It was after school. Rory entered Mrs. Carter's class. She apparently had something to say real quick.

Rory entered, putting on his “pleasant face”.

“Hi, Mrs. Carter. Was there something you had had to say to me?” He asked in a silvery sweet way.

“Oh yes! I just wanted to congratulate you on your test score. It was a perfect score, and is the top percentage of our class,” Mrs. Carter exclaimed.

“Thank you, Mrs. Carter.”

“No problem dear! I'll see you tomorrow in class,” she said, grinning at him.

He moved out of the room quickly, wanting to get out of school.

“Corrin, can we talk, please? Don't walk away,” Mrs. Carter said sternly.

Rory looked over his shoulder. He hadn't even noticed that Corrin was there.

Corrin nodded slowly, then came over to her. Rory left the room normally, but stayed in the hallway, just a couple feet away from the door.

“Corrin I get that because of your medical condition, you can't always be here. But your grades are already failing… I just want you to study the concepts a bit more,” Mrs. Carter said softly.

Rory heard a pause, assuming that Corrin was nodding.

“Please, Corrin. I don't want you to fail my class. I know you have potential…”

Rory had struck a chord. An amazing idea had hit him.

What if I became Corrin's tutor? Then I'd get tons of insight on him!

Corrin went out the door. He looked at Rory straight in the eyes, as if he expected him to be there. He glowered at him, then he went on walking down the hallway.

“God if he finds out that I do research on him I'm fucking dead.”

Rory had high hopes for the plan and decided to execute it now.

“Hey Mrs. Carter, I am willing to open a tutoring session for extreme cases of low grades,” Rory said, confidence piquing in his tone.

“Ha! We have lunch school for that dear. But I guess there is one student… I was just talking to him. Corrin. Do you know him?” Mrs. Carter stated, completely oblivious to Rory's motives.

“Oh, I don't really know him. All I know is that he sits next to me in class. I didn't know that he was struggling…” Rory said, stressing his fake somewhat somber tone.

“Well, I hope he's okay with you. I'm sure he'll be fine with you since you're such a nice boy,” Mrs. Carter complemented sweetly.

“Thanks, Mrs. Carter. I'm just glad that I can help…”

Rory left Mrs. Carter's class skipping. He had finally got to the second step of research. All he had to do now was lay low, while he did field research on Corrin.

When Rory got home, Desirae was home already. Desirae was cooking some koshari for dinner. Which is one of Rory's favorite dishes; although he doesn't eat much.

Rory entered the kitchen smelling the warm familiar aroma of spices, and fried onions.

“Smells amazeballs Mom,” Rory said smiling.

“It's your favorite, so of course I have to make it good,” She replied, grinning equally as much.

The kids around her were loud and rambunctious. They circled the counter, picked at the rugs on the ground, opened the refrigerator every 0.5 seconds, and much more explosive activity. The only thing they stopped themselves from doing was climbing the counter.

That was absolutely forbidden. Desirae would not hesitate to murder you on spot for touching any of her prized creations. She loved her food as much as she loved Rory, which said a lot.

Rory bathed his senses in the kitchen. From the nostalgic smells to the laughter of children, he felt at peace, from the relief that he was getting somewhere with his research.

He proceeded to his room, after cleansing his head in the kitchen. He fell into his biggest pile of clothes lazily, grinning as he did. He didn't quite understand what made him so happy.

Rory threw himself up from his clothes pile. In the process of doing so, he abrasively jabbed his elbow into his metal bed frame.

“Ah FUUUUUU- That hurt!!!!!!” he whined.

He hopped up onto his feet furiously. Then he slipped through his messy ground, to his alarm clock.

“Christ it's four in the morning?”

He didn't have much to do at this hour, but knowing himself, if he went back to bed he'd for sure sleep over his alarm.

Rory put on a "clean" t-shirt from one of his heaps. Then he put on some cargo, green shorts. He went off to the bathroom. He flipped on the light, the light blinding him. He squinted in the light painfully, groaning.

He fluffed his hair, then swirled his toothbrush around his mouth, and then rinsed off his face with clean water.

Downstairs, He was actually alone this morning. He peered into the fridge, his eyes spotting the bread, wedged between the two food containers with liquid contents.

