I done goofed - I left this link in my newsletter template, instead of the one for the bonus content page. I will do better next newsletter, but if you're here looking for a more organised presentation of bonus content:
THIS IS THE REAL LINK
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
"We're really not doing well, are we?" I grinned at Marc over our open physics books - which had pretty much been abandoned for the last half-hour.
We'd kept getting distracted - he just wanted to talk about games, music and movies. He also kept asking me questions about my books - it was the first time he'd been to my house, so he'd seen my bookshelf and incredulously asked me if I'd read all of them, and I told him that I mostly had. Then we'd sat down to finish the physics problems we'd been assigned as homework over the holidays - barbaric, I know. But working through it with him made it oddly bearable.
"You are." He laughed. "You've only got like two of them left."
He had a point. While he struggled through his questions, I'd been slowly forging my way ahead, and then circling back to help him. I'd worked as a tutor for younger students the previous year. The company running it had trained us to try and help them get to the answers themselves, rather than just telling them everything. I was trying to do a similar thing with Marc.
It wasn't working. He had an annoying habit of looking up at me and grinning, and then asking me about the things I loved. How was I supposed to focus on something as boring as physics, when he kept dragging my mind away like that? I was usually unable to shut up about my fandoms at the best of times. But on top of that - for some reason - the idea that it was Marc who thought the things I liked were cool just made me feel really good.
I shrugged. "Sure, but I said I'd help you, and I'm kind of leaving you behind."
"Don't worry about that," he said. "Dude, I'm just so grateful you're putting up with me. I know it's probably not how you wanted to spend your last day of the holidays."
"I almost forgot to do this, so I'm just glad you reminded me." I smiled. I probably would have remembered when packing my bag that night, and honestly - without him there, derailing my brain all the time - I would have finished this stuff in like half an hour and, at worst, been slightly more tired at school the next day.
But my day was going great. I'd wanted to invite him over to do something the whole holiday, but every time we'd gone online to play something together, he'd been super focused on getting down to business in the game. I thought I'd be able to talk to him after we'd finished whatever it was that we were doing, but each time he'd have to leave really quickly because his mom had been bugging him for something.
I could have texted him, or - god forbid - phoned him, and just asked him like a normal person. But after that first message I'd sent him to give him my Steam username, we'd only communicated online. I'd saved his phone number - of course - but I felt like he probably would have lost mine already, and if he'd answered with 'Who's this?' that would probably banish any confidence I'd have for that.
I also just really felt like Marc had cooler guys to hang out with, in general - he lived really close to Derek, after all. Derek's a major asshole, and a bit of a moron, but his family is loaded. They have a hot tub and a pool table, and his dad drives a Porsche. Sometimes, that sort of thing is enough - it certainly drew Marc in, and they'd been hanging out some of the time, at least.
As I was finishing the last one, he looked up at me again, grimacing. "I have an idea... but you might not like it."
"Uh, okay." My stomach fluttered slightly - the stupid mysterious way it always did whenever I didn't know what he was talking about. I guess I thought he was about to suggest something exciting.
"I could just borrow your book, and see what you've done and work my way through tonight, and hand it over to you tomorrow?"
"Um..." I usually never did that. Physics was a fairly safe bet. The teacher wouldn't immediately think you were copying - the answer was usually the only answer, after all - but it felt like there was a principle involved. I also kind of didn't want him to just grab my book and leave. I liked that he was here.
"That way, we don't have to work too much the rest of the day, and we can go see a movie or something."
"Yeah, okay." Had I said that too fast? Going to a movie with Marc, alone, sounded amazing. Like we were real best friends. I quickly looked down at my book. "Just let me finish this one, and fix my handwriting in a few places then."
"Awesome." He grinned broadly, and pulled out his phone. "I'll see what we can watch, and get us tickets. My treat - as a thanks for doing this."
"No problem." I smiled and dipped my head to my book, completing the question and looking back through my answers to make sure I hadn't made any stupid mistakes. I tried as best as I could to make everything neat, but it occurred to me that if he couldn't read some things he could probably text me to ask about them. I shut my book.
"All done?" he asked. He'd wandered over to sit on the couch while I was finishing up. "I chose the movie - hope that's okay."
"Yeah, that's fine. I'll watch whatever." I walked up to him. "When is it?"
"In about two hours, so we have some time to kill. Can I play some Final Fantasy?" He nodded towards my TV setup. "You made it sound awesome."
"Sure." I was probably grinning like an idiot as I handed him the controller, and put the right disk in.
I grabbed a book and flopped down on the opposite end of the couch, sitting at an angle, so I could easily watch his reactions as he played. Between watching the game, and watching him enjoy playing it, I don't think I'd gotten past the paragraph I'd started on when it was time to head for the movies.
He'd picked a movie that I'd already seen - which was fine. I was just happy to have some popcorn and hang out. We spent so much time talking in therethat I was almost glad I didn't actually need to watch it to see what was going on. His bare arm brushed against mine on the armrest a few times, and for whatever reason, that also made it pretty hard to focus.
After we were done, he came back to my house with me to get his bag and my physics workbook. He asked me if he could also borrow my Harry Potter books, and I happily let him. It was kind of cool he wanted to read more - even if he might not get around to it. I led him out through the main house. Dan and Jenny - my older and younger step-sisters - were sitting in the lounge, watching some trash on TV.
I walked him out the front door, and he turned back to me before he took off.
"Thanks, man." He grinned. "This is a massive assist. I'll get the book back to you tomorrow."
"No problem," I said. "See you then."
"Yeah..." He nodded. "I also just had an awesome day. You're like the only one of the guys I can really talk to."
"Same." Damn. Why did hearing him say that make me so happy?
"Cheers, dude." He raised his hand in a mock salute.
"Bye." I shut the door and went back inside, with a broad, almost involuntary smile on my face.
Jenny had been standing near a window, but she threw herself down on the couch when I got back inside, her face a little red. I joined them to watch whatever junk was on. Jenny immediately bounced up, a few seconds after I sat down, and marched away - probably towards her room.
"What the hell was that about?" I asked Dan.
She smirked. "I think she has a little crush on your friend."
I laughed. Poor Jenny.
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