Page 13 of Bad Behavior

“Okay. Probably then like… a month and a half, or two months,” she says, flipping through the book. “I hope you can cram a ton of stuff in your brain.”

“Well, it helps that it’s broken down by section. I’ve already taken the English and social studies parts.”

Emma lights up. “Really? You did?”

I nod.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell anyone!” she says, punching me lightly on the arm. She wrinkles her nose. “Jesus, it’s like hitting a rock or something.”

I chuckle at that. “Do you need me to flex for you?”

She grins. “Maybe later. Where are you in this book?”

I shrug, growing uncomfortable again. “Mmm, about a quarter of the way through it. I’m not feeling sure about any of it though, honestly.”

She purses her lips, thinking.

“Alright. Let’s start by taking the first practice test in the book. Then I can see where you’re at, and go from there.”

“Okay.” I move a little closer to her, to see the book.

She smiles at me, tucking a wisp of hair back behind her ear. When she looks back down at the math book in her lap, I notice the slender column of her pale neck, dotted here and there with tiny freckles.

She flips through the book and locates the first test. “Here we go. You ready?”

I nod. Emma asks me the first couple of questions. They’re simple enough, with the math in them easy to do. Then I have to pull out a notebook and pencil for the next few questions.

“It looks like you’ve got most of these down, no problem,” she says when I’ve finished the test.

“Yeah. It’s more like… the formula you were talking about yesterday. Or that thing that tells you when to multiply and subtract… what’s it called?”

“The order of operations?” She waves a hand. “Things like that are easy enough. Really just a matter of memorizing stuff. I can do some flash cards for you the next time we meet.”

“Good enough,” I say with another shrug. “Now the science stuff… that’s a different thing. It’s not as easy to work out as math. Math is like… concrete, I guess.”

She wrinkles her forehead. “Are you trying to tell me that you’re not going to be an astrophysicist?”

“Not anytime soon.” I look down, realizing that I’m clenching and unclenching my fists out of pure nervous discomfort. Emma is so fucking educated, and I can barely get the math for dummies stuff she’s trying to help me with.

I’m so fucking out of my depths here, it’s not even funny. Luckily, she doesn’t notice that I’m so uncomfortable… or at least she doesn’t say anything.

“Alright, let me look through the science book.” She holds out a hand, and I plop the heavy textbook in it. “Jesus. Apparently you have to know a ton of science to graduate high school.”

I nod quietly, and she flips through the textbook. “Oh, this is great. It seems like you have more leeway here. Like you can probably guess every other question using reading and logic. That’s no sweat for you, probably.”

I shrug. “If you say so. I haven’t really studied much of the science stuff, because it looks impossible. ”

Emma looks up at me, her brow puckering. “Jameson, you’re one of the smartest people I know. Seriously, that’s why it sort of blew my mind that you were going to even take the GED. When you’re ready, this test is going to be your bitch.”

I feel my ears grow a little warm. The fact that I’m being encouraged by someone ten years my senior, for something that is so basic… it’s a little bit of an ego killer. “I’m definitely going to flunk it the first time, hard.”

“No way,” she says, shaking her head. “That’s the whole point of us studying together. When we’re done, you will ace the tests. First time’s the charm.”

I roll my eyes. “You seem pretty sure of the outcome.”

She looks thoughtful. “You need some kind of encouragement. Something big, when you take the test. A reward for your diligence.”

“Like what?” I say, giving her a skeptical glance.

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