"What do you want me to tell you, Jake? That I'm sorry? That I love you?" The phone trembled in Jake's hand, and he didn't know if it was from the cold, the low blood sugar, or the rage.

"Something along those lines, yes!" He replied shortly, cranking up the heat and angling the vents towards himself.

"Sorry, then. Because I promised a long time ago to never lie to you." A breath hissed through his clenched teeth, and Jake nearly slammed on the gas to tear out of the driveway.

"You don't mean that. You're upset." Jake said quietly into the receiver, and he recited the address he had learned so long ago in his mind as he passed a few familiar streets.

"Don't come over. It just has to be this way. Things are never easy with… with me. You have to understand. You don't need me. And I don't want to need you." Jake grit his teeth. The line went dead. He held back a curse and turned sharply; he had to make it before they left. The stoplight in front of him made a startling skip from green to red, and his foot couldn't find the brakes fast enough. A driver as equally as surprised as him attempted to swerve out of the way, but Jake could tell collision was imminent. And suddenly, his world exploded into metal and glass.

oOo

Jake watched the burnt orange leaves sway in the wind through the window, still clinging to the little bit of life before the crisp autumn brought them down. The trees on this side of the school were his favorite- the leaves sometimes held out until the week or so before winter hit, and they were always the prettiest shades of gold and amber. He got up from his grandmother's large oak desk, scattered with her student's papers and his work, and went to stand directly in front of the window. His eyes slowly roved downwards, from the darkening sky to the soft carpet of crunchy leaves on the grass.

Taking a deep breath in, Jake swore that he could smell, could feel, fall in the room with him. His lips lifted at the corners, and he closed his eyes. He'd been so wrapped up in work lately. It was too easy for him to throw himself into it completely, and while Jade praised his work ethic, he could tell that she was worried about him. Speak of the devil, his grandmother opened the door behind him with an audible click, peeking her head in.

"Jakey, dear. Grab our stuff, will you? We have to dart over to the main office, and then we can scoot on home and cook something up for dinner, 'kay?" She said with a small smile, teeth poking out from behind her top lip a little. He turned from the window and to Jade's desk, sweeping the papers into a semblance of order, putting his homework in his satchel and handing Jade's to her. She nodded, her bright green eyes shining. The look in them gave Jake a strange sense of foreboding, that something big was about to happen. Perhaps she was planning a pop quiz for her students, or a particularly pressing open response question?

His grandmother was a high school teacher at M. East Houston High, the same school that he had started attending three years ago. Jade Harley was 68 years old, and acted like she wasn't a day over 20. She took nature walks, volunteered at animal shelters, knew how to shoot a rifle, and let her shimmery, salt-and-pepper hair fall down to the small of her back. He wasn't her biological grandson- he was orphaned at 6, and she snatched him up as quick as she could to take him to the country. As a result, he was homeschooled until his last year of middle school, until Jade couldn't stand being in one place anymore. They've been living in Houston ever since, but she was thinking of relocating to New York, as soon as Jake warmed up to big places, lots of people.

Aha, yes, that.

Jake was what Jade affectionately called a hermit. He didn't like talking to people, and he rarely went out. It wasn't his fault, really. Nobody really liked him, whether they thought he was some sort of weirdo or teacher's pet or whatever. He couldn't help if he did well in school or spoke like a proper gent. He sighed and adjusted his glasses. They just didn't... understand, or make any effort to, so why should he be the one extending the metaphorical olive branch? Jade looked over questioningly. They were in the hallway, outside of the principal's office. He shook his head, and walked in ahead of her- making sure to hold the door open, of course. She rolled her eyes and poked him in the side as she passed. She would have words with him later.

"Ah, the Harley-Englishes. Thank you Jade, for giving this your consideration." The principal said, smiling lightly and shuffling a few papers on his desk. The thought that he did that for show, to present a stereotypical "principal" image, popped into his head, and he felt that he wasn't that far off. The principal was often wrapped up in what others thought, and how others thought, constantly trying to better the world, even it was just a facade of perfection. Jake had been here before, although never for the wrong reasons. Still, any authoritative figure tended to intimidate him, so he drifted closer to his grandmother, and out of the principal's judging gaze.

