charity project // mischa bachinski (ride the cyclone)

6 - you know what they say about assuming?

"I have something to show you," Mischa told me the next day at lunch.

"Do you?"

He nodded. Slowly, he lifted a sheet of paper from his bag.

A grin spread across my face. "You did it! You even got all of them correct!"

I wrapped him in a hug. He stiffened for a moment, but then returned the hug.

"Thank you so, so much, дорогий," He whispered into my ear before letting me go. He sat there, paralyzed for a moment.

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Sorry. That word is the Ukrainian word for... friend. Very good friend."

"Would you like to stop by my house with me after school? I think Noel might be there, too. He has Fridays off of work. We can play a board game or watch a movie or something."

"That would be very fun."

"I'll drive you and Noel after school, alright?"

Mischa gave me a thumbs up. "That sounds fantastic."

...

I got to know Ocean because we were in the same advanced English class as well as advanced social sciences. We usually helped each other with studying. In addition, it was always nice to have someone to partner with in class so you don't become the only one not chosen.

That's what today was. In our English class, we had a discussion day where we would partner up and answer discussion questions from our current novel or short story. Ocean and I were usually first to complete the assignment, so we just talked the rest of the class.

"Constance told me she saw you yesterday at her cafe," she said.

"She wouldn't be wrong. I was there yesterday."

She gave me a look. "Well, she also told me you were there with someone. That criminal, Mischa."

"I was helping him study, Ocean. Also, he's not a criminal. Mischa is a really sweet guy when you get to know him," I explained.

Ocean looked skeptical. "Mhm. Then why are people saying that in his math class the other day, he got angry at how Mr. Halloben was teaching them to factor equations and threw another student's water bottle at his head?"

"That was once!" I protested.

"He snapped a kid's pencil in half when she didn't write what he wanted her to write on a group assignment."

"Okay, twice."

"Mischa also nearly gave the gym teacher a concussion after throwing a dodgeball clearly aimed at his head."

"Can you really blame him for that one? Coach Jonas probably deserved it. You know how he is," I muttered.

I was met with a stern glare. "Really, Y/n?"

"Fine, fine. Maybe Mischa has a bit of an anger management issue. But he's not that bad when you look past it!"

"How do you find his violent tendencies attractive? I will never understand you," Ocean shook her head.

"Wh- I- No- I-!" I spluttered. "I never even insinuated I found him attractive!"

"My bad. I just assumed," she shrugged.

"Do you know what they say about assuming, Ocean? Do you?"

"Please don't make me say it."

I frowned. "I will. To assume makes an ass of you and me. Get it? Ass? U? Me?"