"Hi, I'm April Kirk and this is Valerie Peter and we want to invite you to our table," I said with a smile, attempting to appear nice enough. I guess I already looked approachable with my shoulder length red hair, my brown eyes and my sickly thin figure. My smile made me appear more friendly, slightly creepy yet still friendly.

Timothy scoffed, then he looked over Valerie and I in disdain, ate a bit of his sandwich and then he plugged in his earphones. If rude were a person it would be whispering in his ears, 'good job Timothy.'

"Well wasn't that just dandy, let's go before this gets more emabarassing," Valerie whispered in my ears as she dragged my arms. I pried her off.

"Ehem maybe you didn't hear me, Hi I'm April Kir-"

"Look I didn't make you come here and offer me a sit on your ideally more boring table. I have a choice, either sit hear and listen to your crap or listen to music. I chose listen to music. Now run along little girl." He scowled plugging in his earphones. I was stunned, immortally scarred, externally destroyed. I was beyond humiliated.

"Wow this guy is just all sort of moody. Babe lets just go before everyone notices, I can't be a subject to one of their stupid rumors." Valerie nudged me, I couldn't respond as a result of my indescribable embarrassment. Nobody except Kylie had ever been so mean to me. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes, just etching to drop. I swifly looked up, trying to prevent them from falling.

"Uh yeah lets go," I mumbled as I continued to look up. Valerie dragged me back to our table.

"Honey I know you're about to cry, he doesn't deserve your tears, he's a douche and an asshole," She comforted me, nothing could get passed her, even my obvious attempt to hide my tears.

"Yeah, I get it. He was totally right, he didn't have to be nice to me. It was my choice to go over there and be all stupidly good and caring." I wiped a tear that escaped. Valerie gave a sad smile but said nothing. There was nothing to be said because Timothy was right, he was annoyingly right.

×××


I sighed in relief as I pulled up into my driveway, the sight of my house always brought an odd sense of comfort. The Kirks where popular for their unusually decorated house. Our suburban home was designed with all sort of colours, ranging from blue, red, pink, white, yellow and most importantly green; natures colour. If it wasn't already obvious by the numerous colours our house was painted with, then my parents odd clothes, colourful scarfs and weird scents, would explain they were hardcore hippies. I didn't mind the fact they worshipped sun gods and smoked pot regularly to rid bad vibes, as far as they didn't drag me into it.

Walking into my house I dropped my keys in the tray. The house smelled of lilies and weed, usually it was mostly weed.

"Mom!" I yelled as I walked into the kitchen. She was on the floor doing her yoga. Her red hair was in a loose ponytail and her eyes were closed as she attempted to concentrate.

"Mom, I'm back." I walked over to her.

"Yes honey it's very obvious as you are standing right in front of me, blocking my spirit animal." She opened an eye as she gestured behind me. I looked behind to find nothing there.

"Ugh mom, your spirit animal isn't actually real, it's meant to me mental, in your mind."

"Well honey, in my mind a Tiger is behind you and he seems pretty angry. So move, I'm losing him," she said sofly. I rolled my eyes.

"Why can't I have a normal mom," I mumbled as I walked to the stairs.

"I heard that," she yelled.



Next day....

"When can I come over again. I love when your parents offer me weed," Valerie said excitedly as she picked her books from her locker. I scowled, "I'm pretty sure it's illegal."

"I don't care. You have the coolest parents ever and you don't appreciate them." She shook her head in disappointment.

"Whatever. I have to go now, the guardian counsellor says she wants to see me." I looked at my watch then back at Valerie's curious eyes.

"Why?"

"I don't know probably to tutor someone." I shrugged. We said our goodbyes and departed.

×××

The hallway was quiet as I walked to the guardian counsellor's office. I basked in the silence because here at Lincoln High, it wasn't very common. Our school was prestigious for having noise makers and potential reporters. The unusually styled lockers was just a tip of how creative the students were.

Reaching the office I knocked and waited for a response.

"Come in," Miss Isla's soft voice said from behind the thin wooden door. I opened the door consciously and I was met with a familiar figure. He looked at me briefly before he went back to ignoring everything.

"What's going on Miss Isla. Why is he here?" I questioned from the door. She shook her head as she gestured for me to come in. I entered the small office with caution. The boy who nearly destroyed my little self esteem was sitting in front of Miss Isla with his stupid earphones on, looking less frazzled than I was.

I sat down carefully beside him. Miss Isla smiled then she placed her hands under her chin.

"Timothy can you remove your earphones our session is about to begin."

Timothy sighed heavily then he reluctantly took out his earphones. I wondered what he was always listening to, probably an audio of how to frown like a pro.

"Session?" I asked in confusion. I wasn't in need of counselling. Maybe Valerie slipped out my parents were slight pot heads.

"Umm yes. Today I invited you two here vaguely because I believe both of you need to work together and before you ask, I mean work together in school and occasionally beyond school. Now what I mean is, April you'll be in all of Timothy's classes, you'll need to tutor him because his grades from his old school weren't too good. You'll also need to be his partner in any project assigned, including being his gym partner. Ok that's it, you may go now." She let out a breath before taking a sip of water from her 'best counsellor' mug.

I stared at her in disbelief then I went ahead to stare at Timothy, who still wore the same uninterested look. I was starting to think he was a robot or something.

"What! Do I at least get an explanation for this unbelievable decision you just through at my face?" I questioned in bewilderment. Miss Isla gave me a sad smile before she shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. Um the reason is confidential and his parents and Timothy as well don't want to disclose it. However just know you're doing it for the greater good and I hear you're quite the do gooder. Most importantly, the principal has ordered you can't back away and I know you'll respect that." She smiled again. I sat there in confusion while she smiled and handed me a rubbish explanation, for the greater good my buttocks.

"And how does he feel about this?" I pointed to the robotic figure beside me.

"He has taken quite well. He has no complaints about the whole situation," she said proudly. I rolled my eyes out of habit. I was sure Timothy disliked me, why would he agree to constantly seeing my face and always being in my presence? It was hard to believe.

"So I don't have an opinion in his. I have things to do you know. Parties and stuff, I'm not the do gooder everyone labels me to be."

Timothy scoffed in disbelief.

"Yes I'm sure Miss Kirks. I'm sorry but you don't have a say in this matter, you just have to like your parents would say, go with the follow."

I cringed, the amount of times my parents said it made it really hard to hear.

"Fine, but know that if he insults me in anyway I will quit. He might seem quiet, however he's clearly allergic to nice people." I scowled at Timothy, as usual he didn't show any sign of caring.

"Ok April. I'm sure Timothy will be on his best behaviour. Now you two run along." She gestured for us to leave.

I left abruptly with Timothy behind me.

"Just so you know I'm calling you Tim, Timothy is such a mouth full," I stated as I turned to him.

"Yeah no. Either you say my full name or you don't say my name at all," He grumbled, wearing his signature frown.

I folded my arms attempting to appear intimidating. "No, it's either I call you Tim or I quit."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah we both know you're too much of a good girl to quit."

Oh, he said the word that shall not be named. H-he had the audacity to label me like he knew. He smirked delightfully knowing fully well he struck a nerve.

"You're an asshole," I countered in anger. I usually didn't swear, but he brought out the worst in me.

"I know good girl. I know."