Day three passed. Then day five, eight, ten, and now we’re somewhere around day eighteen or twenty. I lost count when I came to the conclusion that he isn’t going anywhere. It’s like we rented out the room to someone who’s simply living here while it’s convenient.

He did go back to his house a couple times, but came back here again. My mom only said that it’s better to take things slowly. But like this, nothing is really even happening. On top of that, her vacation time was up last week, and it has become even more awkward now that she’s not around. Image the rumors if it got out that two teenagers were living alone. What happened to parents believing in no dating before marriage? She’s actually having me, at sixteen, try to date to marry.

Ken’s still trying to get too close to me, but I tell him to leave. So far, I don’t see anything in the love field here. But the biggest thing I’ve gotten to know about him is that he may seem like a nice guy, but on the inside, his true nature is a huge pervert! 

Walking into school today is reminding me that now is not the time for Ken drama, but a real life crisis. Midterms are coming up way too fast, and I’m freaking out! I wouldn’t call myself an A+ student. I wouldn’t even call myself a B student. I’m somewhere on the borderline of acceptable. 

“Katie! I need your help! Please, this is a huge crisis!” I ran to my best friend when I saw her at her locker. 

“Whoa, what’s wrong Misa? What’s happening?”

“These tests are what’s happening. If I don’t pass them, I won’t pass the class, and I’ll have to retake it!” I explain to her.

 “Oh, is that it? Calm down, it’s just a test.” She said, lessoning her concern.

“You know I’m horrible when it comes to test taking. Last time I left almost the whole thing blank. Something like that cannot happen again.”

“Something like that happened because you fell asleep when you got your test paper.” She reminded me. 

“I couldn’t help it. I was up late trying to study and then I had a terrible migraine trying to figure out all the questions.” 

“Why don’t you just study more so you won’t have to think about it so much with last minute cram sessions?” She asked. 

“It’s not like I don’t study, I do. But when I go to study, I somehow end up doing something else.” The face Katie is giving me is telling me I didn’t exactly help my case. 

“Well that’s your problem, Misa, you’re just distracted too easily. You need to stay focused and not get off topic so fast.” 

“That’s easier said than done.”  

“Okay, well why don’t I just come over today then. I’ll help you study and stick to studying this time.” 

“That sounds great, but I can’t today.” 

“Why not?” 

“Well, see there’s this show that I like and the new episode comes out today, and I can’t take the chance of missing what happens after the girl woke up from the c—” 

“Misa!” She snapped at me, “That there is your problem. TV can wait. If you’re really serious about trying to pass midterms, that I should remind you is in a few days, then you need to stop messing around like, yesterday, and get to it!”

Katie was right. If I don’t get it together, then who knows where I’ll end up. In our second semester of junior year, I was still not taking my studies serious enough. Next year we’ll be seniors and I have to shape up now. Katie is the smartest person I know. Having her help me study will help me a lot.

We went straight to my house after school, sat in kitchen, and got to it. She wasn’t going to let me out of this one. And after last semester’s scare of almost repeating biology, I didn’t want her too. 

If I didn’t know any better, I swear she had a side job as a teacher. She had worksheets and pages marked and even had notes of what she’s going to help me with. Is this how an A+ student works?

“Here,” she said handing me a paper, “Let’s start with some math, your second weakest subject. I’m going to time you, so you can work just as quickly during the real thing.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be helping me? Not pre-testing me?”

“This is helping you. By timing you, I can see how long you spend on one problem to help with time management, and then go over the ones you get wrong. Killing two birds with one stone.” She said very proud of herself for thinking of this plan.

I went along with it since she thought it would work. I should gain something working with her when it’s all over. I took the paper and was given twenty minutes.

That was probably the fastest twenty minutes I’ve ever experience in my life. 

“Let’s see what you have.” Katie stopped her stopwatch. She examined my answers closely and started shaking her head as she went through all the problems.

“Misa, out of the twenty minutes I gave you to answer fifteen questions, you answered ten and only got six of those right.” 

“Well, it’s your fault. These questions were hard!” 

“All you had to do was simplify these numbers and multiply. My thirteen-year-old sister can answer these without a problem.” 

“Didn’t your sister skip a grade and test into some fancy private school? Of course she’s really smart. You know they’re more advance. Cut me some slack!” 

“You asked me to help you study and you should know how I am about studying. Let me see the easiest way to explain this to you.” 

“There is no easy way. Math sucks. Let’s move to something without numbers.”

“Alright then, how about your next bad subject. History.” Katie said pulling out the thick textbook and study guide. 

“I hate history the most!” I said losing my motivation by the second.

“You know, I bet Sano likes smart girls,” Katie suddenly muttered while flipping through the book. 

“W-what?”

“He just seems like a guy that doesn’t like simple and uneducated women.” She continued. History is the one class we share. I don’t know all his classes, but the times he had to answer questions in class, he would get them right with no problem. He’s probably an A+ student who likes other A+ students. I really need to work harder to show him what I’m made of. 

“So, about that study guide.” I perked up a bit.

“I knew that’d get you,” she smirked. It was her trick that worked a little too easy on me. If I want to avoid looking like an idiot again when we get our test results back, I have to put aside my will to slack off and put on my thinking cap.

We continued to study for another hour and a half. I’m pretty sure my brain melted about 45 minutes ago, but I didn’t tell her that. 

