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It was a weird little relationship that they had. And by relationship I mean friendship? Partnership? Alliance? Khad thought to himself as he waited by Lothar’s locker after classes were done. He’s shared a few periods with Lothar here and there for the past few years. Technically, Khad was supposed to be a year below Lothar but he was able to skip a grade. Yeah, that didn’t totally label him as the “weird, smart kid”.
They didn’t start as friends and most of the time Khad wasn’t sure if they were friends even now. Towards the end of last year Lothar’s sister, Taria, approached him and asked if he could tutor her brother.
Actually Khad was undoing the U-Lock of his bike when she appeared out of nowhere. He knew of her and knew that she tested out of her last year of high school to start at a nearby university. Except when she skipped a year she wasn’t the “weird, smart kid” she was “amazingly intelligent”. Khad couldn’t disagree with that.
“You’re Khadgar?” She asked and he immediately blushed because he had practically made it his life mission to make sure that no one knew that was his full name. How the hell did she know?
He nodded, “Yeah. Can I help you?”
She smiled, “Yes, actually. I’m Taria - um, Lothar’s sister? I’m not sure if you know him.”
“He’s on the football team.” Khad replied and shrugged, because what kind of high school kid didn’t know about the football team. They were center of gossip, the top of the food chain. What he didn’t say was that he saw Lothar laughing once as his teammate tossed Khad into a dumpster. Good times.
Taria nodded and made him a proposition - Tutor her brother in his struggling classes, help him study for the SAT, go over his college essays and she would pay him. When she disclosed the amount Khad’s eyes widened.
“Not that I don’t appreciate the money but you really don’t have to pay me that much.” Khad tried to explain but she smiled wide and slightly wicked.
“Trust me, Lothar isn’t easy money.”
At first Lothar absolutely hated it, maybe hated Khad a little bit too. He grumbled a lot and even pouted. “I don’t need a tutor, Taria, quit meddling.” Khad overheard him say to his sister on the phone once when he had gone over to Lothar’s surprisingly huge house . They had to be royalty or something. Khad absentmindedly flipped through Lothar’s study materials and waited for him to sit back down.
Eventually Lothar accepted the fact that this was happening and that maybe he did need a tiny bit of help with his studies. They fell into an easy routine of meeting up and going over SAT prep or an essay that Lothar was writing for English. Lothar was still stubborn but not as much as he once was. Sometimes he’d even wave at Khad in the hallway. It was… nice.
During the summer it was stressful but some how easier. Lothar had football practice everyday, standardize tests to study for and college applications to send out. People were scouting him, he told Khad one day like it was a secret. Khad liked being let in on his secrets.
Sometimes they’d blow off study plans because Lothar was so sore from practice and running drills. He was the first person to show up and the last person to leave. Khad really admired it for him. On the especially painful days they’d go swimming in the pool in Lothar’s backyard. Not talking, just floating.
But suddenly school was starting up again and they both were slammed. Lothar had a one track mind for football and finishing his senior year and Khad had a one track mind for trying to survive one final year with these jerks.
———
“Lothar,” Khad says for probably the hundredth time. They’re in his living room, supposedly studying for an Economics test that Khad could fail and still make a 90 in the class - Extra credit is your friend, Lothar. But if Lothar doesn’t get a C on this test he will be benched from football until he pulls his grades up. Which will never happen if he doesn’t turn off the tv and join Khad on the floor and start going over notecards.
“What’s the point, man? I’m going to fail no matter what and coach is going to bench me and then I’ll drop out of school and never play college ball and-’’ Khad threw a highlighter at his nose. “Owww. Am I bleeding?” Lothar asked as he rubbed his perfectly fine nose.
“For a jock you’re whiny.”
“For a bookworm you’re violent.”
Khad rolled his eyes, “Lothar, if you just study with me for twenty minutes I think you might be able to pass. And then you can play football and not be having a crisis on my couch.” When Lothar didn’t move Khad sighed, “Please? I know you can do this.” Still nothing.
Before Lothar could even process anything hands were grabbing his shirt and tugging him to the floor. He landed on the carpet with a thud and groaned. Khad shut of the tv, removed the batteries and pocketed them because no way was Lothar going to go digging around his back pocket.
Right?
“Twenty minutes and you can have them back.” Khad says as Lothar pins him to the carpet, his knees on either side of Khad’s chest, as if he’s really in a position to be bargaining.
Lothar smiles and its a little terrifying. “Khad, give me the batteries.”
“Fifteen minutes. I just want you to pass.” Khadgar squirms to no avail. He looks up at the Jock with biggest puppy dog eyes he can conjure. “Please, Lothar? Just fifteen minutes of notecards is all I’m asking.”
