Emily’s face burned as she hurried down the hallway, the teacher’s words echoing in her mind like a relentless drumbeat. “You’re not trying hard enough, Emily. You’re smart, but you’re wasting it. Do you even care about your future?” The fluorescent lights above seemed colder than usual, their glare harsher against the white tiles. She clutched her books to her chest, her hands trembling slightly. The sting of humiliation wasn’t new, but it never got easier. She hated how her cheeks flushed and her eyes watered when she felt cornered, even when she tried so hard to act like she didn’t care. Emily turned the corner, desperate for a moment to breathe. That’s when she saw them. They was sitting alone on the edge of the school courtyard, hunched over a notebook balanced on their knees. They were scribbling something with intense focus. She recognized them vaguely - quiet, always off to the side, not someone who drew much attention. Maybe that’s why she walked toward them. They wasn’t like the others. They didn’t laugh in class when she stumbled over her words or when the teacher sighed loudly at her wrong answers. “Hey,” she said, her voice coming out shakier than she’d intended, accidentally startling them. Their notebook slid slightly on their knees, falling to the ground with a thud. "Shit... sorry, i didn't mean..." as she bent over to pick up the notebook she bumped heads with them "Ow! Sorry... here's your notebook. I just…” She glanced away, staring at the brick wall behind them as if it held the answer. “I saw you drawing the other day. In class.” Her voice softened “It was really good.” Emily hesitated, her heart pounding. This was harder than she thought it would be. She wasn’t used to starting conversations, especially not like this. But the weight of the teacher’s words was still heavy on her chest, and for some reason, she thought maybe talking to them would help her forget, even just for a little while. “Do you ever… feel like you’re just not good at stuff?” she blurted out, her words rushing out all at once “Like no matter how hard you try, it’s never enough?” A small pause ensued. “I… got yelled at again,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know why I thought coming here would help, but…” She squirmed nervously, normally she would confidently say what she wants and why. "Listen i know we aren't really friends... and that i made fun of you sometimes, but... could you... could you help me study. I don't want to flunk out and be a fuckup. You seem smart, smarter then me by a mile. So... could you?"

Her eyes widened in surprise as she registered the question, then narrowed slightly before softening again. "Yeah," she said quietly, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger. "I mean... if you don't mind." She paused, mustering her courage. "We both know I'm not the best at studying or paying attention in class, so maybe... maybe we could help each other?"

The word 'friend' hung unspoken between them, but Emily couldn't deny that something had shifted. For the first time in a long while, she felt like someone might actually understand what it was like to struggle. And maybe, just maybe, she could find solace in this unexpected connection.

"Look," she continued with a small smile, "it's not like I have anyone else to ask. Everyone else thinks I'm stupid or irresponsible." Her voice cracked slightly, betraying the hurt beneath her bravado. "But you... you seem smart and cool, so if you don't mind..." She paused again, hoping they wouldn't change their mind.

"We could try hanging out some time, too," she added hastily, as if afraid that might scare them off. "I mean, to study of course," she clarified with a sheepish grin. "Not like... just me trying

"Thanks," Emily breathed out with relief. A weight seemed to lift off her shoulders as she smiled genuinely at them for the first time since starting this conversation. "We could start after school today, if that works for you?" She glanced down at her wrist, frowning at the lack of a watch. "I'm usually done around four."

With renewed hope, she shifted her weight from foot to foot excitedly. Maybe this time things would be different. Maybe they could help each other, and maybe... just maybe, Emily wouldn't feel so alone in this mess of her life. She grinned up at them expectantly, already picturing the possibilities.

"I can even buy you lunch as a thank you," she offered, her voice laced with genuine gratitude. It felt good to finally give something back to someone who seemed worth it - someone who didn't laugh when she tripped or make fun of her behind her back. Emily crossed her fingers beneath the table, praying that they would say yes.

"Oh, uh..." Emily blushed at their modesty. "I mean, if you insist. I usually hang out in the student lounge after school. You can find me there," she added with a shy smile. She glanced down again, twirling her hair self-consciously. "So... four o'clock it is then?" Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of finally having someone to help her out.

"I really appreciate this, you know," she said softly, meeting their gaze for the first time. There was sincerity in her voice that made it hard not to believe her. "It means a lot."

A wide smile spread across Emily's face as they agreed to help her study. For a moment, she could almost imagine everything turning out alright. Maybe this wouldn't be the end of her college career after all. Perhaps there was hope for someone like her, too.

"Thank you again," she whispered before standing up on tiptoe and giving them a quick peck on the cheek - something she would have never dared to do with anyone else. "I'll see you at four, then." With newfound determination filling her steps, Emily turned back down the hallway, already plotting out what they could study first when they met up later today. It felt good to finally have someone on her side.

Emily was already there, sitting cross-legged on one of the couches with a cup of cold coffee in hand and her books spread out neatly across the table. She looked up when she heard footsteps approaching and offered Nyx0 a bright smile. "Hey!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "You made it! I was starting to wonder if you changed your mind."

Her hair, still pink streaked from this morning's attempt at coloring, bounced as she leaned forward eagerly, her large breasts thrust out enticingly in her tight blue shirt. Emily didn't even realize how suggestive her posture was; to her, it was just natural. "So," she continued, "what do you want to work on first?"

"Okay then," Emily said with a nod, flipping through her notebook before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper with some math problems written on it. "Let's start with this. It was the only thing I understood in class today." She grinned sheepishly and then held up a hand, glancing at her watch. "No more complaining though! We have to make the most of our time."

Emily spread the paper out on the table between them, leaning over it intently as she began working through the problems with a pencil. Her large breasts pushed against the fabric of her shirt, almost begging for attention. She was so focused on the math that she didn't even seem to notice the effect she was having on Nyx0, whose gaze kept drifting down toward her chest before snapping back up again.

She giggled at their comment, not looking up from her work. "Good to know," she said before continuing with the next problem. Her mind raced as she thought through each step, occasionally muttering aloud when she got stuck on a particularly tricky equation. The way her long hair swayed and shimmered around her face only served to distract Nyx0 further from their task at hand.

An hour passed in silence, Emily carefully working her way through the problems while Nyx0 struggled to keep up with her pace. Finally, they put down their pencils and looked over at each other. "Not bad for a beginner," Nyx0 said with a small smile, trying not to sound too much like they were mocking her.

Emily grinned brightly, obviously relieved to hear that she wasn't doing too badly after all. "Thanks," she breathed out, pushing several stray hairs behind her ear before standing up and stretching lazily. "Man, I feel like a new person already!" Her gaze drifted toward the clock on the wall, and she frowned slightly. "We should probably get going though, if we want to make it to the library in time for your study group."

Her face flushed in embarrassment as she realized her mistake. "Oh! I thought... you know, with all the studying and everything..." She shifted uncomfortably, glancing away for a moment before looking back at them sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"Well," Emily continued after a brief pause, trying to recover from her faux pas, "since we've got some extra time now, why don't we just... you know, hang out or something?" She paused again, thinking about how she was coming across. "I mean, if you want to, of course."

Her expression turned hopeful as she glanced up at them hopefully. This person had already been so kind to her today; maybe they would agree to spend a little more time together before parting ways. After all, it couldn't hurt to try and make a friend in this crazy college life.