Jesse sat alone in the library, with a stack of books she brought from home. It was quiet, and the skylight was letting the sun in. Perfect for reading.
Her long brown bangs fell in front of her eyes again, and she brushed them away. Completely absorbed in her book, she hadn't noticed the boy sit down across from her, and open up a comic book.
Andrew knew the girl, yes. From math class at Sunnydale High. She was a good student, and getting very high marks was probably second nature to her. That's why he was there, anyways. Tutoring. Math was his worst subject, and he needed help. Good help.
"What are you reading?" Andrew asked, trying to sound casual.
"The Dark Knight." Replied Jesse.
"Is it any good?"
Andrew knew it was good. Hell yes. Comics and pop culture were his hobby. His passion. He didn't know anyone else who read movie adaptation novels.
"Yeah," said Jesse, it seemed as though a secret excitement was building up in her. To talk about it, "I'm at the part where Rachel and Harvey have been kidnapped."
Andrew gave Jesse a blank look.
Then, he laughed. It was too good to be true, he was right.
"You pronounced her name Rash-shell. It's Ray-chel!" He corrected her.
"How are you so sure?" Jesse challenged.
"I know ALL!" Declared Andrew.
"Then teach me, O, great one!"
"Actually…" Andrew said, quite aware of how off topic they were getting (but also how close to each other they were getting). "I need you to teach me. In math class."
"Oh, the polynomials?" Questioned Jesse.
"Yeah. Those."
"You always looked so…into them, though. What's up with it?"
"That was…" Andrew turned kind of red. He pulled his math textbook onto the table. The 1987 issue was thick with graffiti. Andrew opened it to a random page. "It's one of my more…lacking…ideas." He said. Taped to every page, was a piece of paper. More like-
"You taped Archie comics in your textbook!?" Jesse gasped, quietly.
"Yes. Yes, I did." Mumbled Andrew.
"You need help."
"Yes. Yes, I do."
Two hours later, with the exchange of phone numbers and e-mails, and a lengthily assignment for Andrew, the two left their separate ways.
TWO WEEKS LATER
"I did it! Yes!" Andrew cheered his way out of the classroom, clutching his mid term exam. Jesse followed, with hers in hand.
"How much did you get?" she asked.
"TEN PERCENT!" pause. Jesse looked confused.
"SQUARED!" shouted Andrew happily.
"That's one hundred percent! Oh my god!"
"Minus seven!"
"Ninety three!"
"Correct!"