I didn't mention anything about what I'd learned to my parents during breakfast that morning. I'd have to talk to them eventually, but right now, it wasn't a matter I wanted to discuss with them. They'd just worry about me. Or feel bad for lying. Or both.

Leaving those thoughts behind, I finished my meal and left for school. As usual, I took the longer route, giving me time to think. And this time I actually had something important to think over. Namely; how to approach Jennifer Burch and befriend her.

Claiming that she'd be my first friend wouldn't exactly be true. I've had a few friends before, but the constant moving had always killed off any of my previous friendships. So if I manage to befriend Jennifer, she'll be the first true friend I've had in a while.

Problem is — I have no clue how I should go about doing that. How do people normally do things like this? In the movies, the characters accidentally bump into each other or get caught in elevators...I guess? I don't watch too many movies.

But nothing like that's going to happen. I'd have to try and fabricate a situation like it, in that case. Although that sounded like a terrible idea. Did the school even have an elevator? I'd never thought about it, but there had to be some way for handicapped people to move about. Aren't there laws about those things?

No, I'm going to have to do this another way. But I don't have any other ideas. Would it work if I just tried walking up to her after school? Maybe I can say that I have some problems with my grades and ask if she would mind helping me out some? She is a straight-A student, after all. The teachers always placed her tests at the top of the bundle whenever we got our results back after exams and I'd seen enough of her tests to know that for sure. Asking for help with my grades sounded believable.

With a plan in mind, I arrived at school and locked my bike, stuffed my backpack in my locker, and went to our first lesson.

The waiting was killing me. For once, I wasn't sleeping through every class. I was still dead tired, but my nervousness and reigned supreme. I could barely focus on what the teachers were saying for more than one minute before my thoughts drifted off towards what I should say later today, and I got told off more than once because of it.

When the last lesson of the day finally concluded, I remained in my seat as the rest of my classmates and the teacher scuffled out of the classroom. They were discussing sports, games, and all kinds of topics that I didn't care about at all right now. My attention was focused solely on the only other person still in the room.

Still sitting at her desk, Jennifer was currently looking down and concentrating on her notes.

That wasn't surprising. It wasn't a secret that she studied a lot and often stated behind after class to do studying on her own.

And that gave me the perfect opportunity.

I put down all my school books and stood up. This was it. Thinking everything through once again in my head, I started walking across the classroom. As I approached her desk, she looked up at me and I caught a glimpse of what it was that she had been working on. I thought it'd be some of the problems from today's math lesson — but that wasn't right. Sure, what she was working on was math, but it wasn't what our teacher had covered today. Or something he'd cover any time soon either, for that matter. I only recognized some of the formulas she was working with, but it seemed like she was working on math problems that we wouldn't touch for a long while. Just how far ahead had she studied?

"...Is there something you want?" Jennifer had an annoyed look on her face as she stared at me.

"Huh?" I realized that I was just standing there, looking down at her notes. "Oh, sorry. I was just surprised by what you were doing. Isn't that material we won't go through until next year?"

"Yes?" She answered. Like it wasn't odd at all, and I was stupid for asking the question. Doesn't she understand that it isn't normal to study that far ahead?

Although I'm probably not the right person to call somebody else out on being abnormal.

"Oh. Well, that's cool." I said, suddenly feeling the urge to scratch the back of my head. "So, I didn't mean to disturb you and your studying, but I wanted to ask you a question."

"Then you did intend to disturb me, did you not? The act of answering your question distracts me from studying. So then you have — by definition — caused a disturbance." She deadpanned.

This was not how I thought it would go. Barely a minute into the conversation and I'd already pissed her off. I thought that I'd at least make it for a couple minutes more.

Jennifer glared at me for several seconds. Then, the edge of her mouth twitched. I watched with confusion and dismay as her expression changed in a matter of seconds and she was suddenly giggling to herself uncontrollably.

I stood there, not knowing what to say. Was she bipolar? Was that how that worked? It might have been a while since I genuinely talked with other people my age outside of group projects, but I knew this wasn't how it usually went.

"Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I was just messing with you. That went a whole lot better in my head if you can believe it." She stopped laughing and began putting her stuff in a purple bag. "That really was childish of me, but after for you to talk to me for way too long, over a month you know, I got a teensy bit annoyed and decided to have a little bit of revenge." She waved her hand in front of her face a few times. "Not that you actually did anything wrong. It's not your fault that you've waited this long to talk to me. Well, technically it is — but you know that I mean."

