RP Log - Tutoring 101
Who: Marth, Ike
When: [BACKDATED] Friday, May 2, evening
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Summary: Ike's grades are suffering, and, being a senior, he needs to get his act together to be able to go on to college. The jock is assigned a tutor... The smart, over-dramatic, self-centered diva of the school, Marth. Things don't work out so well.
Status: complete
Things like this... were so inconvenient.
Marth sighed heavily, practically dragging himself out of his room. It was a Friday. It was the end of the first week of school. It was almost 6pm.
On a Friday.
It wasn't as if Marth had a choice in the matter. He only attended two clubs, and had quite a bit of free time. He was also one of the smartest students in the entire school. So it was only natural that he be chosen to tutor someone like Ike Griel. At least, that was what the staff had said. But, he, himself, still didn't fully understand why he had to do this.
On a Friday.
He had waited until the football team got out from practice, which really only gave him a few hours to wallow in agony at the thought of wasting his time on someone like Ike. (That guy was a lost cause! If he couldn't get good grades before, what made the school think he would now?) Then he had wasted another half-hour getting materials together and changing out of his uniform into casual-wear. He figured that gave the dumb senior enough time to get his own act together.
And with that mindset, Marth inched down the hall before stopping in front of Ike's and Link's door. How ironic Link was Ike's roommate. Well, that didn't matter anyway. He sighed heavily and loudly, to show the whole world just how horrible this punishment was, and knocked on the door at last.
Ike stepped himself into the cold shower, the chilling water doing well on his overbearingly hot skin. He'd let the water cascade over him for a minute, making sure his body was completely cooled off from the intense practice he'd just gotten back from. The school made a good habit of training their athletes to the bone, until melting point. And melt he did, into the tender, loving, yet frigid embrace of the shower, taking in the-
A knock?
Ike grumbled to himself, but shrugged off his rude thoughts like a good boy. Thinking it was just his roommate who had forgotten his key or some sort of thing like that, he'd wrap a towel around his waist and waddle awkwardly over to the door, tripping over a box that was left in the middle of the room from procrastinated unpacking.
Wet hands fumbled with the lock, until it finally unhinged. The handle was turned, and the door opened wide. "Hey, did you forget your- ...your... your..." Where was the short blonde guy? Okay, so this kid was pretty short, but definitely not blonde. "Am I missing something?" Ike's shoulders slouched over in thought, eyes looking over the blue-dominated body of the kid in front of him. His left foot would be risen slightly to scratch at the back of his right ankle, "Oh wait, you're Marth. Are you here for Link?"
What a fool, he'd completely forgotten about the tutoring program the school had put him into. If you could even call it a program, really it was more of a lifeline.
"Well, um, come in I guess."
Ah. Marth did not even know where to begin with the scene that was in front of him. Was this how Ike prepared for a tutoring session? Was he even thinking about the tutoring session? And didn't the heavyweight know that he and Link weren't dating anymore?
After a rather lengthy pause of just staring at each other, Marth finally found the words to speak. It had taken him a while to process the weird information thrown at him… And not because of the fact that he was busy looking at Ike's state of being, really. Really. He held up an algebra book, giving the other a flat glare.
"I'm here to tutor you, mister Griel." Marth actually wanted to say 'moron,' but they didn't know each other that well yet. He'd wait a few sessions.
A string of blinks was given to Marth as the pair had the odd staring moment, Ike finally being able to shake it off enough to move away from the door and let the junior in. That's right, he was being tutored by someone a year younger than him. How very lame.
It took Ike more than a few seconds to finally realize what Marth had said, "...Right, right! That thing the school put me in. Sorry about that, I'm a moron." Look, he's so nice that he even said Marth's thoughts for him! "...Oh!" Ike flipped around and scampered quickly back to the bathroom, having forgotten to turn the water off and almost losing the towel because of it. "J-just a second!"
Poor Ike scrambled back out of the bathroom to grab a pair of pants and a plain t-shit, struggling to keep the towel from falling and utterly exposing his (nice) butt and... other (nice) things while running with his hands full.
Really, he'd put on quite the cabaret for his guest and new tutor. "S-sorry, again" Ike was finally able to settle himself down onto his bed, patting it quickly a few times. "Come sit here. The table and desk are sorta crowded with stuff I haven't unpacked yet, heh..."
Idiot.
This was not a circus. Marth just dropped his head into his hand as Ike ran around haphazardly. Even the desks were a mess. How did this guy manage to get anything accomplished? This simply would not do at all. Instead of sitting on the bed, he remained standing in the front of the room, trying to keep himself from strangling the senior.
"Listen, mister Griel. I'm not here to play around," Marth said. It was Friday, after all, and he was less than amused. "I am taking time out of my busy schedule to help you. I expect that you treat me like you do your teachers; be prepared to learn. Now, if I've come at a bad moment..."
Ike sat there on the bed looking like a kicked puppy. "I'm sorry, really! I just completely forgot... The coach ran us around like pack mules and then the shower was all nice and cold and it just completely flung out of my head after that." After recollecting his thoughts and attempting a self-ego boost, the senior's expression turned into something much more determined.
