Leah and Trent

Chapter Twelve

September 27 2016 - Tuesday

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Leah

(Song: I Caught Myself by Paramore)

Things were a little. . .off between me and Daniel. It wasn't long after we started dating when I found out about his visits to Zach's. He wasn't upfront about it at first. But one day, over the summer, he told me he was going to be at his friend Zach's house. I had already heard about Zach's house before because Timothy was a frequent visitor.

My brother never talked to me about Timothy, but Timothy loved to talk. And he never cared who could possibly be listening to him. He commonly talked about trying "new things" out at Zach's. The idea of Daniel and Timothy hanging out with the same person didn't sit well in my stomach. Especially since Timothy had a well known drinking problem when he was in eighth grade.

I didn't feel comfortable telling Daniel how I felt about him hanging around Timothy's friend, but I didn't want to be brought into it either. Having Daniel act so weird, and having him. . .It made me uneasy. I didn't know what to say to him, so I didn't say anything. But I made a promise to myself that under no circumstances would I go to Zach's house again.

Before I even got to the library, I already expected that Trent would show up. It wasn't all that strange having him there, but I didn't really know how to act around him. The nervousness that I felt when I was next to him reminded me of when I was in the fifth grade. There had been a boy in my class that was really smart, but he was never egotistical about it. Everyone in the class was drawn to him. I was the only one that never once talked to him; I couldn't get myself to. Now as a Junior in High School, I tried to ignore the thoughts that kept telling me I was back in my fifth grade shoes.

After I sat down and got settled, it didn't take long for Trent to walk up to my table. He grinned, a beaming smile, and gripped the straps of his backpack tightly.

"Hi, Leah."

"Hi, Trent." He looked down and smiled at his shoes.

"Hi, uhm, I was wondering if I could ask for your help."

"What do you need help with?"

"Algebra- My, uh, algebra class is a little beyond me, and the homework. . .it's like it's written in another language." He let out a single chuckle and loosened his grip on his backpack straps.

"Sure."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I like algebra."

~

Trent

(Song: Because Of U by Monsta X)

I sat down in the chair across from Leah and pulled the latest sheet of homework out of my backpack. I placed it on the table in front of her, and she took it into her hands. She looked it over for only a second before placing it back on the table.

She explained the formulas to me and what I needed to do for the problems. She explained everything bit by bit and didn't move on to the next problem until I understood the current one. She was remarkably smart, but more than that she was patient and gentle. I kept thinking about how she would make a great teacher. How I would have loved to have her as a teacher.

"You're amazing. . .thank you," I told her.

"I'm glad I could help."

"You're better at teaching than most of the teachers I have."

"I doubt that. The teachers here are of high caliber."

"Possibly, but a lot of them hate us. They don't really like the fact that they have to teach us."

"I'm sure that's not-"

"It's true. They don't try to hide it." My mind flashed back through a portfolio of moments. Moments of glares joined with cold voices. Moments of insults, both subtle and obvious. It wasn't long after school started when all of us, from the East side, realized that the other students weren't the worst thing we had to deal with. It was the teachers. The adults that we had to sit in front of everyday only to be judged and condemned. "But at least this building isn't run down and the textbooks aren't garbage like the ones at my old school," I said trying to picture the beauty of the school I was in.

"That's. . .good, I guess." Leah became silent, and it almost looked like a frown or soft pout was on her face. But in a quick second, she looked at her watch and was out of her seat. "I have to go."

"Tumbling practice."

"Yeah, uhm, please don't think you owe me for this," She said as she put some books into her backpack. "I'll see you later?"

"Of course." She smiled and hurried off.

When I was around her, things seemed brighter. She was like the sun brightening up my world or an angel lighting up my path. Her absence made everything instantly dark again. The thought of someone else having her light was infuriating. I had to set her free from the clutches of another. I had to. Or die trying.