He wrestled out the loaf of bread, trying to stop the containers from totally falling onto the ground. With luck, he got it out.

He pulled out two slices of wheat bread, grabbed the seasoned chive bagel spread, and a butter knife. He toasted the bread, then smoothly rubbed the spread on its crunchy surface.

He ate each piece with delight, savoring the butter like taste and the texture of the bread.

After finishing the toast, he warmed up some koshari leftovers.

The morning went by bit by bit. He itched to go to school. All he wanted was for his plan to keep going with no stop points.

Even the train ride was very anticlimactic. Rory bobbed his foot against the ground, and his eyes wandered. Corrin was there, but there was no point in looking. He was still doing the same thing he did every day, for the last three weeks: toying with metal.

First period was about to begin. Rory sat in his seat, waiting for Corrin to walk into class. Mrs. Carter looked like she was waiting too, or at least to Rory's eyes.

Corrin came in slowly, his gaze elsewhere. Mrs. Carter gestured him over to her desk. Rory could practically make out the conversation from where he sat. He knew everything was going according to plan.

The bell chimed, echoing through Rory's head.

Yes! Class is over!

Rory beckoned himself to Mrs. Carter's desk. He stood there, trying to appear normal, although he was jittery on the inside.

“Corrin I wanted to discuss your grades with you further,” Mrs. Carter said, looking at him with good intentions, “Rory has decided that he's willing to tutor you. Since you're not always here to attend lunch school, I thought it'd be better if you could go at your own pace, with Rory.”

Corrin looked speechless. His eyes looked from Mrs. Carter to Rory, and back to Mrs. Carter.

“Um… Okay,” Corrin mumbled brusquely.

Rory hadn't ever heard Corrin's voice much, and hearing it now made him know he was doing something right.

“Great! I can't wait to see those A's Corrin!” She chuckled, giving them a warm smile.

Corrin nodded, then left without another word.

“I hope he gets along with you, he acts very weirdly around any sort of conversation,” she sighed.

“Me too…”

It was lunch time now. Corrin had been avoiding Rory, even more, all day. And the way he did it, was undeniably obvious.

The plan had started but stopped once again. Rory was grumpy, and on edge all day thanks to that “development”.

Rory played around with his koshari. He wanted to throw it at a wall and didn't have much appetite.

I need to calm down… I'm sure that Corrin will lighten up to me...eventually.

Rory sighed as he stared at his food. He shut the lid to his container and tossed it back into his lunch tote.

Rory turned around to chuck his empty chip bag into the trash. Rory pivoted around, ready to throw his bag when he saw Corrin.

The deli line was long today and Corrin happened to be in Rory's area, while he was in the line.

They had direct eye contact. Corrin couldn't ignore Rory now. Rory hoped that he would say something, or acknowledge him at the very least.

But Corrin just slowly nudged his head away. Rory was frozen in place from shock and knew that he looked like an idiot. Rory had no idea what he could do at that moment. He didn't want Corrin to think of him as the good samaritan, student council kid.

If he greeted him warmly and asked about meeting up tomorrow, he would seem self-righteous, and not genuine.

But if he gave him a wave, would the tensions soften between them, or would the estrangement still be there?

Corrin's look was away from Rory's now. His shoulders relaxed, and his face became tight with no emotion whatsoever.

Rory whirled his head back around, after gaining his senses. His cheeks flushed red, and his breaths were short and coarse. Rory went back to “eating”, trying to calm his shaken nerves.

What am I doing?

His face turned completely red, and his heart raced.

How am I gonna even function around him if I act like this? Like why the hell am I blushing?!

Lunch was over, and Rory was still flooded with emotions, empty thoughts, and many unanswered questions.

He filed out of the cafeteria, his head hung low. He trudged down the hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, Corrin was there.

He was panting a lot though, and he was clutching his chest.

Suddenly Corrin fell back.

Rory's hands extended out, stopping him from falling. He held his small shoulders tightly, in risk that Corrin may collapse.

“A-Are you okay?” Rory asked, his eyes wide.

“I… I'm...fine!” Corrin blurted.

Corrin tore himself from Rory's grip, stumbling away from him.

