Cyrus's POV:
I was doodling in my notebook as I waited for Tj and Buffy to finish up with basketball practice. I always waited for them every Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. They said they didn't need me to but I needed to make sure the wouldn't bite each other's heads off.
I was doodling in my notebook at the top of the bleachers. I usually did homework while waiting for them but today I didn't have much so I decided to do it at home. I had this one notebook since the beginning of the year. I drew everything in it. I vented in it. I wrote my feelings about Jonah in there. But that was months ago, I'm over him now. I don't like him anymore. Now it's Tj Kippen I'm afraid of.
He's doesn't make me feel the same way Jonah did. I was always nervous around Jonah. But I feel so comfortable around Tj. And I always want to be around him. And sometimes I can't help but just want to stare at him and observe every small feature about him. But I wouldn't let myself admit I like Tj.
"Hey you ready to go?" Buffy asked from the bottom of the bleachers. "We're just gonna go change" Buffy pointed to Tj and their teammates who were heading separate ways to different locker rooms. "Yeah I'll meet you guys outside" I packed up my stuff and waited for them outside.
"I'm really hungry, wanna go to the spoon?" Tj offered. "I'm down for some baby taters" I spoke up. "Or up for some baby taters.. you know what, doesn't matter which direction. I want baby taters" Buffy smiled and threw her arm around me. "The spoon it is" Then the three of us were off to our usual hangout spot.
Tj and I lived near each other so after we left the spoon Buffy walked in one direction by herself while Tj and I walked in the other. "Did you get your homework done?" Tj asked breaking the comfortable silence we were walking in. "Not really, but I don't have much so it won't take me long." He seemed to stay quiet for a moment before responding. "..Can you help me with math homework? You know I'm kinda failing." He asks. I know he is. Math had never been his best subject. But is Tj actually asking me for help? "Sure, do you wanna come over now or do you want to video call later?" "Can we video call later? I kinda still smell gross from practice" I nod in response and we walked for a couple more minutes till we reached the street where we departed. "I'll text you later underdog" Tj said as he walked away. I walked the remaining 3 blocks home.
"Hey mommm" I say as I kick off my shoes at the door. "Hey sweetie how was school" she yells back from the living room. "It was good, I'm gonna finish up homework in my room" I grabbed a cup and filled it up with water from the fridge and ran up to my room.
I did my history homework while I waited Tj to call me. I was already halfway done with English when a text appeared on the screen of my phone.
TJ☺️: can I call you?
I didn't bother to respond and just called him instead."Hey Tj" I prop my phone up on my desk so I was able to see him and still do my work. "Hey underdog" he greets me. "Are you ever gonna call me Cyrus?" He hasn't called me by my actual name in a while. "Maybe, but I like underdog better" he chuckles. "Ok so what specifically do you need help with?" I refer back to the homework "uhh.." he pulls out his work which he had folded in half and stuffed in his notebook "..everything?" "I could tell he was staring at me awaiting a reaction. "Okay sure" I didn't want him to feel bad for not knowing how to do the work.
I didn't mind that he needed help with all the homework, we were learning new stuff so it was kinda tricky. Plus it was actually nice to do it with him. "Hey can we make this a daily thing?" Tj asks. "Make what a daily thing?" "This- doing the homework together, it's just so boring doing it by myself" I smile and nod at him, we did homework for an hour and ended up talking for another hour. He was such an easy guy to talk to, we were in the middle of a conversation about how summer was a better season than winter when I heard a knock at the door.
"Come in" I raise my voice then my mom peeps her head in the door. "Dinner's ready in 5 minutes" she quietly spoke, I'm guessing she heard me on the phone before she walked in. "Okay coming" I responded before she left. "Teej I gotta go, I need to help my mom set up the table and whatnot" "Sure, see you tomorrow" "Bye" I hang up on the call and left it on the desk to charge.
I walked downstairs to the aroma of chicken. "Who were you on the phone with?" My mom asks. "Tj, a friend from school, he needed help with math homework and I guess we just ended up talking" "Did you finish all your homework though?" I quickly remember the English homework I had left half undone. "Y-yeah I did" I lie. Guess I'll do it at lunch tomorrow.
