"You're not rushing home today?" Vanessa asked, half-sitting on Misha's desk as she peered down at her friend. "The bell already rang, if you haven't noticed."
Upon hearing the sweet, honeyed voice, Misha lifted his eyes from his homework, glancing askance at the teenager. But he didn't answer. Instead, a disapproving look flashed across his face as his eyes landed on the girl's low neckline. It revealed way too much skin, and when she leaned closer, her shirt dropped further, unveiling the upper part of her black lace bra. Misha's frown then deepened, creasing his forehead until it was filled with wrinkles.
"Stop it with the stern, paternal look!"
"Then wear proper clothes! As long as you don't, I'm not gonna stop. It's that simple."
"Oh gosh, how many times did we have that conversation again? I can wear whatever clothes I want!"
"Sure."
Misha snorted, pretending he hadn't seen Vanessa's roll of eyes. Whatever she said, he just couldn't help it! In his mind, she was still that mischievous little girl who loved to jump on his back and pester him to play house. Although he had known her as an adult in the first timeline, her cute, childish face had long overwritten her grown-up appearance in his mind. Honestly, he could barely remember what she looked like as a twenty-something-year-old woman.
Thanks to that, he saw her as a child and inherited the mindset of a big brother. After all, he was mentally older than her—twice her age, even. If he considered the first timeline he lived through and the years he spent in this one, he was well over thirty years old; he was basically a middle-aged man in the body of a teenage boy! So, of course, he'd react like an overprotective father!
Anyway, that wasn't the biggest problem at hand. No, the problem was that high schools were filled to the brim with teenagers full of hormones, and he feared some boys would try to take liberties with Vanessa. She was a beauty who loved to flung her assets, so bewitching she left others speechless. Meanwhile, boys of her age had only one thing in mind: losing their virginity. They were wolves in sheep's clothing that couldn't wait to devour a lamb, and Vanessa was one hell of a delicious-looking lamb. Or so, that was what Misha thought—and yes, he did not trust his classmates one bit, not even the girls.
"So?" Vanessa grinned, snapping Misha out of his thoughts. "How come you're doing your homework instead of leaving? That's not like you."
"…Gaby has something to do," Misha grunted, propping his chin on his hand. "He'll come to fetch me in about half an hour."
"Oh, so your boyfriend is busy?"
"Goddamn it, Vaness! He isn't my boyfriend…! What if someone overhears you and believes your bullshit?"
"Oh, come on, it's plain as day that you're in love with him. And considering how he indulges you and your nasty temper, it—"
"If you don't shut up, I'm gonna tell Isaac that you cheated on him."
"What?! I'd never!"
Misha sneered.
"Alright, I know you don't like him, but could you maybe not make it so obvious?"
"Why?" Misha grimaced. "He's an ass who loves to bully his classmates and never shuts up, always spouting nonsense and whatnot. It's amazing how that guy can run his mouth without ever pausing to breathe. Seriously, what the hell does he have for lungs? Oxygen tanks?"
"Fine, fine! He loves to tease others and talks a lot, but it doesn't warrant so much hate from you!"
"Since when do I need a reason to hate someone's gut?"
"Argh, you're so—!"
"Are you two fighting again?" a gentle voice traveled to their ears, shutting them up. "Come on, guys, you're like oil and water lately."
Misha tilted his head toward the door, meeting eyes with Dereck. Unlike in his previous life, Dereck didn't hit the gym after entering puberty and had grown up into a chubby teenager. His round face softened his facial features, and a calming aura surrounded him. He looked just like a big teddy bear, one that towered over everyone by at least a head.
'…Tsk. It should be criminal to be that tall,' Misha thought when he saw Dereck bend to avoid hitting his forehead on the doorframe. 'Now that I think about it, doesn't he seem taller than in our previous life…? Fuck, this is unfair! I've been drinking glasses of milk every day, so how come I'm not growing taller while he is?! I want to file a complaint!'
"Do you need help with your homework, Mish'?" Dereck asked, interrupting the teenager's inner laments.
"You sure? 'Cause I don't understand a thing, and you'll have to explain everything from the beginning…."
"Don't worry, I've got time on my hand. My club activities won't start before the clock hits six."
"Then, can you help with mine too?" Vanessa raised her hand. "My math homework could as well be Chinese, and I wouldn't see the difference."
To this, Dereck laughed softly. He gestured to Vanessa to sit as he pulled a chair for himself and grabbed Misha's homework to take a look at it. Unlike his two friends, Dereck had no difficulty at school, and his grades were top-notch in all of his classes. In this timeline, he wasn't busy stopping Misha from getting into fights every damn second, nor was he worried days and nights about his situation at home. His father wasn't beating him, and Misha was as healthy as can be. Thus, he could concentrate on his studies and even enjoy hobbies such as baking and reading. He was living a much calmer life.
It was… very different from the first timeline. When Misha thought of this, guilt tugged at his conscience. His friend now had a goal in mind, wanting to enter a prestigious university and become an engineer. It was something he had never heard of before, and Misha knew it was because Dereck had been too worried about him. That idiot always put his friends first, even if it meant he had to discard his own dreams.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Vanessa snickered, poking Misha's cheek with her index. "Still, I can't believe the guy who had perfect grades in primary school would do so poorly in high school. It's kinda amazing."