"It's our pleasure, Kankri, really." Jade replied, stepping away from Jake in retaliation. "Your thanks should probably be redirected to Jake though- he's going to be the one doing all the work." Wait. What? Had his ears gone haywire? He had AP exams to study for, essays to write, portfolios to arrange! Granted, they were due in May, but he could never be too careful! Distractions like extracurriculars and whatever these two were throwing at him would leave him suspecpitble to the seductive maiden named Procrastination, and he'd end up being sucker punched by all the work he let pile up all the way to the fan!

"Jake. Jake, darling." Jake's eyes came back into focus, on slender fingers waving in front of his face. Oh, bugger, he'd zoned out again, yammering away to himself inside his head. Mr. Vantas looked at him patronizingly, his awkward, forced smile making him seem sort of robotic, alien.

"As I was saying, Mr. English- and might I add that tuning people out could seriously offend them, making them feel as if they are insignificant, irrelevant? Of course, I will pardon you, as your grandmother obviously had not informed you of this arrangement beforehand, but in the future, I implore you to better utilize your listening skills." He nodded sagely, eyes closed. Jade turned to him quickly and shook a single finger, and Jake had to hold back a laugh. Mr. Vantas was the principal, for Pete's sake! Jade needed to control herself, lest she put her job in jeopardy.

Mr. Vantas cleared his throat, opened his eyes, and he was off again. "Ah, sorry for my tangent. I'm right, though. You are, admittedly, one of the better students of the school, of course, so I've decided to put you on a rather tough case. We're getting a new student, and from what M. East has heard, he's quite a handful. The school year is already underway, and he needs to get caught up with that, along with any supplementary material he might struggle with here. I trust you're up to it?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly. Jade turned to him as well, and Jake felt like the walls were closing in on him. Jake? Tutor? He could barely hold a conversation, let alone be depended upon...!

However... Mr. Vantas had said he was a great student, and he was. He took quite a bit of pride in his high standards, his grades were nothing to sneeze at. So he was a very viable candidate for the job. He could look at it as experience, another academic challenge that he would rise to, no problem-o!

"I'll do whatever you need me to, sir." Jake finally said, a nervous rush flooding his body, he could do this, he could do this.

"Excellent! You were right again, Jade. Anywho, your pupil will be here next week, and you will be together on Mondays and Thursdays for now. If there are any complications, we can, of course, reschedule. Until then, look over what you've covered so far so you can rehash it to him, maybe garner a few worksheets or papers?" Mr. Vantas stood, and reached out a hand. For a second, Jake thought Jade was supposed to take it, until he looked up and saw the principal's eyes boring into him.

"I- yes, looking forward to it, mate!" He nearly choked, and he heard Jade stifle a laugh.

"It was a pleasure, Kankri. Tell your brother hi for me, and don't forget to call your dad!" She then took his hand and bodily moved him out the door, waving to Mr. Vantas over her shoulder. They weren't out fast enough, though, to miss him mutter "Strange kid..." Jade pursed her lips, and Jake felt his shoulders sag. One of her slender arms stretched across his back, and he leaned into her.

"You're too good for this world, Jakey. That's all. I think this tutoring thing will be beneficial for you though." She told him, swinging her free arm up to push open the front entrance to the school.

"One o' your good ol' gut feelings, Grandma?" He teased, partially- Jake knew how uncannily right she could be- clicking the unlock button on the keys in his coat pocket.

"Of course."

"Of course."

They laughed all the way to the car.

oOo

The week lagged as time often does when waiting for something important. Thursday was boring, Friday was awful- pop quizzes galore. Jake awoke Saturday morning to the delicious smell of pancakes and bacon. He trudged downstairs, hair disheveled and glasses crooked, to join his grandmother in the squeezing of fresh orange juice.

"So what do you want to do today, kiddo? I finished my lesson plans for next week, so I'm free as a bird. And you're too diligent to have let your school week bleed over into your free time." She asked, retrieving the syrup from the cabinets with ease. Jake shrugged, watching the coffee drip drip drip into the pot slowly. He was leaning on the counter, letting it support most of his weight. He didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Jade pouted, and whipped him on the arm with a spatula nearby.

