A Love Story

Chapter 4

For the first time in a while, Simon's alarm surprised him, but not because he was sleeping, he was halfway through rereading the first Harry Potter book. I guess I inspired him.

"You didn't," Whatever. Simon trudges downstairs and surprisingly, his dad is in the kitchen with his mom.

"Hey, dad," Simon greets, mildly surprised. His dad grins down at him, Simon was tall, but his dad was taller.

"Hey buddy, leftovers in the fridge if you want any for lunch," Simon declines, he usually spends lunch reading or writing. Instead of a shake, he takes a breakfast bar and is already stuffing it into his mouth when his mom calls out to him,

"Clean the rats when you get home, love you!"

"M'kay, don't forget to take your insulin, love you too!" Simon plugs in his earbuds and selects his favorite playlist on Spotify. He's mumbling along to Shape Of You when Rosa comes dashing towards him panting,

"Man you walk fast," Simon takes out one earbud,

"Rose, you live like two blocks away." She shrugs and leans on him to catch her breath,

"Why were you so late? Usually, you're at school before me." They start walking again,

"Well, mamá and pére were fighting again about the meals, pére made croissants for breakfast again but mamá said she was sick of French food and wanted chocolate con churros. A lot of screaming at each other in languages neither of them knows, baguettes were waved, chanclas were thrown, it was a war zone." Simon chuckles as they come up to the school. He sees Liv walk away from her car grumbling,

"You never helped set mine up." Rosa notices as well,

"I wonder what's got her culotte in a twist?" Simon shrugs and Rosa pushes him forward, "Come on, it's not polite to stare! And I would like to avoid getting in trouble today."

"Wow! That's the first," Rosa rolls her eyes, 

"Yeah, yeah, mamá's already in a bad mood and I don't want to push her to the edge because I would not survive. See you second period." Rosa waves and Simon walks toward the gym, there was something Coach Dircks said they were doing today. Simon only remembers that because he brought his PE clothes home to wash them, and left them there.

"Crap, did I?" Oh yeah. Simon looks down at his black sweatshirt with a white tee underneath and jeans then sighs, those will have to do. Let's have a moment of silence for Simon Abrahams who forgot his PE clothes at home along with the fact that he has to do the Pacer Test today. Rip.

Rosa's waiting for him outside the gym doors when the bell rings, she glances up from her phone to see his red face and sweaty hair,

"Shit, what happened to you?"

"Pacer Test," He wheezes out, Rosa laughs.

"What'd you get?" Simon shrugs half-heartedly,

"Dunno, a twenty-something?" Rosa laughs again,

"Oh, I'm so beating you!"

"I left my PE clothes at home okay!" Rosa clutches her sides and her laughs go silent, "Glad you find my misery so entertaining," Simon mumbles as they sit down at the back of the class. He gets his book out and proceeds to read ahead so he can nap during the actual reading time, he hates the Pacer Test. Rosa nudges him in the ribs, Simon looks up,

"Do you think I could copy your notes? I wasn't paying attention and forgot to write them." Simon hands his notebook over without complaint. He goes back to reading for a second before being nudged again, he sighs heavily,