Title: An Interesting Kind of Surprise
Rating: K+
Note 1: Gabe and Naomi bonding fic. I don't know where exactly it came from, but it's interesting! If anyone wants to take a stab at what Gabe is reading, feel free to guess in the reviews and such.
Note 2: Some Spanish/Mexican notes I've picked up on.
Pulque: is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional to central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia.
The school is set up like a Mexican school for them. Grades are a number system: "10" being the best grade "6" passing poorly "5" failed course/subject
Naomi looked around for Mateo. The castle was big for sure, but she had to find him around here somewhere. School had just let out and she needed to find him before going to the university. Why she let Esteban convince her to do this, she didn't know. Now, she had double the homework every night. She looked around the palace looking for her friend to help with math. Then she ran right into one friend that could help her locate her friend.
"Hey Gabe, have you seen Mateo?" she asked to the taller man. Naomi had been so accustomed to having Mateo help her lately. She didn't realize it but he had been a great help to her. Besides talking to each other between classes and occasionally at lunch, they had been helping each other with homework.
It was actually kind of relaxing and they have been getting to know each other. The only problem was that he had left earlier today to help at the palace with something. Now she had to find him and start on her work. Then start a paper, when did school all of a sudden become so complicated. Where was Mateo?!
"No," he said as he only gave her an apologetic look. "I heard that he is with Luisa and Francisco for some kind of magical medication. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Naomi only looked at him skeptical for a moment. She never thought of Gabe as the book smart type of guy. He could probably get her out of a bind or when she needed some muscle but not for something like school. Unless it was more of a hands on type of class like woodshop. Maybe a science class or two, but not what she needed.
"I'm taking a class at the university," said Naomi begrudgingly tapped her foot impatiently, "Esteban signed me up for a politics class and I really need help finishing my own homework though. I figured Mateo could help me with my math homework."
"I can help you if you want. I did graduate already," he said then looking up at the clock, "I go on break for the next two hours."
At this Naomi only raised her eyebrows at him and he just raised an eyebrow at her before shrugging. At least he was trying to help. A little skeptical she only kept an eye out for anyone that might be coming through. Still no Mateo around and she didn't want to look for Elena. She was busy with tutors some of the time during the day and getting caught up.
"How good at school were you exactly?" she couldn't help but ask looking down the hallway. She should have just kept walking. Then she just regretted her next snarky remark though. "You're a royal guard."
"I had an eight average must you know," he said looking slightly offended, "I had to help my brothers learn and then my own homework. There was a lot review every day; my mother couldn't help she only finished junior high."
"Oh," she said a tad bit embarrassed. She never realized that Gabe would know all of that. Not only that, but she didn't even know about his family to even judge. "Sorry about saying that, I really don't you all too well ye-"
"It's fine," he said dismissively. "I guess I'm going to go get lunch and then the library. Do you have your book?"
Well, at least Naomi knew that she had help. She showed him her bag as they just walked down to the kitchens. A cook had made Gabe a lunch of a large quesadilla and a small flask of pulque with water. Then walked to the library with both of them sitting at a table that Esteban used to look through multiple law books. Right now, Esteban was in his study trying to write to some queen of Arendelle. They had sat down at the chairs in the middle as she pulled out her books. Gabe snacked on his food as he pulled up a chair next to her after he got a piece of paper from a nearby desk.
"You're at the city school right?" She only nodded wondering if he went to some kind of village school or the same school. Naomi would have saw him around school though, well, probably. For one school in the city it was pretty large. "Do you have Senora Acosta?"
A bit surprised, she nodded again her foot resting against the bottom of the chair. Gabe only snorted before rolling his eyes at this as he pushed a random book out of his way. Then placed the piece of paper in front of him before drawing something that looked like formulas to remember. Naomi only recognized some of them from her notes but not all of them.
"Alright, this will be easy. This isn't exactly cheating since it's never the same questions but more of reference sheet. Senora Acosta never changed her tests for the past 20 years. Big shocker, she's old and doesn't want to change her methods too much. These are the ones she uses on the tests and you'll look at later when it's time. I'm guessing you're working on the quadratic formula?"
"Yes," she said as she looked at the paper as he explained how it worked. She knew her division and multiplication as she only watched him show it work in a neat handwriting. Naomi wouldn't think that he would have nice handwriting. She only watched the problem be solved in a couple of simple steps.
