Complications

She Said No

~Austin~

"So what are you planning this year?" Nick asked me.

He was talking about his birthday. I talked to Riley about having it at her house. I don't know why I just didn't ask one of the guys to have it, but she already said she would think about it so why not.

"I have a plan."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Um no? It's a surprise party dumbass."

"Well there goes the surprise part." he mocked.

"Shut up." I said as we walked to class. I took my usual seat in the back and Nick sat next to me. Right now we were in English class and we were talking about some book that we were reading in class.

I didn't understand how some kids could just sit here all day and actually learn something. Like Riley. How does she do it? I don't understand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay read this." Riley pointed to the top of the page of the book we are reading in English which I now learned is Romeo and Juliet.

"Romeo, Romeo, where for art..." I stopped I didn't know the next word. This was not english. So why am I learning it? "I don't know this word." I confessed.

"Thou." she pronounced it slowly and then explained what the sentence meant. I was bored out of my mind. I could hear her speaking but I wasn't listening. I noticed that when she was trying to solve something out of her own homework that she would chew on the eraser of her pencil. I've seen kids do that a lot and I don't understand. I think it's absolutely gross. But when I saw Riley doing it I thought it was sort of cute. Maybe it's just a nerd thing.

"Do you get it now?" She asked breaking my thought.

"Get what?"

"Austin! Are you even listening to me?"

"Uhh...yes?"

"It has been almost 3 weeks since I started tutoring you. Have you learned anything?" She was getting fed up with me.

"Yeah, actually I have."

"Like what?"

"I know how to do the simple equations in math. The operation thing."

"Order of operations?" She asked.

"Yeah that!"

"Okay, I'll give you credit for that. But those are easy. If you want to get through this year and graduate then you need to learn a hell of a lot more."

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How do you sit in class everyday and actually learn this shit?"

"I don't know. I guess I have a longer attention span than people like you?"

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"No, just saying that some people learn things slower. Others learn things very slowly. Like you!" She smirked.

"Okay, okay I see how it is. But I am going to prove you wrong. I'm going to graduate with you."

"I never said you weren't going to graduate."

"But you were thinking it."

"Austin, I think you can do it. I believe in you." she said honestly. I never thought that a nerd could believe in someone like me. We're so different and I don't know how she can teach me at such a slow pace.

"Thanks Riley...that actually means a lot."

She smiled at me and went back to working. She gave me a few math problems to do and did her own work.

"So did you think about having that party?" I asked getting bored with math.

"Yeah I've thought about it." she admitted.

"Really?! So will you do it?"

"I don't know...I don't think it's a good idea."

"Please."

"Austin, I can't."

"But Riley! The party needs to be next weekend. I already planned everything and I just need someone's place to have it at! Everyone else's parents are going to be home."

"What makes you think my mom won't be home?"

"Doesn't she always have meetings anyways? She's never home when I come over. I've only met her once and like you said it's been almost 3 weeks."

"Austin no. I'm sorry." she said. I could tell by her tone that she felt bad. I really needed somewhere to have it, but she wasn't giving in. I had to ask someone else.