"I just don't understand this!" She yells, dropping her forehead to the table.
"You'll get it eventually", I tell her, pointing to the notes on my paper. "Come on, let's just finish this problem".
"I'm to dumb.." she muffles from the table.
I shake my head at her, "don't say that".
She just rolls her head around to look at me pouting.
"Do it for me?" She asks, with puppy dog eyes.
It's almost works on me, I'm not going to lie. But I stand up and bend down right next to her, pointing at the question. I try to explain it a different way. Not just telling her what to do, but why, and how everything works together they way it does.
She watches my hand as I write down some formulas, explaining how to use them, and how to remember them.
Suddenly she jumps her head back up startling me just a little. She grabs the pencil from my hand and writes down the beginning of the equation. I watch her quietly as she finishes the long problem, mumbling to herself as she puts the pieces together in her mind. She circles the final answer and looks at me excitedly.
"That's it right"? She asks.
I look over to my paper, checking her work and answer. She watches me anxious, as I smile.
"Perfect". I tell her
"Really?" She gawks, eyes sparkling bright at me.
I nod my head slightly, getting lost in her expression.
I'm still leaning over her as she looks back down to her paper and back at me. I start reading the next question but I feel she's not listening so I stop, she's only looking at me.
"You smell good". She tells me.
Shit.
I look at her silently and I feel my face heat up, creeping up my cheeks to my ears. She leans closer.
"Are you wearing cologne?" She asks innocently, obviously oblivious to how she's making me feel.
"Uh- yeah". I scratch the back of my neck.
"I like it!" She tells me, and I blush harder looking away from her face.
"T-thanks". I mumble.
She looks at me confused, and giggles slightly to herself.
No ones really ever said that to me.
No- fuck— focus Kyle.
I sit back down on my chair and try to explain the concept again. She wrinkles her features and squints her eyes trying to see my paper. I move it closer to her but she shakes her head and scoots her chair right next to mine. She smiles at me.
Wow, she's close.
I clear my throat and try again, for the third time, to read the problem. When she takes my hat off my head, quickly placing it on her own.
I look at her in my hat. Mind racing a hundred miles per second. I can't really understand what's it's telling me though. She continues her goofy grin at me and my mind goes blank.
Oh. God.
Give me strength, my Jewish ancestors.
"You not paying attention". I tell her.
" 'Cause this is boring as fuck". She accentuates the "ck" in her wording.
I chuckle and shake my head at her.
"Just finish this one last problem".
She looks at me a groans, dramatic throwing her head on my shoulder as she picks up the pencil. I stiffen a little bit as I look down at her, silently finishing the problem. My own hat, tickling my nose as she writes.
She's calm, to calm. I feel like I'm going to suffocate as she leans on me. Obviously the only one being effected by this situation.
"Kyle?" She asks, bringing me back into my body.
"Oh- yeah? Sorry. What's up?" I try to say as calmly as I can.
"Is this right?"
"It's— more then perfect". I sigh, content. Leaning my head to relax on hers.
"What?"
"Oh! The problem.. uh- yeah it's right".
"Yes!" She pumps her fist up. Looking at me, proud of herself.
I stare at her with a soft smile on my face. As she looks back grinning proudly. The silence is loud as we stare at each other, her face slowly drops the longer I linger on her.
Suddenly, I hear the front door open and a loud bumbling voice fill the once quiet space.
Shit, my mom.
=====
I look over at the noise that started me out of my trance. Kyle's mom is home, caring large amounts of groceries in her hand, as the plastic crackles in her arms.
"Bubbie, I'm home!" She sings, as she sets everything down on the counter all at once, sighing. Her Brooklyn accent loud and center, in the once quiet room.
"I'm going to make dinner and"- she stops when she notices I'm in the room.
"Oh! Hun, you're here! What are you kids up to?" She asks, loud.
"Homework, mom". Kyle says to her, seemingly annoyed about something.
"Oh— that's my Bubbala— so smart!" She pinches his cheeks lovingly.
"Mom". He groans in response, recoiling.