Misha slapped the teenager's naughty finger with the back of his hand, pursing his lips. This was one of his sore spots, and bringing it up was akin to putting salt in the wound. And, of course, Vanessa knew it. His friend was probably still a little angry about the threat he shouted earlier, when he said he'd tell Isaac she'd cheated on him… Misha had to admit that threatening to tattle lies to her boyfriend maybe wasn't the century's idea. So he let her snarky remark pass. Though it didn't mean he wouldn't say one of his owns.
"As far as I know, you also had good grades back in primary school, but they can't reach any lower now."
"Unlike you, I've got an excuse," Vanessa laughed, pointing to her ear where a faint scar haunted her skin, just at the junction between her jaw and ear. "I still can't hear a damn thing."
"If you sat in the front row, maybe you would."
"Oh, come on! When I do that, the teachers just can't stop themselves from bothering me. They always call me up! It's not like I'm the only student in the classroom…!"
"Serves you right," Misha stuck out his tongue. "You always—"
"Ahem," Dereck coughed, interrupting them. "Are you here to squabble or study?"
At the reminder, they both stiffened before lowering their heads and going back to answering their question sheets. Dereck was kind, but his patience had grown somewhat thin over the years. He wouldn't waste his time helping out if they didn't focus on their homework, and he'd even less solve the problems for them. He only pointed out the mistakes they made and explained the methods they had to use after they had tried to answer the questions. They wouldn't get better if they didn't put in the effort, as he loved to say.
'The way he teaches is similar to Gabriel's,' Misha thought, a nostalgic smile stretching his lips as he scribbled some equations. 'It brings back memories.'
Gabriel didn't have much free time in this timeline, and thus Misha refrained from bothering him with his homework. Anyway, he wasn't a kid anymore and could manage by himself. It wasn't like he hadn't gone through high school before—though he dropped out after Masha's death and never obtained his diploma. And repeated a year twice in a row. And his grades were pitiful enough to make the teachers cry.
Alright, he had never been very good with academic shit, and only managed to get good grades in primary school because it was basic and easy knowledge… Who was he trying to kid? He still had to study his ass off to get those grades, especially since grammar rules were a hellish thing the devil invented!
Misha knew it'd be much simpler to ask Gabriel to tutor him. However, he didn't want to repeat the first timeline for various reasons. Back then, he'd run to Gabriel almost every evening, whining about how nothing made sense. They'd then sit at the old kitchen table next to each other, and no matter how long it'd take, Gabriel would stay by his side, patiently explaining everything he didn't understand. Misha had hated school very much in the first timeline, often hoping it'd burn to ash, but he had always loved those moments where all of Gabriel's attention was focused on him and him alone. He loved how he'd smile at him and ruffle his hair when he answered a question right. Every time, Gabriel's laughter was soft and comforting, warming the heart and making him forget about his bad days.
'Just how long have I been in love with him…?' The thought crossed his mind, and Misha slammed his forehead on the desk, startling his friends. 'I'm too fucking dense. No wonder that other me said I've always loved him. Whatever, I still won't admit my feelings out loud. Well, not just yet.'
"What's wrong…?" Dereck asked, his voice carrying a hint of worry. "Is the homework that difficult?"
"No, it's not that," Misha cleared his throat, straightening his back. "I was thinking about something unrelated. My bad."
"Hm? Were you perhaps thinking about your darling?"
"What darling…?" Dereck wondered.
"Gabriel, of course! You know, the boyfriend?"
"I told you he wasn't!" Misha roared, throwing his eraser at his friend's shoulder. "Shut up and focus on your homework!"
Vanessa laughed out loud, tears glistening at the corner of her eyes. When her laughter finally abated, there was a short silence before Dereck tentatively asked, "Were you perhaps with him last night? Your mom called to ask if you were sleeping over at my house yesterday. Of course, I said you were, but we both know you weren't. And now, I'm curious about where you truly were. Don't you think you at least owe me an explanation?"
"Fine, fine! I slept over at Gabriel's, happy?"
"Oh, so you're already at that stage?" Vanessa snickered. "I wonder what you two did, hehe."
Misha responded by burying his head in his hands, feeling like crying even if he had no tears to shed. He had to make sure they didn't find out that he slept on the same bed as Gabriel, or else he'd never hear the end of it! Why were teenagers so fond of gossiping about people's love lives, anyway…? Didn't they realize how wrong it was to insinuate he was screwing around with an adult nearly nine years his elder? Goodness, it'd be a crime on Gabriel's side! Argh, they were driving him crazy!
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Mini theater
Stephan, "Misha would make a mother hen, wouldn't he?"
Everyone, save for Misha, nods.
Misha, "No, I wouldn't! Teenage boys truly are wolves in sheep's clothing!"
Stephan, "You do know that you're currently a teenage boy, right? Don't tell me… you wanna jump on Gabriel, is that it?"
Vanessa: "Do you really need to ask? He clearly wants to!"
Misha, "…I've got enough of these pervs'."
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Edited by Clozed!
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