He'd grab at the strip of green cloth that had been obviously chucked onto his night table once he got to his room, tying it tightly around his forehead. And with his right hand, a fine mechanical pencil would be unsheathed from its pencil case, to be held up as if it were a shimmering sword! "I'm prepared!"
Ike would sit there in that dramatic pose, eying Marth and wondering what he was still doing over there standing. "Are you going to help me or not, jeez, at least sit down or something. You look really tense, you know?"
The pencil-wielding hand was lowered into his lap, head tilting. "So what are you doing again?" Would he get girl-slapped for asking that stupid question? Probably.
Sorry, Ike. Marth was professional. Classy. And angered beyond all belief. No, did he really have to tutor this imbecile? Maybe... just a little slap? To knock some sense into whatever brains were up there?
Though... At least he was trying. And that whole dramatic thing was kind of cute. In a stupid way. He sighed heavily. It couldn't be helped. Instead of answering Ike directly, Marth moved over to sit in front of the bed, opening the math book. "You probably don't remember what you were going over in class today, do you?"
Heaven help them all should Ike need to remember something extremely important one of these days.
Ike eyed his tutor as he finally sat down, smiling sincerely as the book was opened. He'd make sure to move in a tad closer to be able to see what was going on in the book, crossing his legs to get comfortable. Even if Ike was a total idiot at times, he made up for it with his sheer determination to get things done right. He was trying; his best even, to be able to get along with his assigned tutor.
"Linear equations I think it was." It's not that Ike slacked off in class, really. It was simply that he just didn't get it. That and he didn't get much homework in either, so failing tests was very likely for him. "The systems of linear equations... and... inequalities? Yeah." His blue eyes wandered to the ceiling as if seeking help with what to say next.
It was no doubt that the events prior to Ike finally settling down were quite... Foolish. So now he didn't exactly know how to respond. Should conversation be made? Should he just keep to talking about the math? It was all very awkward.
"So you do know?" Marth asked, eyes flicking up to look at Ike. He was rather surprised, but not disappointed. He looked at the book again, opening it to the correct chapter and skimming through the introduction. "Let's look at your homework assignment, then."
"Y-yes," Ike replied shakily. He'd blink as if he'd seen something amazing, only to have it vanish within the second. He'd continue staring for longer than he really should have been, still attempting to register what had just happened. It felt like a blow to the head from a football, or someone punching him out. It was as if it didn't happen at all. But it did.
Marth actually looked at him. It may have been just a quick glance, but for the first time since he got here, Marth looked at him without a hint of annoyance.
"I didn't notice that your ey- Never mind." His head craned to the side as a hand went up to itch at his cheek, "Homework, um... I'm pretty sure it was the first ten questions after the intro, skip number eleven, then do twelve and fifteen. And um... I'm sorry, sensei. I'm sorry for being such a doofus." His head was lowered in respect and slightly from shame. "I know I didn't put up a good first impression, but I'll make it up to you by working extra hard."
Sensei now, was it? Marth had to keep himself from grinning. Perhaps he liked the sound of that a bit too much. He could be destined to be a teacher! ...Or not. Maybe he just liked having power over people.
When he was able to talk without smiling, he turned to look at Ike again, though with more of a bewildered face. "How is it you manage to remember something like that off the top of your head, but you don't remember you have a tutoring session?" It was odd, to say the least. There was something about Ike that made Marth curious. Never, before, had he had any interest in knowing Ike. But now... Well, if Ike made an effort to work, then maybe being around him wouldn't be so bad.
So Ike Griel would be his project. That sounded good. Marth just didn't want the jock to waste his time, but it didn't seem like Ike would do that.
It took a while for him to shrug off his daze, but once he did, Ike managed to recollect his thoughts and actually managed to explain himself, "I tend to remember the more important things." He'd pause before noticing how rude that sounded, "I mean...! Not that you tutoring me isn't important but like I said before, the coach really pushed us and the thought of you coming here was a bit stressful because I'm not very good with situations like this and then the shower just washed all the worries away along with my.. memory of... you coming here?!" Ike gave a sharp nod, reassuring himself that what he said was correct, whether he was rambling (and he sure was rambling) or not.
"Or maybe it's that I remember weird things and forget the important things, I don't know." Not that he knew the difference, really.
Getting back on track, Ike leaned over and opened the bottom drawer of his night table, taking out a stack of paper and a hard-surfaced book to write on. Tapping his pencil on the papers, the senior bit down onto his lower lip. He had to say what he started earlier. "I meant to say that I didn't notice that your eyes are blue. Sorry again sensei, it's kind of random, but I can't think with other things on my mind."
What an odd thing to say. Ike's mouth was moving a mile a minute. Was he nervous? Embarrassed? Actually, he probably should have been embarrassed to be a senior with bad grades and needing to rely on a lower-classmen. And that he was calling said lower-classmen sensei. But Marth digressed.
