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“What?” He says just a bit too loudly. He quickly looks around before leaning a little onto Trent's desk to better speak to us without drawing everyone’s attention again.
“Tell me you’re fucking joking, please!” He all but begs us, but neither of us can, and when we both shake our heads at him, he sinks back into his chair. “I heard my mother talking about one of the rings going down a few nights ago. She mentioned that a lot of girls were pulled out, but I didn’t have any details.”
We watch as he runs one hand and then the other through his hair before pulling on it slightly, his face pale.
“Shit.” He whispers before he turns back to look at me. “I’m so sorry, Jade. I wasn’t trying to make fun of you for not knowing about the phone. I was just confused because everyone our age lives on them.” I wave him off because he has nothing to be sorry about. I’m the weird one in this situation.
“It’s fine, really,” I tell them both before giving them a pointed look to make sure they understand. “Now, how about you guys stop worrying about this shit and help me use this phone.” I point to my phone, still in Trent’s hands. “Zander keeps sending me these little pictures, and I have no idea what they mean or how to use them.” They both chuckle at me.
“They're called emoji’s Jade.” Leo says as his smile breaks out across his face again. I decide he’s not so bad. Being happy as much as he is might not be a terrible thing, even if it is a foreign concept to me. He obviously has other emotions based on his little moment just now.
“See, this is what I mean!” I whine because I hate how much I feel I don’t know.
“Alright, alright. Calm down. We can help you.” Trent says with a smile before lightly grabbing my arm to pull me closer to him.
When his hand touches my arm, I feel heat work its way up my face. His hand isn’t even on my bare skin, yet I feel like the hoodie might as well not even be there right now. He doesn’t notice my reaction as he looks at the phone and starts explaining emojis, where to find them, and what some of them mean. I soak up everything he says as I will my blush to go the fuck away before he notices.
I catch Leo’s eyes on me around Trent, and his smile turns into a knowing smirk as he looks between us. My eyes widen, worried that he’s about to point out my red cheeks to Trent. But, before I can beg him to be quiet, he mimics zipping his lips and throwing away the key before he also turns his attention to the phone and starts offering tips and tricks for me.
I feel myself relax after a moment and decide that this isn’t so bad.
After about twenty minutes, I feel like I really got the phone thing down. The guys have been helping me talk to Zander, and I can easily navigate through a few of the more basic apps.
Trent hands me my phone back, and I smile at him. “Thanks.” I tell them both before tucking it back in my pocket.
“Anytime.” Trent tells me, and Leo nods his agreement.
I look back at my book and remember I know nothing about math. I feel my shoulders drop as I watch Trent and Leo quickly fly through the work. Maybe college isn’t something I should be trying to do.
I let out a sigh as I think about how much more I could be getting accomplished if I wasn’t here most of the day all week.
Damn, I should be using this time to work on shutting that last ring down.
“What’s wrong, Jade?” Leo asks me, pulling my thoughts back to the here and now.
“Oh, um.” I look up to find they are both looking at me as I fiddle with the book's pages, looking down at my blank notebook that should have at least some work in it by now.
I can’t tell them about the rings, so I default to an issue I can talk about.
“Do you guys think maybe you could help me in this class?” I ask, my voice coming out quiet and unsure even to my ears, and I can’t help but cringe at it.
I hate asking for help, and I hate feeling weak.
Math is stupid.
The guys exchange a look before they both nod, and I sigh in relief.
“I don’t mind helping you, but why wouldn’t you ask your boyfriend? Everyone knows he’s great at math.” Leo says as Trent flips through his book back to the beginning of the assigned work. His posture stiffens up for a moment before he relaxes again, but I notice it.
Leo’s words register, and I whip my head up to look at him. “What!?” I ask, my voice a few octaves too high.
I take a breath and try again. “I’m sorry, but what? Who do you think my boyfriend is exactly?”
“Um, Zander?” He says, but it comes out as more of a question.
I laugh.
What the fuck is happening today? First Hazel and now Leo. Who the hell else in this school thinks I’m with these guys as more than just baggage they got stuck with?
