Teach Me Something // LH44

Chapter Two

Gigi's POV

"Hey Kaiden," I say smiling as I get around to the purple table's group and find the blonde boy already staring up at me instead of with his eyes on the worksheet in front of him. I'm expecting to have to answer a question on the work in front of him given the way he's been slowly watching me make my way around the room to their table so I'm surprised when that's not what he was wanting me over for.

"Hi Miss Hart," he responds sweetly and I can't help but smile at his toothy grin as I lean down to check his work, seeing that he's gotten everything on the worksheet correct so far. "Can I do a show and tell this week?" He asks when I begin to move on and I stop in place as I think it over. Kaiden had returned to normal after a slightly sleepy Monday which is probably why the question was coming a bit late into the week, especially seeing as the girl at the table next to his, Penelope, was meant to be bringing in her hamster tomorrow for it. "I thought I could show some photos and videos from Italy."

"Aw Kaiden, that would be nice. I guess we can have two this week. Penelope can go in the morning and then if everyone is good, you can go at the end of the day?" I suggest, leaving excited chatter in my wake as I move on, mentally thankful that it likely meant ten minutes less that I needed to plan. I continue moving around the room, stopping to help another kid with their workbook, their dyslexia getting in the way of being able to do it as easily as the other kids.

When I arrived home that night I was not surprised to find Jenny wasn't there yet, knowing that today was one of her office days, and often that results in her getting drinks in after work. In her absence, I decide to get settled on the sofa and pick up my phone with the bolognese I'd pulled out of the freezer last night. After procrastinating for a bit, I eventually give in and press dial on the number I probably should have called at the weekend but had convinced myself that I was too busy to call. Now my time was running low and I knew I needed to talk to him even if he wasn't going to want to talk to me.

"Hey, you've got Niall. I can't get to the phone right now but if you leave me a message, I'll make sure to call you back as soon as I've vanquished all white-walkers from the land we call Scotland," the voicemail predictably plays and I sigh as I close my eyes and let my head fall back. I don't know why I was imagining that he might pick up but I guess I was just hopeful. Maybe naively so but I push it to the back of my mind as the beep pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Hey Niall, I was just calling to check in on how you were doing. I hope life over the wall is going well and you're feeling more settled. I saw the weather was getting worse in Scotland so I wanted to make sure that you were doing okay up there. It's still bloody warm down here but I think it'll be cooling off soon. Anyway, I'll save the rest of the update for when you call me back. I love you and just please call me back when you get the chance and no, calling me during school hours doesn't count so don't try that again," I tell him before clicking the phone call off and melting further in the sofa as I try and figure out what else I want to do now.

I end up just doing the marking that I didn't manage to do at school while I wait for Niall to call me back and being the evasive little fudgestick that he is. Conveniently my little brother decides to wait until he knows that I plan to go to bed and so it's 10:30 as I'm brushing my teeth that I finally hear my phone ring. I pick it up as I finish brushing my teeth and can hear the steady beat of the nightclub on the other end of the phone before I say anything.

"Hey Gigi - this is me calling you back," the deep voice comes through the phone with little warmth or clear interest in talking to me made clear.

"Hey, how's it going?" I ask, grabbing my moisturiser as I press the speaker button, hearing the sigh in his voice as the club beat continues going in the background. I knew he didn't exactly look forward to my check-ins but I wasn't aware that I was this far removed from happiness for him.