"So?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Your eyes are blue, too. What does it matter?"
Maybe it was the little things in life that Ike truly noticed. After the death of both his parents, he learned to appreciate the small things because, even if they are small, they may only happen once in a lifetime. And if he could go back in time, he'd make sure to relive what he once thought of as the insignificant moments. Unfortunately, Ike couldn't seem to remember those moments anymore.
"Yeah, I know. I just thought it was kinda cool that they matched, s'all," Ike said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But, um... anyways..." He'd point the pencil to the textbook.
What do you mean, anyways? You were the one who brought up the whole eye thing. Don't say that like it's my fault...
Marth looked back at the book again. For some reason, he felt his face getting warm. Che. Of all the times to be embarrassed. Ike must have past his insecurity onto him. "Yes. Indeed…" He got up on his knees, resting the book on the bed beside Ike. "Alright. I will show you how to do this one. Then you will do the rest, and I'll check them for you. Does that sound fair?"
Ike blinked his matching blue eyes, curiously watching Marth's pale skin turn the slightest shade of pink upon his cheeks. He'd sneer, as if he'd just accomplished some sort of evil mission. Oh, think of the bragging rights, the opportunities, and the blackmail! ...Except not. Ike would never do such sinister things to his sensei!
"Yes, sensei! ...But don't get angry at me if I ask you to repeat something." It took the poor guy more than a few times to finally get something. That's why he never learned anything during his classes. Seriously, it seems like the teachers are more involved with looking pretty than teaching. Like Miss Aran. The first time Ike saw the new teacher, he- Well, never mind. "I like you already, Marth- er, sensei!" An arm was swung around the juniors shoulders, giving him a hefty press.
That didn't make Marth blush any less. He sighed, not moving from Ike's grip, but not responding to it, either. This guy was all over the place. "I'm glad you like me..." Most people did, right? After all, he was Marth Lowell. He was great and awesome.
...And an obnoxious, arrogant jerk.
Would Ike really hug his teachers? Marth was probably thinking too much into this. After all, Ike seemed to have the tiniest brain in existence. So it was no wonder he was so scatterbrained. Ah, well. All he had to do was think about what an accomplishment it would be to educate such a person. Why, it would be like Shaw's play, Pygmalion; Marth would take a poor, uneducated fool and turn him into something so great, no one would be able to tell.
Oh, Marth. You were brilliant. Brilliant! Thinking of this, Marth's expression seemed to calm a little. He was too busy congratulating himself already to notice that he and Ike were still so close.
Ike sighed happily, finally letting sensei go once he noticed that he was getting no reaction from the junior. He'd set the papers aside and begin to twiddle his thumbs in his lap, bowing his head. "And maybe I can make sensei like me too, if I work hard." His shoulders shrugged as if he was not sure about what had been said. "I mean... I'm a nice person, even if I'm a goof sometimes. But, hey! It makes people laugh, and I like it when people are happy."
His head raised back up and he gave Marth a sheepish smile, placing a hand onto the tutor's head to tousle up his hair with a noogie. Even if Marth hated him for the entire year, Ike knew he'd have to set that aside and continue studying with him if he had any hope to accomplish what his father wanted for him from the very beginning. And if having a hateful jerk-wad of a tutor was his punishment for committing himself too much to sports, so be it.
Augh his perfect hair. Marth twitched a little, but kept his cool. After all, the sooner they got this done, the better. He did give Ike a look though... One that said, 'Stop touching me or I’ll chop your frikken hand off.' And once he was done with that, he began scribbling down the first problem. His handwriting was pretty neat, so it would be easy to follow.
"I’ll like you more when you give me a reason to like you," he said as he moved through the problem. It didn’t even look like he had to concentrate very hard to get an answer.
Ike's eye twitched at the death glare he was given, immediately making sure to lose eye contact and grab his hand back before blood was shed. Blue eyes lowered to Marth's handwriting, trying to figure out what the figures and numbers meant. Though try as he might, he wouldn't be able to understand until sensei explained what he was doing.
So, as he waited for Marth to finish, he'd look to the door and rest his chin in his palm. "You know... You might be super smart, but I bet I could beat you in a fight." His eyes shifted cautiously over to the working junior, making sure to be able to see his reaction if any were to be given. And knowing Marth, Ike just probably pinched a sensitive spot.
Snap.
The lead on Marth’s pencil broke. He pushed a little too hard in response to Ike’s comment. Did he just say what Marth thought he said? That wasn’t taking any step towards Marth liking Ike better. He got to his feet, slowly. Those who challenged Marth would not live very long. Why would you say such a stupid thing to someone who was helping you?
"I hope you like this school, mister Griel. Because you're going to be here for another fifty years failing your classes..." He leaned forward, right in Ike’s face, eyes narrowed. "And then, after that, you won’t be able to remember anything you learned, and you will be condemned to a stupid, low-class job, living in your low-class apartment, with your low-class self."
