You were hurriedly checking whether you had everything you needed in your backpack, mentally going over the things you needed for class. In your rush not to be late, you were barely paying attention to what was happening around you. You were so focused on making sure you hadn't forgotten anything that you didn't notice someone approaching from the opposite direction until you walked straight into him.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I—"
Recognizing him, you looked up at him, ready to apologize again. However, Dorrity simply smiled at you, with that calm of his.
"Hey, easy. It's fine."
He laughed softly, glancing at your open backpack.
"What are you doing? Checking for the fifth time that you have everything before class, or do you just like making a dramatic entrance?"
He gave you a mocking smile and tilted his head slightly.
You sighed, resigning yourself to your inevitable lateness, and adjusted your backpack on your shoulder. Then you looked up at Dorrity with a small smile, shrugging with feigned nonchalance.
"Honestly, I'm considering skipping class today. At this point, I'm going to be late anyway."
Dorrity raised his eyebrows, clearly amused by your answer. He crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly as a mischievous smile formed on his lips.
"Oh, yeah? And that's your brilliant solution? Skipping class?"
He let out a small laugh and shook his head, looking at you with feigned disapproval.
"I don't know what Niamh and Roisin would say if they knew you were here, conspiring with me to skip class instead of going to study."
He paused, glancing down the hallway before focusing his attention on you again.
"Although"
he murmured, bringing a hand to his chin as if seriously considering the idea.
"I suppose showing up twenty minutes late isn't exactly a victory either."
A lopsided smile appeared on his face as he gave you a light friendly nudge, and then he did not take his hand back.
"So here's the plan. You go in, and I walk in behind you, and when they ask, you tell them you were with me."
He holds the door open with his foot and waits for you to walk through it.