A Very Good Boy

I decided to walk home today, rather than take the bus. I had some things that I wanted to try and sort out. The most of it was my poor, corrupted, little brain which was distracted greatly by previous events. That was the first thing I had to sort out.

Beep. Beep.

‘Hell- HEY! LEON! Hello!’ she smiled, waving at me as she crept out from behind one of the little aisle’s of stock. She came so close to me, closer then she would be behind the counter. It was...distractingly scary.

‘How are you?’

‘Fairly well.’ I reply, nodding my head in a small greeting gesture. She too nodded lightly before running back behind the counter. She seemed far from the beast that I had seen this morning. Was it possible that I had even seen wrong? Surely not!

‘Come to buy some more lollies for your Mummzie?’

‘Um, no. Not really.’

‘Oh, well what can I help you with buddie?’

I couldn’t bring myself to mention what I had noticed this morning. I felt like I was split in two, once again, this part telling me to ask her, help her. And then the other part telling me that she’s not worth it. She’s a waste of time.

‘Have you come to ask about Mr. Ray?’ she asked, as if reading my mind. Now I was a tad more scared.

‘You actually noticed me?’

‘Of course! How couldn’t I? You know, I’m sorry you had to see me like that, but I just...I don’t know. I was angry, and I’m the type of girl who shows it. As you could see...’ I could see that she wanted to laugh, but she couldn’t. She was stopping herself from it. Obviously, she wasn’t impressed at the fact that I knew.

‘Shame that you had to see me like that...’

I watched her closely as she fiddled around with her fingers. She looked helpless and alone again. Like how she was in the empty cafeteria. I couldn’t help but feel a tinge – well, slightly more than a tinge of sympathy for her. Hopefully it didn’t show on my face.

‘Why don’t you listen to him? If you don’t listen to him, you’re going to be expelled from school. Do you really want that? Ask Mr. Ray, he can help you...that’s what he’s –‘

‘Leon...’

She spoke my name again. She said it again and now that tug at my heart started playing up. As annoying as I told myself it was, I liked it. Just a bit.

‘I know your just trying to be nice. But, it’s just a waste of you- I’m a waste of your time. It’s something that I can’t be bothered to do. Studying, just isn’t my thing.’

‘You’re not disciplined enough. You don’t try’ I told her, not believing anything she said.

‘Your right! I don’t try. Because it’s too hard that’s why’

I shook my head.

‘Is that your excuse?’

She looked at me then lightly shrugged, not knowing what to say next.

‘If it’s too hard, or you don’t understand something. Ask. Ask questions. Ask for help. Get someone to help you. It really isn’t hard! Mr. Ray is there to help you. Heck! I’ll help you if that’s better’

Her eyes seemed to flicker with some hint of hope. She looked at me as if trying to gain my assurance.

‘Would you? Would you like, tutor me or something?’ she asked, making me wide eyed and dumbfounded. What did I just do? Offer my help to her? An undeserving girl like her? What the hell was I on? Seriously! You idiot!

She seemed to notice that I wanted to reject the idea, take back my offer.

‘Nev’s mind then, all goods. I can handle getting the chop from school!’ she smiled, waving off the thought.

‘Chop?’ I asked confused.

‘Expelled from school is what I meant by it’ she nodded with certainty.

The thought shook me and once again I spoke what I didn’t want too.

‘W-Well, I didn’t say no! I will help you.’

‘Will you?’ she didn’t seem to believe me this time.

‘Yes. I will. I can help you after school hours if you really want’

I watched her closely, secretly hoping that she would agree. She seemed to watch me too, for any uncertainty of such. I was determined to show none this time.

‘Okay then, only if your keen.’

‘Of course. I’ve offered my help and you have it. It seems odd that I offer you my help and then decline you. It annoys me actually.’

‘Lol’ she spoke before beginning to giggle.

‘Well, before we go any further with this tutoring business, I need to know. Will you be determined and try your best? I don’t want to waste my time. I too have to study for that test’

‘Ohh, I don’t know...trying hard...that’s uh, that’s a big-’

I stared at her sternly.

‘I'm only joking! Geez, of course. I will give you my utmost greatest trying! I swear!’

She held one hand in the air and the other spread across her heart, as if swearing to me that she would.

‘So, since this business is going down after school. Where do we go? Is it party at your home?’ she did a little dance to signify the word ‘party’.

But I was to focused on an answer to the question than anything. Where would we go? Was my house really the best? My mother had a dislike for girls like Autumn. Seeking fun instead of succeeding, going out to parties, drinking and smoking. My mother used to complain to me at times about how she’d see Autumn smoking at the front of her house and drinking beer. I remember one time she had seen Autumn in her backyard with some guy, ‘doing, dirty, disgusting things’ is what my mum said. Maybe my house wasn’t the best choice...

‘Well... Um, no...I don’t think my house would be the best...’

~

‘What’s this? Ohh! Ohh! What’s that? This looks cool!’

I rolled my eyes, annoyed by how easily she was able to get distracted. She was doing everything, touching playing, mucking around, poking and prodding. Everything, except doing the work.

‘Who’s his chick here? Is she your girlfriend?’ grinned Autumn, grabbing hold of a photo that I had placed on top of my bookshelf. It was the picture of me and Ally at the AMP Show. I hardly remember that day, most probably because I thought it was a waste of time and I don’t bother remembering boring things.

‘She’s not my girlfriend. Just a friend. Her name is Alice Winters.’

