Arthur's P.O.V

The bell rings, signaling the end of fifth period and the beginning of transition time. I put my notebook back in my backpack and sling the strap over my shoulder. I have that peer tutoring thing next period and I feel a jumpy sort of nervousness. I don't know if I am nervous because I've never actually tutored anyone, or if it's the thought of Alfred. Not, like I would ever admit to it, but as obnoxious as he was I always kind of found him kind of attractive. He was cocky and loud but in an endearing sort of way. I would deny the idea profusely if anyone asked, but the thought always snaked it's way back into the back of my head. I suspected that the thought of being so close to him made me jittery. I tried my best to shake the thought from my brain. I would appear calm, cool and slightly indifferent like always. I joined the stream of students leaving my current classroom to venture into the hall.

The hallways are crowded, per usual. It's like a stampede of testosterone and I always get caught right in the middle. I stood at an average height, but for some reason I was usually pushed around. Walking to the classroom next door could prove to be a dangerous sport. The halls were clogged with people standing in their little cliques, talking, laughing, being an annoyance. It's like, you just saw your friend, what more could you possibly have to say to them. I'm not jealous, believe me, I have friends. Ok, maybe it's more like one friend, but that's all you really need! Last year in Home Economics, I got paired with Kiku Honda, a boy who just moved from Japan. Neither of us had other choices for partners, so we picked each other. It worked out well. I round the corner, grateful to be out of the busiest hallway. I walk the length of the corridor and open the door to the library.

Looking around, I see that the room is mostly empty. I choose a table in the corner and put my bag down. Subconsciously, I try to fix my messy, blonde hair. I run my fingers through it, trying to make it lay straight. Suddenly, I realize what I'm doing. There's no use in fixing my hair, It's not like it will change anything. Why would Alfred ever like me? I'm not popular at all, I don't play a single sport and to top it all off, I'm not the best at social interaction. I've got nothing going for me.

"Hey, Hey British dude! You ready to get radical?"

My eyes widen for a fraction of a second, but I quickly regain my composure. Stay calm, cool, slightly aloof. He walks over to the other side of the table and sits in the other seat. "Get it? Radicals are math but also radical, like cool?" He smiles at his own joke.

"You know that this is a library?" I say in a hushed tone.

"Oh right, books and stuff...gotta be quiet." he replies. "But, I'm not so good at quiet."

Oh boy, do I know that. I take out my notebook and an algebra textbook. "Oh right, math time." he says taking a notebook out of his bag.

"So.." I say, "What do you need help with?"

He chuckles, "Honestly...everything. But, right now in class we're doing the thing with the small number and the letter thing…ummm… ex-something?"

I sigh. This should be interesting. "Exponents?" I suggest. He nods, registering the term in his brain. I open the textbook to the chapter on exponents. "Do you understand anything about them at all?"

"Well I remember…" he begins, explaining the concept pretty accurately. So he knows what to do, so what's the problem? I tell him to try one of the problems from the textbook. He writes it down in his notebook.

"No, Alfred, thats a nine, not an eight." I correct him and he erases what he previously had, starting again. As he works on the problem, I just watch him. Yeah, I know it sounds creepy and maybe it is, but I just look at his face, his lips, his nose, his eyes. His eyes are so blue but he's squinting so bad that I can hardly see them. Wait, why is he squinting? The paper isn't far away at all. Can he not see it? I know that his brother Matthew has glasses. Should he have glasses too?

"Hey, Alfred…" He looks away from the paper and up at me. "Are you having trouble seeing that paper?"

He laughs a little brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Oh yeah, I have glasses."

I look at him, incredulous. "Why don't you wear them? You need them don't you?"

He shrugs, "Yeah I need them but…"

"But what?" I urge.

"I don't know… I look kinda dorky with them on."

I roll my eyes, "You can't see in class, but you don't wear your glasses because you think that they make you look dorky?"

"Pretty much sums it up." he agrees, nodding.

"Alfred, this is probably a big part of why you aren't doing too well in math! Just wear your glasses, nobody will care that you look slightly dorky."

"I have them in my backpack, but I just never wear them. See for yourself, I look like a dweeb." He unzips his bag and digs around in the bottom of it. He retrieves a small, black eyeglass case. "Don't say I didn't warn you…" he opens the case and puts the glasses on.

I smile slightly. "Oh you look fine." I am definitely not lying. He was attractive without his glasses but with them he looks adorable. Slightly dorky, but he looks more intelligent. I feel a blush on my face, but I try as hard as I can to combat it.

"You're totally lying!" he nearly yells, earning us several "shhhs" and glares. "But… I can actually read this page now." He smiles, "I forgot how good these worked!"

"Keep them on. If not for the rest of the day, then at least the rest of this period." He agrees to keep them for this period and we get to work. Turns out he's not actually too terrible at math. He just couldn't see. Something so simple can make a huge difference. He needs to work at math, but he's really not that bad.

The period ends and we gather our things. This tutoring thing was pretty much painless. It wouldn't be too bad to do this every week.

"Yo, Dude, that wasn't even that bad. You sure that you're not some magical math wizard with the power to teach?"

I smile, "I don't think I'm a wizard, It's just that you aren't as bad as you think you are."

"I'm still pretty bad dude, but thanks I'll have to make it up to you."

"No, no" I shake my head "It's fine, really."

"Nah, bro, I'm not taking no for an answer." He takes a piece of paper and scribbles something on it. Then he hands it to me. Oh, his phone number. "Meet me out by the front steps after school on Friday!" He walks out of the library doors. I follow. "I'll call you dude!" he calls, Rounding the corner to get to his next class. I look at the paper. Knowing him we'll probably get hamburgers. It's a date, I say to myself sarcastically. Wait... Is it a date?

A.N. Well, things are finally getting started with those two! Again, thank you very much for reading my story! Reviews and comments are always appreciated and welcomed! I think the next chapter will be from America's point of view, what do you guys think? Anyway have a good night/afternoon/morning!