Gangster Protection Program

Chapter 10 * Adorbs

Julie

"Do you see how I simplified my answer?" Jesse looks at me expectantly after blabbering about functions and chain rules and whatsoever. "Make sure you bring all of the coefficients to the very front of the expression. That is very important for style points, and you might get points off on a test if you don't do that." She grins.

I fake a smile which made her breath stressfully,afraid I might never understand the lesson get a failing score tomorrow.

Frankly,I am a constant honor student in the class,but I admit that I never really had the brains for math,
specifically for Calculus. Especially for calculus. Furthermore,Nick's presence and situation,as well as operation heartbreak,adds up in my study conflicts that I can't concentrate hardly on any lesson.

I feel really sorry for my bestfriend,
having a bestfriend like this. We're both on top of the class ranking but I'm acting like I'm lower than her standards.

"Now what are you gonna do?" Jesse says worriedly.

"Don't let me see an honor student with an F!" Cody remarks as he sits on one of the chairs on the table,joining the conversation.

Jesse turns to him with one brow up,trying to persuade him from letting my hopes getting lower.

I let out a deep sigh out of anxiety. I'm afraid Cody's right. I'm gonna have to get an F for the first time in my honorable life. But I did try recieving an F before,also in math,back from my elementary life. And I didn't wanna go back there. I felt like I disappointed numerous people,more importantly my mom. So eventually,I have no plans of going back to that situation.

"Julie," Someone suddenly calls me out. "we need to talk." Nick says and looks at me expectantly.

Here comes the major distraction. Cody greets him like he was already a close friend while Jesse smiles sourly. I look at him with a questioning look.

"Follow me." He says sternly and walks away without waiting for my answer.

I breathe deeply,believing I'm in for another scene with the guy. A shameful scene. Or better yet,another missio? Gah! Enough of it already. He's caused me enough trouble with all these kinds of missions.

Turning to my friends,I grab my bag and grin at them.

I scurried down the hall wondering where Nick headed. When I spotted him near the ladie's and gentlemen's room,I look at him curiously. What's this guy up to now? In his left hand was a plain silver paperbag with a tag still hanging on it. I didn't know he was also into shopping. The thought makes me chuckle in my head.

He already went into an illegal race with an unreliable bully and ended up in a hospital bed and is about to hurt an innocent girl. He couldn't do worse than that,could he? I mean,it's just that everytime this guy summons me,O feel like another shameful scene is about to happen again,as I've said.

As I walk up to him,he throws the silver paperbag at me with a sulky look and I caught it regaining my balance. I look at him not understanding a thing and opened the paper bag out of curiosity. Is this some kind of gift for me? A peace offering or something? I'm guessing not. Why would he give me one,anyway? Maybe he realized he really did have to thank me after all for what I did for him in the hospital? I'm not sure. Gangsters aren't usually sweet,though.

As I bury my right hand in it,I raise two dark blue shirts from inside and showed it off to him as I gazed at it in confusion. Well,I know I'm suppose to wear it cause it's a shirt,as if that's not the most obvious thing at this moment. But why is he giving it to me?

"What's this suppose to be?" I say.

"A shirt?" Nick says wearily as if it wasn't that obvious. "And you're suppose to wear it?" He adds up.