Pictures of You [M. C.]

6

(Song for this chapter: "Low" by: Sleeping With Sirens)

Calum and I manage to make it to our first hour on time for once. We actually get there early and are the first ones in the classroom. I take my seat and pull my math book out of my bag and finish a couple problems I forgot to do last night.

After I got home from Michael's I took a shower then crawled into bed and finally slept the whole night without waking up once. I also ate a full breakfast this morning when I woke up. And even though it's only first hour, today is a good day.

Soon the rest of the class files in, taking their seats and having conversations. I don't pay attention to any of it until and unfamiliar person slides into the empty seat next to me. I turn to look at them and am greeted by bright green eyes and a small smile.

"Michael? What are you doing? I didn't think you were in this class."

He shrugs. "I asked to be switched," he says with a wink. I roll my eyes at him and focus on the front of the classroom where Mrs. Bell is starting the discussion for today.

"Okay, class, please settle down. Today we are going to do quiet work. I'm behind on grading your last test so please use the class time to do tonight's homework. And if you finish that, it would be a good idea to get started on tomorrow's homework as well. All the assignments are written on the board. If you have any questions, please raise your hand and I will help you. But please keep it quiet."

The class murmurs their approval and start working. I go back to the work I was doing when I first sat down and quickly finish the last problem. I then start working on the problems for tonight. They're pretty simple and I can tell it won't take any time at all. There are only ten problems and they all require little work.

Twenty minutes into class and I finish the ten problems and am about to start Friday's when I hear Michael let out a frustrated sigh followed by a few curses.

I look to the back of the room to make sure Mrs. Bell isn't paying attention then lean toward Michael. "Would you like some help?"

"No," he snaps, not bothering to look at me.

"Fine. I was just trying to be nice," I mumble. I tear out a sheet of paper from my notebook and start the next homework, ignoring another string of curses from Michael. The work takes me a total of fifteen minutes and I'm done. I glance at the clock and see I still have another thirty minutes of class left. Now what?

Out of math to work on, I pull a book out of my bag to read and sit back in my chair, getting more comfortable. I see Michael give me a glare out of the corner of my eye but chose to ignore him. But before I can even read a page, Michael throws his pencil down and runs his hands through his hair. Even though he was a jerk to me earlier, I can't stand to watch him like this.

Instead of asking if he wants help like before, I slide his paper in front of me and look for his mistakes. And when I find it, I understand why he's so upset: he's using the wrong formula. So I take his pencil, that is now sitting in front of me from when he threw it, and erase the original formula and replace it with the correct one. I then slide the paper back to him and continue reading, without saying a word. Michael looks shocked, but he stays silent. I glance at him as he goes back to the problem and figures it out this time.

"Thank you," he mutters almost inaudible. I smile but pretend I don't hear him. This continues the rest of class. Michael would get stuck on something and I would help him, without asking. Then he would work the problem correctly and go on to the next. By the time the bell rings, signaling the end of class, Michael managed to finish tonight's homework and get a good start on tomorrows.