EASTSIDE

03 .

SCHOOL WASN'T FUN
BUT IT WAS THE ONLY
WAY FOR HER TO GET
WHAT SHE WANTED.

She would agree with the next person. The obsessive amount of work wasn't fair, and completely unnecessary, but there were only a handful amount of people who were willing to step up to the challenge, and she was going to be one of them. No matter what it took.

It had been a week since Sasha and Bayley had last seen each other, and as much as it pained her to even think this, Bayley was able to finally have her own time. She didn't have to worry about catering to whatever her friend needed. Finally, some Bayley time.

She sat at her table in the library starting her English homework early, before she saw someone sit in front of her. She looked up and saw Seth, with a not amused look on her face.

"Can I help you?" She asked, folding the book over, curious as to what he wanted.

"Look. I get it. You don't like me, and I couldn't care less. You have no significance to me. But what I don't like is my girlfriend upset. I don't appreciate people making my girlfriend upset. You," he barks, swiping the book across the desk, standing up as well, "you made Sasha upset, and we need to do something about it."

She watched as his face turned red, due to anger, and her face was turning red, due to nerves. She didn't know what to do. She was trapped, alone, with a mad man.

"Hey man, let her go," she heard behind him. She recognized his voice. There was no reason to look over his shoulder. "Man, get out of here. You don't know what we're talking about."

"I was there," he responded, making Seth turn around. He shoved him. "You didn't say anything?" Were they going to fight? In front of her? "It was nothing serious. She wanted Sasha to leave her alone. That's all."

Bayley was confused as to why this man was coming to her aid. That was his best friend that he was fighting with. He was defending her. Why?

Seth looked at the man in front of him before looking at Bayley. "You better fix this," he demands before walking away. The man in front of her scoffed before sitting at the seat in front of her.

"Thanks, but you didn't need to do that. He wasn't going to rip my head off," she whispers. He shrugs his shoulders. "You don't know Seth. Forget him, though."

Bayley reached down and picked the book up from the floor. "You can leave now," she said going back to her reading. "Actually," she hears as he takes the book from her hands and places it down, "I need your help."

"My help? With what?"

"I have a soccer tournament soon. I don't know if you know but, Finn Balor? He needs to be on the field," he says. "I need to pass this pre-calc test this week. You're the only one that I know that can help me out."

"Finn, I can't help you study. I have way too many things to be worrying about. There are too many things going on in my life and I can't help you. I'm sorry."

"Please?" He begs. "I'll even pay you. I just really need a tutor and I don't want some snob that I don't even like or respect. Please, Bayley?"

Respect. Finn respects her. He didn't even know her. Two different social groups and this man respected her.

She sighed. "I don't want your money, but I guess I could help you. When do you want to meet?" She asked, taking her book back. "What do you have last period?"

"AP Spanish."

"I'll see you after then."

――――――――

Bayley sat at her desk reading over the questions in front of her:

¿Qué estás tratando de lograr cuando termines esta clase?

What are you trying to achieve when you finish this class? The classic get-to-know-you questionnaire that she still had to answer before the end of the period.

What did she want to achieve when she finished this class? It was obvious to get the extra credit that she needed. She really didn't need this class. Matter of fact, she didn't need any of the classes that she was taking. With the amount of work she had put in the past summer, she most likely had enough credits to finish half of a college semester.

"Señor Balor," she hears making her look up at the comment. Why was he here? How did he even know what Spanish room she was in? There were like 4 AP Spanish classrooms. "¿Cómo estás?"

Finn looked at her in confusion. Bayley sighed as her fellow classmates giggled in response. "I asked you how you are?" The teacher smiled. "Ah," he nodded. "I'm doing well, thanks for asking. I don't have to take a language cause I spent freshman year back home in Ireland. So please, English."

"What can I help you with?"

"I need to borrow one of your students," he answers before handing the teacher a note. She reads it over before looking up at Bayley. "Señora Martinez. You are excused."

Soon, all eyes fell on Bayley. She soon felt her face heat up again in embarrassment. "Please make sure to have your questionnaire completed before you enter my classroom tomorrow."

Bayley put her paper away in her folder, before putting it in her bag and standing up. Sitting in the back of the classroom, she walked down the lane of desks, hearing some of her classmates' whispers. "Have a great rest of your day, Señora," Bayley acknowledged.

The teacher nodded before Bayley followed Finn out of the classroom. The two walked down the hall before Bayley stooped walking. "You said after class. We still have like, 35 minutes, left of class."

Finn turned around and shrugged. "Couldn't wait. Let's go."

[ edited 08-12-2021 ]
[ word count 996 ]