Neighbors at Night

4. Sage

Friday afternoon, Emma came back to the apartment with me after school to work on our history and Spanish homework together.

We'd just finished our snack and were working on Spanish for roughly only five minutes when Emma suddenly sighed and set down her pencil. "Maybe you should just get a tutor," she suggested as I looked over at her.

I frowned, "Am I really that bad?" Sure I knew I wasn't the best but still; a tutor?

"You don't even know how to say bathroom," she deadpanned. "Bathroom, Sage. Everyone knows what bathroom is in Spanish."

"Yes I do," I argued as I returned to reading the assignment in front of me.

"Then what is it?"

I opened my mouth, fully prepared and ready to respond and prove her wrong, only to realize that I actually had no damn idea what it was. I pushed aside the books and papers and fell back onto my mattress, turning to grab one of my throw pillows and hugging it to my chest as I heard her laugh. "So maybe I don't," I finally muttered.

I sat back up, releasing a low breath as we made eye contact. "Still, tutors cost money," I began, "And, besides, I wouldn't know where to start even if I did want to get one."

"You have that job at the library for a reason you know." She gave me a look and I felt my shoulders slump. "Job equals money usually; kind of how it works," she teased.

"I know," I rolled my eyes lightheartedly, "But it's not like I'm making that much right now. I barely work part time, and even that is pushing it." The library was open six days a week and I only worked on weekdays (my mom's influence; she thought it was important for us to spend the weekend together) so I was getting paid for roughly sixteen hours of work a week.

And, after all my monthly payments and bills - plus gas on a weekly basis, I hardly ever had any extra money. If I did, it always went into my savings.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, "It's whatever." I let my hair down, running my fingers through it and smoothing it out just to give my hands something to do. "I just have to work a bit harder," I met her eyes determinedly, "And study a bit more."

Her gaze turned sympathetic, "You're already studying every day, Sage." That was technically true but I knew I could do better, especially since it wasn't even helping. "I'm just saying that you might have an easier time if you were actually learning from someone who's fluent in it. Even I'm barely passing."

She was lying.

Emma was currently receiving some of the highest scores in our class and she always aced the tests; the teacher was constantly praising her.

She didn't really get it sometimes. She didn't understand what it felt like to have to try so hard at something only to be considered moderately okay at it at the end of the day.

Emma was the type of person who was good at everything, although she'd claim otherwise.

But I knew she'd just said that to make me feel better, and I also knew that she was trying. Wasn't that all that mattered?

I was still in the process of figuring out a response that wouldn't make me sound like a total loser when I suddenly heard the front door open and stood from my position on the bed. "I'll be right back," I told Emma as I started towards the door.

"You should ask about what we're having for dinner," she returned her focus to the sheet of paper in front of her, only glancing back up at me when I giggled.

"We just ate."

"And?"

"Fair point."

~~~