Peter looked down at his schedule. English history was in fifteen minutes, and since he didn't have anywhere else to go, he headed over to the class early. Only one other student was in the classroom, a girl pouring over a large textbook in the last row. He sat his books down in the front row, but before he could pull out his chair, the girl said, "I wouldn't sit there if I was you."
He turned to her and wrinkled his eyebrows. "Why?"
"I heard that he spits," she said in a low voice.
"Oh, thanks," he said before he picked up his books and went to the back row. "I'm Peter Pevensie."
"Jane White," she said as they shook hands.
"I'm a sophomore," he said as he sat down next to her. "What about you."
"The same," she said.
"I'm from Finchely," he said as he tried to be sociable. "Where are you from?"
She shrugged. "Here and there," she said. Before he could ask what she meant, she asked. "What are you majoring in?"
"Literature," he said. "What about you?"
"Mathematics," she answered.
"Are you going to be a teacher?" he asked.
"No!" she said irritably.
"What else is there with mathematics?" he asked.
"There are all kinds of things! What is there with literature?" she demanded haughtily.
Their conversation-which hadn't been going too well- was interrupted when the professor came into the classroom. Soon other students started filling into the room, and the two sat in silence until the class was finally over. She left without saying a word.
Peter hadn't planned on sitting next to the irritable Jane White again, but his Shakespeare literature class had went long so he was the last one in the class. Much to hid dismay, the only set left was the set next to the tall blond-haired girl. "Hello," she said. "Early, are we?" she asked sarcastically. He glared at her. "Sorry."
"Aren't you a math major?" the girl sitting next to Jane asked her.
"Yes," Jane answered.
"Then why are you in a history class?" the girl asked with a giggle.
"Elective," she said as if it was obvious.
"Isn't math only for men?" the girl asked.
"It's not for the weak," Jane snapped.
The girls laughed before turning around. Peter felt sorry for Jane, but she seemed not to care. "My friend said that the School of Science didn't accept women."
"True, but my tests scores were better than any of the men who applied," she told him. "In the end, they had to let me in."
"Because you were better than all the boys?" he asked.
She smiled. "Of course."
"White! Pevensie!" the professor yelled. "Am I interrupting your conversation?"
She looked up at him. "Not at all, sir."
"I'm sorry if I offended you yesterday," Peter whispered.
"No problem," she whispered. "I'm just tired of people asking me if I'm going to teach."
"Hey," Peter said as soon as the class was over. "Do you want to go grab some coffee?"
She looked startled. "Um- sure," she said as she pulled on her coat.
"I know this great café," he told her. "It serves the best bread."
"I think I know which one you're talking about," she said.
"Really? Which one?"
"Why don't we just see?"
"So, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Peter asked as they walked through campus.
She shook her head. "No, thankfully, if I did, one of them might have turned out like my mother, and no one wants that."
"What do you mean?"
"My mother," she said with a sigh. "One of her was more than enough. So, what about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"Two sisters and one brother," he said.
"Older or younger or both?"
"Younger, I'm the oldest in my family."
"It must be nice," she said more to herself.
"What?"
"Having a family," she said as if it was obvious.
"Everyone has a family at one time or another," he pointed out.
"Not me, not really."
He dropped the subject. "Here it is."
"Jordans. I could have bet money."
"Because it's the best?"
"Because it's the best."
He held open the door for her. "Chivolorous are we?" she asked almost mockingly.
Peter smiled, not quite knowing what else to say. Getting to know Jane White wasn't going to be easy.