Wait... what? Ike just stared in bewilderment at the harshness of Marth's words and tone, gulping down the forming lump in his throat in order to be able to speak. "N-no! I didn't mean anything bad by that! I was just picking some fun! ...Geh! Don't go!" His voice cracked and slurred from his own nervousness from how close Marth was, causing himself to jump off of his bed and stand as well, sticking his hands out defensively in case any punches were thrown.
But... Marth had a valid point.
His hands were lowered down to his sides, head craning down again in preparation for an apologetic speech. "No, you're right. If you want to leave, you can. I'm not forcing you to tutor me. ...And just for the record, it's not that I'm going to fail high school. It's that I need an above 90% average to get into the university my dad wanted me to go to. I guess the letter they sent you didn't explain that. ...The old man isn't around anymore, so I just wanted to do him justice, you know? Because now that everyone's gone, it's suddenly my responsibility to take over the business and- I'm just rambling again. Never mind." As if someone like Marth would care.
Ike sat himself back down on the bed, grabbing the textbook and paper that Marth began writing on. He'd look from the question to what was written, attempting to understand the problem, but to no success. He'd sigh to himself and fall backwards onto his pillow, half expecting to be hit over the head, and half expecting to hear the sound of a slamming door.
Honestly. If Ike would just slow the hell down, maybe Marth would be able to follow him. It was a rather sad situation for the guy, wasn’t it? Not like Marth cared! The guy had just insulted him, and had messed up his hair. Marth fumed, watching Ike try to make heads or tails of the math problem, before storming towards the door.
But something stopped him. Maybe it was the sound of Ike falling back onto his bed to wallow in depression. Or maybe it was the comment he had made about his father. Maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it was, Marth stopped moving. Ridiculous. How many chances was he going to let Ike have?
"Next time," he said quietly, keeping his back towards Ike. "You should think before opening your big mouth."
Though his eyes were closed, Ike knew by the fact that the door hadn't slammed shut yet that Marth wasn't moving. He'd lay there with his arms behind his head for extra support, eyebrows furling at the angry junior's observation.
Maybe he really should keep his mouth shut, but isn't speaking out what lets people progress through life? But to save himself from any further mishaps, Ike just laid there without any protest. Once his eyes decided to open, they'd stare endlessly at the ceiling, afraid to glance at Marth. Afraid that looking at him would be the wrong thing to do. So instead, he'd grab hold of the pencil and papers again, attempting another shot at figuring out what the question was asking him. The pencil's eraser was placed onto his lower lip, causing him to slightly mumble, "So y equals mx, plus b. Meaning I have to substitute all the letters with a number." Was he finally kinda sorta getting it? "B would be where the line crosses the y axis, right?" A finger would be slid along the graph in the textbook, "...But how do I find the slope again?"
"The slope is m," Marth said. He remained standing where he was, arms folded loosely at his stomach. "m equals y divided by x... That’s how you find it."
"...I knew that." Not. "So then what's b?" Ike would finally lift his eyes from the textbook to look at Marth, but quickly averted his gaze by turning his head away completely to the opposite direction. The pencil would be dropped down onto the paper in order to quickly wipe at his eyes angrily. He wasn't crying. Honest.
Once he was assured that his 'allergies' stopped making his eyes water, his gaze would return to Marth curiously, almost to ask if he was going to come back and sit down.
Marth almost rolled his eyes, but stopped himself before doing so. Ah, yes. The boy who swore he could defeat Marth in a fight was crying. It was a good thing Marth didn’t have a camera. Ike would have to deal with blackmail.
"b is the y-intercept. To find it, you use the equation, y equals mx plus b... Then, make the question so that it equals b instead of y."
No good, his mind was completely fried at this point. "Okay wait, so... twelve divided by..." He'd continue mumbling to himself quickly, eyes squinting, pencil working to messily scribble down his answers. "...making it 6, so..." Ike completely stopped at this point, thoroughly blanking out at how you'd turn the equation around so that it equaled b. "...So... How does it equal b if it equals y?... Argh!"
His hands flung up to ruffle stressfully through his hair, before assuming himself into the fetal position upon his bed. "My brain hurts, sensei..."
Marth did not know whether to be angry at Ike, or pity him. This was just sad, really. He should have called beforehand. Should have made sure Ike wasn’t in the shower, and ready and willing to study. This project of his, and the school’s, was not going to work at all.
"I can’t help you if you don’t try," replied the junior. He turned and headed to the door, opening it. "If you ever want to really study, let me know. I’m just next door." And he left. Really, that was all he could do. Ike may have been a nice guy, but he was amazingly frustrating. You couldn’t get far on niceness alone... You had to want something to go far, and Marth didn’t think Ike wanted to succeed enough.
A sigh escaped from Ike's mouth, his calm face slowly melting into anger as Marth began to walk away. Even after he shut the door, with each quiet footstep, the anger grew until he couldn't help but chuck the textbook at the wall dividing his and Marth's rooms, causing more noise than probably intended.
Groaning loudly, Ike then followed up with his pillow being thrown against the wall as well, not like that made any hint of sound. Stomping off to the bathroom, he planned on finishing his shower.
