The Genius

Chapter Six

The weekend passed by quickly and it was soon Monday again. Aiyana and I had a free period together during the day and we're currently writing our paper together.

"Throw your gum away," I hissed under my breath when the school librarian walked past us for the fourth time during the period. She knew Aiyana was chewing gum — she just wanted to catch her doing it.

Aiyana shrugged, throwing the gum between her fingers back into her mouth when the librarian was a good distance away. The librarian had gone back behind her desk, probably calling quits.

We were working on our critical thinking project together because Ben and Ji-Hun had had technical drawing class. Now that I've noticed it, they took the same set of subjects.

Aiyana and I exchanged ideas and worked on our project for the next twenty minutes before getting worn out. We had about twenty minutes to the period ended. I just settled with doodling on the last page of my jotter as she picked at her green painted nails. I flipped the thick cover close when Aiyana tried to lean in over the table to see what I was doing. I saw the hurt look on her face but I didn't apologize. I didn't need anyone comparing my drawings to Caleb's.

"Okay, I'm just going to pretend like you didn't do that," she sighed, slumping back into her seat with her arms folded across her small chest. "I'm your friend. You know that, don't you Wyatt?"

I didn't answer her. I just shrugged as I slid my jotter underneath the stack of reference textbooks that was at the center of the table.

"We've been friends for over a year now Wyatt. Maybe Ben hasn't noticed it or doesn't care, but I extremely dislike it when you're brooding and not letting anyone know," Aiyana continued, running a hand through her dark hair. I watched her rub her forehead in distress, before rolling her eyes at me.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, looking down at the worn out table. There were wordings and drawings done with everything from pens to art knives and compasses.

"Sorry's not enough Wyatt," I heard her say. There was an awkward silence before the force of Aiyana dropping her bag on the table made me look up. I found her going through her grey backpack, eventually pulling out a rectangular black box.

"This is for Mr. Richard," she muttered, placing the box on the table as a small smile made its way to her lips. I felt my face muscles loosen in relief. Aiyana was doing that thing where she tried to push me to talk but thought otherwise soon after.

"Okay..." I trailed, c*****g my head to the side at the sight of the box, our previous discussion quickly forgotten.

Mr. Richard was Aiyana's literature teacher. He was one of the youngest members of staff and was a favorite among the student body. Most of the older teachers didn't exactly like him. He was too hipster for them, but Mr. Richard didn't seem to mind.

"Everyone in my class is getting something for him. As a small thank you, you know? He's been so nice to us..." The rest of Aiyana's words didn't process in my mind as I watched her open the black box to reveal a set of nail polish — eight in the set to be more specific.

"Doesn't Mr. Richard have enough of that?" I asked, eyeing the kit. Mr. Richard always had nail polish on. The colors changed so frequently that I was more than sure he had a special supplier.

Aiyana rolled her eyes, pointing at the words at the side of the box. "It's limited, can't you see that? I spent my allowance on this, don't belittle my gift."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Okay, whatever. What are the others getting him anyway?"

"Books, Albums, movies, makeup... You know, all that stuff," she answered as she repackaged the little black box again.

We waited out the rest of the free period until the bell went off, signifying the end of the period. The rest of the day went by fast; the end of school coming around after the last few periods went by.

"Hey Ji-Hun, I think we should start going," Ben commented as he shut his locker.

School had ended a few minutes ago, and the hallway was already filled with the chattering bodies of students and staff alike.

"Sorry, I'm walking home with Wyatt this time," Ji-Hun muttered before turning to look at me. I raised a brow, wondering when we'd decided o that. I opened my mouth to make it clear that I knew nothing about what he was saying, but Ji-Hun started talking again.

"We live pretty close. You can walk home with Aiyana," he offered with a smile. Ben gave him a confused look before turning his gaze towards me.

"Since when did you guys become the best of friends?" Ben asked. I was sure that it was meant to sound like teasing, but I couldn't help picking up the venom behind his words too.

"Come on, let's go," Ji-Hun said, adjusting the strap of his bag before tapping my shoulder. I nodded, following him out the school building and gate, and leaving a sour looking Ben behind.