“Alright, Misa, we’ll stop for today. Even though midterms are right around the corner, I won’t overload you with too much. I hope with this, you’ve got a better idea of everything and see that actually studying isn’t so bad.” 

“I feel like I’ve gained so much just from today.” 

“Are you sure? You don’t really look it.” She said seeing past my lie. 

“I did, really! Now go on. It’s late and I should do some double checking before hitting the sac.” 

“Alright then, see you tomorrow.” Katie grabbed her things and left. 

“Geez I have such a headache! I should’ve asked somebody else for help!” I was able to finally say it now that she’s gone. I didn’t have the heart to tell her, her way of teaching was way too hard to understand.

“I can help you!” I nearly had a heart attack as I saw Ken peeking down the stairs.

“K-ken. When did you get here?” 

“I’ve been here the whole time. Listening to you struggle with simple problems was very entertaining.” Since I always leave school without him, sometimes I never know when he’s here or not since he’s so quiet.

“So, you think you’re smarter than me?”

“I mean I have been making straight A’s all my life.” 

“Really now? If that’s the case, then why haven’t you advanced any grades or even graduated by now?” 

“What’s the fun in that? I’ve been asked that quite a few times at my other school, but I rather stay and have the school life experience.” He explained. He’s had the option to be done with school but chose to stay. What kind of guy is he?

“Since you think you’re so smart, why not answer these algebra two questions I did earlier. It’s only fifteen questions, so it should be a synch. I’ll give you twenty minutes,” I said handing him the paper like Katie, “Show all work.” He looked at the paper and examined the problems. 

“I’ll have this for you in ten.” He went to the table in the kitchen and started. He couldn’t possibly do them that fast. Could he? I watched him as he continuously wrote on the paper like it all came to him so naturally. Even Katie didn’t work this fast.

“Here,” I looked at the clock when he showed me the paper. Only ten minutes passed. “I even double checked my work,” he said, leaning back in his chair. All the questions were right according to the answer sheet. And there aren’t any signs of erasing either. I had it wrong.

This is an A+ student. 

“Math is my specialty.” He said as if reading my mind.

“Okay then, I guess you can help me with the problems I don’t understand in my work packet.” I was headed back to the living room to get my things. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he said getting up. “Who said I was doing this for free?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I think I should get something in return for my services.” 

“Something in return? Like what?” I asked. He, someone from a rich family, couldn’t possibly want money.

“Hm, how about a kiss?” 

“A what? No way!” 

“Alright then. My services are closed,” he put his pencil down, and headed towards the stairs.

“Wait, can’t you come up with something else? A handshake maybe?” I asked. 

“Nope! I want a kiss from you as payment,” Ken likes to joke, and he’s trying to be funny at a really crucial time.

“Fine, you help on this packet, and I’ll do it.” I’m praying he isn’t serious, but the huge grin that grew on his face is telling me otherwise.

I feel as if I just sold my soul.

He came back to the table and started writing stuff down on a sheet of paper. I looked over his shoulder trying to see what he was doing.

 “Alright, now to dumb down what your friend was saying for these problems, you should use this formula to solve them. To know when just determines on what you are given.” He started explaining it all to me using the formulas he just wrote down. And the crazy part was, I was actually understanding what he’s telling me. It’s so simple and way less complicated then how Katie was going on about it. 

“Wow, Ken, I can actually get this. Is this right?” I showed him my work.

“Yes, it is. Good job. Now when you go over these in class tomorrow, you’ll actually be able to answer some of the questions instead of looking lost.” 

“I could’ve done without that last comment, but thanks anyway for the help.” I started gathering my papers, “I’m officially studied out for one day. So I’ll be headed off to bed.” 

“No, no, no,” he said stretching his arm out in front of me, cutting me off as I tried to make my quick escape. 

“You surely haven’t forgotten our deal in only a half hour of working. I sacrificed my time to assist you. I deserve a little compensation.” 

“H-how about money?” I tried again offering an alternative.

“Does it really seem like I need more of that? I told you, there’s only one form of payment for this. Now we can settle it the easy way or the fun way.” I’m afraid to ask what the fun way is. But I had no time anyway as he was moving closer to me.

“Alright. Close your eyes first!” I told him. Like a dog, he did what I said. 

Throughout all the time Ken has been here, I’ve never really let him get too close to me. And now that it’s just the two of us, I made it a point not to be left alone in any room with him. Now here we are, face to face with the intention of me kissing him because he wants me to pay simply for helping me with a little homework.

I felt my heartrate start increasing. With our height difference, I would have to stand on my tip toes to even reach his lips.

Is it because this is my first kiss that I felt so nervous? I couldn’t tell him that at my age, I still hadn’t kissed anyone, but my body wouldn’t move. He stood there, eyes closed and waiting, and I was frozen.

“Are you nervous? Could this perhaps be your first kiss?” Without much thought, he figured it out. My heart was going to pound out of my chest from embarrassment. He opened his eyes and looked at me. We were only inches apart. I could feel his body heat by him being so close. I could even smell whatever body spray he uses. My body reacted before I could think and pushed passed him. I went upstairs in to the bathroom. 

In complete embarrassment, I ran away from him and hid like a little girl. It was just a kiss. It’s not like I like him, so why is my heart pounding so much? The second most embarrassing thing to happen in my house. Both are the cause of Ken.

The bathroom i the one door inside the houe with a lock. Needles to say, i used it in fear of him coming to find me in this shameful state. If there really was ever a time I could disappear, now would totally be it.