When I got off the bus I made the walk home from the towering gates up the path towards my home, it's glinting roofs and light walls. I felt my pace speeding up in an eagerness to get there quicker. I wanted to be within its safety. School had left me feeling drained but as I got closer and closer to Kings Bridge I could feel energy flooding back through me. By the time I reached the dormitory floor I had regained most of my will to carry on. The stresses of school and friends ebbed away giving room for a calmness to set in. That's when I heard the shouting.

"I don't understand," his voice wasn't that loud but it was full of fury which made it seem louder than it was. There was a steely edge to it that told me he was on the edge of exploding but was just holding himself back, "I thought we were staying here and that I'd only be away for a few days, not an entire week. I have school."

There was a pause for a moment as I assumed the person on the other end of the line spoke. I came to a halt outside the room the raised voices were coming from and was surprised to find the door wide open. Inside I could see him leaning over his desk with his phone to his ear, the other hand clenched into a fist on the wall as he leaned his head against his forearm. His jaw was gritted and I could see his shoulders were tensed with pent up frustration.

That's when he exploded, his fist slammed against the wall as he stepped backwards, at the same time tipping his desk chair onto the floor so it clattered to the ground with a resounding crash.

"You can't fucking expect me to," he roared, "I never promised that." Another pause, "you can't make me stay." The pause was longer this time and his jaw flexed in irritation at whatever the person on the other end of the line was saying, when he spoke again his voice came through gritted teeth, "I don't give a shit what abuela wants."

That's when he hung up his phone with a violent stab of his finger. And tossed it across his room onto his bed aggressively before raking his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Nico," I placed my hand on the doorway lightly, my voice tentative and careful in order not to scare him in his already agitated mood. His head swivelled towards me quickly, he clearly hadn't noticed his audience.

"Sorry about," Nico waved his had distractedly through the air, "that."

"Don't be sorry," I pulled up half my mouth in a soft smile, "are you alright? I mean, considering, .... that."

"Yeah I'm fine," Nico lied weakly, I gave him a moment to expand, "it's just my dad being his typical asshole self."

"What's happened?" I asked hoping I wasn't crossing a line.

"Thanksgiving," Nico huffed as if that explained everything, "the start of the annual family shit show that builds up to the ultimate climax, Christmas."

"He wants you to go home?" I guessed from the snippets I'd heard of the conversation.

Nico shook his head, "that's what I thought, but it turns out we're going to my grandmas house in Argentina. Which means that instead of being away Friday until Monday I'm away for an entire week, Friday until Friday."

"A week in Argentina? I'm sure you could find some kind of positive," I suggested optimistically.

"Not a week with my family," Nico shook his head dismally, "that's enough to drive anyone insane. Try spending 48 hours with my abuela and then find a positive."

"What's so bad about her?"

"She picks away at you, compares you to all your siblings then cousins, criticises my mom and just basically points out all my faults," Nico gave a twisted sarcastic smile, "an all round good time."

"I'm sorry," I shook my head.

"She's my grandma," Nico sighed, "I know I shouldn't think badly of her but it's hard not to when she's only ever been critical of me."

"Don't feel bad," I empathised, "just because you're family doesn't mean you have to get along. You can't choose family but you can choose who you love."

Nicks entire face lifted slightly and a look of contentment fell across his eyes, "thank you," he said appreciatively.

"Don't think about it," I waved a hand in dismissal.

"I do appreciate it though, you didn't need to hear all my family drama," Nico nodded gratefully.

"Anytime," I repeated, "although I would appreciate a favour in return."

"Name it," Nico insisted.

"Will you pretty please," I pouted, "help me with my chemistry homework. It's impossible."

Nico let out a loud chuckle, "of course, bring it here."

We ended up laying on our stomachs on Nico's bed side by side doing my chemistry homework. Nico established his status as genius even further in my mind, he was also brilliant at explaining. He talked me through everything in a way I could understand perfectly, as if there had never been a question of not comprehending it. I was in awe of how his brain worked, solving each problem the moment he was confronted with it. I wished I had a brain like that.