She's Good at Math (GxG) ✔

Chapter One: Introduction

Soccer isn't hard if you're good at it, and I like to think I am.

After another long practice, I'm left hungry and sweaty. A few of my teammates seem to feel the same, so we go out to our favorite Mexican grill right after. My best friend Leah sits in the passenger seat, and three other girls on the team all pile into my car.

"What'd you get on the math test, Case?" Leah asks almost as soon as I start the car. I groan internally.

"Does it matter?" I argue. "You know it's not an A." I pull out of the school parking lot and join the main road.

Leah gives me a look, and I sigh.

"I got a C," I say. She doesn't say anything, so I side-eye her. "What? A 'C' is average."

Leah shakes her head slowly. "Casey, what did I tell you? It would help if you put more effort into your schoolwork. I'm serious."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, whatever. You're not my mom."

"You know I love you, Case. I'm sorry your mom doesn't care about your future, but you must get your act together."

"I know, I know," I say.

It begins to rain, and the atmosphere inside the car becomes calm and peaceful. I love the rain, especially the smell, the silence, and the coziness of being forced to stay inside.

We arrive at the restaurant, and I step out of the car. Because of the weather, I wasn't expecting many people to be there. Me, Leah, Emilia, Taylor, and Maddie step carefully out of the car and enter the restaurant. Leah and I decide to order for everyone and we approach the counter. Leah is the team's 'mom,' and although I feel bad she has to take on so much responsibility, she enjoys it. So we let her.
As I predicted, nobody is inside except for three employees wiping down the counters. The nice owner appears out of nowhere and smiles when he sees us.

"You guys coming from practice?" He asks. His eyes crinkle at the corners.

I nod. "Yeah. Only two more years of this, then I'm gone."

He takes our orders, and we go sit at the table the girls picked.
There are big windows surrounding the walls of the restaurant, which emphasize the rainy day experience. My gaze shifts to the other side of the restaurant, where a girl sits quietly, typing on her laptop. She doesn't have any food in front of her, but Mr. Gerald, the owner, is probably still cooking it.

She has brown wavy hair that reaches past the middle of her back, and I watch as she lifts a hand and sweeps it all over one shoulder. I guess I was wrong about it being empty.

"Coach said this season we're getting all new gear," Emilia says excitedly. I raise my eyebrows.

"Yeah, but I doubt it'll be any better than last year's," Taylor says.
Leah stands up to grab our food.

I missed the rest of the conversation because I zoned out halfway. I didn't sleep well the night before, which was affecting my focus. I glance at the girl sitting next to the window. What is she even doing here, if she isn't getting food?

She seems entirely unaware of our presence. Why does she seem so familiar?

I drum my fingers on the table, and my gaze shifts outside. I recognize Mr. Gerald's car and the ones from the other employees, but aside from theirs and mine, there are no cars in the parking lot. Did she walk here? If she did, I should offer her a ride. Walking alone in this weather isn't safe. And besides, she doesn't even have a jacket.

Leah comes back with the food, and we start to eat. The conversation shifts to a discussion about which of our classes is the hardest, and Leah elbows me.
"Remember your math grade, Casey. You have to raise it to at least a B before finals." She studies my face for a moment, then she squints. "What are you busy staring at?"