120 Days Left

XXI // CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

I paced back and forth around my room looking at the text Erica sent me. Should I tell someone?

What if I told someone and she finds out, then will one of my friends be in danger?

It's 3 p.m, Sunday noon. 

I just came back from driving Rose back to her house.. I tried to sleep everything off but I couldn't. I keep waking up various of times, all because of Erica.

I did everything, I wrote in my diary, tried to learn more Arabic, I can't get this off of my mind. I cannot wait until tomorrow to talk to her.

This was the most tiring weekend ever.

As I was pacing back and forth in my room, trying to piece together everything and trying to figure out what could she possibly want, I heard a loud "Hello!" then I was tackled to the ground.

Phoenix. of course.

"Get off of me you're crushing my bones" I said trying to get him off me. but he just kept his weight on me. 

"Why are you here?" I asked. "Tutoring session, forgot?" He said showing me a few school books and then getting up and helping me to stand.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry I forgot" I said while slightly face palming myself. "I was at your door for a solid minute watching you pace back and forth. you didn't even see me" He said while setting down his books.

"You were?" He was? then he nodded.

"Is this about Rose? she's safe now in her home. Nathan is there too so don't worry, sugar" He told me.

"Let's just not talk about that, please. We can start studying now.." I said, not wanting to think about anything that Erica has to do with.

We sat on my bed, and I grabbed his maths notebook. Running through it quickly, I saw how empty it was.

"Phoenix, this is not a math notebook. Almost nothing is written here" I told him and he just shrugged "Mr Serrano is too fast and I can't keep up with him" He has a point.

I got up and grabbed my notebook. Then started explaining the equations to him.

"Phoenix, we have a test on this tomorrow, if you don't score at least 85, I'll be upset" I told, knowing that it'll challenge him. This is our third tutoring session on maths.

"Oh please. I'll even get a 90 just trust me" He said and ran through the pages. 

"When you explain it, it feels like I'm connecting the dots. When Mr Serrano explains it, it feels like I'm drawing the dots on a blank paper and he wants them to be at a specific place without telling me anything" He continued.

"Glad to know that I'm helping. Now I want you to copy my notes then try to find the answers for these few problems" I told him, handing him my notebook and a paper filled with questions.

"I'm on it"

❍Rose Brooks POV ❍

The minute I got back home I went directly to my room.

I was planning on sleeping the whole day, but then I got in and saw Nathan sitting on my bed. With broken hands.

"Oh my god Nathan, what happened to your hands?" I asked frightened. "I punched that douchebag until I broke a couple fingers. It doesn't matter Rose, what matters is are you okay?" He said standing up and coming closer to me, brushing off the fact that he broke two fingers on his left hand and one on his right.