"Now you try," he said watching as she worked through a couple of problems. He reminded her to divide instead of multiply a couple of times but she was learning it rather fast. 45, 28, 76, 1, were some of the answers that she had come up with. None of them were wrong after figuring out the problem the same way over and over.
They worked through seven different problems before Naomi was getting a handle on the formula. It was starting to become like a second nature. If only it was easy as throwing in a net. After about an hour of it being quiet she looked over at her study partner. Gabe looked at the book that he had pushed out of the way after working through the rest of the problems. His face seemed to be changing at what was inside of it. She snorted as whatever he was looking because his face changing was kind of comical.
"So you went to the city school right?" she asked looking over question fourteen of twenty.
"Yep," he said looking up a little dazed before looking down at his lap for a moment. Then looking at her with a questioning look on his face at why she might be asking. For someone that had a B average, he was kind of slow on the uptake.
"Did you have Senora Gonzalez's?" At this he looked over a her with a grin on his face, likely at a memory.
"Oh my gosh does she still spit when she says her P's?" asked Gabe as he leaned forward in the seat. "I remember being the last to come to class, because I had to drop my brothers off and I had to sit in the first seat. Every day before first period ended, I had spit on my face."
"You had him first period? I'm sorry, I get up early so I get to class early. I've always managed to get there early enough to claim a back seat. But yea, she still spits and usually it's Dante Rubio in that seat."
Both of them started to laugh at the idea of being spat on. Gabe smiled at his memories of being in high school with his friends and what not. While he had average grades, it wasn't the most favorite years of his life. She wanted to ask what school was like for him, but thought better of it. Naomi could only imagine a young, or rather not so young, Gabe coming out of class with spit on his face.
"Do you have Senor Parra?"
"Yes," she said as she could only roll her eyes at her writing teacher. He was good at his job but never really went into much depth. That was one reason why she was so hesitant on getting signed up for a university class. She knew her writing wasn't exactly the best, but she could probably handle it.
"Okay, what you need to do it have everyone bring up enchiladas. Like mention in front of him one day. Then have another person bring it up and talk about it for a week," he said before pausing. Naomi only raised an eyebrow curious to know why. "Then he will plan a random day to bring in enchiladas in for everyone. He will cancel a quiz and everyone gets out of work to eat his enchiladas."
"No way," she said before laughing at the idea. "You're lying."
"No joke. My class and about three others got away with it. You can ask all of them," persisted Gabe. "He thinks he makes the best enchiladas in all of Avalor and when someone brings them up, he will make them for people. Just try it. The worst he could do is not bring them in."
"Okay fine I will," said Naomi as she answered the next question on the worksheet. It was 34 as Gabe checked it and nodded at the right answer. Nice. Maybe she could get a handle on this whole math thing. Why they had to introduce letters, still bothered her but she could still answer them at least. Gabe looked over whatever random book it was before turning the page his head cocked and eyes wide. She heard him murmur a wow under his breath as she continued to work on the math.
Naomi slide the paper over the text as he looked it over.
"Yep, you catch on quick," he said as she did a victory pose.
"Well I now know what I am doing," she said with a smug smile on her face. "Thanks to you."
"Well, I try," he said his own smug smile on his face. "So why did Esteban sign you up for a university class, out of curiosity."
"He thinks that since I'm on the grand council, I should have at least know a little about politics. He wants me to reach my 'full potential.'" Naomi added the air quotes around full potential and rolled her eyes. It did make sense to know a little about politics. Taking a class at the university wasn't somethings she had in mind. Maybe going over a couple of books in the castle library. nobody had the time to teach her anything though.
"Naomi you're plenty smart," said Gabe as he looked over the book again.
"But not like Esteban or Mateo," she said still trying to find herself worthy of being on the grand council. Gabe only awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder to keep her quiet. It felt weird, normally she would be with Mateo instead of him.
"Naomi, just keep doing what you're doing. You're good at it."
With that she could only smile as she looked down at the next assignment. At least now her homework was getting done.
I'm putting my next story up for a vote. So either comment or vote in the poll (anons just leave a review) it'll run until the end of October as I get some homework and other stories done.