chapter 11

Chapter 11

The next morning he found himself in Percy's company; the long-frozen fields surrounded them as if framed.

Ronin's morning was rushed, as he had left the house only minutes after waking up. He couldn't fathom a conversation with his father, the words he'd say. It was all new, too new; never had Ronin acted as he did last night, for even as the words he'd said, the laughter, he felt obligated to forget.

None of it was familiar.

Percy had been talking for a while. Only now did Ronin realize, with a glance, that he pretended he'd heard what he didn't.

The wind bit hard against the back of their necks; the tall grass had left once they were in town; it was as small as he remembered, only now the once Bright colors had faded with the change in season, perhaps a change in perspective he would have yet to figure out.

Navigating a sidewalk, he followed Percy with a nervous demeanor; the air he breathed reeked of an awkward design, only breathing it out, he could see its mass.

Percy's patterned footsteps had halted in front of a fine house upon a small incline, hiding from its long driveway and the trees that sprouted beautifully behind it. Percy began to approach the house, his stomach filled with an urge to greet her; his smile complimented his stature perfectly as he knocked on the door; even he could hear it echo throughout the home. The subtle blue door was a familiar sight, only part of the routine he would take every morning.

The door opened quickly as Wren slid out, a few words were shared from behind the door, and a friendly goodbye escaped Wren's mouth before she closed the door, joining Percy with a slow and calm figure. She found her fingers linked in his again, for that she wished would never change.

The two had met Ronin at the bottom of the driveway, he had refused to walk up with Percy. He managed to hide his legs that shook within his boots; they soon came closer, huddling on the corner as the green car swerved down from the house; Mr Owen's smile escaped the window as he waved to Wren, who returned it assuredly. Ronin could only watch in a sudden pacuiliar, for he did not know this man; he straightened quickly, his eyes gliding onto Wren to examine what might've sharpened his trajectory towards him. "Who's that?" Ronin's voice was a stern one, grabbing percys immediate attention at the tone, "That's Mr Owens, wrens staying with him for now" Those words warmed Percy's heart, the man had helped her in ways he never could, Ronin looked back at wren a warm coat coated Wren's body in a hug he could only imagine.

Ronin followed Percy into as many classes as he could, assuming he took them; the two had found themselves in a large classroom, and any groups of students seemed to scratch at the back of his head in the suddenly cramped, almost moody classroom. The whiteboard seemed to be the brightest source within the space, Slightly tainted the more she drew upon it.

The clock had repeated its same sound over the past thirty minutes. Ronin had sat at his desk staring at the untouched paper that lay in front of him. The words read in another language, as if they were teasing him, his foot began to bob to the timed clicking of the clock; he glanced frantically at it, highlighting the time he had wasted and the time he didn't have to fix it. Ronin gripped the pencils, digging his small nails into the wood; his eyes went in and out of focus, unable to settle on a single word. The familiarity of this moment became a letter of nostalgia he didn't need, and of course, he couldn't read.

His body soon felt strained as he held his head up with his hand in a stress he fretted; it shook his hand that would've preferred to remain calm.

Ronin's breath had gotten louder as he began to breathe through his teeth, his foot twitching fast.

Ronin dropped the pencil, grabbing his head with anger, and his eyebrows remained in a scrunched pull, his eyes narrowed at the empty page of questions.

A subtle hand lay itself on his shoulder. He turned quickly with his mean expression and the anger that lingered through his more frustrated eyes. Percy's tall stature made itself clear as Ronin traced from the arm that attached to his shoulder, for it almost appeared small for Percy's height.

"You okay?" Percys asked a high pitch that repeated in Ronin's head. He debated his answer, his eyes suddenly widening as the class was empty, the students gone. For he swore to himself it had only been minutes, seconds, "Ronin?" Percy's voice interrupted his confusion; he tried to string a reasonable answer together for Percy when stumped at the first word.

Ronin peered down at the empty page, "I-i can't do this," Ronin's voice sounded in a low tone, his eyes glued on the questions he couldn't answer.

Percy looked behind him before pulling a chair from another desk, he sat beside Ronin. "The questions?" Percy asked, soon verified as Ronin nodded with anger.

Percy began to ramble while pointing his pencils at the page; his voice continued, somehow finding more words to say, and Ronin's palms closed in tight fists. "Damnit," he growled, pushing Percy's arm off his page, "I don't understand a fucking word you're saying" his eyes met Percy in a rage, "None of it makes sense!" He ended in a defeated tone, a final crack.

Percy's voice filled with a concerned pitty, Ronin could only ignore it as he tried to find the right words, he grabbed his pencil throwing it forcefully a the other side of the room, Percy flinching as ronins arm whipped in the fast motion, I can't do this" Ronin admitted turning from Percy he lay on his desk staring out the window that lay two rows away, even if the light shown from it, the real light lay behind the glass barrier. It was out of reach.

And yet so close, at the same time.

The sound of the pencil scratched on the paper; Ronin glanced back at Percy, who had begun writing in a fast, quick manner, "What are you doing?" Ronin asked embarrassed, "look at it like this" Percys' voice began to explain, "Sometimes the number isn't what it seems, you just need to take a closer look"

Ronin looked at Percy, whose head faced the paper, "Look, I didn't solve it, but I started it; now you just have to take it and evaluate it.

"What did you do to start it?" Ronin asked for the conversation had bled beyond the paper; Percy looked up at Ronin, "Well, first, I'd simplify the equation." his eyebrows were raised as he spoke; suddenly, they weren't talking about math anymore, "what if it can't be simplified?" Ronin's voice almost shook as a harsh scratch sounded from his throat.

"Well in that case ronin, I would find another way to solve it" his mouth barely moved while he talked, "It might take more time to solve, but you'll get the same result" Those last words ended their conversation as Ronin's mouth hung open, those same words began to ring in his head.

Hesitantly took the pencil, sharing a glance with Percy; the pencil scratched the rough paper. His writing looked as if he vibrated while he wrote it; he stopped halfway through the step, looking at Percy for assurance. Percy took the pencil from Ronin, slowly tracing over the steps again. Ronin could only listen in an attempt to understand what was clear, and yet, somehow, he couldn't see it by himself.

They had sat for another thirty minutes before Percy broke the silence, "wanna take a break for lunch" Ronin's eyebrows perked up at the suggestion before a grin made either across his face, "fuck yes" he said slipping out of the chair quickly following Percy eagerly out of the room that had almost confined him, Ronin signaled to the bathroom down the hall before departing from Percy.

Ronin had picked up speed as he frantically dashed down the empty hall; turning a sharp corner, he pushed the bathroom door open with a suddenly built-up emotion he had thought he had forgotten. He yearned for just a sliver of nicotine; upon searching the room with a glance, he met the scared boy in the mirror, the boy who hit his head with a firm palm in a frustration he thought he had left, the boy who insulted him, the boy who broke him.

Ronin's eyes flickered to the trash, his eyes had blared at th