Our Way Home

Chapter 8

I wake up to another text from Tyler.
// your ankle doing okay? // I text back almost immediately.

\\ better now it was just a small sprain, not anything serious but thanks for asking \\

// that's good and you're welcome //
There's that minor part of me that likes little texts from him like this. I guess it's the thought that he cares so much that makes me happy. Still unable to confidently say we're friends just yet.

Today I'm meeting up with my first tutor. Either I'll like him or hate him. Ninety-nine percent is sure I'll hate him which I was right.
When I walk into the empty classroom I see Jared Riverton sitting on top of a desk bored out of his mind.

"YOU?!" I yell.

"Let's get this over with sweetheart. Cause you and I both know neither of us doesn't wanna be here."

"I cannot believe this. The one guy that I loathe the most is helping me with algebra."

"ARE YOU COMPLAINING?!" He yells at me.

"And what if I am?!"

"Listen you spoiled diva I don't wanna be here any longer than I have to be. So just shut up and cooperate with me for a few hours. That's all I'm asking." I sigh.

"Fine but only cause I want to get into a decent college." I slam my backpack on a chair.
It's just a few hours without killing each other how hard can it be?

"It was you wasn't it? The one who put that note in my locker?" He freezes but doesn't say anything which most likely answers my question.

One hour into the lesson I try to look for anything to make small talk with. Then I shoot a glance at his backpack with a bakugou keychain.

"I see you're a person of culture."

"And? You gonna say something stupid bout it?"

"No no I'm very cultured myself." I lean forward a bit. "So...who's your favorite character?"

He gives a death glare. "Isn't it obvious?"
I snort. "It's cause he's a spiky explosive Pomeranian boy like you am I right?"

"What? NO! What the heck are you even talking about you idiot?" I slam the table with my hand.

"Pfft, your expressions are hilarious."

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Can you stop changing the subject and just focus please?"
I make a devilish smile.

"Baaaaaaaaaka." I laugh and he bonks his head on the table.

"This is my worst nightmare."

"Also isn't that headband with a symbol thingy from Naruto?"

"Wow, almost everything you just said was wrong. You're obviously not cultured if you don't know what that is."

"Okay, I'll admit I haven't seen it it's just too long in my opinion."

He scoffs. "That's the whole point."
He hits his pencil on the worksheet in front of me.
"Focus." My eyes are getting droopy from all these numbers and letters. Why is this even a thing?

"How's that ankle doing for you?" I look up.

"How do you know about that?"

"Nothing, never mind." I hear a mutter under his breath but I can't understand it.

"Even though I hate to say it, you're not as bad as I thought you were."

"Is that a compliment? That makes me feel so much better. You're not too bad either."
It was very faint but I thought I saw a crooked smile on his cold emotionless face.

****

As soon as I flop on my bed Tyler texts me again.
// How was your day? //

\\ guess who's my new math tutor \\

// you know there's like a good 300 hundred people in our school right? //

\\ haha Jared Riverton \\

// I have that guy in my English class not very friendly tho //

\\ He's not at first but he's actually not as heartless as everyone thinks he is \\

// still you shouldn't get too close to him I have a feeling he's gonna backstab you sooner or later //

\\ funny he told me the same thing about you \\

// did he really? //
What do I even reply to something like that? I don't know who to believe anymore. Maybe I just need some time to think all of this over.
// you still there? //

****

"Hey did you hear me?"
I jolt back to reality.

"Sorry, what'd you say?"

Bella takes a sip of her coffee. "Gosh, I swear you're in a different universe sometimes. I said that the school is doing a field trip to Times Square instead of the festival this year."

"Why'd they cancel it?"

"I guess they didn't have the budget for it or maybe the school thought we'd rather go to something we'd actually enjoy."

"But that would cost almost the exact amount."

"Yeah, I know. But hey! Now you can ask what's his name to sit next to you on the bus."

"About that, I don't know if our friendships gonna last any longer." She chokes on her coffee.

"Excuse me? why the heck not?"

"Now that me and Tyler have crossed paths it just feels like there's nothing that can pull our friendship closer together. Maybe it's the anxious part of me that's talking but I can't see us being more than friends."

She looks at me with a sad expression.
"I think you're letting it get over your head. Did you not consider his feelings at all? What if he genuinely wants to be your friend maybe even more than a friend? What then?"

"Then I'll have to reject him. After what he did I don't think I can forgive him. He hasn't given me a proper apology. It's not something I can just forget."

"I know Miley. But you're not gonna make it through life if you don't take any chances."

Those words seemed to replay in my head all night. It was then I made a decision that might have changed my entire life.