"Oh, dear god I hate math. All it does is slow me down.", Octavio claimed as he buried his face into the books.
"If that ain't a first. Octavio slowing down.", Ramya stated as she chuckled to herself.
Elliott was asleep at his desk as Ramya sat beside him.
With a loud bang sound Ramya dropped her math textbook to wake Elliott up.
"Oh, dear god! Please shoot Octavio instead of me I am too beautiful to die!", Elliott yelped as he woke up.
"So that's how it is hermano.", Octavio whined sarcastically and crossed his arms.
"That is- was- is... No. Anyways what the hell was that for Ramya?", Elliott questioned after collecting his thoughts.
"Oh, why did you think it was me Witt?", Ramya snickered at the young man.
"That just proves my point. Anyways where is Renee?", Elliott asked while rubbing his eyes with a yawn.
"Next to you the whole-time sleepy head.", Renee lightly punched him and pointed out.
"Huh... That's crazy.", Elliott replied still slightly tired.
"When did you go to bed?", Renee asked not seeming to be impressed with her house mate.
"I have no idea ask Ramps or Octane. We were gaming for most of the night.", Elliott admitted while reaching into his bag for a energy drink.
"Octavio how long were you idiots up for last night?", Ajay asked astonished at their pure stupidity.
"I dunno. Somewhere around three in the morning.", Octavio answered while injecting his happy juice only for Ajay to snatch out of his hand.
"What have I told you about stimming? That stuff is performance enhancing drugs and will kill ya. Plus, it is addicting.", Ajay lectured a less than impressed Octavio.
"Listen chica that allows me to be as fast as I am. It gives me a adrenaline rush.", Octavio argued back reaching for the stim.
"Hey man you want to be careful with that shit. My dad's heart exploded due to overuse of the stims.", a dude named Jim advised.
Octane just stayed silent and put his head on his desk.
"Hey Ramps why are you not tired?", Elliott inquired trying to change the subject.
"Oh you know how I used to go to bed four in the morning every day during middle school. So I eventually made my body used to running of four to six hours of sleep.", Ramya explained while giving Octavio a look of pity.
All the sudden the classroom door swung open and a teacher walked in.
"Alright kids... today's lesson plan is to do these algebra problems. Do not ask me any questions.", the teacher slurred out as he slumped into his seat after he passed out the work sheets.
"Great he is hung over.", Anita growled out and begun to work on the problems.
"Should we tell someone?", Pathy asked innocently as he began to work.
"Nah I wanna see this play out.", Anita snorted slightly and went back to working.
As everyone began working on the logarithms two people were struggling. Renee and Octavio. Some made it more apparent than others.
"I am doomed man. I mean it this where I will be. Stuck in algebra doing logarithms.", Octavio exclaimed and threw his down in defeat.
Pathy already done offers, "Do you want some help friend?"
"Oh, you are a life saver Pathy.", Octavio shakes the now slightly spooked Pathy.
"I don't know what you mean by I saved your life. Logs can't kill you.", Pathy replied oblivious to the sarcasm coming from Octavio.
"Oh, that is just sarcasm. But again, thanks man.", Octavio corrected with a smile.
"Oh... well I am always happy to help.", Pathy finally understood and gave a thumbs up.
Now Renee on the other hand was simply staring at the paper not sure where to begin. And much to her surprise Elliott was going through his problems rather quickly.
Elliott felt like he was being watched and looked up to meet Renee's gaze. He immediately looked down at Renee's paper to see nothing on it.
Knowing Renee would to proud to ask Elliott asked, "Do you need any help?"
Renee sat in silence for few seconds longer knowing there is going to be a lot of sarcasm if she asks for his help. But she decides to bite the bullet.
"Yes.", Renee admitted reluctantly.
Elliott just nodded and dragged his desk closer so he can share his notes and answers. He also noticed she lacked a scientific calculator.
"Alright all of this is pretty simple. I if I can do it so can you. I am going to teach you the ghetto way of doing this.", Elliott began his rant. And listed out a-bunch of calculator commands that she wrote down and how to use them. He also taught her the traditional way of doing them much to his displeasure of finding the words to describe it.
He ended off the rant by saying, "If you have any more questions ask Pathy he would probably have a better description for all of this stuff than me. Also, you are going to want a scientific calculator so when we go home you might want to ask my mom for one."
Renee was simply amazed to hear something that wasn't totally silly or stupid come out his mouth. But never the less she was still thankful. She always misses the moments when he tries to help people and be serious.
"Thanks, Elliott, for helping out. It means a lot. Where did you learn all of this from prior?", Renee questioned curiously only to get a slight grimace from Elliott along with him looking down at the desk.
