AN: The following is for Lizzy (aka: ohmy- what- a- marveloustune on tumblr) who is really stressed out and asked for an anon fic. I'm terrible at short pieces, but I remember what it was like to be crazy stressed in school. This is inspired somewhat by my own difficulties in organic chemistry. I could probably write a whole series of stories based on O-chem actually, but maybe another day. I hope you enjoy, lovely! - CG
Disclaimer: The characters below are riffs on characters who do not belong to me. No copyright infringement intended.
Molly huffed in frustration. Every single desk on the quiet floor of the library was taken by other students cramming for their final exams. She wished she'd woken up earlier to get one of the prime spots in the back but last night's study session with her friends had made it particularly difficult to get up this morning.
Only one more exam and it would all be over, she thought as she headed down stairs again. All that remained was the mother of all organic chemistry exams. She had been studying dutifully before Sarah had called her to join the group session. Although she knew it would end up being more chatter than study, Molly had enthusiastically agreed. Everyone needed to blow off a little steam right now. But that meant that she only had one day left to cram all the necessary equations into her brain. A brain that currently felt more like caffeine fueled mush. Maybe there would be a quiet spot down in periodicals.
Sure enough, there was one open table left by the windows down in the periodicals section of the library basement. It wasn't as cozy as the little private study nooks upstairs, but it would have to do. Molly pulled out her textbook and notes, all neatly color coded, and began to intensely scrutinize the diagrams of the amino acids. No matter what she tried she couldn't remember all of them and she knew they'd be a big part of the exam. They all seemed to run together and blur in her mind. She pulled out a blank sheet and carefully began drawing the structures from memory, starting with alanine, always easiest to go in alphabetical order.
A short while later she was wracking her mind trying to remember the difference between leucine and isoleucine when a shadow fell over her paper distracting her.
"You are making this far more difficult than it should be."
"Excuse me?" Molly asked, looking up sharply at the intruder. It was the odd dark-haired boy who sat off to the back in lecture. He always seemed so bored and missed almost as many classes as he attended. She'd never seen him join in any of the study groups. Why was he here now?
"The amino acids can logically be grouped into four kinds. If you study them in that way instead of alphabetically they are much easier to remember," he continued.
Without asking her permission, he sat down across from her. He then took her paper and pen from her drawing neat boxes around some of the diagrams. He also filled in the few remaining structures. Molly gaped at him and tried to think of something to say.
"Um, what?" she replied. Not her most brilliant question, but she could blame it on sleep deprivation and general confusion.
The mysterious boy just shrugged. "You seem to be very worried about the exam, even though you shouldn't be."
"How silly of me. It's only the most important exam of the semester in the most important course on my schedule," she mumbled, rolling her eyes. "No reason to worry at all."
"You have the second highest average in the class. Even if you fail to grasp the amino acids by tomorrow, I doubt you will finish this course with anything less than an excellent final grade."
"And you know this because…"
"Because I have the highest average and little else to do in lecture but observe the idiots around me. You are the only one who shows any promise at all. But you are completely wrong in your study techniques. Alphabetical memorization of the amino acids is ridiculous."
Molly took offense at that. She'd never been anything but a model student. She looked into the piercing eyes of the boy across from her ready to tell him to shove off only stopping when she realized that he seemed nervous. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't frowning either. The set to his jaw indicated that he was waiting for her negative reaction, prepared to take the rejection she was about to give him. It occurred to her that he hadn't meant to be cruel; he was being helpful in an almost clinical way. Molly chose to take another route and smiled at him. A broken smile stretched across his face in response, lighting up his eyes. It took Molly's breath away. He was gorgeous when he smiled.
"Okay, tell me more about these four groups of amino acids," she said softly.
"Right. First there are five with electrical charges – group A. Three positive – arginine, histidine, and lysine. Two negative – aspartic acid and glutamic acid…"
Molly listened raptly as the odd boy she'd never noticed before rambled on about chemistry for the better part of two hours. Occasionally she would interrupt with questions; sometimes he would answer directly, sometimes he would give her a curt dismissal. But she learned more about amino acids from him in that afternoon than she had in an entire semester of lecture. She thought briefly that she would listen to him tell her anything in that rich enthusiastic voice of his. He was brilliant. It was only when her stomach growled angrily reminding her she'd only had coffee today that they both grew silent.
"I can draw diagrams of caffeine all day, but I guess I can't survive on it alone," Molly laughed at her own weak joke. "I should take a break." She leaned back and stretched her arms above her head. The dark haired boy allowed his bright eyes to flick over her before giving a shake to his head and dropping his gaze to the table.
"Yes. Well, I think you now have a much better grasp of the material. I'll leave you to it."
He stood to leave and Molly realized she didn't even know his name. She also felt like she should find a way to really thank him.
"Don't go. Join me for something in the cafeteria. I want to repay you for your help today."
"It was nothing. I'm sure you'd not want my company, though, I'm not much of a conversationalist."
"Nonsense, we just spent the last two hours conversing," she quipped.
"Maybe some other time," he murmured, walking quickly toward the exit.
"At least tell me your name," Molly called after him.
Turning at the door he looked at her and smiled that broken smile again. "The name's Sherlock Holmes. Good luck on your exam, Molly Hooper." He winked at her and headed out the door before she found her voice.
"Thanks, Sherlock," she whispered. Molly looked at the papers in front of her covered in both of their messy scrawling notes letting a broad smile spread across her face. Organic chemistry might just be her new favorite subject.