Lothar pauses for a moment, tilting his head while weighing his options. He squints down at Khad, “Why does it matter to you if I study?”
Khad gulps and smiles, “We’re friends.” He says it in a way that sounds way more like a question than an answer, but it’s least complicated answer that Khad has on hand. He can’t just say, Well your sister is paying me a ridiculous amount to tutor you because she won’t accept the fact I would do this for free, so I guess I better do a fucking good job. He also can’t say, because if you you drop out of school I will also drop out because I can’t do this without you.
Lothar sighs and gets off of Khad, “Fine. Twenty minutes. Pass me the notecards.” Khad sat up slowly and handed him a stack of notecards. Lothar eyed the color coding and smirked, “Nerd.”
Khad threw another marker at his face, “Study.”
“Ever hear of positive reenforcement?” Lothar asked and Khad rolled his eyes. Khad set a timer on his phone for twenty minutes and sat back, waiting for any questions that actually pertained to chapters four through six of their Econ book. Khad was positive that he was going to smack Lothar one of these days.
For the next several minutes Lothar asked reasonable questions and Khad answered them. He watched as Lothar scribbled down notes, happy that his friend was studying and not freaking out about the future.
When the timer went off Lothar sighed in relief, as if studying had brought him physical and mental anguish. “Batteries, bookworm.” Lothar demanded as he stuck out his hand. Khad just laughed as he placed them in his hand. A small spark zapped the tips of Khad’s fingers when he touched Lothar’s palm. He ignored it.
Lothar set the batteries inside the control, oblivious of any and all sparks Khad felt. Which was fine, it made it that much easier to ignore it. Because obviously if Lothar didn’t feel anything then there was no reason for Khad to feel anything either. Nope, he totally did not like being pinned downed by Lothar’s thick, muscular thighs. Nope.
Nope.
Khad didn’t enjoy watching him study. He wasn’t transfixed by the concentration on Lothar’s face or by the way he mouthed the words that he was reading. That would be silly.
———
Khad’s knee was bouncing up and down, ready to find out how Lothar did on the test. Khad didn’t really care about his own grade, but it really could go either way for Lothar. Their professor was passing back tests during the last five minutes of class. Khad barely glanced at the A+ in the top corner of his paper because it didn’t even matter for him - he just wanted to know how Lothar did. If only Lothar didn’t have to sit on the complete opposite side of the room with is Jock friends.
Lothar wasn’t stupid. Khad knew he wasn’t stupid from the moment he explain football as a “violent game of chess”, detailing how each player had his own role similar to the pieces on the board, and so on. It was obvious that he was smart, strategic even, given his knowledge on the different offensive and defensive plays.
Lothar just didn’t care for studying. At all. Getting him to flick through notecards was a miraculous feat.
As the bell rang Khad shoved his crap into his backpack and waited outside the door for Lothar. Lothar walked out behind two other guys in letterman jackets, laughing and giving them fist bumps. He held up his test to Khad and in the top corner it read B- and Khad smiled so hard his cheeks hurt. The two athletes walked to their lockers and Lothar hung back.
Khad reached over and squeezed his bicep, “I told you that you could do it!”
Lothar shrugged and maybe Khad had just imagined it but he winked. “Are you going to hang it on the fridge or something?” Khad laughed and grabbed Lothar by the wrist, dragging him towards his locker because fuck yeah he was going to hang this shit up in his locker.
With quick and nimble fingers he unlocked his locker and pegged the test to the inside of the door with a magnet. Khad crossed his arms and smiled, proud of himself.
“You are the dorkiest little shit.” Lothar said despite the smile on his face. “Thanks.”
Khad’s brows knitted together, “What for?”
Lothar rolled his eyes at Khad’s obliviousness, “For helping me study. You’re the only reason my ass isn’t going to be glued to a bench this Friday night.”
Khad’s cheeks turned pink and they both pretended not to notice. Lothar opened his mouth just as the warning bell rang. “You should get to class.” Khad said, ignoring the knot in his stomach that formed every time he had to leave Lothar. Lothar nodded and Khad shut the locker door, hearing the swish of the paper on the other side.
———
Khad felt a vibration in his pocket as his AP Lit teacher droned on about the importance of understanding poetry. He slid his phone out of his pocket and hid it behind his backpack.
Lothar: you should come to the game friday
A minute passed and then there was another small vibration.
Lothar: or don’t, idk. I was just thinking we could go get burgers after to celebrate or smth
Khad had to bite his lip to keep from giggling in the middle of class. This is not a date, Khad, he had to remind himself. Just two dude getting burgers and being dudes. No homo. None. It would be heterosexual dinner with no milkshake sharing at all. Khad’s stomach flipped as he typed back quick response.
Khad: Ok.