Meet Me Where the Oak Tree Grows novel Chapter 26

My eyes darted around, and I grabbed his hand in a panic, blurting out, "Jonah, hold on, let's not do anything crazy. We can talk this through, no need for shooting."

In a flash, the crowd in front of us scattered like leaves in the wind. Jonah just stood there silently. His reputation had taken off like a rocket, and whatever he'd said to their parents had done the trick. Now, whenever they saw me, they made sure to steer clear.

Riding high on this newfound peace, I even treated myself to an extra helping at dinner. But my joy was short-lived.

That night, Jonah pointed at my math test with a score of 17, teasing, "Who knew you were such a standout?"

My face went beet red. During last month's math test, the girls kept kicking my chair, demanding answers. In frustration, I scribbled for five minutes and then just zoned out.

You know what they say—the tallest tree catches the wind.

Being good at school, keeping to myself, and having no one to lean on only made things tougher, so I always tried to blend in.

Jonah put aside his sketching, pulled up a stool next to me, and picked up my test paper, ready to teach me math.

At first, I thought he was joking, but as he broke down the problems, I was blown away. He made complicated stuff sound easy, effortlessly showing me how to apply what I’d learned.

I was stunned. Since when did being a rebel come with such high standards?

I guess my surprise was written all over my face because he flicked my forehead lightly. "What are you gawking at? With my knowledge, teaching you is a breeze."

I replied, puzzled, "But you don't look like the studying type."