𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐖 - Louis Partridge/ book 1, 2, & 3

8: Midnight Homework

After a long day, I bake chai sugar cookies with cinnamon-eggnog icing―they're like a hug in your mouth once you take a small bite. Baking calms me; it's kinda' stabilizing. It's what I do when I don't want to think about anything hard like, fake dating my best friend and not telling anyone; even my aunt. In baking, it requires very little from you (unlike the real world)―just follow directions and you end up creating something. It's like magic. Poof, deliciousness.

After midnight, I've set my cookies on a cooling rack and put on my most comfortable pajamas. I had my laptop below me, ready to watch Riverdale. I'm climbing into my bed when there's a knock at my window. I grabbed my pepper spray, which was on my nightstand, and opened the cap. I slid my curtains open to check if I locked my window. But I didn't―it's Louis!

To my relief, I was able to see him before even spraying him with pepper spray.

"Oh my God, Louis! What are you doing here?" I whisper, my heart pounding.

"And why did you pass through my window?"

Louis climbs in. He's wearing an oversized sweater over his pajamas. Taking off his sneakers, he grins and says, "Shh, I need your help with my math homework."

I run to my door and lock it. "Seriously, it's 1:43!"

I am equal parts panicky and nervous. I don't know if a boy ever went into my room. Louis probably has, and that was ages ago.

"Please? This is due tomorrow. And I insanely need your help."

I cross my arms because I wasn't wearing a bra.

Louis looks around and commented, "Nothing changed in your room." Then he took a glance at my laptop, "Riverdale? The musical episodes are killing me."

"I know." I chuckled from my closet and wore a sweater over instead of a bra.

Tucking my sweater, I asked, "So, what's this for? Ms. Smith?"

"Sure is." He sighed.

I looked at him in confusion wondering where his homework was, he didn't bring a backpack or at least a pen.

"Oh, right." Louis chuckles reaching through his pocket and hands me a paper that was folded into four quarters.

"This is your homework?"

"I was lazy enough to bring a backpack," he replies, nervously.

I shut my laptop close and brought my cookies with me to my desk.

"So, in factoring the difference of two squares, you have to find its greatest common factor first," I explained, pointing my pen on his paper.

"What did you bake today?" Louis interrupted.

"How did you know I baked?"

"You smell like butter and sugar." He chuckled.

"Here want some?" I offered, handing him a cookie.

"Now where were we?"

"Factoring the difference of two squares?" Louis reminded.

"Ok, so you have to follow this pattern which is― a2– b2 = (a + b) (a – b)"

He listened attentively.

I gave Louis an example and watched him answered to see if he understood everything I had discussed to him.

"You're a quick learner."

"You're a good tutor." He complimented.

I blushed but hid my cheeks for him not to see.

"I better get going then."

Taking a glance at my alarm clock, it was 3:08 in the morning.

"Yeah. You better."