"Is- is that Kyle's ushanka?" She asks me smiling ever so lightly, and I realize I'm still wearing it.
I put my hand up to brush my fingers against the green wool.
"Yeah— sorry"-
"No! It's looks cute on you, hun!" She booms. "Don't you think Kyle?" She puts a hand on his shoulder.
"I"-
"Well, don't you just look like Kyle's little girlfriend." She pinches my cheeks this time.
"Mom!" Kyle yells.
"What, what?" She says offended. "Oh- I'm just teasing you kids! Don't worry about it!". She waves her hand around.
I laugh with her, turning slightly pink as I ovoid Kyle's gaze.
"Why don't you kids go finish upstairs. I'll make dinner, oh- say you'll join us, hun?" She asks me.
I look at Kyle, and he smiles at me.
"I'd love to."
Kyle quickly packs up the remnants of our work, and stuffs them into his backpack. He throws it over his shoulders and grabs my hand to lead me upstairs into his room.
"Oh, young love.."~
_______________________
As we walk into his room he throws his backpack by the door and closes it quietly. We take our shoes off and I sit on the bed. I sigh loud and dramatic throwing myself back onto his bed.
"I'm all 'chemistryed' out". I tell him, blowing air out of my mouth. He opens the curtains, letting in some sun, and sits down with me.
"We have a couple problems left". He tells me.
I groan again, sitting up with him.
I raise my brow at him mischievously, as he looks at me questioning.
"Like my hat, bubbie?" I ask him.
"What- I"-
"Your staring at it. Jealous of how cool my hat is"? I ask him, leaning in closer.
"You think my hat's cool?" He asks me.
"From the moment I met you". I tell him without skipping a beat.
He looks away from me, but I see the smile on his face anyway.
"Though— I do enjoy you without it." I laugh, pointing to his hat hair.
"Ugh". He groans, reaching up to fix it
"I got it". I say.
I get on my knees to level with him, and reach my hands up to brush his blood red curls away. Making them bounce, and sit nicely on his head. I pull away to admire my work, as he looks at me a little pink.
"Yup, thoroughly enjoy". I tell him, as I giggle.
"So I've heard". He sighs, shaking his head.
"Wanna finish?" He asks me. Nodding at our backpacks.
"Sure". I smile at him.
______________________
It doesn't take us very long to finish the rest of the equations with his help. I start to understand what's going on more and more, though, if he wasn't here I don't think I could do it on my own.
"You're a really good teacher, you know". I tell him as I slide the packet back into my backpack.
"Really?"
"Yeah! You're— like, the smartest". I joke honestly.
"You're a good student". He says back, fond smile on his face.
"I don't think good students steal their teachers hats". I laugh.
"Steal? No— I let you take that". He crosses his arms.
"Really?" I start, raising one eyebrow. "That a challenge?"
"If the shoe fits".
As soon as the words leave his mouth he pounces on me trying to take the hat back. I catch his hands in mine and we wrestle for dominance. He flips me to the ground, an evil smile on his face.
"Kyle!" I groan.
This catches him off guard for a second, just long enough for me to flip our positions. I straddle him, swatting his hands away and swiftly pinning them next to his head. He looks up at me wide eyed and a little out of breath.
"N-not fair! I thought I hurt you!" He grumbles.
"I— win". I say, through panting breaths.
"Whatever, let me out". He protests.
"No".
"..What"? He wiggles around in my grip.
"No! Admit your loses, pretty boy".
"Pretty bo— okay no- you played dirty!" He growls.
"There were no rules, and you know it!" I say, letting up my hands just a little.
He notices my grip loosen, and takes the opportunity. He shoots his hands up from under mine and grabs my wrists, maneuvering me around— until he swiftly flips me to my back. I cry out from the contact with the ground as we rough it out again on the carpet. Eventually, I succumb to his advances as he grabs both my wrist and pins them above my head, with one big hand.
"Dude! What the hell!" I start laughing, under him.
"I win"-
Just then, his mother bursts through the door.