When: [BACKDATED] Friday, May 2, evening
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Summary: Ike's grades are suffering, and, being a senior, he needs to get his act together to be able to go on to college. The jock is assigned a tutor... The smart, over-dramatic, self-centered diva of the school, Marth. Things don't work out so well.
Status: complete
Things like this... were so inconvenient.
Marth sighed heavily, practically dragging himself out of his room. It was a Friday. It was the end of the first week of school. It was almost 6pm.
On a Friday.
It wasn't as if Marth had a choice in the matter. He only attended two clubs, and had quite a bit of free time. He was also one of the smartest students in the entire school. So it was only natural that he be chosen to tutor someone like Ike Griel. At least, that was what the staff had said. But, he, himself, still didn't fully understand why he had to do this.
On a Friday.
He had waited until the football team got out from practice, which really only gave him a few hours to wallow in agony at the thought of wasting his time on someone like Ike. (That guy was a lost cause! If he couldn't get good grades before, what made the school think he would now?) Then he had wasted another half-hour getting materials together and changing out of his uniform into casual-wear. He figured that gave the dumb senior enough time to get his own act together.
And with that mindset, Marth inched down the hall before stopping in front of Ike's and Link's door. How ironic Link was Ike's roommate. Well, that didn't matter anyway. He sighed heavily and loudly, to show the whole world just how horrible this punishment was, and knocked on the door at last.
Ike stepped himself into the cold shower, the chilling water doing well on his overbearingly hot skin. He'd let the water cascade over him for a minute, making sure his body was completely cooled off from the intense practice he'd just gotten back from. The school made a good habit of training their athletes to the bone, until melting point. And melt he did, into the tender, loving, yet frigid embrace of the shower, taking in the-
A knock?
Ike grumbled to himself, but shrugged off his rude thoughts like a good boy. Thinking it was just his roommate who had forgotten his key or some sort of thing like that, he'd wrap a towel around his waist and waddle awkwardly over to the door, tripping over a box that was left in the middle of the room from procrastinated unpacking.
Wet hands fumbled with the lock, until it finally unhinged. The handle was turned, and the door opened wide. "Hey, did you forget your- ...your... your..." Where was the short blonde guy? Okay, so this kid was pretty short, but definitely not blonde. "Am I missing something?" Ike's shoulders slouched over in thought, eyes looking over the blue-dominated body of the kid in front of him. His left foot would be risen slightly to scratch at the back of his right ankle, "Oh wait, you're Marth. Are you here for Link?"
What a fool, he'd completely forgotten about the tutoring program the school had put him into. If you could even call it a program, really it was more of a lifeline.
"Well, um, come in I guess."
Ah. Marth did not even know where to begin with the scene that was in front of him. Was this how Ike prepared for a tutoring session? Was he even thinking about the tutoring session? And didn't the heavyweight know that he and Link weren't dating anymore?
After a rather lengthy pause of just staring at each other, Marth finally found the words to speak. It had taken him a while to process the weird information thrown at him… And not because of the fact that he was busy looking at Ike's state of being, really. Really. He held up an algebra book, giving the other a flat glare.
"I'm here to tutor you, mister Griel." Marth actually wanted to say 'moron,' but they didn't know each other that well yet. He'd wait a few sessions.
A string of blinks was given to Marth as the pair had the odd staring moment, Ike finally being able to shake it off enough to move away from the door and let the junior in. That's right, he was being tutored by someone a year younger than him. How very lame.
It took Ike more than a few seconds to finally realize what Marth had said, "...Right, right! That thing the school put me in. Sorry about that, I'm a moron." Look, he's so nice that he even said Marth's thoughts for him! "...Oh!" Ike flipped around and scampered quickly back to the bathroom, having forgotten to turn the water off and almost losing the towel because of it. "J-just a second!"
Poor Ike scrambled back out of the bathroom to grab a pair of pants and a plain t-shit, struggling to keep the towel from falling and utterly exposing his (nice) butt and... other (nice) things while running with his hands full.
Really, he'd put on quite the cabaret for his guest and new tutor. "S-sorry, again" Ike was finally able to settle himself down onto his bed, patting it quickly a few times. "Come sit here. The table and desk are sorta crowded with stuff I haven't unpacked yet, heh..."
Idiot.
This was not a circus. Marth just dropped his head into his hand as Ike ran around haphazardly. Even the desks were a mess. How did this guy manage to get anything accomplished? This simply would not do at all. Instead of sitting on the bed, he remained standing in the front of the room, trying to keep himself from strangling the senior.
"Listen, mister Griel. I'm not here to play around," Marth said. It was Friday, after all, and he was less than amused. "I am taking time out of my busy schedule to help you. I expect that you treat me like you do your teachers; be prepared to learn. Now, if I've come at a bad moment..."
Ike sat there on the bed looking like a kicked puppy. "I'm sorry, really! I just completely forgot... The coach ran us around like pack mules and then the shower was all nice and cold and it just completely flung out of my head after that." After recollecting his thoughts and attempting a self-ego boost, the senior's expression turned into something much more determined.
