Page 23 of Rules, Roses, and Rivals
He didn’t wait for a response before he sent another.
Mathieu:I had hoped to have dinner with you, but I don’t think we will be done for another two hours. I also have some work to do after. Are you free tomorrow?
Me:I’ll make time. The first week is always the hardest. Call me before you go to sleep?
Mathieu:I will make sure you are still awake before I call.
I sighed.
Me:If I don’t talk to you later tonight, I’ll pick you up in the morning…
Mathieu:I would like that very much. If anything changes, I’ll tell you.
I sent him a kissy-face emoji and sighed. Yes, the first week would be the worst. We just had to adapt to the new schedule.As much as I would love to be hanging out with him right now, it was probably better for me to get my schedule under control.
Then we could have fun when I wasn’t working and my homework would still get done. I found the book I was looking for, then checked the length before I studied the questions again.
Right, I could read this tonight pretty quick, then get the answers started. She hadn’t indicated what our first “paper” would look like, but that was part of the fun. We had to prep for the discussion questions period, because it could be anything from a persuasive paper to an essay test to an actual debate in class.
It was one of the things I really loved about Mrs. Fajardo. She challenged us and proved that reading wasn’t just about devouring the words, but about processing them. With most of it done, that just left math. We didn’t have any homework in there due until Friday.
Bubba had asked me to help him with the class, it was AP Calculus. I took my plate and empty soda can to the kitchen. There was no ice cream in the freezer, but I checked the pantry and reached into the back—score.
I’d hidden peanut butter cups back there and Mom hadn’t found them. So I took the package of Reese’s and some water back to my room. My phone buzzed.
Coop:Ready to video chat?
I stared at the message. It wasn’t that late. It was just after seven. I had most of my homework done, I could curl up and watch videos or a movie or…
Coop:I know we pissed you off. I’m sorry.
That made me sigh.
Me:Are we just going to talk about assignments and stuff?
He offered that apology and thathelped. But I wasn’t sure if he was apologizing because Iwasangry or forwhyI was angry. Did I dare ask that question? Or would it just start another fight?
Coop: …
The three little dots flickered as he seemed to be taking a long time to compose his response. I set the phone down, closed out of the documents I was in on my laptop and then flipped open my notebook to my class schedule and the homework schedule I’d worked out already.
Finally, my phone vibrated.
Coop:I want to hang out. I think they do too. But—Bubba needs help with math and we always kind of figure out the schedule for the week. So—-all of the above?
I studied the response and chewed the inside of my lip. The earlier desire to sob had evaporated. Most of the tension binding me up in chicken wire had also eased. While I wouldn’t have said I’d relaxed, I was a lot closer to it than I’d been at school.
Coop:I can tell them to fuck off and just come over if you want.
My pulse increased, almost uncomfortably. The hard thud was probably bruising.
Coop:C’mon, Frankie… talk to me.
Me:Ok.
Just two letters and I huffed out a long breath. It didn’t do much for my stress levels.
Coop:Ok to the call? Ok to me? Ok to run away to Mexico for a vacation?
