Tweetie

49

"What's up with teachers just not turning up today?" Leo sighed, leaning back in his chair as the French lesson went on and on without a single tutor in sight, it had been like this for three out of the four lessons so far. They knew a majority of teachers had substitutes for the day, they knew there was a reason for this, but it didn't stop the day from being boring without anything to do. Most had taken the chance to either chat or study, treating their time as a free period. Hazel, however, was using her time to simply rest. It wasn't like any upcoming exams would affect her at all, she didn't even technically go to the school.

"I just want to do something." Ryan groaned, leaning across to rest his head on Hazel's desk while she aimlessly fiddled with his hair.

"You could read," Leo said, a smile on his lips as he glanced towards Hazel subtly for only a brief second, watching her gently play with his friend's hair. "Didn't you recently buy a new one?"

"I only have physical books with me," Ryan sighed, his voice quietening so others couldn't hear. Hazel listened curiously as he argued with himself in his mind. "I finished my last one on my phone already..."

"Then just read a book," Leo pushed, forcing the boy to shake his head.

Similar to Hazel, Oscar watched silently, his left ear filled with music as one earphone hung from the wire and the other was sitting comfortably in his ear.

"People would see though."

"So?" Hazel said. "It's none of their business how you spend your time."

He didn't respond, simply glancing towards Leo who nodded in agreement.

With a short breath, the silver haired boy retreated to his own desk, his hand reaching for his bag and soon enough, it was placed on his desk and blocking his view from everyone and everyone's views of him. He dug through it, carefully bringing a book out of the heavy looking bag and he hid behind it again, opening the book and ducking behind the bag.

Truthfully, it confused Hazel how they avoided their hobbies out of fear of criticism when she knew that if people found out they enjoyed things like reading and the arts, it would likely garner them a lot more silent admirers... Maybe that was part of the problem?

Leo turned, now facing Hazel with a smile on his lips. He whispered a short 'thank you', glad she was able to convince him as easily as she had and he sat comfortably, watching Oscar now bop up and down in time to the song he listened to.

"Osc," Leo called this time, grabbing the boys attention quickly. "Come here. We're gonna help you study."

Oscar didn't argue, instead, he did as he was told and shuffled across the small distance without lifting himself from his chair, instead, he held the seat and hopped forward, never leaving the plastic surface. Soon enough, he was sat between Hazel and Leo, glancing between them both with his constant smile.

"What d'you want to learn?" Leo offered him a choice.

"I don't know... nothing?"

His choice was wasted.

"We'll learn biology then, you've been struggling with that." Leo decided for him, taking his choice away. "Tweetie, are you any good at biology?"

"Yeah, mostly," she nodded.

"Will you help? He actually listens to you."

She nodded, watching them both shuffle their chairs to her desk and began to pull out the materials they needed. Textbooks, sheets of paper and a biology book to work through as well as a neatly organised pencil case that Leo provided. It didn't take long before they were able to get to work and teach Oscar how the human body works and functions.