10. In Sight

With a light tap on the wooden table, I finally succeeded in making Daniel look up at me.

"Let's start with your Calculus."

The brunette sitting in front of me opened his mouth to complain but I hushed him by raising a hand.

As soon as the school bell rang signalling our dismissal, I hurried to leave my room in hopes to avoid Austin, but such hopes crumbled into dust when Austin stood in all his glory outside my room. It took me a whole 10 minutes to convince him to go home alone. I haven't told him about my deal with Daniel, and I was really in a rush to explain everything to him in the hallway. He grudgingly left after I told him that I have a group study session to attend.

No one hates studying than Austin. Just mentioning it rose goosebumps on his arms.

When I got into the cafe Daniel is already there, casually sipping on a cup of espresso frappé with his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His hair was disheveled and could almost pass as a bird nest with some sweat still visible on his forehead. His blazer was nowhere to be seen on his body — he was only clad in a new shirt and a sweatpants. The sight gave me the impression he just got out of football practice.

At first glance, you would think he's just here for a simple drink to refresh his worn out physique without any serious business. Not to mention that he seems to be really relax in this place, too obvious by the way he sit and drape his long arm over his chair while quietly scrolling on his phone.

After he acknowledged my presence in the place, he quickly pulled out his notes from his bag, stashing his phone inside in exchange. That's a good start, I want his undivided attention on what we're going to do. First, I decided to check his activities, from History to Social Studies. Within minutes of just skimming over his notes, I figured out his archenemy is Calculus. He wasn't that bad in his other subjects, though not good either. But since Daniel keeps on blabbering about how much Calculus is giving him a headache, I resort into making it our first lesson.

Daniel's already doing great with his subjects — with the exception of Calculus — so I think we should start on that weakness of him first. We've got a long way to go before he can be a part of the honorees in his class, I don't think a month would be enough. In order for that to immediately happen, he needs to progress greatly in such a short period of time.

I'll do my best and leave the rest to him. After all, being a top student does not always depend on who's teaching you, it depends on your will to study and to achieve your goals.

"I think you're a little behind in Calculus. I'll prepare a quick activity for you to answer."

This way it would be easy to determine what's making Calculus a migraine for him. It would also give me quick ideas on what methods to teach him. I smoothed out a pad of paper and began scribbling, once I finished, I pushed the paper towards Daniel and with one, fleeting glance at the equation I wrote, he let out a groan.

"Come on, you want to learn or what?" I snapped.

"Fine."

I leaned back to my chair, grabbing my own notebook in Social Studies to have a brief review of our lessons earlier. Brian had asked one of our classmate's to take notes for him while we're campaigning, he let me borrow his during lunch for me to copy.

"Are you always this uptight?"

Daniel suddenly asked after a few minutes. I looked up but his eyes never stray from his worksheet.

"Why do you asked?"

"Nothing. From Austin's stories, you sounds like someone fun to be with. But.... I can't really feel that fun vibes with you."

He added a low chuckle at the end, probably to placate me from the indirect insult.

I have a quick answer to that.

"Well we're studying right now remember? Not hanging out for fun and games."

"Yeah I know that. But, you could at least, you know, talk with me about stuffs?" He shrugged.

"School stuffs you mean?"

"Boring!"

I snorted at his response.

What does he expects from me? That I would make casual conversation with him as if we're friends? I don't even know if he's my friend now. Sure we get along well, but that's different — in a whole new level — from being close enough to be considered as friends. Austin and Brian were the only ones I ever see as friends.

"You want to eat anything? My treat—"

"Aren't we studying right now? Will you just focus on your work?"

I rolled my eyes but Daniel only huffed.

"You know what, I always wonder how you'd gotten this smart? Is it the genes?"

An exasperated sigh slipped past my lips and I realized it's no use telling him to shut up and do his work quietly. Why can't he just do me a favor and stop trying to ignite a conversation?

