golden boy : stozier

twenty three

"are you going with them to study after school today?" eddie asked, leaning forward in ib biology as they worked on a worksheet. stanley turned, shuffling his chair so he could work on eddie's desk as well.

"oh, are they doing that again?" stanley replied halfheartedly, finishing the last question on the sheet.

"yeah, they're doing it all this week and next week. it's not a bad idea for exam season." eddie said, nearly done the paper himself. stanley nodded slowly.

"yeah, i guess i can come." stanley put the paper aside, bringing his laptop to eddie's desk. eddie glanced over at it, furrowing his eyebrows.

"did i really make you panic by bringing up the english essay? you can chill, we're in bio," eddie laughed, stanley zoned in on his laptop. he was editing where he'd left himself notes, rewriting sentences and leaving more notes.

"no, my parents are just on my ass about it." stanley kept typing, and eddie scoffed.

"just lie, that's what i do." eddie replied, like it was that easy. stanley looked at him in bewilderment. eddie raised his hands like he was being arrested, "what?"

"you lie to your mom?" stanley was thinking about how he'd watched eddie talk to his mother. he felt like he was imploding.

"yeah. i tell her i've done a bunch of shit waaay before i've done it. like, i'll get it in on time, so what does it matter? oh, and about some club stuff, too. do you really think i'm the president of key club? no. but will i put that on my resume? maybe! what are they gonna do, call the school?" eddie went on, and stanley let his jaw drop slowly. he sat there, mouth agape at eddie's defiance.

it wasn't that he didn't lie to his parents, but he'd never thought of doing so academically. he'd figured they'd find out somehow.

"and she doesn't... ever know you're lying?" stanley said, multitasking as he sent off a copy of his newly edited english essay to a classmate for peer review.

"nope!" eddie smiled brightly. the teacher called the class to attention and stanley turned back to his seat slowly, in awe.

-

after school, stanley found beverly, bill, and mike in the library. beverly and bill were happy again, it seemed (or as happy as they could be), her arm looped in his as she read his paper. mike was sitting across from them, quietly reading for english.

"going for a different shape table this time?" stanley said, sitting next to mike at the rectangular table (as opposed to their round table of the past). mike nodded, his nose very nearly literally stuck in the book.

"some v-vuh-variety," bill said, "where's eddie?" he passed his laptop to beverly so she didn't have to take up his personal space to read his paper, grabbing a notebook and textbook out of his backpack.

"um, he said he was going to find his history teacher, then he'd be here," stanley said, taking his own laptop out. he clicked around, opening his tok exhibition. "richie in detention?" stanley asked.

bill nodded, "until four."

"oh, that sucks, i have to leave at four. is it like that all week?" stanley scuffed his foot on the ground, hoping it wouldn't be so. he wanted to see richie, even if he wasn't good for his academic career, he couldn't help wanting to see him.

"yeah, he's there 'till four every day until friday. we were going to go out for milkshakes or something tomorrow after studying though, if you want to come." mike said, a generous offer. still, it was one stanley had to refuse. he knew that more than anything else.

"i don't think i can come, but that sounds nice. you guys enjoy that." stanley looked away from their eyes, to his laptop. mike was looking at him in what could almost be concern, but he looked away soon enough.

"we're going to hang out for the end of school though, you'll have to come to that," beverly said suddenly, stanley having forgotten she was there with her face buried in bill's laptop. he looked up to her. it was the first time anyone had really commented on the fact that he'd stopped seeing them outside of school. she looked at him expectantly.

"yeah, of course." he felt guilty. but he knew it was school over everything. he'd make up some excuse when they got there.

eddie then appeared, ben by his side. ben waved hi, especially to beverly, who smiled at him cheerfully. bill hardly noticed, taking notes on the reproductive system.

"i brought ben with me to study, so i'm glad you guys sat at a bigger table," eddie said, sitting down next to stanley. ben took the seat across from him, happening to be next to beverly. stanley would have had to be stupid to not notice the tinge of red in ben's cheeks. anyone would have to be stupid.

"whatcha studying for, ben?" mike asked, ben pulling a huge binder out of his backpack. the binder made a thunk as it hit the table, and he hardly seemed affected.

"everything. mostly history, though. it's the most interesting." ben replied, flipping it open. stanley looked back to his work.

the six of them sat in silence for the next while, working quietly. eventually, beverly passed bill's laptop back to bill and once again pulled out her pre-calc work. she glanced to stanley, across from her, then to ben. she started scribbling notes.

somewhere around three fifty, stanley checked his watch and began to pack up. he shut his laptop and shoved it into his bag.

"time to head out?" mike asked him, stanley nodding.

"yeah, tell richie i say hi. i've just gotta be home. they think i'm doing club stuff until four thirty every day, so i'll just keep studying at home." stanley packed his bag up and zipped it up, slinging it around one shoulder.

"see you guys," he gave them a wave and began to leave the library, leaving one empty space at the table. for richie.

stanley ran his tongue over his teeth anxiously as he left, thinking about richie in detention. he felt bad, leaving without seeing richie, but it was for the better. he'd get more work done this way.

at least he had something to update on the progress chart from today.