Girl Meets Ryan Matthews

32.

Girl Meets Smackle

"When are you gonna be done?" Ryan asked, his legs in Jeremy's lap as he lay on Aidan's mattress.

"I am done when I am done. I need to perfect this speech, because if I can get Mrs. Heath to choose mine over Isadora's-"

"You'll finally beat Isadora," Ryan continued, having heard this rant before.

"And if I finally beat Isadora-" Aidan turned from his work, pointing into the air.

"You will finally be victorious!" Jeremy and Ryan chorused, laughing as Aidan nodded. 

Considering it was all Aidan could talk about the past week, it was impossible for the two not to tease him.

"Correct! Now, read it." Aidan handed his speech to Aidan for them both to read.

As they finished, Elena peeked her head into the room. "Boys, I'm going to work. You should get going, if you don't head out now you'll be late for school."

"Thank you, Elena. Have a good day!" She nodded with a smile and left.

"Alright, bro, this is great. It will 100% beat Smackle's," Jeremy said, handing the paper back to Aidan.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. Let's just hope Mrs. Heath thinks the same." he tucked it into a folder and slid it into his bag.

"Ugh. I cannot believe that Einstein starts half an hour later than Adams." Ryan rolled his eyes as they all left the apartment. Aidan shrugged and smiled.

"Sucks to be average."

Jeremy rolled his eyes and slung his arm around Ryan's shoulders. "Does that mean I'm average, too?"

"Duh."

"Ouch."

__

"Ancient Greece," Cory jumped straight into the lesson, standing at his desk with a package wrapped like a present.

PJO stans rise up, this is our moment.

"What's that?" Riley asks, pointing out the package.

"A present."

"Is it for me?" Riley assumed, getting excited. Ryan rolled his eyes and quietly said, "Isn't it always?"

"What's your game, Matthews?" Maya asked, already suspicious of the lesson sure to come.

"Game?" Cory pretended to be offended. "I have no game. I'm just here giving presents."

"For me, right Daddy?" Riley asks, selfishness pushing through. Ryan rolled his eyes again.

"It's for anyone who wants it, sweetie."

At that point, nearly the whole class raised their hands in a silent ask, surprisingly choosing to participate. Everyone but Maya and Ryan.

"What about you, Maya? Do you assume that by playing hard to get I'm going to give it to you?" Cory asked, walking over to her side of the room.

"Why, yes. That's just one of the many arrows in my quiver," Maya said, smiling as she shrugged.

"Medieval Talk, what are you doing to me, woman?" Farkle said, strangely. Ryan looked over at him weird. Farkle shrugged and smiled dismissively.

"Ryan? Do you have any interest in this box?" Riley looked over at him and glared, daring him to accept the box.

And as tempting as it was to spite Riley, "Nah, man. I've read PJO, I know how this goes." Cory looked at him and shook his head.

Fine. Be disappointed. Nothing new.

Cory set the box down on his daughter's desk and she immediately started tearing into it, ripping the box's top off and stopping short at the disappointing interior. Riley pulled up a small chalkboard that read, "Trojan Horse".

Fucking called it.

Riley's face screamed both disappointment and 'what the hell is this' at the same time. Ryan almost started laughing.

As Cory explained the lesson, Ryan couldn't help but grow bored. He'd already heard all about judging a book by it's cover when he listened to Aidan write and rewrite his speech fourteen thousand times.

"I want- no! But pretty- no! Yes! NO!" Riley collected herself and said, "No."

"I'll take it," Lucas chimes, and Ryan looks over at him, completely forgetting that he was there. Then again, he was not paying attention to much.

"No, Lucas. You have to assume that because the first one was bad, that this one is bad too!" She turns to face her father with a grin. "Are you proud of me, daddy?"

Cory shook his head, looking forward at Lucas.

"Get out of detention free."

"Is this bait for Maya or what?" Ryan asked.

Quickly, Maya proved to be a fool as Cory said: "Read the card."

Oh damn.

"What."

"Read it."

But what if she's Jared 19?

"'Say get out of detention free and watch Maya dance on my desk,' shit."

"Detention, Ms. Hart. Get back to your seat."

Maya pouted and moved, swatting Ryan on the head as he laughed.

"Never assume. Look more deeply. Just because something is wrapped up all pretty doesn't mean that it is."

Wow. Deep.

Wonder how this will affect Ryan in his life.

Has he been assuming anything lately?