He'd grab at the strip of green cloth that had been obviously chucked onto his night table once he got to his room, tying it tightly around his forehead. And with his right hand, a fine mechanical pencil would be unsheathed from its pencil case, to be held up as if it were a shimmering sword! "I'm prepared!"
Ike would sit there in that dramatic pose, eying Marth and wondering what he was still doing over there standing. "Are you going to help me or not, jeez, at least sit down or something. You look really tense, you know?"
The pencil-wielding hand was lowered into his lap, head tilting. "So what are you doing again?" Would he get girl-slapped for asking that stupid question? Probably.
Sorry, Ike. Marth was professional. Classy. And angered beyond all belief. No, did he really have to tutor this imbecile? Maybe... just a little slap? To knock some sense into whatever brains were up there?
Though... At least he was trying. And that whole dramatic thing was kind of cute. In a stupid way. He sighed heavily. It couldn't be helped. Instead of answering Ike directly, Marth moved over to sit in front of the bed, opening the math book. "You probably don't remember what you were going over in class today, do you?"
Heaven help them all should Ike need to remember something extremely important one of these days.
Ike eyed his tutor as he finally sat down, smiling sincerely as the book was opened. He'd make sure to move in a tad closer to be able to see what was going on in the book, crossing his legs to get comfortable. Even if Ike was a total idiot at times, he made up for it with his sheer determination to get things done right. He was trying; his best even, to be able to get along with his assigned tutor.
"Linear equations I think it was." It's not that Ike slacked off in class, really. It was simply that he just didn't get it. That and he didn't get much homework in either, so failing tests was very likely for him. "The systems of linear equations... and... inequalities? Yeah." His blue eyes wandered to the ceiling as if seeking help with what to say next.
It was no doubt that the events prior to Ike finally settling down were quite... Foolish. So now he didn't exactly know how to respond. Should conversation be made? Should he just keep to talking about the math? It was all very awkward.
"So you do know?" Marth asked, eyes flicking up to look at Ike. He was rather surprised, but not disappointed. He looked at the book again, opening it to the correct chapter and skimming through the introduction. "Let's look at your homework assignment, then."
"Y-yes," Ike replied shakily. He'd blink as if he'd seen something amazing, only to have it vanish within the second. He'd continue staring for longer than he really should have been, still attempting to register what had just happened. It felt like a blow to the head from a football, or someone punching him out. It was as if it didn't happen at all. But it did.
Marth actually looked at him. It may have been just a quick glance, but for the first time since he got here, Marth looked at him without a hint of annoyance.
"I didn't notice that your ey- Never mind." His head craned to the side as a hand went up to itch at his cheek, "Homework, um... I'm pretty sure it was the first ten questions after the intro, skip number eleven, then do twelve and fifteen. And um... I'm sorry, sensei. I'm sorry for being such a doofus." His head was lowered in respect and slightly from shame. "I know I didn't put up a good first impression, but I'll make it up to you by working extra hard."
Sensei now, was it? Marth had to keep himself from grinning. Perhaps he liked the sound of that a bit too much. He could be destined to be a teacher! ...Or not. Maybe he just liked having power over people.
When he was able to talk without smiling, he turned to look at Ike again, though with more of a bewildered face. "How is it you manage to remember something like that off the top of your head, but you don't remember you have a tutoring session?" It was odd, to say the least. There was something about Ike that made Marth curious. Never, before, had he had any interest in knowing Ike. But now... Well, if Ike made an effort to work, then maybe being around him wouldn't be so bad.
So Ike Griel would be his project. That sounded good. Marth just didn't want the jock to waste his time, but it didn't seem like Ike would do that.
It took a while for him to shrug off his daze, but once he did, Ike managed to recollect his thoughts and actually managed to explain himself, "I tend to remember the more important things." He'd pause before noticing how rude that sounded, "I mean...! Not that you tutoring me isn't important but like I said before, the coach really pushed us and the thought of you coming here was a bit stressful because I'm not very good with situations like this and then the shower just washed all the worries away along with my.. memory of... you coming here?!" Ike gave a sharp nod, reassuring himself that what he said was correct, whether he was rambling (and he sure was rambling) or not.
"Or maybe it's that I remember weird things and forget the important things, I don't know." Not that he knew the difference, really.
Getting back on track, Ike leaned over and opened the bottom drawer of his night table, taking out a stack of paper and a hard-surfaced book to write on. Tapping his pencil on the papers, the senior bit down onto his lower lip. He had to say what he started earlier. "I meant to say that I didn't notice that your eyes are blue. Sorry again sensei, it's kind of random, but I can't think with other things on my mind."
What an odd thing to say. Ike's mouth was moving a mile a minute. Was he nervous? Embarrassed? Actually, he probably should have been embarrassed to be a senior with bad grades and needing to rely on a lower-classmen. And that he was calling said lower-classmen sensei. But Marth digressed.
"So?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Your eyes are blue, too. What does it matter?"
