𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 • 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤

nine

Thursday came far quicker than I had hoped, and to say I was not ready for this whole tutor thing with Colby was an understatement. I made a promise to myself that if he'd act like a douche again, I would just leave and he could fail his course for all I cared.

"I'm just gonna go study in the library while you're at football practice. It's too cold to be waiting in the bleachers anyways," I chuckled to Hero after school ended.

"You're such a nerd," he chuckled back. "Anyways, get to my car by the time my game ends, good? I don't wanna have to wait too long."

I rolled my eyes. "Noted. See ya later."

With a quick nod at me, Hero walked off and left me to go to the library. I sucked in a deep breath as I walked through the door, preparing myself for the next hour of two.

"You're late," Colby spoke up as I approached the table he was at. He was sitting in his chair with both his feet propped up on the table, tapping a pencil on his knee.

"Hold your horses, nerd. We said after school during football practice, so I waited for Hero to go leave for the dressing rooms so he wouldn't see me here with you," I replied, quite annoyed already.

He let out a cackle. "Who are you calling a nerd here, Arabella? Aren't you just that?"

"Well, dipshit, at least I'm not failing math," I retorted, pushing his legs off the table.

He just shook his head, and sat straight in his chair. "I can't fucking believe I actually showed up to this. I could've been somewhere more fun right now, like at a funeral."

"I'll get you your very own damn funeral if you don't stop being such a dick. Now, what of this fucking math stuff don't you get?" I sighed, looking at his book.

He chuckled. "Are you for serious? You should ask me about what I do understand if you don't want us both to sit here for the remainder of the century."

"Great," I responded flatly, internally deciding whether or not I could still run from this. I probably should've. "I don't even know where to start."

He looked down at the page in front of him and shook his head. "I don't know how the fuck you think you're going to get my brain to understand this, but I wish you luck because I have never been able to do math - and I will never."

I reached into my backpack and took out my notebook. I ripped out a page and scribbled something down onto it, then slid the page over his way. "Show me how you would solve this problem."

He raised his eyebrows and looked up at me. "By tearing it to fucking pieces, that's how."

I rolled my eyes. "The longer you stall, the longer we're gonna be here. And you really don't wanna have to drive me home again, because Hero left me behind."

"Got that right," he muttered and grabbed his pencil, jotting down whatever he thought was correct.

After an hour of watching this loser solve math problems, I came to the conclusion I had a lot of work to do. I don't know who taught this guy math basics, but they definitely did so wrong.

I raised my eyebrows as I packed my notebook away. "Well, at least I know where you're at now. Next Thursday?"

"I guess," he shrugged, tossing his math book into his backpack.

Without any further words, he stood up and walked out of the room, off to - what was probably - his car.

"Ungrateful piece of garbage," I grumbled and stood up as well, looking at a text I had just received.

[Messages]
Hero💩: i'm at the car man wya

I rolled my eyes and replied.

You to Hero💩: omw

I pushed both mine and Colby's chair back under the table and made my way to the parking lot. Hero was already in his car's driver's seat, going through his phone. He looked up as I stepped into the car. "Why are you late? Was it that Brock kid again? I just saw him leave."

"Huh? No, I was caught up in my math homework," I shook my head. "I didn't see him, maybe he was in detention."

"Probably," Hero shrugged and started the car. "Oh, also, mom texted me to tell us that dad and her are going to Austria during the winter holidays."

"And we can't come?" I asked, looking over at him.

He shook his head. "Don't think so. Anyways, since they'll be gone either way, what do you think about throwing a homeparty when we're alone?"

I frowned. "Mom and dad would kill us if they found out. Also, there's too much breakable shit in our house for that."

"They won't have to find out. We can lock the expensive stuff in a room," he replied. "Dad's office, maybe."

"I'm probably going to regret this, but we should do it," I said, looking over at him.

"Wait, really?" he chuckled. "Didn't know it was gonna be this easy to convince you."

"If they think they can skip the holidays meant to spend with family to go to Europe, we can throw a houseparty to make up for it."

"A revenge houseparty," he grinned. "I dig it. Anyways, Tyler and I were talking about it after practice and he invited us over to his house for Christmas."

"That's nice of him," I smiled. "I'll make sure to talk to him about it."

Hero nodded. "Yeah. Also, we have a football game in a couple of weeks so feel free to come watch."

"I'll consider it," I replied, watching as Hero entered the code to open the gate to our neighbourhood.

I wouldn't have ever admitted it to Hero, but I was secretly excited to throw my first party.

• • •

[Author's note]

i wrote this at three a.m. so if there's any mistakes,,,, please bare with me