Mika had pulled a desk up to Gen’s so they didn’t have to share one space. He had his notebook and calculator out on his while Gen had the text open to the section they were studying. Something about equations and different formulas used to figure them out…I really need to be paying attention more. He had his own graphing calculator out and set up to punch in the formula they would be needing on this assignment.

Mika pointed at it. “You remembered it today,” he said.

Gen nodded. “My sister put it in my bag last night.” 

“You have a sister?”

He nodded again. “Older, yeah. She sometimes acts like my mom, though, which is annoying.”

Mika laughed. “I’m the oldest, so I couldn’t say how that would feel.”

Gen blushed slightly. Laugh again…please. “S-so, what are we doing, exactly?” He pointed at the first problem they were given.

Mika drew in a little closer as he explained what it was they were required to do. Gen tried to focus but Mika’s hair was falling on his hand, tickling his skin. He wanted to move it but was worried it might startle Mika. His finger flicked and his hand came off the desk slightly. It was as though it were moving of its own free will.

What the hell, Gen, stop! He screamed inside his head.

He was saved when Mika tucked his hair behind his ear while he continued to explain the problem. His blue eyes looked up at him.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Oh, uh…yeah,” Gen blushed, moving his hand to his neck to try and cover up his initial move. He pointed at the first problem again. “So, are we using the quadrangle formula on this or…?”

Mika rolled his eyes and grinned. “Quadratic formula, and yeah. We need to find x for this one and then y for the other and plot them.”

Gen didn’t bother to hide his confusion. He ran his hand through his mohawk and groaned. “I don’t get this.”

Mika patiently explained the problem and what they were plotting for, working through it slowly, step by step. He reached for Gen’s graphic calculator at the same time Gen was bending his arm to rest it on the desk, his elbow bumping into Mika’s ribcage. Mika flinched as though he had been hit by a baseball bat and they both froze, Gen’s eyes wide, Mika’s staring blankly at the calculator.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “I’m sorry, I didn’t–”

Mika shook his head. “It’s fine,” he said, moving the calculator to rest between them. He gave a reassuring smile to Gen and turned their attention back to their assignment. Gen pretended to ignore when Mika’s other hand came around to rub at the spot where Gen’s elbow had bumped him. He also pretended to ignore that Mika’s hands were shaking.

Class ended twenty minutes later, with Gen feeling slightly more confident in his math skills since Mika explained the work a bit more clearly for him. While he was getting his stuff together, Mika replaced the other desk and went back to his desk to gather his own stuff. As the rest of the students filed out of the class, Gen hung back as he usually did. He sighed when Professor Ybarra caught his eye and waved him up.

Dammit…

Gen shouldered his bag, shoved his hands into his pockets and headed slowly to the front, wanting to be sure there was no one left to overhear what a great failure he was at what should be basic math for him.

“Mr. Parker,” Professor Ybarra sat behind his desk and pulled out a spiral green book from the center drawer. The grade book. Gen’s heart dropped at the sight as Ybarra opened it and flipped to Gen’s name and record for the past semester. He looked at it for a minute, leaving Gen to stand there, waiting with his palms sweating in his pockets. He clenched them into fists and shifted his weight. Finally, Ybarra sighed and looked at him over the rim of his glasses.

“What’s going on with you, Mr. Parker?”

“Sir?”

One tan finger traced a line from Gen’s name across the page, highlighting his grades, letting him see how his grades had dipped over the course of the class. “You started out really strong, then began slipping about a month ago. From A’s and B’s to low D’s. I haven’t given you an F because I can tell that at least you're trying and you’re showing your work, as much as there is. But that last assignment deserved one.”

Gen swallowed and his gaze fell to the side. Ybarra sat back in his seat and folded his arms, watching the young man.

“Is it the material? Something you’re just not understanding? Or is there something else going on?”

Spring is a shit time of year for me, that’s all, Professor. That line wouldn’t even sound believable to him, especially since the rest of his classes were still going just fine. 

“It’s the material, I think,” Gen finally said. He ran a hand through his mohawk and held it at the back of his neck. “Maybe it wasn’t being explained in a way I could understand? Not saying that it’s your fault, Professor,” he added quickly.

Ybarra chuckled. “No, I understand, Mr. Parker. Sometimes the way I teach doesn’t land exactly right with some students. That’s just how it goes sometimes.” He shrugged and leaned his elbows on his desk. “That said, we need to find a solution so you can get the material. I don’t want you to have to lose your scholarship over something like this. The sad reality is, however, that if your grades don’t improve by the end of the month, you’re going to fail. Nothing you do after Spring Break is going to help you, I guarantee it.”

There was movement by the door, probably some students passing by on their way to their next class.

Gen couldn’t say a word. He knew Ybarra was right…he needed to get his grades up and fast. It was the how that was the trouble. Kana might help if he asked but he would never lower himself to ask his sister to help with Algebra.

“I saw you working on the practice assignment with Mr. Torino today.” 