"I just have a tendency to let my fantasies become a little bit too real sometimes." She said and looked at me knowingly. "I think we're a lot alike in that regard."

I stared at her. What's up with this girl? One second she looks annoyed, the other she's laughing, and then she tells me she's been waiting for months? How could she even have known I would try and talk to her? She's not psychic, is she? I observed her closely. That really was an option...

"Oh, I'm sorry — again. I've confused you." She said when I kept quiet. I wanted to respond, but I genuinely had no idea how I was supposed to react.

"Crap, you're probably thinking I'm a huge weirdo or something right now, aren't you? This joke didn't go as planned...Let me clear a few things up." She held up a finger.

"One: I am in no way actually annoyed at you. Sorry if I made you think I was." She held up another finger. "Two: When I said that I've waited a few months for you to talk to me, I didn't mean that I knew for sure that you would. I'm not clairvoyant or anything like that. But I've seen you looking at me for months now and guessed that you would talk to me eventually. I just didn't think you would wait for so long..."

She held up a third finger. "Anyways, three: I've also been watching you in class now and then, and I'd be lying if I said that I haven't been waiting for you to approach me. Us hermits have to stick together, you know." She lowered her hand. "And lastly...Sorry for messing with you. But you should have seen your face. It was great." She pointed at my face and grinned. "It still is. I regret nothing." She giggled again, obviously trying her best not to laugh outright again.

Great. The first person I try and befriend for years — and she turns out to be even weirder than me. No wonder she's alone all the time if this is how she acts with people.

Although I had to admit, I can see why she considered it funny.

"Wait, if you've been waiting for me to talk to you for months now, why didn't you just take the initiative yourself and talk to me first? You'd have spared yourself a lot of time that way." I think I succeeded in hiding the irritation in my voice.

"It's the privilege of all girls to leave the initiative-taking to the boys." She said.

"That sounds like bullshit to me."

She laughed again. "That's true. Then — would you believe me if I told you that I was just too shy?" She answered with an innocent look on her face.

"Sorry, but you don't strike me as the shy type..."

"Well, then I'll just say that I have my reasons."

"That's...vague. What, you like being mysterious?"

"Who doesn't?" She said playfully. "But we've really gotten off track. Didn't you have a question to ask me?"

"A question?...Oh, right." I'd completely forgotten why I even approached her in the first place. And the nervousness that I had been feeling. "Well, I wanted to ask if — considering how good you are at it — you could maybe help me study sometimes?"

"Sure," She answered without hesitating even for a second.

"Really? It won't be a problem?"

"No, it's fine. But as you might know, I study a lot and try to stay focused during class — unlike some people — so I'd prefer it if you wouldn't bother me during the day. We can take some time after school to study. In fact," She said and started taking out her stuff again from her purple bag, giving me an expectant look. "Well, what are you waiting for? Bring your things over and let's begin."

I looked at her for a couple of seconds before going back to my desk to pick up my books and notes. I then dragged over another desk and sat down adjacent to her. I wasn't going about to argue when my goal had basically fallen onto my lap.

It might have been a bit bumpier than I expected, but my first real talk with Jennifer had gone as hoped. It might be a little early to call us friends just because she's agreed to help me study, but this is definitely moving in the right direction.

That night, when I got home, I skipped the studying I normally did and went straight to bed. Partly because I was dead tired, and partly because I didn't feel like I needed to study more today.

Jennifer was smart. Even though we'd only studied for an hour or so before she announced that she had to leave, I felt like I learned more during that one hour than I do during most school days. She knew exactly which problems or which pages were best for me to solve or read in order to understand the material and she instructed me along the way. I'm not sure what she gained from it, but she made for a great teacher.

Before we parted, she'd told me that we could do this every day if I wanted, and I wasn't about to let a chance like that go. Not only did I have a pretty good chance of gaining a pretty interesting new friend, but I also got the chance to improve my grades at the same time. That's what I call hitting the jackpot.

As I lay down in bed that night, I couldn't stop myself from feeling excited, even if it'd probably just make it even harder for me to fall asleep.

After all, I had some entertaining few weeks in front of me.