Maybe it was the little things in life that Ike truly noticed. After the death of both his parents, he learned to appreciate the small things because, even if they are small, they may only happen once in a lifetime. And if he could go back in time, he'd make sure to relive what he once thought of as the insignificant moments. Unfortunately, Ike couldn't seem to remember those moments anymore.
"Yeah, I know. I just thought it was kinda cool that they matched, s'all," Ike said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But, um... anyways..." He'd point the pencil to the textbook.
What do you mean, anyways? You were the one who brought up the whole eye thing. Don't say that like it's my fault...
Marth looked back at the book again. For some reason, he felt his face getting warm. Che. Of all the times to be embarrassed. Ike must have past his insecurity onto him. "Yes. Indeed…" He got up on his knees, resting the book on the bed beside Ike. "Alright. I will show you how to do this one. Then you will do the rest, and I'll check them for you. Does that sound fair?"
Ike blinked his matching blue eyes, curiously watching Marth's pale skin turn the slightest shade of pink upon his cheeks. He'd sneer, as if he'd just accomplished some sort of evil mission. Oh, think of the bragging rights, the opportunities, and the blackmail! ...Except not. Ike would never do such sinister things to his sensei!
"Yes, sensei! ...But don't get angry at me if I ask you to repeat something." It took the poor guy more than a few times to finally get something. That's why he never learned anything during his classes. Seriously, it seems like the teachers are more involved with looking pretty than teaching. Like Miss Aran. The first time Ike saw the new teacher, he- Well, never mind. "I like you already, Marth- er, sensei!" An arm was swung around the juniors shoulders, giving him a hefty press.
That didn't make Marth blush any less. He sighed, not moving from Ike's grip, but not responding to it, either. This guy was all over the place. "I'm glad you like me..." Most people did, right? After all, he was Marth Lowell. He was great and awesome.
...And an obnoxious, arrogant jerk.
Would Ike really hug his teachers? Marth was probably thinking too much into this. After all, Ike seemed to have the tiniest brain in existence. So it was no wonder he was so scatterbrained. Ah, well. All he had to do was think about what an accomplishment it would be to educate such a person. Why, it would be like Shaw's play, Pygmalion; Marth would take a poor, uneducated fool and turn him into something so great, no one would be able to tell.
Oh, Marth. You were brilliant. Brilliant! Thinking of this, Marth's expression seemed to calm a little. He was too busy congratulating himself already to notice that he and Ike were still so close.
Ike sighed happily, finally letting sensei go once he noticed that he was getting no reaction from the junior. He'd set the papers aside and begin to twiddle his thumbs in his lap, bowing his head. "And maybe I can make sensei like me too, if I work hard." His shoulders shrugged as if he was not sure about what had been said. "I mean... I'm a nice person, even if I'm a goof sometimes. But, hey! It makes people laugh, and I like it when people are happy."
His head raised back up and he gave Marth a sheepish smile, placing a hand onto the tutor's head to tousle up his hair with a noogie. Even if Marth hated him for the entire year, Ike knew he'd have to set that aside and continue studying with him if he had any hope to accomplish what his father wanted for him from the very beginning. And if having a hateful jerk-wad of a tutor was his punishment for committing himself too much to sports, so be it.
Augh his perfect hair. Marth twitched a little, but kept his cool. After all, the sooner they got this done, the better. He did give Ike a look though... One that said, 'Stop touching me or I’ll chop your frikken hand off.' And once he was done with that, he began scribbling down the first problem. His handwriting was pretty neat, so it would be easy to follow.
"I’ll like you more when you give me a reason to like you," he said as he moved through the problem. It didn’t even look like he had to concentrate very hard to get an answer.
Ike's eye twitched at the death glare he was given, immediately making sure to lose eye contact and grab his hand back before blood was shed. Blue eyes lowered to Marth's handwriting, trying to figure out what the figures and numbers meant. Though try as he might, he wouldn't be able to understand until sensei explained what he was doing.
So, as he waited for Marth to finish, he'd look to the door and rest his chin in his palm. "You know... You might be super smart, but I bet I could beat you in a fight." His eyes shifted cautiously over to the working junior, making sure to be able to see his reaction if any were to be given. And knowing Marth, Ike just probably pinched a sensitive spot.
Snap.
The lead on Marth’s pencil broke. He pushed a little too hard in response to Ike’s comment. Did he just say what Marth thought he said? That wasn’t taking any step towards Marth liking Ike better. He got to his feet, slowly. Those who challenged Marth would not live very long. Why would you say such a stupid thing to someone who was helping you?
"I hope you like this school, mister Griel. Because you're going to be here for another fifty years failing your classes..." He leaned forward, right in Ike’s face, eyes narrowed. "And then, after that, you won’t be able to remember anything you learned, and you will be condemned to a stupid, low-class job, living in your low-class apartment, with your low-class self."
