xxxXxxx

How Enoch had ended up in this situation was beyond him. Agreeing to help Olive with her paper was one thing, he'd already finished his, but who exactly had thought that doing so after school at one of their homes was a good idea? He didn't even remember who suggested it, he was sure it hadn't been him, but Hugh had pushed relentlessly that it was in fact a date of sorts.

Enoch had adamantly denied it. It certainly was not a date. If it was a date that meant that he and Olive were...something, which he was already confused enough about and didn't need everyone else in his ear about it.

As bitter as he had already been whenever another boy even spoke to Olive it was magnified ten times that morning when he remembered that Portman usually sat between them. Well that was taken care of now, he wanted to be the one close to her and he was going to be. Was he too suspicious and too easily jealous? Perhaps. Enoch didn't care. He didn't like it and Olive could know that.

Maybe it was something.

His stomach twisted slightly in a way that had nothing to do with the lurching of the school bus as he looked ahead a few rows to Olive and Emma. Olive had already stayed on past her stop and not for the first time Enoch thought how bad of an idea this was. He just hoped against hope that his mother wasn't at home. With any amount of luck they could be finished before his parents got home, as unlikely as that was, and he could save the awkward questions for another day. Or never. Preferably never.

Emma got off the bus at the next stop and Enoch determinedly ignored the raised eyebrow she was sending his direction until she had left. Once the bus began to move again he looked back over. Olive was looking at him with her familiar smile that didn't help the squirming and tightening in his gut.

Five more minutes passed before the bus drew to a halt at Enoch's stop. He pulled himself to his feet, ducking his head slightly until he stepped off the raised step the back rows of seats were on and jerked his head to Olive who had stood up with him.

"'ere..."

The second he hopped out of the stifling environment he felt slightly, though not very much more at ease. His breath misted in the chilly air as he turned around to wait for Olive hopping off the bus. She was clenching her hands together and looked every bit as out of place as Enoch felt outside his own home.

"Thank you." She piped up as she fell into step beside him and Enoch raised an eyebrow.

"I ain't done anyfin' yet." He shrugged non-commitally as they rounded the corner and groaned to himself to see the car in the drive. "Oh 'ell..."

"What's the matter?"

"My mum's not gonna stop." He sighed and shrugged, "Alright... come on..."

It was the first time in his life he'd brought a friend home from school, let alone a girl who he was very much interested in and it was a strange, singularly unique feeling as he stepped inside ahead of Olive.

"Enoch?"

Not even five seconds. He couldn't have five seconds.

Enoch's gaze went to the floor as he tried, unsuccessfully to walk by the open doorway into the living room, Olive still several metres behind him looking around at the entrance.

Enoch froze in the doorway and turned his head as his mother appeared she was holding an opened letter in her hands and his heart stopped for a whole other reason as he saw the school's emblem on the letterhead.

"We need to talk, Enoch."

"Not now...I 'ave someone 'ere." He wasn't having this conversation now, he didn't want to have it at all, and so he quickly jerked his head for Olive to come over where she was looking with a smile at the pictures on the wall.

"You what?" His mother could not have looked more taken aback the moment Olive came into view.

"This is Olive. From school."

"It's very nice to meet you." Olive smiled and Enoch's gaze lingered on her perhaps a little too long before he looked back with raised eyebrows to his mother. He could see everything from surprise to joy dawning on her face.

"Oh no, my dear, believe me it's a pleasure to meet one of my son's...friends?" It was almost a question but her stern mood with whatever was in that note from the school had evaporated. It was one awkward conversation or another.

"We're 'ere ta study. Betta get goin'." He emphasised and before they could get too chummy against his wishes, he gently tugged Olive away from the doorway by her elbow.

"Your mum seems lovely." Olive beamed at his shoulder and Enoch pulled a face slightly, muttering under his breath as he stopped outside his bedroom. He didn't think he'd ever been so uncomfortable in his life.

"Yeah well...I don' exactly bring a girl 'ome every week, they're not gonna let it go."

"I'm sure she's just happy you're making friends."

Enoch just scoffed and pushed open his door. He tossed his bag onto his bed and loosened his tie to pull it over his head in a loop. He barely had time to kick a discarded pair of jeans under his bed and out of sight before he turned to see Olive standing awkwardly in the doorway. For once she looked just as out of her comfort zone as he was. Were he any other teenage boy with a lot of friends and more of a social life, he was sure his parents would never like the idea of him just bringing a girl into his room. As the situation stood though, they wouldn't probably be glad of it.

"Ya can stay there if ya want but ya won't write too well."

Olive turned pink and Enoch looked away as she stepped in, looking around his predominantly black bedroom with a kind of embarrassed curiosity. He hardly thought it was that interesting. He pulled his jacket off the swivelling desk chair and pushed it over a little towards her.

"'ere..."

"Sorry..." Olive shook her head as if waking from some daze and put her bag down by the side of his desk. "I just didn't thank you yet for letting me come over."

Enoch raised an eyebrow as she stepped towards him instead of the desk and tried not to think about how nice her eyes were for the fourth time that same damn day. She had a point. He'd never so much as had a friend over before let alone in his bedroom. It was his place, where even despite the clutter, he knew exactly where everything was and it was how he liked it.

For a second he was almost overtaken by the desire to kiss her again just in case it had all happened in his head yesterday. No. He straightened up sharply and shrugged as he motioned her over to the desk.

"No big deal, let's go."

