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Rose always disliked Chemistry. She managed to pass it in the previous years, but it was tough for her. This year it was even worse. The teacher changed and the material was difficult. To make things worse it was the most important year for her. She wanted to study history of art at uni and the teacher told her that if she doesn't pass the exam well enough she can forget about the scholarship.
Rose needed the scholarship a lot. Jackie raised her as a single mother and she did it brilliantly. Rose always had a roof over her head and what to eat, but they weren't rich. Art school was her dream and she worked hard to fulfill it. She couldn't let Chemistry destroy it.
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There was no money for a tutor, the Internet and textbooks weren't exactly helping much and the exam date was in two weeks.
"Maybe you will ask James for help?" Said Shareen when they were walking back home from school one day.
"You mean James Noble?" Asked Rose.
"Yeah, you know he is a genius. He is the best in the class, maybe he would help you."
"Come on, Shareen! You know he doesn't like me. He seems to be friend with everyone, but he doesn't even talk to me." Replied Rose.
"I think you should try anyway," said Shareen. "The worst he could do is walk away without a word." She shrugged.
"Okay, I'll try tomorrow. What can I loose."
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The next morning after the Chemistry class, Rose was waiting for James in front of the classroom. When he saw her, he looked away and went in the other direction.
"James!" Called Rose walking after him. "James, please stop!"
James stopped in place, but he didn't turn to her.
"Hey, thanks! I'm Rose. Rose Tyler, I see that you don't want to talk to me, but I'm in need and I don't know who else could I ask for help," she stopped for a moment trying to guess if she has his attention or not. His gaze was somewhere on her forehead, so she continued. "There is this Chemistry exam in two weeks and I have to pass it if I want to get scholarship, and there is so much material that I don't know where to start. Could you help me with it? I'd be forever grateful and the chips are on me."
James stood motionless for few seconds and then he nodded.
"Thank you!" Squealed Rose. "Meet me tomorrow after your classes in the library. Thank you, thank you, thaaaaank you!"
"No problem." Mumbled James and walked away.
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The next day Rose was sitting in the library waiting for James to join her. He was 15 minutes late and she was just going to walk away when he came out of breath to the library.
"I'm so sorry! Mr Baker stopped me after the class. I told him I have no time, but he wasn't listening. I'm sorry, so sorry!" Said James while catching his breath.
"Heeeey! You can talk, I was wondering." Said Rose with a smile. James blushed and dropped his head. And then she continued. "It's not a problem, really. It's good that you finally appeared. Don't worry."
He smiled tightly at her and said. "Let's do a test and after it I'll see on what we have to concentrate. Is this okay?"
"Yeah that's brilliant." She replied.
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Rose and James met every day after school for the next two weeks. James really was a genius and a brilliant tutor he was getting quite passionate while talking about Chemistry and this was in fact the only time when he talked much.
It rarely happened that Rose managed to draw him into a conversation about something else. Once he found out that she likes pears more than bananas. And he gave her a lecture about why bananas are better than pears. ("Bananas are good," he said. "Always take a banana to the party, Rose Tyler.) The other day Rose associated the chemical substance with a paint component and they talked about art for few minutes. But every time he stopped suddenly with an 'anyway' and went back to the business.
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After these two weeks Rose knew that she can and understands much more. But she was still afraid if she will pass it with a good mark. James told her that he is sure that she will do brilliantly, but she wasn't as sure as he was. She wrote the exam, but still wasn't certain how it went. She didn't want to speculate.
The results came after a week, Rose squeaked with joy when she saw a 'B' on her work. 'B' was a good enough mark, wasn't it?
After the class, Rose again was waiting for James just like three weeks ago. When he came out from the class she run to him and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, James! I'd never manage to do this without you. Thank you so much." It hit her then that he was standing awkwardly with his arms hanging limply. She released him then. "Sorry, I just wanted to thank you. It means a lot that you spent your free hours helping me when you clearly don't even like me, you are a good colleague."
She smiled at him one more time and was turning around when he grabbed her by the arm. "What do you mean I don't like you?" He asked confused, frowning adorably.
"What I mean is that you let me know quite clearly that you don't like me and you don't want interact with me. Look, you always talk to every one, you make friends whenever you go, and the first time you actually said something to me was when I asked you for help," She shrugged and added. "That's okay, you helped me anyway and wasn't mean to me, I can't make you like me, but on the other hand I think we could be brilliant friends. That's a shame."
James put his hand in his hair and pulled at them, still holding Rose's arm with his other. "No, no, no, no! You got it all wrong! I'm so stupid. Look Rose, the thing is I like you. And when I say that I like you, it means that I like you like a lot." He stopped and swallowed audibly, then continued. "I have no problems with talking to people, Donna even says that I was talking in the womb, and that's why we were preterm infants, because she couldn't stand it alone anymore and wanted to get out."
Rose laughed at this and he smiled back at her. He had a beautiful smile she observed. Then James continued. "What I'm trying to say is that you are taking my words away. God, that's sounds cheesy! But it's true. I don't know how to speak when I see you, and I'm afraid I'll make a fool of myself, and it seems I already did, while trying not to, and..." He stopped when he heard Rose giggle.
She looked at his confused face and giggled even more then asked. "James, do you have a crush on me?"
James' eyes widen and he swallowed again. "Well, maybe?"
Rose tongue-smiled at him and said. "Well then, I'm pretty sure I owe you chips. James Noble, what would you say about a date with me?"
"Molto bene!" He said with a smile.
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After years of being together, Rose still was teasing him that if not for her, he would never gather the courage to talk to her. He would sulk adorably, and then stop her attempts to further embarrass him with a kiss.