"Ouch, Grandma! I sure do hope you didn't need that utensil anymore, because you seem to have gotten a generous amount of Ass-Whooping on it!" Jake grumbled, rubbing his arm and shoving off of the surface behind him. She giggled and swept away into the dining room, beginning to set the table.

"Sorry, honey. But you look so down in the dumps. What's up, buttercup?" She called back to the kitchen, and he thought about it as he brought the plates of food to her.

"I guess... just school. The usual stuff."

"Don't you lie to me, young man. I can tell." She warned him, brandishing her handful of serving silverware.

"I wasn't! It is school stuff..." Jake retorted, trailing off. He sat in his chair, and Jade settled in across from him. She began to fill her plate, smiling impishly.

"Aha. It's that poor transfer you have to tutor, isn't it? Don't worry, you're gifted in the ways of learning, kid. Nothing to fear." She took a hearty swig of her orange juice, and Jake bored a hole into his breakfast.

"Yeah. It's just... All that responsibility, heaped upon me at once? It's quite the pickle, for me, Grandma. What if I fall behind? Or worse, I fail him in some way-"

"Bah. What ifs and doubts never got anybody anywhere, Jake. You need to look on the bright side. Like how good this'll look on your college apps." Jake sighed and smiled softly. Bright side. Maybe his pupil would be nice? Maybe all he needed was a bit of understanding, a good friend. And admittedly, maybe Jake needed the same.

"I'll try, Grandma."

"That's all I've ever asked of you, dear."

They worked together to clear off the table, and hammered out a weekend itinerary. They needed to go shopping, but they'd put that off until tomorrow. Jade wanted to check out a new store they opened on their street that they knew next to nothing about- adventure indeed! And then they would head out for an afternoon snack, coming home for a brief rest when that was done. It was very lax compared to the hustle and bustle of the work week, but that was the way Jake preferred it. It was nice to take a break every once and awhile, rare though they were. The store turned out to be a little oddity shop, full of interesting trinkets like dream catchers and the heady smell of burning incense. They didn't buy anything, but Jade had Jake take a note of the place for later. The pair went to Starbucks after that, and before they got in line, they sat at one of the tables inside. Jade pulled out a napkin and a pen from her purse, starting the grocery list for tomorrow.

"How many eggs to we have at home now? I know I used some today but..." She mused, tapping her lips with the pen.

"We only have about half of the carton left. We should probably pick up some aluminum foil, too." Jade nodded and scribbled, looking up at the shortening queue of people in line for their overpriced caffeine.

"Here, Jakey, you do the list while I get our snacks! What do you want?" She slid the napkin and pen over to Jake's side of the table, hitching her purse up on her shoulder.

"I'll have my usual for this time of year, or course! Oh, and two of those dandy vanilla bean scones, they're to die for with a latte." He replied, adding milk, oranges, and paper towels to the grocery lineup absentmindedly, stomach gurgling. He probably should have had more pancakes, but he was itching to get out and go too fast this morning, it seemed. Jade glanced at the menu behind them, and back to Jake.

"Oh... Jake, not to be a bother, hun, but... what drink do you want? I can't quite remember from last year..." She said, almost apologetically. Jake smiled up at her. Why should she be sorry? Everyone forgot things from time to time! He told her as much.

"And, the drink is the Pumpkin Spice Latte, of course! Apparently they only have it this time of year because it's impossible to keep pumpkins any other time."

"Pesky pumpkins!" She joked, and shuffled to the line. Jake watched her for a minute, then shrugged his discomfort off. It just might be an off day for her. Best to let it be. After she paid, he went over and grabbed his drink and bag from her, escorting her to the car. He opened the passenger side door for her- ladies first, of course- and then wound around to the driver side. Suddenly, the wind blew something fierce, and sent Jake's comfortable insulated hat flying right off of his head. He quickly opened the door and set his coffee in the cup holder, tossing the bag of scones down on his seat. He picked his hat up off the asphalt of the parking lot, frowning at the tidbits attached to the wool. He threw it in the back as he climbed in, resolving to deal with it later.