"It's not just the genes, I received lots of private lessons ever since I was a kid. I was also enrolled in an advanced learning center before I could even be in preschool and it goes on up until now." I answered rather too quickly, eager to end the talk.

"That's probably hard."

His response startled me. I though he's going to reply with something that goes along the lines of 'cool, that's what usually rich parents do to their kids right?' The sympathy was unexpected, making the witty response that has been brewing inside my head no longer applicable to the current situation.

Daniel glanced up at me when I didn't said a thing. He stopped the movements of his hands before cocking his head to the side. It was the action I often see whenever he wanted to act condescending. He would tilt his head to the side then a smug smile would carve its way across his face. That's what I always see following his gesture, yet what I saw right now is a speculative expression. He have his mouth pressed together, his eyes — vivid with a mixture of enlightenment and some emotion I couldn't quite decipher — were unblinkingly focused on me.

He seemed to be deep in thoughts. The way his eyebrows furrowed together made me think his thoughts were much more of a headache than the Calculus problem he had neglected. I waited for him to say something, because honestly, I wanted to know what he's thinking. Knowing him, he'll surely voice out his epiphanies.

"That's why you were always so adult liked — you were left with no choice but to mature quickly."

His words struck me. It was true, and it hit me right on the sore spot. I clenched my fists but instead of snapping at him, I let him continue.

"You probably....doesn't have a fun childhood."

"I did though." I retorted, too defensive for my liking.

"Really? Is that why I heard Austin saying you never get to play in the playground with him when you were kids?"

I gritted my teeth. I shouldn't have let him ask me questions. I should've just shut him up with a rude comment the first time he tried. I stood up and was about to gather my stuffs when Daniel grabbed my bag.

"I'm sorry if I sounded too nosy, I'm not trying to offend or make you feel bad in any way — I swear."

Really now huh?

"Please, what I'm really trying to say is I understand you. I understand the life you went through."

Daniel smiled, a bitter one. My irritation began to dissipate when I noticed the edge in his voice. I sat down again but my posture remained rigid, ready to bolt out in any sign that he's about to aggravate me again.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I meant that I also know how it feels to be forced to do everything that your parents would say," His smile is kind now.

"My dad is a business man you know. He'd always wanted me to take over his company once he retired, and so I was forced to be homeschooled, because he wanted me to be around him all the time — just so I would see how he runs the business. I don't want it though, but dad doesn't want to hear my opinions."

The smile vanished from his face as he gaze out of the café window. I can see that his mind is miles away from here. Hearing his story now, I finally understood the sympathy that crossed his face after I answered his question.

Who would have known that this Daniel Choi — the football player who'd gained the reputation of being the most loved and respected person in the campus, had been in the same shoes that I am currently wearing. It was the last thing I expected from a guy who do everything that he pleased without any hesitation.

Somehow, I felt more soothed with him — it's certainly because of what I'd discovered now.

"Well, it's all good now." Daniel look back at me, and the genuine happy smile is once again plastered on his face.

"My mother divorced him 6 years ago. We're still keeping in touch but since I'm living with my mom, I have the upper control with my life."

I was reluctant to return his smile, but I managed without much effort. I'm happy for him — like really happy. At least he got his mother, someone who loves him and lets him enjoy the wonders of life, a mother who supports his decisions.

I wish I'd been as lucky as him.

"That's what I meant earlier. I understand you, and I mean, that kind of parents sucks to be honest." We both let out a low laugh at that. "But we can always make the choice to decide for our own — going rebel might be the easiest solution, but it's not the best. You must learn how to stand up to them, stand up for what you want, for your happiness. You need to make them understand."

I averted my gaze. Daniel's eyes seems to bore holes in my skull, it felt as though he's encouraging me — and I feel good with that. But either way, what he said had never been easy to be considered in my part.

"You don't have to always follow what they say, just so they would be happy. Learn how to put yourself first."