It wasn't a one-off thing. The only explanation I can offer, is that I suddenly came to a conclusion during forth period (skipped Physics), while loitering under that same tree. I actually did not mind being with her. Pearl's presence was just… inoffensive. The feeling of having someone there was pleasant, yet I didn't need to suffer through attempted flirting, or even a conversation, which, in my experience, is usually what happens when I'm with women.

Pearl and I didn't talk all the time. Sometimes we just sat under that tree in silence, doing our own thing. When we did have a conversation, they didn't always last long. Even so, when the last word had been said, there was an easy silence between us. We didn't need to talk just for the sake of talking.

In the next few weeks, the most eventful things that happened were the occasional sneer from one of the idiots who thought it was just hilarious that we were spending time together, even though that's all it was. I guess the day that began to change was two weeks before the exams. That's when I started to get… involved.

Chapter 5

"Um, hi Elazul," She always greets me with that sweet, shy smile. I nod briefly, and take my usual spot next to her under the tree. Lunchtime. I don't ever buy lunch, or bring it from home. Pearl once offered (albeit softly, with a blush on her face) to bring me lunch, but I thought that would be too weird. It isn't like we were married or anything. We just happen to sit in the same place everyday. That's all.

There is the customary silence between us for a moment after I sat down, giving me the chance to open my latest novel and a few pages of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens before she interrupts quite suddenly, "You came to Maths class today,"

I look sharply at her. "Well, yeah. We had a practice exam on, remember?" Pearl and I have English and Maths class together. That's it. Everything else is our own electives, and we had both chosen completely different subjects.

She nods, and looks dreamily out into space. "Yes, I know, but… sometimes you don't come, even if we have a test or something." She gives me a small smile. "It was nice to see you there…"

I don't know how to respond to that. "Well…" I shrug. It is kind of rare for me to show up to class. "How do you think you went?" I'm not asking because I actually want to know, it's just something to say.

She bites her lip. "Um… I think I failed," she gives a small shrug, and folds her fingers together in her lap. "Maths isn't really my strong point…"

I think remember her saying that about English once. What is her strong point? "But that wasn't even a hard exam!" I point out. "We've been learning that stuff all year!" I'm not even in class all the time, and I still know that.

She looks a little abashed. "I… I don't think I'm very smart, that's why…" she says it so ruefully, so plainly, as if it's just a given that she is an idiot. "I mean, I study and everything, I'm just not good…" She leaves the thought unfinished and shrugs again, indicating that she's finished with this topic. She goes back to her music, but I can't turn back to my book just yet. For some reason, this actually bothers me.

"Want me to help?" she looks at me, her face slightly anxious and confused, like she can't figure out what I'm talking about, even though we were just discussing it - something that always annoys me, yet makes me smile - half-smile inside. "I mean, do you want to study together or something? For Maths." I add, just to make things clear.

She tilts her head to the right, biting her lip. "…Now?"

"Of course not!" I roll my eyes. At lunch time? No! "In class!"

"But… but, you don't always come to class, I don't want to, um, inconvenience you. And the teacher will be teaching us…"

"Nonsense." I waved her hesitant misgivings away with a flick of my hand. "I'll come to class if you want me to. And if you can't understand what the teacher taught us before, how can you expect to understand the more advanced things she's teaching us now?" I shrug. "Besides, with only two weeks to go until exams, all we'll be doing is revision."

"You'll come if I want you to…?" Pearl says it slowly, like she's unsure of the words. Then without warning she gives me a bright smile, and throws her arms around me. I almost instinctively throw her off; I'm so unused to human contact like this. I don't even let my mother hug me in this way. "Thank you Elazul!" she whispers.

"Take it easy!" I'm more unsettled by this than I'd like to admit, and I almost yank her back from me at arms' length. "Look, I'm happy to help you, okay?" I snap, trying to ignore the blush sneaking its way up my cheeks. "Just don't make a big thing about it."

She nods obediently, and sits back from me. "What about your other classes?"

What about them? "I'll go if I feel like it," I say shortly. I see her lower her eyes, and add, "Except for English. I'll come for that too, if that's what you want,"

She bestows her bright smile on me again. "Yes. I do want it." In some dark corner of me, it makes happy to see her smile like this, even if she doesn't try and jump me again.

