Friendship for Dummies

Chapter Seventeen

Dedicated to fallzswimmer because I met her at the meetup and she's one of the nicest people ever. Plus, I still can't quite believe she's actually reading this story :-)

Thanks to EvaLynx for the banner!

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I sprint through the hallway, wildly rounding the corner whilst narrowly missing a bemused-looking freshman.

            And, when I reach my destination, I don’t even bother to drag my feet to a halt. Instead, when my gaze lands on the unsuspecting blonde standing at his locker, I just launch myself at him.

            “Nathan!” I cry, enclosing him in the tightest hug I’ve ever given in my life. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re a genius! Have I ever told you I love you?”

            A muffled response into the fabric of my shirt follows. After a couple of seconds, I feel Nathan’s hands scrambling to push me away and allow him some oxygen. Still grinning, I release my vice-like grip and take a step back. Well, I think to myself, after what this guy has done, I think he deserves some air.

            Nathan looks slightly flustered as he emerges from my hug; a light pink blush is dusted across his cheeks and an adorable half-nervous smile crosses his features as he scratches the back of his head. A few moments later he clears his throat. “Any particular reason for this sudden affection?”

            “I got a B!” I squeal, waving the piece of paper in front of his face. “A B in algebra!”

            Relaying the information for a second time only makes my good mood increase. When Mr. Moore had stood at the front of the class just over an hour ago, announcing he was giving back last week’s graded quiz papers, I had been worried. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t mentally preparing myself for seeing the F on the front of mine. I know Nathan’s tutoring had been helping, but I just don’t fare well in tests. I can go over the material a thousand times (you know, if I could actually be bothered to do that), but once I’m plunged into silence with only the slight rustling of paper for company, anything can happen. Like an F.

            But wait, hold the front page! Georgie Howard isn’t a complete failure in math.

            I got a B!

            “Well done!” Nathan congratulates me with a smile. “See, I told you that you could do it.”

            “You, my friend, are a genius,” I tell him once more, just in case the message hasn’t quite got through. “Anyone who can get me to pass an algebra test needs to be given some kind of medal.”

            “You underestimate yourself,” he says. “You can do it when you put your mind to it.”

            “And when I have a tutor as great as you.”

            The faintest hint of a blush tints Nathan’s cheeks for a second, before all traces of its color disappear. “So I guess now you don’t need me to tutor you anymore.”

            “Wait, what?” The smile vanishes from my face almost instantly. “Of course I do! You think I can keep this up on my own? I need you!”

            Nathan can’t disappear on me now – not after I’ve finally cracked algebra. This B is just the start of my journey towards a life where I don’t completely suck at the subject (a girl can dream). If he abandons me now, well… it’s a slippery slope back to square one.