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ᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪɴ didn't speak much after that first meeting, despite their desks being right next to each other. He knew she didn't like him, so he decided he wasn't going to bother trying to get her to. They only had a significant conversation when their teacher found out it was going to be very windy later on in the week and decided to have the class make weather vanes.
The teacher made some stuff for them earlier that weren't considered appropriate for first-graders to do, but there were still things the students could do themselves. One of the things they had to do was placing the straw with the cardboard lying down on their finger and move it until it doesn't fall. It could be his jockey instincts kicking in at a young age because he knew how to balance it on the first try.
Min, on the other hand, wasn't getting it as easily as him. With each failed attempt, she looked more frustrated in herself. Ace had heard adults say to help others when they saw they needed it, so he said, "I can help you!" and moved her straw so it balanced for her.
He had been expecting Min to look happier, but she looked more annoyed. His younger self couldn't figure out why she hadn't just said she didn't want his help.
Ace was going to apologize when her face calmed down. She asked, "How do you do that?"
"You move it."
She looked at him like he was stupid. Although, in his defence, not a lot of first-graders were thinking about the science behind balancing a straw. "Science. How do you use science for this?"
"I don't. I move it," he repeated.
Min huffed, clearly already done talking to him. The next step needed the teacher's help because it involved pins, and she got off her chair to get their teacher. Before she left, she said, "Thank you."
Ace couldn't think of anything to say, so he ended up asking, "Do you want to play at recess?"
From her face, he thought Min was going to say no. Then, she said, "Okay," and left to get their teacher.
That simple answer had brightened Ace's day. He had finally gotten someone to play with at recess. From what Min told him, she had only said yes then because it felt rude to say no after he helped her. She was glad she didn't say no, so that made the two of them.
