Chapter 42: So Much for Self-Control

With Nicole's help, we eventually managed to make decent progress on Professor Thompson's material. What had taken me the better part of an hour to explain to Jackson became considerably easier once Nicole started helping, and she somehow managed to do it without making him feel stupid for not getting it in the first place.

At one point, Jackson leaned back in his chair after finally working through a particularly troublesome problem and stared at the page as though it had personally offended him.

"Honestly, I wish you were the one teaching this course, Professor Collins."

Nicole smiled. "I'm sure Professor Thompson would be delighted to hear that."

I laughed a little. "I'm sure he'd just find a way to make us suffer for it during his next lecture."

Jackson chuckled too, but then shook his head. "I'm serious, though. You explain things so much better."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Nicole replied, looking amused.