Harvey would be lying if he said he hadn't spent the rest of the school day, daydreaming about Mike. He found himself distracted in class, not that he paid attention anyways, but his thoughts kept circling back to Mike. Mrs. Jenkins, his English teacher, had caught him staring blankly at the board more than once. "Harvey, are you with us?" she asked, snapping him back to reality. He'd mumble a half-hearted "Yes, ma'am," but his mind soon wandered off again.

By the end of the day, he wasn't sure if he was excited or nervous about meeting Mike for his first tutoring session. He smiled to himself, he was Harvey— the pure definition of awesome, how could Mike say no to him.

The last bell finally rang and Harvey navigated his way through the halls, swinging on his crutches, to the tutor room. He clutched the door handle, trying to keep his cool. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside, ready to charm his way through the session.

Mike was already sitting at the table, his books open and backpack on the table. Upon looking at Harvey , Mike stated, "Okay, backpack boy, let's do this!"

Harvey furrowed his eyebrows, backpack boy? he thought to himself. He wondered if Mike was trying to be playful or if it was just a strange nickname. Either way, he decided to roll with it.

"Alright, Mike," Harvey said with a smug grin, "Before we get started, I wanna be clear about my goals here. I don't wanna get too smart; just smart enough to get into college."

Mike replied without hesitation, "I think we're safe there. Are you ready to start, or do you need me to blow a whistle?"

Harvey shot back, "Wow, you're making fun of me for being an awesome athlete. Ouch. No cracks about my thick, shiny hair, or I'll cry out of my warm brown eyes." Internally, Harvey couldn't help but laugh at his own exaggeration, thinking that he really did have great hair. His smug turned into a soft smile that he couldn't quite hide.

Mike shook his head, smiling slightly before replying, "Boy, you sure do love yourself some you, don't you?"

Harvey laughed. "Look, I'm not sure why you're hating on me so bad because I play sports. I don't think you realize what a public service we do for this school."

He leaned back in the chair, being careful not to put too much pressure on his broken leg. He continued, "We're totally responsible for all the caring and all the trophies and all the coolness and stuff."

Mike looked at Harvey before replying sarcastically, "Oh my god, all the coolness and stuff is you?" He stretched out every syllable, pausing for sarcastic emphasis. "Thank you so much."

"Are you always this much fun?" Harvey asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

Mike sighed, "I will be when I start college next year, which you don't have a prayer of getting into unless you open this book." He tapped his pencil against the book.

Harvey rocked back, balancing on the rear legs of his chair. "So, what are you already getting accepted into Harvard or something?"

"Vassar, actually," Mike replied, trying to keep his focus on the textbook.

Harvey burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Vassar!? Seriously, It has ass in it."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Wow, I feel sorry for you."

Harvey leaned forward, his expression turning serious.

Mike continued, "Your whole identity is this tiny locker room world you think you're king of. And now you're injured and scared, so you're putting up this imperious facade and overcompensating for your insecurity."

Harvey's words hung in the air for a moment. Then he added, "Okay, if you're trying to insult me, you have to use smaller words."

Mike took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "Fine. You're a big fish in a small pond, and now that you're hurt, you're scared because you don't know who you are without sports."

Harvey's smirk faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. "That's better. But for the record, I know exactly who I am, and I don't need your pity."

Mike looked at him, a mix of frustration and pity in his eyes. "I just wish you'd see that there's more to life than just being the star athlete. You're smart, Harvey. You could do so much more if you just tried."

Harvey looked away, his bravado fading a bit. "Maybe. But right now, I just want to get back on the field."

Mike nodded, understanding that change wouldn't come overnight. "Just think about it, okay?"

Harvey shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. Now, can we get back to studying? I've got a test to pass."

Mike smiled, glad to see a small crack in Harvey's tough exterior. "Sure thing. Let's get to it."