ROCK BOTTOM ~ Rafe Cameron // OC // JJ Maybank

THREE.

Rafe guessed correctly on one thing. Bexley wasn't good at math.

Because, if she was being completely honest, she technically was a high school drop out. Bexley went to the public high school on The Cut until one month into her sophomore year.

That's when the incident happened.

Bexley had to start working then. It's been non stop ever since. At first, her mother did try finding online lessons that Bexley could print out at the library to do, so that she could keep up her education, but it only last a a month or two.

So honestly, Wheezie was already a lot better at math than she was.

"This is eighth grade math," Wheezie said, with a laugh. "Are you a high school drop out or a middle school drop out?"

It was Bexley's fourth day or tutoring Wheezie. Things had been fine at first. She was good at it. Then they started to getting into things more advanced, things Bexley couldn't remember.

"I think they, um, changed the way they do things," Bexley tried to say. "Since I was there."

Wheezie was a funny girl. She liked to laugh, and she like to joke. Unfortunately, Bexley was the butt of the joke a little too much.

"They changed it?" Wheezie asked, sarcastically. "Math in general?"

The two of them were sitting at the table on the back patio of the Cameron house. They had a beautiful backyard, and an even more beautiful view of the water. But her stress didn't let her enjoy it.

Wheezie had her math book open in front of her, and Bexley had her own scrap paper used to try to figure these problems out.

Bexley ran a hand through her hair.

"I used to be good," Bexley tried to say. "Freshmen year, I got all straight A's in school."

Wheezie tilted head. "Is that the last year you went to school?"

Bexley sighed. In the last few days, Wheezie had chatted so much, Bexley knew almost everything about her. She figured she might as well let the girl in a little bit. "The last full year."

"And why did offer to tutor me?" Wheezie asked her. "Since you don't know anything."

"I know stuff," Bexley defended herself, quickly. "But, I just needed a second job, okay?"

"Why?"

Bexley sighed. Wheezie was just as nosy as her brother. "To pay my house bills."

Wheezie shrugged. "Why don't your parents pay them?"

Bexley played with the pencil in her hand for a moment. Her eyes fell to the ground. "I don't have parents. Just my mom."

Complete unfazed by her admittance, she asked, "Where's your dad?"

Bexley looked back up at the girl. "We need to keep working. Let's do this assignment before your mom gets back, okay?"

"Rose is not my mom," Wheezie said, surely.

Bexley sighed. "Let just try to finish, okay?"

"I'll try," Wheezie told her. A playful smile grew on her face. "You can just sit there since, you know, I know more than you at this point."

Wheezie looked back down at her workbook. Bexley felt a flood of both humiliation and shame. She was right.

"Hey there, Sneezie."

Bexley turned to see Sarah Cameron approaching the back porch. Topper was right behind her. Sarah came up to her younger sister, ruffling her hair.