"Remember to study for your test on Monday. Have a good weekend everyone!" Mr. Griffin, our Pre-Calculus teacher said as the bell rang. Chairs screeched across the floor and yelling could instantly be heard from the hallways. I grabbed my book, binder, and pencil case and quickly left the room. I squeezed through the people in the crowded hallway finally making it to my locker spinning the lock quickly. I shoved my books inside, grabbing a clean notebook and heading on my way, since it wasn't the end of the school day for me. The halls were now less full with kids filtering out of the building, eager to get to whatever lives they had. I, on the other hand, didn't really have one. All my friends were in sports, and I wasn't exactly eager to get home. I walked into the library where some kids were studying in homework club. I didn't need to go to homework club really, but I was here to tutor someone. I didn't really know who yet though. "There you are, Aly." I twirled around to see Mr. Meyer. He was a teacher everyone liked, guys for his humor and girls for his looks. While I admit he was attractive with icy blue eyes, strong physique, and jet black hair, I liked him since he was the only teacher who I trusted. "How are you today?" "Um, I'm okay." I mumbled, playing with the ends of my hair as I normally did. "School was good. Home was... Not the worst." "If you ever need help you can always talk to me." He reassured in a hushed tone. "Thanks, Mr. Meyer. I'll keep that in mind." I said just as he walked up again. "Hey, Mr. Meyer." I looked over Mr. Meyers shoulder, well tried. He's about six feet tall and I'm only 5'4. I saw a tuff of dark brown hair who then came into view as Mr. Meyer stepped to the side. It was Roman. My ex-best friend. "Aly, you'll be tutoring Roman."
Roman and I met eyes. I knew his all too well. He had intense green eyes with specks of yellow and brown in scattered in them. He held a sincere and sensitive gaze. Mine, on the other hand, were dark with anger. Even though I should have just forgave and forgot, I couldn't bring myself to it. How can you just forgive and forget your best friend, who you trusted with your life, stabbing you in the back? "Okay then." I said keeping the emotion out of my voice, holding my gaze with Roman. He now had panic in his eyes and his face, displayed by the saturation of his hairline. "Let's get to work, Roman." I turned curtly on my heel and walked to the tables in the library that already had students and their tutors working at them. "Over there." Roman said, extending a long, muscular arm in the direction of a clear, somewhat secluded, table in the back. Oh joy, just what we need, privacy. I nodded my head and walked over to it, setting my notebook down before pulling out my plastic chair. Roman slowly approached the table, setting his stuff on the opposite side. I sighed. As much as I hated being nice to someone I should be mad at, I couldn't help it. Curse being nice. "Come over here." I commanded, sliding my seat towards the wall to make room for his. He slid his items across the table and pulled up a chair, sitting next to me. "So, what do you need help with?" "Everything." • The hour-long session was now coming to a close. Roman had a better understanding of his math (which he was a grade behind on) then when he came, so I guess I did a pretty good job. "Thanks, Leah." Roman huffed, closing his geometry book. I chuckled bitterly at the name he still used for me. "Still with the 'Leah'?" He smiled widely, shaking his head flopping around his perfectly messy light brown hair. "I've always called you Leah." He said, now looking down at the table and tracing shapes onto the desk with his finger. "It just wouldn't be the same if I didn't." A long silence over took us as I reminisced on the good, and bad, times we shared together. All the play dates, the sleepovers, the long talks... for this? "Hey... Leah?" Roman asked timidly. I glanced up at him to find him already looking at me with a nervous gaze. "Yeah?" "Are you mad at me... F-for what I did?" He stuttered. "Um...Kinda. It's complicated." "What do you mean?" "Well... I can't really explain it." I said scratching the back of my head. "But if I did those things to you, would you still be mad?" He stared into space now, pondering the thought. "Yeah," He concluded. "probably." "Hey kids?" Roman and I both flicked our heads to Mr. Meyer now who was walking towards us. "Time to leave." "Okay." We said in unison. "Thanks, Leah." "Yeah, no problem." I said. Roman and I left the library together, then the school in an awkward silence. As we parted ways be both waved an awkward hand and departed to our cars to meet our moms with the same question: "Are you two friends again?" To which we could only respond: "It's complicated."