I soon heard Ji-Hun fall into a fit of chuckles. He ran up ahead of me, turning around and proceeding to walk back so he could look at me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, looking at him before moving my gaze to the screen of my phone. I had to tell Aiyana that I'd left without her and that she'd probably be stuck with a grumpy Ben.

"Having fun," he answered, shrugging as he turned and started walking slowly until I caught up with him.

"You know you made Ben mad," I started, looking down at the concrete floor. I watched our feet move in union in their navy blue converses, crunching the bits of sand on the pavement. "You should have told him beforehand."

"I never agreed to it before, so did I really have to tell him before hand?" JI-Hun trailed before turning to look at me. "Plus, he made you mad last week."

He turned away, making me look over at him. He had his eyes on the pavement as he hummed under his breath, but I could spot the small frown on his face.

"You didn't like him ignoring you last week, did you?" He asked, turning his head slightly to look at me. I gazed on in surprise, not quite sure what to say back. I eventually turned my eyes to the ground, wondering how he'd picked that up.

"You noticed?" I asked, feeling slightly awkward.

Yeah, it was kind of obvious," Ji-Hun chuckled as I felt his pocketed arm brush against mine. I felt my face heat up. It was such a small act that he probably didn't even mean to do. Why in the world was I freaking out? I tried to think of something else, but everything was proving futile.

"Hey, let's go get something to eat."

Ji-Hun's words pulled me out of my thoughts, making me look over at him with a frown. He had a big grin on his face, the side of his slim eyes folding into laugh lines. I looked over at the family restaurant he was pointing at. I'd never set foot in that place since my whole existence, but I walked past it every day after school.

"Aren't you going to eat lunch at home?" I asked, giving him a confused look.

"Come on. We'll just get chips," he said, pulling me by my free hand towards the entrance of the restaurant. I clenched at my phone in my other hand, making sure it didn't fall as he pulled me along like a little kid.

We were soon inside the small restaurant and squashed into the small two-person booth at the far end of the place. Ji-Hun grinned at me, mentioning something about the chips being great when we were settled down and I was scrolling through my phone.

"You've been pulling me around since school ended," I muttered, voicing out my thoughts as I looked over at Ji-Hun. He laughed, making those laugh lines around his eyes reappear. I smiled slightly; there was something about his laugh. He laughed often but it seemed sincere every single time.

"Yeah, I noticed," he said in a teasing tone before turning his attention to the person that had come by to take our orders. He ordered for both of us, the lady nodding her head as she jotted down his request into a small notepad. He turned to me with a grin when she left, kicking me under the table playfully to get my attention. "I'm just trying to get to know you. You seem pretty distant... and interesting."

I shrugged, drawing invisible lines on the wooden table's surface with my index finger. I seemed interesting? Well, that's a first.

"Why do people do that? I soon heard him ask, making me look up at him with a raised brow.

"Do what?" I asked. He pointed at my finger that was still absently drawing circles on the table's surface.

"Why do people do that with their fingers? It's disturbing..." He trailed. I chuckled, shaking my head at him.

"I don't know... It makes people feel less nervous, maybe?" I suggested. I watched a smile form on his lips as he rearranged his bangs. He rested his head on his palm before directing a more serious look my way.

"Well, are you nervous?" he asked out of the blue. I looked away, not knowing what to say. I wasn't sure, and if I was, I wasn't sure what I was nervous about. Was it because Aiyana was catching on? Was it my family? Was it Ji-Hun? Or was it all three? I was still contemplating the possibilities when a waitress came by with our order.

JI-Hun immediately started chatting away with her. It seemed that talking to people and trying to get to know them were one of Ji-Hun's traits. When the waitress left Ji-Hun made a comment on the chips before he started to chatter away again. He jumped from topic to topic as he usually did and soon forgot that he ever asked me a question in the first place. I still had the question at the back of my mind though and attempted to answer it for myself if anything.

Why was I so nervous? And more importantly; why didn't I have an answer?