‘Aww yeah! I’ve seen her. I see her sitting with you all the time and that other annoying chick...um, Bonnie?’

‘Connie’ I corrected her.

‘Ah! Whatev’s not important!’

‘True, but what Is important is you doing this work here. You said you would try. At the moment your failing, which makes me think of you as a liar and un-trustworthy’

She stared at me dumfounded.

‘Woah...how harsh was that! That’s even worse than saying ‘Bay you dumb! Sit your ass here and do the bloody work!’

‘There is no need for you too use bad words. Just sit here please and do these problems’

It was like babysitting a kid or in this case and immature, no ear’s, brat. But still I was unable to get terribly angry at her, heck! I wasn’t even angry. I was more bewildered at the fact that she was in my room. I was still trying to come to terms with it, I’ve been thoroughly struggling too since I left the dairy yesterday and all day through school. I admit that her being here, made me have this weird feeling, fill up my stomach. It was a good feeling I assure myself.

‘I think you guy’s suit each other by the way. You and that Alice chick-a-dee. You’s should totes be a couple.’

Good feeling gone.

‘Where not a couple and we never will be. Could you please not mention her at the moment? She was growling me today because I didn’t end up going to that stupid youth party thing. Now here, copy these notes down and then do these testers. These are the easiest questions I assume should be in the test...’ I handed her my text book where I had circled a few phrases and questions that I had no doubt would be in the test.

‘...god! who’s the liar now!?’ she suddenly spat, rolling her eyes over my tester questions.

‘What?’

‘I thought you said these were easy! These aren’t easy! Look who’s lying now!’

‘I don’t lie and these are the easiest, you haven’t even attempted them and you already assuming
them hard.

She just gawked at the sheet of paper with her mouth wide open.

‘If you get at least 30 of these right, then that would give you 150 points, just enough to pass the test.’

‘Really? What if I get over that, huh?’

I looked at her, whole hearted disbelief plastered upon my face.

‘I said try your best, not try till death.’

‘You don’t think I could do it?’

‘Honestly?’

‘Thats what I'm asking, buddy boy’

I looked at her blank.

‘No.’

She started laughing, putting the book down on the desk and grabbing out her pencils and things.

‘Let’s have a bet!’

‘On what?’

‘Me! If I get higher than 150, then its prizes galore!’

I shook my head. ‘I'm not really into that kind of thing’

‘Aw come on! Please? I love challenges, it’ll make me work harder!’

‘Really? Alright then. If I win, you have to start showing up to your English classes, no matter what!’

She flinched, screwing her face at the very thought of her coming to class.

‘Hm, I think i’ve changed my mind now. Can’t you be like a normal person and just say a kiss or something?’

I didn’t even bother to mock her. ‘I knew you were a liar’

‘Hey hey hey! Come on now! I was just joking!’

She laughed, lightly punching at my shoulder. I did nothing but ignore it, though the physical contact did send chills up my spine.

‘Fine fine fine, if you win, I’ll start going to class. But if I win, you have to do the ultimate thing ev’s. M’Kay?’ Autumn had a huge smile on her face.

‘...and what is that?’ To be honest. I didn’t really want to know what her side of the bet was. Knowing her, I would imagine it to be something outrageous and silly like, smoke this for the first time, and drink this for the first time. Or maybe, steal this with me for the first time. I remember hearing about her and her friends raiding the schools fundraiser room of all its boxes of chocolate, would she get me to do the same?

‘Hmm, how ‘bout something simple like. Be my friend? It’s all I could think of at the mo’’

Be her friend? Be Autumn’s friend? My heart was jumping at the thought of being her friend, it seemed excited and rather eager at the proposition, but then I realised, would I even want her to be my friend? What would mum think if she found out that we were friends? What about Ally and Connie? They didn’t like Autumn just as much as my mother. I looked at her hand, outstretched towards me. If I took it and shook it, that would seal the deal.

‘Fine.’ I said simply, taking hold of her hand which was surprisingly soft to the touch and shaking it gently. She looked oddly thrilled and overjoyed at this little bet, maybe she was actually thinking about winning it.

There was a certain aura that lingered in my room, an aura that I have never left before in my life. My room seemed...brighter and more exciting to be in, and it was noticeably warm. There was the odd distraction that lingered within my mind, but for some reason, I really wanted to just let it pass and distract me. I wanted to look it straight in the eyes and hit me. I wanted to watch her and not let her leave.

My room seemed to brighten with every passing night that I had with Autumn. The excitement never left during these past 2 weeks. Though Autumn didn’t come to classes, I did notice her with her books out at morning tea’s and lunchtimes, attempting at a few questions, even though she was always distracted by her friends who’d often laugh at her or just take the books away from her. She just laughed them off and then continued on mucking around with them. I’d also catch her in the library sometimes doing a bit of work, mostly sleeping but still...she attempted.

Soon came the test. Yesterday was most probably the last day I’d get to spend such time with Autumn. I didn’t really want this strange warmth or excitement to end. It was quite a thrill to have Autumn here while my mother was at work, but I knew it was lying and so thankfully this had come to an end. I was angry at her though and saddened, simply because when I announced this would be our last time, she didn’t seem to mind at all. She looked like she enjoyed the fact that everything was over now. I tried not to look at her during the test, it would only dishearten me more for some weird reasons I just couldn’t explain to myself. This was the end of the road most likely for us.

Did I forget to mention. She passed, with 165 points.