What Makes It Wrong for Us to Fall in Love?

After a few more moments, Kennedy and I were caught still throwing our goofy grins at each other, trying to hold back our laughter at how ridiculously hard I found algebra.

"Done!" Stephen raised his pencil. "The equations of number twelve are in no way parallel!" He proudly announced.

I stared at my blank paper, then soon let my eyes wander onto Kennedy's, which was blank too.

Stephen pouted. "If this was a test, you guys would've failed."

"Sorry." Kennedy and I said in unison.

"You guys should be more focused!" Stephen scolded. "However did you pass eighth grade algebra, Jess, however did you pass?" He shook his head.

"I had help from Kennedy," I muttered.

"What?" Stephen looked up from the two new equations he was copying onto his paper.

"I had Kennedy tutor me."

"I didn't know," Stephen shrugged.

"You didn't have to know." Kennedy laughed as he started copying the equations again.

"When was that, tho," Stephen muttered as he started solving.

"Uhm, I remember when I called you up and told you to tell her parents she was staying the night at my place?"

Stephen nodded, his eyes still glued on the equations.

"Yeah, that was when. She was crying, she really couldn't get the lesson." Kennedy laughed at me.

"You make it sound mean." I frowned as I started to copy the equations.

"You were a dumbass in math, Jess!" Kennedy messed my hair up with his free hand.

"You passed that subject with flying colors, Jess, I thought you were doing well," Stephen skipped to the next set of equations.

"Yeah, I cheated with Kennedy." I admitted.

"You cheated?!" Stephen's head snatched to me.

I shamefully nodded my head.

"What?! But Jess, if you were having trouble, why didn't you tell me? I could've helped you! And I thought Kennedy was helping you! And you were copying your homework off him?! Jess, that wasn't right!" Stephen angrily told me.

"Well what can I do about it now?!" I spat. "Fucking math." I pushed the book off my lap.

"Jess, don't tell me you're getting mad over algebra." Stephen grabbed my wrist before I got to stand up.

I bit my lip and shook my head.

"Jess, come here." He solidly commanded.

I sighed and sat back down.

"It's okay." He kissed my forehead. "But I think we both know cheating is wrong." Then he put his arm around me and looked at Kennedy. "And you. Why did you let her cheat?"

"Dude, she was crying already, and she was never gonna learn, I mean.. I tried to help her but she was defenseless against algebra, okay? I just.. Yeah, it happened once during a quiz, we were sitting together and she was so close to crying, and I didn't wanna see her cry so I let her copy, and it was easier that way, she was dealing with so much that time, her dog died and her mom was super sick, and--"

"You're over-explaining." I cut him off. I looked at Stephen. "I'm sorry, okay?"

He shrugged again. "Whatever, really."

And it was over just like that. I sat there watching the two of them figure out if a number equations were parallel, and trying to go faster than the other. A race, actually.

--

After about two hours, Kennedy was ahead of Stephen by two points, and of course, I was keeping score.

"Hey guys."

We all looked up to see Tim.

He smiled at us. "Uhm, show today's cancelled, there were some complications with the venue. You guys have a day off."

"Yay!" Stephen cheered, either sarcastically or like it was nothing.

"Next bus stop's to buy lunch, then we're gonna head to California."

"Wait, we're skipping Texas?!" Kennedy sadly asked.

"Afraid so." Tim replied.

"Awww," Kennedy went back to his equations.

"Maybe next time, buddy." Tim left quite quickly.

"But we already put the date on our sites and shit, how are the fans gonna feel about that?" Kennedy sadly pointed out, his lips forming a frown.

"I'm sure they'll understand." Stephen said while finishing another equation.

"Yeah, maybe." Kennedy shrugged.

"Okay, I'm done. They're not parallel." Stephen said as he pointed at his side of my paper. "Add another point."

"They're parallel, Stephen." Kennedy argued.

"No, one is negative, the other one's positive. Not parallel." Stephen retorted.

Kennedy was about to file another argument before realizing that Stephen was right. "Fuck, fine. One point for Stephen."

I watched them try to race each other at an equation again, and Stephen made the score a tie.

"It's a tie so far." I announced to them.

They both sighed. "Tiebreaker!" They both said, their faces lighting up.

"Okay," I looked at the book and read out another equation.

Before either of them could've raised their pens and claimed to have finished before the other, Jawn came into the bunk area where we've been hanging out with the book and paper in.

"Hi, Jawn." I greeted.

"Hey, Jess. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me go buy lunch for us." He said straightforwardly.

"No one else wants to go?" I asked while my boys were busy with the equations.

"Nope. Do you maybe wanna go with me?"

"Sure, where are we getting lunch?" I put the book aside.

"Taco Bell, fuck yeah!" Jawn pimped his fist in the air.

"Cool!" I reached out with my hand for him to grab and help me up.

"Let's go!" He took my hand and we happily went off, leaving Stephen and Kennedy still busy with the equations.