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JAKE ──────────── ' jake's never-ending saga of internal turmoil '
— "THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY, make sure you read pages 17 to 25!" Mrs. Leon, Jake's geography teacher, attempted to shout over the bustle of chairs and synchronized zipping of backpacks. Being sandwiched into the exiting crowd, Jake soon found himself in the hallway, where every class door was flooded with students trying to get out and finally go home.
Jake followed the flow of traffic as he descended down the third-floor staircase to the main foyer. His overgrown hair poked his eyes as his body was jostled through the impatient teens, and despite his shared desire to go home and feel his mattress sink beneath his body, Jake's feet guided him against the grain of the hallway congestion as he beelined for a distant objective, completely opposite of the main doors.
Like he did most days, Jake soon found himself being able to walk in a straight line without being elbowed in the ribs by fellow students as he stepped into the library. The familiar wooden aroma wrapped him up in serenity as he walked around, looking at the bars on his phone to see where the best reception was.
He nestled down at a table in the back where he had nearly full bars and awaited the arrival of his company for the afternoon, Saya.
He shoved an AirPod in his ear to drown away the time, focusing on his own work in the hopes of being able to give his friend his full attention.
Three or four minutes later, a condensation covered bottle of grape soda was placed right above his geography textbook, a freshly manicured hand wrapped around the plastic. Jake pulled the earbud out and smiled brightly at the girl nestling into the chair in front of him.
"G'day, Jake!" Saya cheered, exaggerating her already prominent Australian accent. An Outback hat was placed on her head, and she tipped the brim to Jake before taking it off and placing it on the empty table space beside them.
"Why were you wearing that?"
"The drama club was getting rid of a bunch of old costume pieces," She answered, pulling out her science notes and textbook. "But that's completely unrelated— I bought it off the cashier at the convenience store for two bucks and a Boost Juice punch card."
Before Jake could comment on Saya's transaction, she slammed a seven-centimetres thick workbook onto the table, startling the boy so badly all the words he strung together in his mind had been jostled out of order. Saya leaned forward on the book, grinning as she asked where they should start.
It took a while to get a hang on the whole 'tutoring' thing, but soon enough Saya was receiving the information normally as if it was an average class. Jake went through every sub-topic in detail, making sure to periodically check that Saya was understanding what he was saying. Whenever the girl's eyebrows furrowed and her lips parted with questions she didn't know how to ask, Jake would backtrack and simplify or explain the concept again until Saya's eyes lit up with realization as everything clicked together.