"Well, it all was taught to me by my mom. When dad was still around, he would go these drunken rages. He didn't abuse anyone physically but mentally it put most of us through the ringer. My mom was dealing with it the worse. Whenever she felt down, she would surround herself in holotech and keep working the stress away. When I was around eight, I wanted to help out, so she taught me the basics. It was our way to deal with dad's bull shit and it brought us closer together. So now I know all there is about holotech and everything around it. Along with most math equations and such. Nerd stuff.", Elliott rattled off while rubbing his neck uncomfortably.
Renee was once again left speechless. She always knew Elliott's father was out the picture, but she never imagined him to be an abusive drunk. She never had the courage to ask.
"Hey Eli, I am not great at these sort of things... but if you want to talk about your father, I am willing to hear you out.", Renee slightly muttered only to catch the young man off guard.
"Thanks Renee and vice versa for you. I know you had it rougher than me.", Elliott reassured with a smile.
Renee slightly blushed and looked away and enjoyed the moment. Until a certain mechanic spoke up.
"Jeez aren't you too a buzz kill. C'mon Witt cheer up mate and come help me out.", Ramya bursted their private moment.
Elliott doing what he does best and covered his emotions with his favorite smile of his.
"Uh... sure thing Ramps.", Elliott obliged a little bit nervously.
Renee not wanting to cause a scene decides to hide her anger for now.
"Oh, I am going to rip this girl a new one after school.", Renee thought as she balled her hands into a fist.
this means the messages from the void. Aka Renee's voices she hears in the games.
Or you could throw her into the void...
"No. I am just going to tell her off. I am not a monster.", Renee mentally replied to her voices. She always had the voices as far she could remember. Her parents never quite explained her condition to her. It was always I will explain it to you when you are older kind of a thing. She snapped back to reality (Author: whoops their goes gravity) when Ramya was talking about some event her family was hosting.
"So anyways Witt me and my family are formally inviting you plus a plus two to the Maude for a weekend. It will have games, tech, and most importantly guns. I was wondering if I could show you what I have cooking up.", Ramya invited with a slightly flirtatious smile.
"I uh... need to see if my mom is alright with this. On that day is my brother's redeployment to the IMC so I want to make sure it doesn't challenge those times.", Elliott answered earnestly and completely oblivious to Ramya's intent.
She is gunning for lover boy thankfully he is a dumbass.
"I have picked up on that.", Renee acknowledged the voices mentally.
"Sure, thing Witt. Make sure you have that response for me soon.", Ramya stated as she copied down Witt's classwork and answers.
"Hey, you guys twenty minutes before class is over.", the teacher rang out to the class.
Octavio now done with the assignment left to go talk to Elliott.
"So what club are ya joining Amigo? I am going to do soccer and track.", Octavio announced to Elliott who just shrugged.
"Most likely soccer and the engineering club.", Elliott replied nonchalantly and to a now flabbergasted Octavio.
"Engineering. I know why Nat wants to join but why you? You are more stupid than me.", Octavio teased Elliott who became slightly flustered.
"Some could say it is my passion.", Elliott commented and winked at Renee.
"Whatever you say buddy.", Octavio finished and walked back over to his desk.
Octavio soon walked into a heated debate about his boy Elliott.
"Listen Anita I bet ya twenty dollars that Blasley asks Witt out first.", Ajay challenged Anita silently.
"I do like those odds. Even though Renee may be aggressive she lacks the courage to ask him out. So I will stick with Ramya.", Anita declared to Ajay.
"I say he friend zones Ramya and goes out with Renee. Also why are you into these kinds of things? Didn't take you for a gossip chicka.", Octavio questioned Anita's action.
"Never was one but it's kinda funny to see those two fight over a dumbass.", Anita admitted rather easily.
"Hey, leave my boy Elliott alone. He is surprisingly smart when he feels like being so. Why do you think that him Tae are considered academic rivals.", Octavio defended Elliott's honor.
"I mean anyone seems smart to you Silva.", Ajay retorted making Octavio laugh. "Although you are right. He acts like a total dumbass he most certainly does have his uses. Or so Natalie tells us. She is the only one who would normally speak highly of that dork."
"See! Even Nat knows.", Octavio hyped Elliott up.
"I will believe when I see it. The only thing I will give him is the fact that he can learn things quickly. Especially when he applies himself.", Anita praised.
"Heh. Oh, by the way I will see ya in gym Anita. I finna sleep till the bell rings.", Octavio stated as he walked off.
Anita just nodded.
TBC: The jaw strap incident