Gen started, his eyes shooting up from the floor. The professor seemed glad about it for some reason. Maybe because Gen never worked with anyone, never talked to anyone. 

“Um, yeah, he asked me to,” Gen said. “Not enough people in his group or something.”

“Did it help?”

Gen thought back over the thirty minutes or so he spent listening to Mika’s soft voice explaining everything so clearly and patiently, how he answered the few questions Gen had and didn’t judge or tease him. Well, not much anyway. He couldn’t stop the small grin that tugged at the corner of his lips when he nodded.

“Good.” He waved to the door and someone walked in. Gen looked up to see Mika coming toward them, his hand barely poking out of his oversized hoodie sleeve as he greeted him. “Mr. Torino is currently the top student in class and I think it would be helpful to have him tutor you. What do you say?”

Gen’s mouth fell open slightly and no words came out, only stammering noises that made no sense. Thankfully they were barely audible. Mika was the top student? It made sense, of course. The way he helped Gen in just thirty minutes told him he deserved that spot. 

“Mr. Parker?”

Apparently Gen had been silent and unmoving for too long. Mika gave an amused tick of his eyebrow and his lips curled slightly upward, his head tilted to the right. 

“Oh, yeah, sure. I guess that would be okay.” He heard the words but was surprised he had said them at all. Being tutored meant having to spend time with someone else; meant actually interacting with another human being.

“Great!” Ybarra slapped the desk with both hands and stood, causing both boys to jump slightly. “I’ll let you two work out the details. But just know, Mr. Torino, he needs to have his grades improved to at least a C average before Spring Break.”

Mika nodded. “I understand, Professor.”

With that, both boys headed out. They said nothing, only headed toward the cafeteria as they both normally did separately. Mika had his cellphone in his hand and he was checking his texts while Gen walked beside him, his head swimming. 

A tutor…a cute tutor…I have to interact with someone…I have to socialize and actually talk to someone without sounding like a complete loser! He had to bribe me to tell him my stupid name and now I have to have conversations about math?!

“There’s a tree there,” Mika said.

“Huh?” Gen plowed right into a large tree that was directly in his path. He had been so caught up in his own thoughts, he hadn’t paid one bit of attention to his surroundings. He had one hand on the trunk, the other rubbing his forehead. Mika snorted and laughed, Gen glaring down at him in response. 

“Sorry,” Mika wheezed, holding his sides. “Are you okay?”

Gen looked at his hand. No blood, so he was fine. He was just going to have a bump and a bruise there for a day or two.

“Yeah, I’ll live.” He moved around the offending arbor and they continued on. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“I did, a few times, actually.” Mika shrugged. “You were so lost in thought, I guess it never got through.” He smiled up and tilted his head. “Next time, I’ll just pull you away so you don’t run into it.”

Gen blushed furiously. “I’ll pass, thanks.”

They entered the building and headed toward the sandwich bar, both selecting separate sandwiches and sides. Gen grabbed a coffee and went to pay at the kiosk. Mika followed and pointed to an open table nearby. They sat and began their lunch in silence.

After a minute or two, Mika said, “Do you have another class soon?”

“Yeah, in about twenty minutes. One of my prereqs.” He took a swig of his coffee and sat back. “You?” What the hell, dude? You’re having a conversation right now?!

Mika shook his head. “My last class got canceled for the day. Teacher’s sick or something.” He pulled out his cell and opened up the calendar app. “Okay, so tell me what your schedule is like.”

Gen swallowed his sandwich bite and said, “I’m done with all my classes by four, no classes Tuesday and Friday, but I have a part-time job three days a week.”

“Do you work either Tuesday or Friday?”

Gen shook his head. “Not typically.”

Mika nodded and pulled up his own schedule. He had classes all day on Tuesdays but Fridays were open, plus Wednesdays after four. He reached for his bag and rifled through it, his hair falling and covering his face. He finally found what he was looking for and tucked his hair back behind his ear. He tore a piece of paper out and scribbled on it before handing it to Gen.

“We’ll meet twice a week for two hours, starting next Wednesday. I think it may be a good idea to utilize the library since they have separate study rooms and we won’t have any distractions.”

Gen took the paper and looked it over. Mika had scribbled the days and times they would meet, plus his name and phone number.

“Make sure you have everything you need, including the homework and any other assignments and notes we get for that week. I’ll also be giving you problems to do between sessions.”

Gen’s eyes went wide. “Wait, are you serious? That’s a lot of extra work! I do have other classes, you know.”

Mika nodded. “So do I. Are you failing them, too?”

Gen’s eyes fell and he said nothing.

“That’s what I thought. Professor Ybarra made it pretty clear where you need to be in a month and this is the only way to get there. Trust me,” he said with a grin that showed his perfect teeth. Well, almost perfect. He had one small snaggle tooth on the top. Cute. “I’ll make a C-student out of you yet, Gen Parker.”

Gen couldn’t help but give his own small grin. “Sure,” he said, and took another bite of his turkey hoagie.