Wait... what? Ike just stared in bewilderment at the harshness of Marth's words and tone, gulping down the forming lump in his throat in order to be able to speak. "N-no! I didn't mean anything bad by that! I was just picking some fun! ...Geh! Don't go!" His voice cracked and slurred from his own nervousness from how close Marth was, causing himself to jump off of his bed and stand as well, sticking his hands out defensively in case any punches were thrown.
But... Marth had a valid point.
His hands were lowered down to his sides, head craning down again in preparation for an apologetic speech. "No, you're right. If you want to leave, you can. I'm not forcing you to tutor me. ...And just for the record, it's not that I'm going to fail high school. It's that I need an above 90% average to get into the university my dad wanted me to go to. I guess the letter they sent you didn't explain that. ...The old man isn't around anymore, so I just wanted to do him justice, you know? Because now that everyone's gone, it's suddenly my responsibility to take over the business and- I'm just rambling again. Never mind." As if someone like Marth would care.
Ike sat himself back down on the bed, grabbing the textbook and paper that Marth began writing on. He'd look from the question to what was written, attempting to understand the problem, but to no success. He'd sigh to himself and fall backwards onto his pillow, half expecting to be hit over the head, and half expecting to hear the sound of a slamming door.
Honestly. If Ike would just slow the hell down, maybe Marth would be able to follow him. It was a rather sad situation for the guy, wasn’t it? Not like Marth cared! The guy had just insulted him, and had messed up his hair. Marth fumed, watching Ike try to make heads or tails of the math problem, before storming towards the door.
But something stopped him. Maybe it was the sound of Ike falling back onto his bed to wallow in depression. Or maybe it was the comment he had made about his father. Maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it was, Marth stopped moving. Ridiculous. How many chances was he going to let Ike have?
"Next time," he said quietly, keeping his back towards Ike. "You should think before opening your big mouth."
Though his eyes were closed, Ike knew by the fact that the door hadn't slammed shut yet that Marth wasn't moving. He'd lay there with his arms behind his head for extra support, eyebrows furling at the angry junior's observation.
Maybe he really should keep his mouth shut, but isn't speaking out what lets people progress through life? But to save himself from any further mishaps, Ike just laid there without any protest. Once his eyes decided to open, they'd stare endlessly at the ceiling, afraid to glance at Marth. Afraid that looking at him would be the wrong thing to do. So instead, he'd grab hold of the pencil and papers again, attempting another shot at figuring out what the question was asking him. The pencil's eraser was placed onto his lower lip, causing him to slightly mumble, "So y equals mx, plus b. Meaning I have to substitute all the letters with a number." Was he finally kinda sorta getting it? "B would be where the line crosses the y axis, right?" A finger would be slid along the graph in the textbook, "...But how do I find the slope again?"
"The slope is m," Marth said. He remained standing where he was, arms folded loosely at his stomach. "m equals y divided by x... That’s how you find it."
"...I knew that." Not. "So then what's b?" Ike would finally lift his eyes from the textbook to look at Marth, but quickly averted his gaze by turning his head away completely to the opposite direction. The pencil would be dropped down onto the paper in order to quickly wipe at his eyes angrily. He wasn't crying. Honest.
Once he was assured that his 'allergies' stopped making his eyes water, his gaze would return to Marth curiously, almost to ask if he was going to come back and sit down.
Marth almost rolled his eyes, but stopped himself before doing so. Ah, yes. The boy who swore he could defeat Marth in a fight was crying. It was a good thing Marth didn’t have a camera. Ike would have to deal with blackmail.
"b is the y-intercept. To find it, you use the equation, y equals mx plus b... Then, make the question so that it equals b instead of y."
No good, his mind was completely fried at this point. "Okay wait, so... twelve divided by..." He'd continue mumbling to himself quickly, eyes squinting, pencil working to messily scribble down his answers. "...making it 6, so..." Ike completely stopped at this point, thoroughly blanking out at how you'd turn the equation around so that it equaled b. "...So... How does it equal b if it equals y?... Argh!"
His hands flung up to ruffle stressfully through his hair, before assuming himself into the fetal position upon his bed. "My brain hurts, sensei..."
Marth did not know whether to be angry at Ike, or pity him. This was just sad, really. He should have called beforehand. Should have made sure Ike wasn’t in the shower, and ready and willing to study. This project of his, and the school’s, was not going to work at all.
"I can’t help you if you don’t try," replied the junior. He turned and headed to the door, opening it. "If you ever want to really study, let me know. I’m just next door." And he left. Really, that was all he could do. Ike may have been a nice guy, but he was amazingly frustrating. You couldn’t get far on niceness alone... You had to want something to go far, and Marth didn’t think Ike wanted to succeed enough.
A sigh escaped from Ike's mouth, his calm face slowly melting into anger as Marth began to walk away. Even after he shut the door, with each quiet footstep, the anger grew until he couldn't help but chuck the textbook at the wall dividing his and Marth's rooms, causing more noise than probably intended.
Groaning loudly, Ike then followed up with his pillow being thrown against the wall as well, not like that made any hint of sound. Stomping off to the bathroom, he planned on finishing his shower.