paper cranes | ✔️

xxxvii.

the hugs,

the laughs,

everything we share together

means more than friendship to me

and i wish

that it didn't mean so little to you.

✕

"Yo, do you want to study after school? Me, you, Jasper, Minhee, and Jasmyn?" Toad asked, leaning on Mae's desk as she put everything in her backpack.

"Sure, I guess. Do you guys know if there's any place upstairs?"

"Yeah. Jasmyn, Minhee and Jasper are up there at a table already. I'm just waiting for you. And can you hurry up?" 

"Jesus, sorry. I'm coming," she replied, hoisting her backpack on her shoulders and they walked side by side, taking seats at the table when they reached. Naturally, Mae sat next to Jasper and Toad sat next to Jasmyn. Jasmyn looked at Toad in confusion, who winked in response. There was a loud shuffling of feet near them, and they saw Minhee running towards them with excitement.

"Let's do this shit!" she yelled as she sat and took out her studying materials. Jasper chuckled and shook his head, doing the same. Within moments, their excitement fizzled out and the calm atmosphere returned. Mae absentmindedly twirled a pen between her fingers, attempting to formulate answers for her calculus homework, but she couldn't concentrate. Her mind was occupied with thoughts of him and Minhee and almost nothing else. She let out a deep sigh and slapped herself on the cheeks lightly in an effort to get her back to her homework. 

Meanwhile, across the table, Toad seemed to be having his own trouble. And it wasn't with girls. He just had no idea what he was doing. Calculus didn't seem to be working out, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let go of his pride to ask anyone—especially Jasmyn— for help. 

"Toad, do you need help?" Jasmyn asked softly, turning to look up at him. And in that moment, his head nodded before he could even say no—something about her messy bun and her lopsided glasses suddenly captivated him. Red dusted his cheeks and he turned away from her to take a deep breath as she flipped through the textbook to find a way to teach him concepts. He made eye contact with Mae, who just smirked in response, to which he mouthed "shut up." He then turned back and listened to Jasmyn as she tried to explain L'Hôpital's Rule and Rolle's Theorem, and nodded occasionally when she prompted him about concepts. Meanwhile, Mae, Jasper, and Minhee were having their own mini study session, trying to help each other understand problems and application and everything else that calculus required them to know. 

Without warning, Jasmyn stood up, startling everyone else at the table. 

"It's 3:30 now, and I'm a little hungry. Is it okay if I go get ice cream? I'll get some for you guys as well."

"Uh, sure," Jasper replied, "can you get me chocolate? Minhee likes mint chocolate chip, so get her that."

"Mae?"

"Coffee ice cream. Thanks," Mae said, eyebrows furrowed. He remembers what Minhee likes, but not what I like. Even though I've gotten ice cream with him many times.

"Alright. Toad, come with me," Jasmyn said, dragging Toad by the wrist to the cafeteria to get ice cream. 

So now, it was just Mae, Jasper, and Minhee. Jasper and Minhee, who were still conversing about the impending exam, seemed to be in their own little bubble, as Mae continued scratching down notes and tried to pay attention to her textbook rather than whatever was going on there. But she couldn't help it.