Sunday evening after work, Em returned to his room in time for his roommate to take over the shower. Feeling sore and dirty, he groaned at having to wait. He sat on the edge of his bed and checked his messages. There was a group chat among their friends, but nothing seemed to be going on there. He took a chance to message Mel about tutoring.

Em: Someone is asking me to tutor them.

Mel: Don’t even ask me, my schedule is full.

Em: Well, they probably already asked you…

Mel: Noa. Yes.

Em: I just don’t know how much to charge.

Mel: Oh! At least $75 an hour.

Em: So much?!

Mel: Noa’s family is well off, they can afford it.

Em: Yeh, but I’ve never tutored before other than Ciel.

Mel: The only other option for Noa is a pro, so yeh. Get paid for your work.

Em: They have other friends.

Mel: None that seem to be able to teach them Calculus. I tried last year.

Em: It wasn’t so hard today…

Mel: Maybe it’s your method.

Em: Maybe.

Mel: Either way, yes, charge full price. Even if they ask you to do more than 1 hour a week.

Em: Thanks.

Em leaned back on his bed and sighed, setting his phone down. His weeks were going to be busy. Fitness club, DI, tutoring, and work. What else could he squeeze in there? Oh, that’s right, trying to figure out the Noa thing. Although they had pushed him away, again, he knew the tutoring was going to be a step forward at least once a week. They couldn’t push forever, could they? He shrugged it off and went to shower now that his roommate was finished.

Mr. Perry did not fail at giving a pop quiz Monday morning. Noa was pleasantly surprised to actually feel confident in their answers. For once they weren’t the last person to finish; Mr. Perry was surprised. Once they were collected a new lesson started and Em watched as Noa tried to take careful notes and keep up. By the end of the class though, they looked frustrated, but still determined. They stopped Em in the hall after the bell rang.

“Hey, Marceau,” they spoke quietly.

“Em,” Tani interrupted, “he goes by Em, right?” She looked up at him, her blonde bun bouncing like a head nodding for approval.

“It’s ok, it is my name,” he brushed it off, and looked back to Noa.

“H-how much for the tutoring?” they looked between Tani and Em. Of course they knew Tani liked Em, but were irritated at being interrupted.

“Oh!,” Tani started to laugh, like Noa had told a killer joke, “you’re getting Em to tutor you? Ha!”

Noa glared at Tani.

“Hey I tried! I don’t know how you couldn’t understand.” Tani put up her hands defensively, still chuckling.

Em watched it all, and it finally clicked in his head. Tani is jealous about Em tutoring Noa. Noa’s face was turning red from both irritation and embarrassment, so Em stepped in, “Hey, Tani, you should go.” He waved her off even as she pouted. He turned back to Noa to see their stoic face had taken over again. “Uh, I was thinking $75 an hour?”

Noa took a moment to respond, “Yes, of course. That’s good. I heard you got a job off campus?”

Em nodded, “yeh, it’s just a pizza shop in town. For right now I’m only scheduled on weekends, and even then I’m free Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings, so lemme know when you need help.”

Noa furrowed their brow in thought, “Um, Wednesday maybe? In the evening?”

Em smiled, “Yeh! Text me the time and place. I better go, this is my only class in the senior hall.”

Noa nodded slowly and waved them off, feeling stunned by that smile. It was so like Ciel’s but so different. Ciel’s smile made Noa want to wrap them in a blanket and watch cartoons all day. Em’s did something else entirely, but they couldn’t name it. They shook their head to get rid of the feeling and focused instead on the good feeling they’d had after the quiz, and the hope that their score would reflect that good feeling.

Later that evening Ciel and Iris found themselves refereeing a conversation between Noa and Tani on the lawn to their dormitory. Noa had been withdrawn during lunch and dinner, and when Iris asked, they launched into a tirade over Tani treating them like they were stupid.

“Just because you like him, doesn’t mean you get to treat me like shit when I’m talking to him!” Noa’s face was red, “and just because you couldn’t teach me calculus doesn’t mean I can’t learn it.” The glare they gave Tani left no doubt as to how hurt they felt.

Tani’s face turned red next, “You’re too stupid to see what’s right in front of you,” she threw back to Noa in a hiss. “Got your head so far up your ass, you haven’t noticed I..”

Ciel grabbed Tani by the shoulder and pulled her away, and Iris took Noa by the elbow and pulled them in the opposite direction. It was true, Noa was oblivious to many things, but they weren’t things Tani should be telling them.

Ciel took Tani to the picnic tables on the far side of the building, marching her the whole way there. They sat her down and stood over her wondering where to start their lecture. With a sigh, they dove right in, “First of all, you know you did wrong, making fun of Noa in front of Em.” Tani looked at her hands, refusing to meet Ciel’s eyes. “Second, it’s not your place to tell Noa how Iris feels.” She glanced up and then back down, giving a small nod. “Thirdly, Noa’s not the only one who doesn’t see what’s in front of them.” Tani scrunched her brow in confusion and looked up at Ciel, a blush spread over their face and ears, highlighting their freckles in the evening sun. They turned away, looking across the lawn for Iris and Noa.

“Wait, but…” Tani was still confused and reached out to tug on Ciel’s shirt.

They turned back, with a softer look on their face. “I know you like Em, and I’m just a freshman nobody, but I like you, Tani.” Their sincerity was written in their green eyes as they met with Tani’s grey. “I-i just hope that someday you’ll look at me." They shifted their stance away from Tani, "I uh, I’m gonna go now. Be good.”

Tani was speechless as she watched Ciel walk off. It’s not that Ciel isn’t attractive, she thought to herself, it was just different from Em. Softer, younger, but somehow, more comfortable. It was like Em was hiding things that Ciel wasn’t. Tani admitted to being jealous of Noa. It was obvious Em like them, and of course Iris was hopelessly in love with them. Had she been too busy being jealous to notice Ciel? They were right though, treating Noa like that wasn’t ok.

She got up to find Iris and Noa, and to try to repair what she had broken.