual antics at this point.”

“Oh James, I’m so sorry,” James said, “Me and my darn mouth. I always put my foot in it, I’m sorry.”

James smiled slightly. “It’s okay, really,” he insisted. “It’s not like you could’ve known, I don’t wear my ‘parents are dead’ shirt often these days,” he joked.

“I know,” Emma spoke in a quiet voice, nodding her head slightly as she listened. The feeling of loss wasn’t something that Emma could relate to, she had never truly experienced it in the way that James had, but she didn’t know any other way to be there for him. “I could read it to you?” Emma then suggested. She wasn’t able to stop herself from a laugh at his comment,  “Honestly? I’m not surprised. It’s not a very good family trait we have,” 

“I think we just think too much, and do too much, and don’t have enough time in the day, so we need something to keep us awake.”

🏖 - our muses hang out by the beach

“Not going to lie…” she sighed, moving so that she was sitting upwards and using her elbows for support, “…I kind of wish I didn’t come. There’s a lot more people than I thought but at least the weather’s nice, right? Are you at least enjoying yourself?”

@jamesallenreed​

James shrugged “I’m not sure. Ask me in thirty minutes when I inevitably start to burn.”

🔥 – our muses hang out by the fire

“I’m so psyched that we’re about to work in labs next to each other,” Wes exclaimed, patting James’ shoulder. “I give it a week until you get sick of hearing me talk to myself, though.”

@jamesallenreed​

“Just please don’t say anything dumb or gross. I have an eidetic memory and I can’t erase something you said to me.”