dakota +

i took my books for my morning classes out of my locker, whilst also trying to stuff my backpack inside the minimal space.

with my luck, my phone started to ring so i tried to take it out of my pocket. although it was no use as my books started slipping out of my hand, but were quickly caught before they hit the ground.

i looked up, seeing jack standing over me and i suddenly froze, almost dropping the rest of my books.

"it's easier to just do one thing at a time" he said in the nicest way possible, before flashing me a smile and handing my two books back.

"t-thanks".

"so last night, my mom said something about you tutoring me for math?" he mentioned, putting his hands into the pockets of his varsity jacket.

"yeah, my mom sorta made me—...not that i don't want to help you, because i do. it's just that—".

he interrupted me with a chuckle, "i'm free today, say i meet you outside after school? we can take my car".

i quickly nodded, trying to fix the books in my arms more securely, "that's fine".

"okay, well i'll catch you later, dakota" he began walking away and gave me a small wave, before joining his friends who were waiting for him.

i huffed and buried my head into my locker with embarrassment. i could barely control a single word that came out of my mouth once jack smiled at me - how the hell am i going to get through tutoring him every week?

"dakota, i've been calling you for the past five minutes" i heard jonah's voice. "what's happened?".

i took my head out of the locker, "is it ever possible for me not to embarrass myself in front of jack gilinsky?".

"yes," he helped me put my backpack away. "because you don't embarass yourself, you're just overthinking things".

"well, i'm tutoring him math after school so i hope so" i told, shutting my locker before he pulled my shoulder back.

"what? since when?!" jonah exclaimed.

i started walking again and he followed behind, "since our mothers talked about it last night".

"oh my god, this is perfect".

i stared at him in confusion, "how is it perfect?".

"well, this tutoring could be your chance to get close to jack" he said and i rolled my eyes at how unrealistic he was being.

"and once you're one step closer to stealing his heart, bam! you get rid of olivia and his arms are wide open for a hug from you" he crazily added.

"jonah, no. do you even go to this school? look at the girls that jack hangs out with and look at the girl that he used to date, i don't even come close".

"dakota—".

"guys like jack do not go for girls like me, but he apparently goes for girls like olivia" i continued with a lower voice.

jonah halted my next move just outside our class, "you're not getting this, are you? you're not olivia. one day, jack will want to meet her or facetime her or even hear her voice, then what?".

i kept quiet, biting down on my lip and not being able to find an answer because my best friend was once again, right.

"dakota, are you even listening?".

"yes i am, but i don't want to talk about this right now so can we just change the subject" i accidentally snapped at him and he held his hands up a little.

"fine, fine" jonah agreed, entering the biology class first.

+

after the most uncomfortable car ride of my life, jack pulled up outside my house and i stepped out of the passenger seat, heading towards the front door.

we came into the entrance hallway and i shut the door behind him, as nate walked out of the kitchen.

he narrowed his eyes, "what is he doing here?".

"nate, stop. he's just here because he needs me to tutor him in math" i explained, still completely confused at how they can hold a feud when they hang out with the same people.

"are you sure that's not code for have sex with you?" nate said, then took a step closer. "you better not touch her".

"well, you touched my ex-girlfriend, so why can't i?" jack instantly retaliated.

nate scoffed at his words, "only because i was giving her what you couldn't".

"guys, seriously, stop" i stood inbetween them. "nate, just go to the living room".

he gave jack one last stare down, before doing as i told and allowing jack and i to head upstairs to my room.

"just to assure you," jack began once we approached the landing. "what nate said was bullshit - this isn't just so that i can get you to sleep with me".

i awkwardly ran my fingers through my hair, "yeah, i, uh, already knew that".

"okay, good" he sighed with a little relief whilst we entered my room.

i settled my bag on my bed and unzipped it to take out a pen and a few math notes that i thought jack would find useful. this was until i caught him scanning his eyes around all of the things hung up on my walls.

"nice vinyls" he told me.

"oh, thanks" i chuckled, tucking my hair behind my ear.

he walked closer to where my many vinyl covers were hung up in rows.

"you listen to all these?" he asked and i nodded my head to reply. "which one is your favourite?".

if i could, i would answer him and spend hours explaining why i like those albums specifically, which songs are the best and which lyrics i can relate the most to.

but since it's jack, and i can barely hold a sentence when he looks at me with those brown eyes, i'd have to just keep my answer simple.

"i don't know, maybe the halsey one, the kehlani one or g eazy" i replied.

his eyebrows raised at my answer, "you like g eazy?".

i suddenly remembered one of the first conversations that jack and i had over text, where he said that "olivia" was one of the first girls that he knew who actually listened to g eazy.

"yeah, i-i guess. he's pretty cool" i answered and he smiled at my response.

"me too" jack said, then moved away from my wall to unzip his own backpack as i cleared some space on my desk.

"correct me if i'm wrong, but you seem kind of nervous" he suddenly
mentioned and my head shot up, seeing a tiny grin on his face to lighten up his words.

i mentally cursed at how terrible i was at disguising it then shook my head, "no, i'm just tired, y'know. it's been a long day".

"oh, well i can come back tomorrow if you—".

"no, no," i quickly assured him. "it's okay, let's just start on the math".

+

"alright, so if this is twenty-eight, then the answer to the equation is..." i questioned jack, after we'd been sitting at my desk and working on algebraic equations for more than an hour now.

he hesitated for a while, "four?".

in the nicest way possible, i shook my head at his incorrect answer and he huffed out, sitting back in his seat.

"i was stuck on this one last night and even after you've explained it to me, i still don't get it" he muttered.

"no, it's okay. just take another look at how i worked it out and try again".

jack looked at me, before leaning forward to read through the notes again, "...okay, so if it's not four, then it's...eight point five?".

i nodded at the now, correct answer, causing jack's lips to stretch into a huge grin of relief and achievement. i didn't even realise that i was admiring his smile, until he cleared his throat and i snapped out of my reverie.

"oh, sorry, um...".

"it's 6 o clock, " jack gestured to the watch on his wrist. "i should probably start heading home for dinner".

he stood up and started packing his things away into his backpack.

i was quite relieved yet disappointed that he was going already, because on the one hand, it can save me from further embarrassment but then again, i don't get to see the cute look of his face when he gets an answer right.

"it was a really great lesson, i learned a lot, so thanks dakota" he rested his hand on my shoulder.

i flashed him a smile, "you're welcome".

"so, i'll see you tomorrow? same time?" he questioned, pulling his bag onto his back.

"sure" i nodded and he gave me one last smile with a wave, before leaving to go downstairs.

-

i promise that other chapters will go more into depth during the tutoring sessions and they'll maybe be more of jack's pov ok ily

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