Why am I disappointed?

Elazul has become my… my friend, I think that's the word for it. Or at least, I think so. He asks if he can sit with me (though he must know that my answer is always the same), and I think he's attending class (or at least, the classes I have with him) a lot more.

"Elazul! This is a surprise!" Our teacher exaggerates his shock, widening his eyes and dropping his jaw in a caricature of amazement. "I do believe I've seen you here for more than two lessons in a row!" Our Maths teacher is always melodramatic like that. I want to giggle, but I don't think Elazul is amused.

I was right. Elazul only smiles dourly. "Yeah, yeah," He mutters, dumping his books on my desk. "Yes. I'm here. Don't make a big thing about it."

But of course, the teacher does make a big thing about it. "Everybody! Please, could we have some applause for Elazul here? He has chosen to grace us with his company for the third time this week." The class looks up confused, and when they get the joke, break into clapping and cheering, grinning in Elazul's direction. But somehow I get the feeling that they're not mocking him.

Elazul gives me an evil look with his one visible eye. 'See the things I have to put up with for you?' and our teacher picks up on that too. "Let's also have a cheer for this lovely lady Pearl, who is quite possibly the reason for Elazul's presence!" There's some giggling now, and more friendly applause, as well as a couple wolf whistles from the boys, though Elazul's icy glare of warning quickly shuts them up. I really feel safe… with Elazul here. Now that I'm more used to being with people, I can sort of see that maybe this whole time they weren't being mean to me, as I thought. Maybe they were just being friendly… but I was too shy to notice it.

I'm not the only one blushing. Elazul hangs his head for a moment, covering his eyes with his hand. Finally, in a low voice he says. "Fine. Let's start. What do you need help in?"

"Ah, teaching each other, are we? How nice," Our Maths teacher interrupts him, standing between us in front of the desk we're sharing. He looks at Elazul. "No hard feelings, I hope. I wasn't trying to poke fun at you two."

Elazul shrugs and folds his arms. "Whatever. I don't care." He says shortly.

The teacher nods. "Good. Besides, you two are a cute couple," Elazul looks up sharply at that, and I blush, looking down at the table. "You're good for each other. It really warms my heart to see the two of you together like this," he gives us an impish smile, and walks on.

Elazul stares after him, a blush staining his cheeks again, though he tries to hide it. "He's our teacher!" he mutters. "Is he allowed to talk to us like that?" I almost bite my lip, but not because I'm anxious, because I have to stop myself from giggling. "We've been hanging out together for not even a month. Why does everyone assume that we must be a-" he looks up, stopping abruptly when he sees my shyly amused smile. Definitely blushing now, he looks away and clears his throat. "Never mind. Let's just get to work."

I… I think I like him.

Over the next few days, Elazul keeps his promise. He turns up for every Maths and English class, and spends all his time patiently tutoring me. It's… it's really nice of him.

"So, Pearl. If you add up all the angles in any triangle, how many degrees do you have?" He looks at me across the desk, patiently waiting for my answer.

"Um… three hundred and… forty…" I guess hesitantly.

"No!" He throws up his hands with impatience. "You're thinking of a quadrilateral - a four-sided shape," he translates when he sees my blank look. "And they have three hundred and sixty degrees." He puts his fingers over his face in despair. "For Christ's sake, Pearl. We've been learning this since like, year five. He leans forward and lifts my chin with his hand, looking me in the eyes intently. "Repeat after me, Pearl. A triangle's angles all add up to one hundred and eighty degrees."

I flush, seeing those blue eyes (well really, blue eye, since his hair is so long) right up close like that, but stammeringly do as he commands me.

"Good." he mutters. He sits back in his chair, massaging his forehead. "God, Pearl. Teaching you is like running around in circles - and repeatedly falling into the same pit hole."

I bite my lip. "I'm sor-"

"Don't apologise for everything! That makes it worse!" He sounds angry, but now I know from experience that most of the time when he's angry, he's not really that mad, he just sounds that way. Besides, if he really was mad at me, I guess he wouldn't scrape his chair back in, sigh, and begin to explain the finer points of trigonometry to me.

You know… I really do think I like him.