As soon as they had settled in at home on the couch, Jade was out like a light. He smiled and got up gently, tucking her in with a blanket before padding off to his room. It wouldn't hurt to study and get his mind off of things for a bit. Jake sat at his desk in his room, kicking a leg to spin himself a bit. He didn't have much to work with- it was only October 17th, and his teachers were pretty lax. He searched for something to do until dinner, or at least until Jade woke up. His bed was made up, neatly, as were his shelves. He glanced at the spines of his books, but he didn't have anything for leisure reading. And did he really want to read the book on theoretical physics? Agian? He spun back around to face the desk, fingers touching his laptop briefly. The internet held no interest for him. With a sigh, he left his chair and flopped facedown on his bed. This was going to be a long year.

oOo

By the time Monday rolled around, Jade had to nearly slap Jake's nerves out of him that morning. Sunday had gone quickly, despite their hefty grocery list, and too soon Jake was reminded that he would meet his next assignment the next day. He was told that his pupil was very distinctive, and that he would notice him nearly immediately. So Jake went through the day staring at the doors to his classes, eyes roving around the hallways, searching, to no avail.

After school hours were up, and Jake had gathered his stuff, he made his way over to his grandmother's classroom. He was beyond nervous now, done with the apprehension. All for naught! The bloody fool didn't even show, and had the gall to leave him floundering about all day in anxiety! His mind tried to dredge up a name, which he had been told, he remembered, but without a face to it there was an uncomfortable and annoying disconnect. He planned to tell his grandmother as much when she finished with her papers, and he felt the words lay heavy on his tongue as he pulled open her door. She wasn't in there, but the most beautiful man that Jake had ever seen in his entire life was sitting at one of the desks. Jake's voice shriveled and died in his throat.

His hair was so blonde it was nearly white, and it stuck up in the oddest way. Jake fleetingly wondered if it was deliberate or if he even brushed his hair. His clothes were nondescript, and put together with a hint of carelessness that signified an almost sarcastic aloofness. Strange, triangular shades were perched over his closed eyes. He had his chucks up on an adjacent desk- he was the perfect picture of relaxation. The door closed with a loud thud behind Jake, and the stranger's head snapped up to see who had interrupted the silence. Oh, right- the maintenance had never gotten around to fixing that door, even though Jade had complained about it hitting her on the bum more than once. It closed with the force of a sledgehammer, usually, probably the result of loose hinges or a faulty jamb. Jake swallowed and raised a hand, waving slightly. He felt like an idiot.

"Jade Harley?" The stranger asked, and though his voice was monotone, Jake could hear layers and layers of careful forethought in his words, with just the slightest hint of an accent. His face flushed.

"N-no. She won't be in for a while, she has paperwork and whatnot to do at the main office." He replied, willing his feet to move in the direction Jade's desk, setting his bag down. "It's just me, chap."

It was silent for a moment. And then the stranger burst out laughing. "Is that your real voice, bro? Oh, my god. You must be Jake English then. English. Is that your given name, or did when you come over to the grand ol' USA whoever had the wonderful fortune of hearing your voice first say 'Oh shit, son, you are most definitely Jake English, just listen to that British lilt.' because damn." Jake felt like dying. Who even was this douchebag?

"Dirk Strider, by the way. I'm the 'basket case' you're gonna be stuck with for a while. Sorry in advance." Jake gaped. This was Dirk? His mouth shut with clack and he reached for his bag, hastily pulling out his printed worksheets. As he pulled, though, the apparent force dragged the rest of his books out with it, and all of his stuff scattered onto the floor. Jake felt his ears burn, heard the patronizing cackle behind him. This was not going well.

"You know, English, I didn't bring any supplies with me today. My Bro didn't bother with draggin' his sorry ass out of bed to take me school shopping this year." Dirk commented as Jake fell to his knees, trying to gather his things with a shred of his already-ramshackle dignity intact.