He stepped around her to his bag, leaving Olive blinking on the spot before he heard the tell-tale squeak of his computer chair as she sat down at the desk. He let out a long breath with his back to her under the pretence of rummaging through his bag. His hand brushed a sheet of paper and he curiously pulled the crumpled sheet out. His heart sank. He'd forgotten about those. The three notes home about his work and his behaviour that he had stuffed away and never given to his parents. That probably made the one they had posted even worse for him.

"What's that?"

"Nofin'. Enoch said quickly and balled it up to toss in the rubbish bin under the desk. "Come on then."

xxxXxxx

"There...is that alright?"

Enoch groaned and lifted his head from where he had buried it in his hands as he sat on the foot of his bed. Patience was not always a virtue of his. He ran his hands over his face and got up to lean over Olive again and read over her work. It was slightly ironic, that he was helping someone else with schoolwork while his own, save a few classes, was suffering.

He could feel her shoulder moving and just touching his chest as he leaned over and brushed her hand accidentally with his as he picked up the paper.

"It's a lot betta than it was..."

"Really?" Olive smiled and tilted her chin to look up at him. Enoch was momentarily taken aback by their closeness, he could have kissed her quite easily if he wanted. But he didn't want to. Well, maybe a little.

"Yeah..." muttered, not even looking at the paper anymore "Better." Was he even talking about homework anymore? It didn't matter because he was sure she was leaning up, or was that him leaning down? All that mattered was he could suddenly feel her breath again.

"Enoch Reuben O'Connor, you come out 'ere right now!"

Enoch swore and wheeled around at the sudden knocking on his door. Had it been that long already that his father had come home? He only ever got middle named when he was in for a serious talk.

He straightened up and away from Olive in a second and exchanged a glance with her before he wandered over to the door and opened it far enough so that she was still out of sight.

"What'd I do now?" He grumbled, staring into the frowning face of his father and subtly sidling out of his bedroom. Hadn't mum told him they had company?

"What is this?"

Enoch's gaze went to the letter held out in front of his face and he made the probably foolish decision to be smart about it. "Fink that's paper, Dad. Comes from trees."

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Enoch, enough is enough of this."

"Why? What's it say 'bout me?"

"Answering your teachers back? Not bothering to show up to class-"

"Okay I did that once." Enoch started to argue, "Like you never di-"

"I am still talkin', young man, you're not makin this betta." His father pointed a warning finger and Enoch sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Dad, can we n-"

"No, we're doin' it. What 'as gotten into ya? Enoch, when exactly were ya gonna mention ya failin' maths?"

Enoch froze and his face twisted into a scowl as he looked at the ground. He didn't need Olive right through the door to hear his parents have this discussion now.

"Not my fault Barron 'ates me..."

His father's frown deepened and he didn't so much as look away from his son. "And is it your fault you don't 'and your work in? Is it your fault you answer back and walk outta class? Is it your fault you ain' even tryin'?"

"Dad-"

"Owen, for goodness sakes, we have a guest! I didn't mean talk to him now."

Enoch let out a long breath as his mother rushed into the hallway wide eyed and hissing at her husband to be quiet.

For a minute his temper with Enoch seemed forgotten as he stared between her and Enoch in confusion. "What? Who?"

"Well I was tryin' ta tell ya." Enoch pushed open his door and raised an eyebrow as Olive walked over to stand in the doorway, to his father's astonishment. "We were studyin'. Yeah, I do 'ave a friend, surprise."

"Oh...well...'ell, I'm sorry for that..." His father stammered, momentarily taken aback before he looked at Olive again.

"Olive, sir." She smiled and Enoch studied her face for any sign she'd overheard any of that. She couldn't have missed it. They weren't happy with him.

"I fink I've met you before, 'ave I? Well I'm...glad my son's makin' friends, at least."

"Dad..." Enoch muttered and scowled at the skirting boards. "Can I go?"

"Owen, talk to him later, let them finish their study." If it weren't for the little too obliging tone, Enoch would have dearly thanked his mother for leaving them alone.

Enoch kicked the door closed a little harder than he had intended which made Olive jump behind him, and cursed under his breath. Well that mood had been sufficiently killed.

"Does he always talk to you like that?"

"No. Only if my 'attitude needs fixin' and I'm in trouble." He rolled his eyes and sat back down on the side of his bed, his foot beginning to tap idly.

"I didn't realise, Enoch..."

"There's nofin' ta realise."

"That you were failing Mr Barron's class."

Enoch glared at her, he did not exactly feel like talking about it. But then she sat down right beside him and he tensed slightly.

"Do I look like I really care 'bout that?"

"No, you don't look like you care at all. About much, actually. I didn't think maths would be something you would struggle with."

"I'm not struggling." He snapped defensively but Olive did not move, rather she pressed her shoulder against his for a moment like she thought he needed comfort. That was the last thing Enoch need. "I just don' care ta try."

"I thought I was s'posed ta be helpin' you?"

"You did." Olive smiled and Enoch forgot to be surly for a moment when he felt her hand on his wrist. "You know you can tell me if something was up."

"This is just me-What are you doin'?"

She pulled her hand back instantly and turned bright pink, her eyes leaving his and falling to the floor. "Sorry. Is that not okay?"

"No it's..." Enoch frowned slightly and stared at his wrist at the spot her hand had been. "It's just weird."

He rotated his position slightly, facing in towards her and then Olive looked up. He didn't want to think about his poor school work, or about the talk he was bound to have with his parents about cleaning up his act, he wanted to feel something for a second or two that wasn't jealousy or anger or resentment all of which were exceptionally commonplace for him. Without much awareness of what he was doing, Enoch reached up and pushed her hair back behind her ear. Her eyes, wider than ever in surprise flickered closed and so did his as he, with considerably more confidence than the first time, pressed his lips back to hers.