Time

2;

The time I offered to help Esther with her homework.

Esther had been at our school three weeks now and I had slowly gotten to know her. She was really quite shy until she finally came out of her shell one afternoon in science when I partnered with her to use a Bunsen burner.

My friends didn't really know what to make of her, and the girls didn't really like her - to me, I think they felt threatened because Esther is gorgeous, and I couldn't help but feel like I'd maybe developed a little crush on her.

Nothing huge just, a little something. She has a lovely smile and a contagious laugh that always makes me laugh - no harm in enjoying her company.

I was sat at lunch with everyone when I saw Esther walk in, she looked flustered holding several books so I waved her over.

At first I could tell she was trying to ignore me because I was with my friends, they hadn't been the nicest to her but I didn't care, I wanted to know why she was so frustrated.

She sheepishly approached our table and I saw the girls eye her up and down.

"What's the matter?"

She shakes her head as she slowly sits beside me, trying to shield herself from the looks of my friends.

"Nothing, it's okay."

"You don't look okay,"

She swallows. "I just have a lot of homework and I'm stressing about getting it all in,"

I hear someone scoff but I ignore them. "I can help you, after school.. If you want to?"

"Harry mate, we're going cinema after school - remember?"

I look over at my friends who were looking at me expectantly but I shrug. "I can always get the film on dvd," I turn back to Esther. "Wait for me after school, okay?"

She brushes some hair behind her ear and casts her eyes down. "Okay, thank you."

I smile. "You're welcome," I could hear my friends mumbling on the table but I didn't really care. I'd rather help Esther than go see a film I wasn't that interested in anyway.

. . .

"What was that at lunch?" Nathan, a friend of mine asked as we slowly walked to class.

"What was what?" I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Blowing us off for the new girl,"

I roll my eyes. "She's called Esther, she's been here nearly a month she's not new and there's twelve of you going, you don't need me there."

Nathan looks shocked, as if he wasn't expecting me to respond like that. "Do you like the new girl?" He smirks.

"Why does it matter?"

He shrugs, the smirk still on his face. "It doesn't, I just haven't seen you ever offer to help someone with homework before,"

"If she needs help I'm okay with giving her some, I'm a nice person, that's what nice people do," I walk off before he could reply and head straight into maths, I wasn't really bothered what him or the others thought of me helping out Esther, it's my friend not theirs.

. . .

"..So you tick all three boxes for this one as the answer could be any of them, you understand that a bit better now?"

Esther smiles. "Yeah, I do thanks." She ticks all three boxes before turning the page.

We had been in the library for around half an hour now. There was just us and a couple other people left.

"So why did you move here?" I'd been wanting to ask but I hadn't ever really had the chance, we only really talked about science or we said hi and bye when our paths crossed.

She rolls her eyes. "Dad got a new job, mum wanted to live out of the city,"

"Where did you live before?"

"Manchester,"

I nod.

"Did you have many friends back home?"

She looks away. "I had one friend, Anna. I still talk to her now.. but she was my only friend."

"Cool," I smile.

My phone rings for the third time and I silence it once again.

"Harry if you really need to be somewhere else you don't have to stay, i'm okay with the homework now."

I shake my head. "My friends kind of annoy me anyway,"

She frowns. "But they're you're friends,"

I nudge her. "You're my friend too,"

She smiles and it makes me so happy that I get to be the one who makes her smile like that.

"Your friends don't really like me, do they?" She blushes writing down an answer.

I shrug. "They don't really like anyone, I wouldn't take it personal, they aren't special."

She nods and smiles before turning back to the homework. And I couldn't help but think that offering to help her was the best decision I'd ever made so far.