"I'll lend you a pencil. Just don't make it a habit, buster." Jake finally said, rising and sliding Dirk's papers onto his desk along with the aforementioned writing utensil, returning his disheveled bag to Jade's desk. Dirk nodded, smirk playing at his lips. Jake couldn't make out his eyes from behind the reflective plastic, and it made him uncomfortable. Eyes were the windows to the soul, after all. He shook his head almost imperceptibly. Dirk made him uncomfortable, and it had been what, a few minutes? He wished his grandmother would appear and save him. Alas, she probably predicted his pupil's arrival, and decided to wait up for him in the library or something. Dammit, Grandma.

Jake stood at the front of the classroom, shifting from foot to foot. He wasn't a teacher, he didn't know what to do, and Dirk was still staring. Or was he? Dad blast those shades...!

"You wanna sit down, English, and I don't know... do your job?" Dirk asked, rolling the pencil with his index finger. He gestured to the desk beside him grandly, removing his feet from the surface. Jake must have made a face, because he laughed a bit. "Hey, I won't bite. Unless you ask me to, heh." Jake stumbled forward and slid into the desk.

"So, um, we have most of the same classes. Though, you're taking French and I'm taking Spanish... and your classes aren't advanced..." Dirk raised his eyebrows so that they peeked out from behind his glasses. Jake stuttered. "Not that there's anything w-wrong with that!"

"Yeah. And another thing. I'm not an overachiever." Dirk said, leaning back with a smirk. "I'm more of an underachiever. So don't get your standards up too high, because I'll sure as hell miss 'em by a mile." Dirk completed his spiel by knocking Jake's worksheets onto the floor. "Plus printed sheets are for kindergarteners. Asshole." Jake's stomach churned, frustration making his whole body heat up. He wondered if his face was red. Probably.

Jake looked at the clock- they had another 30 minutes to go. He allowed himself to scream internally. He just needed to look at this rationally. There was no way Dirk wasn't going to put in any effort. He was kind of stuck here, after all.

"Okay, I'm out of here. Thanks for the absolutely riveting lesson, bro." Dirk stood, stretching his arms above his head. Jake watched, unable to formulate words, such was his anger, as Dirk pocketed his pencil and made for the door.

"W-w-what? You can't just... leave!" Jake said, shooting up out of his seat. "You haven't learned anything!"

"Maybe you need to learn something, Jake. I don't give a shit, okay? Not about school, or grades, or whatever. I don't care for anything, or anyone, so why even bother, right? I'm just disappointment in a beautiful, pale, freckled fuckin' box... See you Thursday." The door slamming drove a nail right into his heart. No, Dirk. He was the disappointment. Not knowing what else to do, he stayed in his grandmother's room until the session was supposed to end. Jade popped in as soon as the second hand ticked passed the 12.

"How was it, kid?" She asked excitedly, dumping out his bag to reorganize it for him. Jake shrugged, staring at the wall. When he blinked, he swore he saw black triangles on the bumpy surface. Jesus Christmas.

"Aw come on! What did he look like? What did you all talk about? Was he... you know...?"

"Rude? Disinterested? Immature? Angry? Insufferable?" Jake supplied, not taking his eyes off the wall. Jade paused in her movements.

"I was going to say cute." She said glumly, and Jake hung his head. "Was it really that bad, sweetheart?" Jake didn't say anything, but he stood and shuffled over to his grandmother. She opened her arms and he fell in, sighing deeply.

"I don't think I can do it. I'm going to fail, Grandma." Jade petted his hair gently, rocking him.

"Harley-Englishes don't fail, Jake. They learn." She replied, and he was silent in thought. She pulled back and held Jake at arms length, smiling. "I'm sure there's a very good reason he blew you off. But more importantly-"

"Oh my god, grandma! Yes, he was a looker, alright? Not that I have time for any of that- you know my schedule-"

"Yes, but all work and no play makes Jake a dull boy, honey." She pinched his cheeks and released him, handing him his newly organized bag. "You're 16. Live a bit before you're too old like me!"

"You're not that old, Grandma." He tutted, then said, "I'll give you a play-by-play in the car." Jade giggled and swept the two of them out the door, stepping over his scattered papers. She raised her eyebrows, though, and Jake shrugged, sweeping them up. He needed a new game plan for Thursday. That was, if Dirk even showed...