[TAC] THREE'S A CROWD

Chapter 08

{Jumpol}

Off watches his feet as they move, one in front of the other, striding slowly across the tile floor of the school's large hallway. He knows it's noisy, and he knows it's crowded, but he has his headphones in, so he's successfully managed to escape all the ruckus. He kind of likes it like this; knowing his surroundings are chaotic, but not really getting to experience it because his earphones are flooding the air with nothing but melodic piano tunes.

When he finally decides to lift his head up, he realizes that he did it just in time, because New is walking up to him, a sheet of paper in his hand as he looks at Off with happy, bright eyes. Off immediately pulls his ear buds out, rolling them up as he gives New the same look back, even though he has no idea what he's supposed to be excited about.

"An A!" New exclaims, practically bouncing off of his feet as he holds the paper up to Off and points at it with a stern finger. "In math, Off. I aced a freaking math test."

"That's my boy," Off replies, holding up a hand for New to slap. New pulls him into an unexpected hug once they join hands, taking Off by surprise and filling his entire body with a pleasant coziness.

"I guess you won't need my help anymore?" Off asks, continuing his stride toward his locker as New walks alongside him.

"Are you kidding? My grades will fall into a downward slope if you stop tutoring me," New replies, his tone offended.

Off stops at his locker, his eyes concentrated as he works the combination. "Well," he starts, opening up his locker and proceeding to shove books inside. "I think Tay would like if we stopped."

Off gets pulled away from his task of taking two pencils off of the holder in his locker when New grabs him by both shoulders, forcing the boy to face him, and proceeding shaking him like crazy.

"Would you stop?" New asks, his eyebrows furrowed. Off stares at him for a moment, before giggling with amusement.

"Stop what?" Off asks, turning back to continue what he was doing. "You really don't think Tay's at all bugged by this?"

New's silent for long enough that Off pauses completely, turning so he can face New and try to register his facial expression and maybe decipher an answer from it.

New finally shrugs his shoulders as he picks at the fabric on his jeans. "No. I really don't."

~*~

"You understand this, New," Off says with a laugh, tucking his feet under his body as he shifts on the bed. "You don't need tutoring."

New leans back where he is next to Off, putting his weight on the palms of his hands. "I need you to make sure I continue to understand it. Isn't that what tutors are for?"

"You should really start paying him for this, actually," Ciize says from where she's laid across the rug of Off's room. She strokes a hand through her ponytail as she laughs into the other. "Off will finally have a job. Mom will be proud."

New glances at Off, an amused smile on his face as Off rolls his eyes. "I'm willing to pay, honestly."

Off shakes his head shyly as he shifts on the bed. "I'm not going to charge you. You're---no. We're too close."

"What does that mean?"

Off laughs a short, hesitant chuckle as he glances between Ciize and New. Ciize had seriously been challenging him all evening, and he's getting quite sick of it.

"We're. We're friends, right?" Off asks, punching New in the arm with the casual air of a robot who doesn't understand human interaction. He doesn't know why it's so hard for him to admit New is his friend out loud. It used to be easier, he remembers.