Stay (Lapidot)

(09) Papers galore.

After a dreadful period of my day spent in classes, I was driving home. At last, a place and time I can finally just sleep without getting scolded by the teacher or being called out by a classmate. Yet despite my constant want to stay here, it is but part of a cycle that I leave and return to. Basically, I cannot mope around as much as I'd want to. Driving to my residence, I was listening to a song called "Sunflower", it was oddly sappy but catchy.

I put my car to a stop and parked in front of my house, finally remembering it was already dark. I clutched my backpack and other items as I exited my car, taking in the crisp air that had the ambience of fall stimulating. I took a good look at my small home and realised, why the fuck are the lights on? As I progressed closer to the door, I took cautious steps. I pushed the door a small crack open and observed what was happening. I heard the sound of the TV and crunching of chips which were most likely mine. I peeked and saw a huge mane of messy white hair. Ah. It was simply Jasper.

I stood up instead of crouching and felt my regular stance of slouching. I opened the door and freely walked to the couch, throwing down my backpack next to the side of the couch. I took a seat next to Jasper, taking in some chips from the bag that she was holding. She had her legs on top the small black coffee table that had a few papers scattered around. Fortunately, they were not mine but the the cuffed crew-neck t-shirt wearing Jasper's. She had sported a grey cuffed T-shirt along with cuffed khaki's. Thank god for Jasper wearing cuffed clothes and not cuffed chains.

"'Sup Peri-dork." She greeted, munching on more chips, facing me. She had this annoying grin on her face, I haven't had much time to be with her lately.

"Greetings," I began, chuckling. "Ass-per." I finished, laughing along with Jasper. It felt weird to see her now ever since I witnessed her and Lazuli, which was ever so worrying until now. "To what do I owe you the pleasure that you'd be present in my house?" She gave me toothy grin, making me give a small smile in response.

"Oh you know," she said, waving the TV remote around as well as the bag of chips. "Physics." She answered, pulling out and compiling her papers from her bag and the coffee table, which she had dropped her feet from. "I'll give you food." She offered considering this happens quite often. She would ask me to teach her lessons and she'd repay me with food. Truly, a resourceful and benefitting deal.

I heaved a sigh, taking out a gel pen and an entire pad of pad paper. I scribbled down numbers, letters and all sorts of words with correlation to physics. Physics was Jasper's worst subject. A combination of two things she absolutely sucks at, Math and Science. Both were great strengths for me, but not my best.

"Of all people, why'd you come to me?" I asked, still writing down as Jasper skimmed through her notes and handouts. "I mean I'm smart, but this seems like adulation." I said, finishing the last bit of the paper. I gave it to Jasper, immediately taking in as much information and writing down formulas.

"Well, I tend to scare people off." She replied, getting a few answers. "Plus you're imperturbable despite having me around." To which, I went to my fridge and got two cans of soda. I handed her one and kept one for myself.

"Point." I agreed, raising my can before taking a sip. As Jasper kept writing down solutions and answers, I took out my phone and browsed around.

. . .

It was much later now and the sky had become darker than ever. Jasper stood up, taking her papers and pens.

"I'll be going then." She said, shoving her papers and such into her orange backpack. "Don't forget to eat dinner." She reminded me, who eats unhealthily in many manners.

"Don't forget my game AND my food." I replied, chuckling. She left and closed the door, leaving me to the solitude and loneliness of living by yourself.

I got my bag and left it in my room, turning on the AC. I walked it my kitchen and made cup noodles. I took metal chopsticks and took it to my room, switching the lights and the TV off. As I got inside, I sat down by my desk where my papers were stacked. I looked around, slurping my noodles, I felt disgusted to see a small pile of clothes that had compiled from the past week or two.

I had finished my cup of noodles and had thrown it into the trash. I was close to finishing all of my requirements and deadlines, just a few more papers. I had just finished a page and was startled by the sound my phone had produced after receiving a text. I nearly fell off my chair.

I picked up my phone and saw two texts from someone I knew oddly well.

Amethyst: supp pdot

Amethyst: you der

I wanted to verbally correct Amethyst and kick her. She didn't and doesn't use proper capitalisation, punctuation and spelling. I called her and heard her voice from behind my phone.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Oh shut up, please spell words correctly at least." I said, finally getting it out of my chest. "What do you want anyways?" I asked, finishing my homework, letting my left hand to hold my phone.

"You know," She said. I could hear papers shuffling around from her side of the call. "Grades." I gave her a fake gasp and she chuckled.

"Holy shit, is this the changing of Amethyst?" I joked, fixing my papers. "Rejoice, grades of Amethyst for you shall live!" I laughed while she sighed, giving a small chuckle. "She has come to touch the nimiety of my grades,"

"Yeah, sure, nerd." And with that, we began to discuss notes and papers. I sent her a few pics of my written notes and other things that could be of use.

"Why don't you ask your girlfriend or whatever?" I asked her, causing her to cough repeatedly.

"I don't want her help... so I'll ask you."

"Ah, I see. You're trying to impress Pearl." I rephrased in a joking manner that I had ended up wheezing. "Just ask her, she'll be impressed enough with you asking her."

"Shuddup! No she won't!"

"So you admit you want to impress her?"

"No!"

"Aw."

"Just shuddup and help me with this." She said. "If you do, I'll buy you a bag of doritos." She brokered a deal, intriguing me.

"Get the large one."

"Ugh fine. Now help me with biology." She agreed to which I took out my biology notebook and explained to her every part of our topic.

. . .

After a while, we ended our mini study session. She surprisingly and most shockingly thanked me. I took a while spacing out and staring at a wall with a blank expression before keeping my notes and books.

It wasn't that late in comparison to when I had stayed up all night. It was still around 11PM. I stayed in my chair until I got bored enough to read books in the corner where towers and piles of books lay. I stayed there, reading until I passed out surrounded by books.