“Wait- Hey! Ugh… ‘You're welcome’! Weirdo.”

Rory was done with researching today, thinking of Corrin just frustrated him. It was the beginning of seventh period. Gym class only riled up Rory's anger even more. 

He's so damn anti-social! Not to mention a jerk-off. I save him from possibly fainting and then he thanks me by blowing up on me… how am I supposed to get anywhere with research, with someone like...him!

Rory shoved his gym shirt and shorts on. Then he stomped out of his section for roll call.

What a piece of sh-

Corrin tapped Rory's shoulder softly, trying to keep up his walking pace with his.

“Wha-”

Rory finally turned around to face Corrin.

“Look... I didn't mean to sound like a jerk when you caught me today… Sorry…” Corrin apologized, “But I'm asking you to forget what you saw. It's just part of my... condition. I'm not sick or anything- it's just...it's complicated.”

Rory had never heard him say so much in one “conversation”. Rory stood there processing his words for a second before responding,

“O-Oh… uh… it's okay…” Rory stuttered, the words getting clogged in his processor, “S-so… about the study thing-”

“Yeah… I'm free tomorrow after school. We can meet in the school library…” Corrin suggested his tone still nervous sounding.

“...C-Cool.”

Rory felt like the gravity on his head had melted away. The Corrin plan was finally getting somewhere, and Rory came to a resolution that Corrin wasn't so much of a jerk-off now.

Rory was pleased with all that he had got done with today. But he wasn't gonna stop there. He was going to dig even further into the hole.

He had to admit though, he was a little crazy.

Rory slipped into the counselor's office. They hadn't noticed him yet, but he had to get into the right office quick.

“Oh Melissa, did you get all of the files from Christopher?” Mr. Robinson asked.

“Oh let me check... “

Melissa Rodgers is Corrin's guidance counselor. I need to get in there before she gets over here!

Rory speed walked through the long narrow hallway. He skimmed the names of the doors until he came to the last door.

There!

Rory got in as silently as he could. He heard approaching footsteps; they were heels- heels that belonged to Ms. Rodgers.

Rory glimpsed around the room. It was small and very dark. He had no choice, but to curl up beneath her desk. He dropped on his hands and knees and crawled through the spacing between the desk and the wall, to get the back of the desk. He ducked under, then curled up the best he could. 

 Melissa entered the room unaware of Rory. She turned on the light and went to her desk. She pushed around papers on her desk. He could hear her struggling to find the right pile of papers.

She did find it eventually, but now she needed a pen. She went to go around her desk. sweat went down Rory's head, and his hands become clammy.

God, please don't see me…

Rory's head bumped against the top of the desk a little. But just enough for Melissa to hear.

“What the-”

“Melissa! Do you have the files?”

“Oh- Um… Yeah! I'll be out there in a minute!”

Melissa looked down at her desk suspiciously. Hesitantly, she left the room, files in hand.

That was too close…

Rory emerged from his hiding place, his back stiff from crouching for so long.

He went ahead into his filing cabinet. He searched through the drawer labeled “Students”.

He went through until he came up to Corrin's file.

Bingo.

Vega sauntered down the street a BLT in his mouth, and K-pop music blasting in his eardrums. He came to the front of Rory's house. He sat on the front steps, laying back and spreading out his arms. He sat there, enjoying the blazing heat, and BTS music pumping in his ears.

Rory came to the front steps, seeing Vega was there.

“Perfect.”

He came up to him, a grin spread wide on his face.

Vega pulled out his earphones and looked up at Rory's satisfied stance and gleaming smile.

“Oh my god. What did you do?”

“A lot. I'll tell you, let's go inside.”

“Nah. I just got comfy.”

“I'll give you all of my Cheetos if you do asshole,” Rory enticed.

“Oh goodie. I can't believe that you'd actually go as far as to bribe me, just to tell me about a boy,” Vega said, scorn in his voice.

“He's not normal dumbass. So he's not just a boy,” Rory snapped.

“Chill Flaming-Hot-Cheeto. Why are you so on edge?”

“Shut the door.”

Vega closed the door behind him, then moved over to the couch.

“So what's the big breakthrough?”