Chapter One

In the early morning before her last freshman final at Finch University, the narrator studies psychology with friends Anika Johnson and Taylor Jewel. They take dance breaks to fight exhaustion, bicker about studying habits, and joke about Taylor’s event-planning texts. The narrator plans a quick nap before the afternoon exam.

She oversleeps but squeezes in more studying and skips meals, surviving on Cherry Coke. The psychology exam is as difficult as expected, but the narrator feels she’ll manage a B, while Taylor is relieved not to have failed. They part ways too tired to celebrate.

Returning to her dorm, the narrator finds Jeremiah asleep in her bed, clutching her stuffed polar bear. They greet sleepily, and Jeremiah offers the rest of his sandwich, worried she’s been skipping meals. They fall back asleep, comfortable in their easy intimacy.

Upon waking, the narrator reflects on their history: childhood friends who slipped naturally into dating before her senior year. She admits she applied to Jeremiah’s college partly to stay near him. Now a sophomore and freshman, they lie together, and she marvels at how inevitable and right their relationship feels.