Claire readjusted herself on her bed, the books and notebooks piled around her shifting slightly. She tapped the end of the pencil to her lips and stared down at her heavy, green, math book. A tiny crease appeared between her eyes brows, the kind Quil just wanted to smooth out with his finger so he wouldn't have to see her hurt anymore (even if her hurt was just homework frustration), and her nose scrunched with distaste. He waited for her to ask for help with an equation, or expression, or both, like she always did, even though she knew the material better than him. He liked that; that now matter how many times he gave her the wrong answers she never stopped asking him for help. He wanted her to know that she could always ask him for help, with anything, and he would be there for her. While staring at her concentrated face he realized she wasn't looking at her homework at all, but instead the cream colored carpet. He wondered what she was thinking, luckily for him Claire never had any trouble speaking her mind.

"Quil?" Claire said, looking up from the floor, right on cue.

"Yeah Claire-Bear?" Quil said, looking deep into her chocolate eyes for a hint for what was about to come.

"Why do you hang out with me?" She asked, her head tilted to one side, and her eyes wide with genuine curiosity.

"What?" He said, completely take off guard. Where did that come from? She didn't look hurt at all.

"Well, I mean, I know you and a lot of the guys used to hang out here and stuff, but that was a long time ago. What made you stay?" She emphasized you by nodding her head forward to where Quil was sitting on her swivelly desk chair.

"Well, I guess I just sort of got attached you." She had no idea.

"Attached enough to watch a 13 year old girl do her algebra homework?" She asked pointedly. She had a point.

"Claire-Bear," he said slowly, "Are you trying to get rid of me?" He looked at her with mocking eyes.

"Quil," she said rolling her eyes, something she had done a lot since starting high school.

"Cause you can't get rid of me that easily!" He yelled while springing out of the desk chair so he could tackle her where she sat on the bed. Her eyes crinkled with laughter as he tickled her.

Nope, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Or ever.