Equations and numbers swirled around in my brain.
If x=12×4÷6, then x= ?....
   It was so simple, I just couldn't focus. I tried drawing out the equation, but ended up multiplying the division part, and dividing the multiplication part. I now wished I had been listening in class.
Why am I so stuck?!
I tossed down my pencil in anger, and watched as it rolled off the table.
A few students turned to look at me, but otherwise, the library was silent.
Finally, I closed my eyes, and leaned back in my chair, breathing deeply.
I heard a soft tap, as someone put my pencil back on the table. Immediately, I opened my eyes to see who it was. Once I knew, my face began to flush.
My best friend—and secret crush—slid out a chair across from me, and took a seat.
I picked up my pencil, and doodled a swirly symbol on the edge of my math book.
"Hey Arius," I said, trying keep my voice level.
"'Sup?" His voice was perfectly cool, and I envied that.
"Just, y'know, math. Uh, yeah. What took you so long?"
"Oh, sorry I was late," he rolled his eyes, then continued sarcastically, "I had to take my pet fish on a walk."
   "Suuuure," I replied playfully, feeling a little thrill roll through me. "What did you do?"
   He leaned in close, and whispered in my ear.
   "You can't tell anyone, 'kay Mairi?"
   I nodded breathlessly.
   "I sorta pranked the teacher's bathroom, on the third floor, down by the office."
I wasted no time, shrieking, "WHAT?" and hopping backwards in my seat.
"Jeez', don't be so worried. Just a little surprise, and a kinda big mess." I could barely breathe. I'd never known Arius as a prankster. Ever since three years ago, when I met and befriended him, he'd been pretty good. Sometimes he put jokes around the school, but never anything so big as pranking a bathroom.
This was different than putting a whoopee cushion on top of Mrs. Tyler's seat in grade five.
"And what is the benefit of that?"
I awaited an answer, as he leaned back into his seat, and placed a hand in his chin, brow furrowed.
"I suppose there isn't much of a point, unless you count the look on your face, when I told you."
I felt another rush of hot blood coming up to my cheeks, and looked down at my book to hide it.
"Well, for your sake, I hope you don't get discovered." I felt my face cool down, and looked back up. He was smirking. "Anyway, I should probably get back to this homework. Do you wanna work together?"
Suddenly his face fell.
"Crap," he mumbled, looking down at his shoulder, where there was noticeably no satchel hanging. "Whoops."
"Where did you leave it?" I asked quickly, already understanding that he had left his homework somewhere.
"Locker," he said quickly, already getting up.
"Hey, school ended an hour ago. They've gotta be closed up by now."
"That math homework is due tomorrow. Math is first period!" he countered, talking quickly. "I have to get it done tonight. I'll sneak in."
"Oh, Arius." I said, shaking my head slowly. "Shouldn't have pra—" he placed his fingers on my lips to silence me, and another thrill ran through me, along with a flurry of butterflies, at his touch. My hand flew up, and touched his. He pulled his fingers away, and looked down awkwardly.
We were now standing at the exit of the library, looking out onto the busy road outside.
Again, I flushed a little. He just stood there. Moments were lost before he broke the calm.
"Right, Mission Rescue Homework."
"Okay, let's call it that."
"You're coming too?" he questioned.
"Of course, I'm your best friend!"
"Alrighty, then, off with us."
Without another word, he yanked the door open, and we rushed out.

•

"Now how do you plan to get in?"
You guessed it, the door was locked. Arius stood beside me, and rubbed his ear.
"I suppose we'll just have to forget about it, I said, turning around, and starting to walk away.
   "Don't worry," he said behind me, and I whirled around.
   At first I didn't spot him, until I looked up, and saw him perched on the edge of the overhang.
   "Get down, c'mon."
"No, you c'mon."
"What? No way. Plus, we'll probably be seen, or caught, or in trouble." I shook my head.
He lowered his hand down, and wiggled his fingers.
"Please?"
I fell into a momentary lapse of silence, before grudgingly grabbing his hand. It took about a minute to get me up—as I have little upper body strength—and once we were on the roof, I was quite relieved.
I was even more delighted, when he didn't release my hand.
So he led me along the roof, catching me as I—the clumsy one—tripped and stumbled.
Finally, he whispered, "Up there is Mr. Webber's skylight window. It is usually unlatched. If it's not, we'll have to find another way."
And to our good fortune, it was unlocked. Arius hauled it open, and led me down onto the desk.
Eventually, he dropped my hand.

•

"Oh, shoot."
"What?" I asked quickly, before glancing around the hall again.
"It's not here. I left it in the science lab, 'cuz I was assigned to clean it up. That was the last place I was."
I nodded.
"So, we need to go there?"
"Yup. It'll just be quick."
And so we ran down the halls, down a flight of steps, until the door of the science room loomed over us.
"Keep watch, 'kay?"
I nodded again, and complied, stepping halfway through the door, and swivelling my head back and forth. No teachers passed, so we were good. For now.
It was another minute later, before he came out, smiling mischievously.
"What took you so long, this time?" He rarely smiled like that.
"Switched some labels, that's all."
I noticed him clutching his satchel, and smiled.
"You got it?"
"Ye—"
Footsteps.
Slowly and stealthily, we retreated into the classroom.
We both fell dead silent. The soft pounding continued.
"It's getting farther away," Arius murmured, in barely a whisper.
"Yeah," I said then kept listening.
Suddenly the tapping stopped, and we heard voices. Then there was a new, heavier pair of feet, walking down the hall.
We both looked at each other, then went back to listening.
There was a deafening silence, and then the terrible sound, of the handle turning filled it.
We leaped backwards as one, and backed away.
"It connects with the other lab!" Arius hissed softly.
I understood immediately. There had originally been one big lab, but then when multiple classes wanted to do a lesson at the same time, they bothered each other. So the school decided to build a temporary sliding wall, down the middle of the room. So now, were two science rooms, side-by-side.
If you pulled the back of the folding wall, you could walk between them, then enter the other.
And that was what we did.
The last thing I saw, as I pulled the wall back, was the door swinging open.
I leaned back on the wall, feeling more relief bloom inside of me. Until I noticed I was leaning on Arius, and stepped forward, filled with embarrassment.
"Well, that was close," he said softly.
I agreed.
The sound of clinking jars, and shifting boxes could be heard from the other room.
"We should probably get going."
"Yeah," he replied.
I trudged up to the door, and started to open it, when I heard someone mumbling to themselves, then the swish of the wall being opened.
It was just my luck, that the teacher would follow us into the other room.
But before they—whoever the were—had even fully opened the edge of the wall, we were gone.
"C'mon!" Arius whisper-hissed.
We ran down the hallway.
I searched for a place to go.
First up, right beside the second science lab, was the staff room, but there were bound to be teachers in there. So I looked past that, and spotted another door.
Bathroom.
Perfect.
We raced to that, and shut ourselves in.
I hugged Arius, and he hugged back, making my stomach do another round of summersaults.
He stepped back, and promptly tripped.
"Now look who's the clumsy—"
"Mairi!" He was looking above my head.
I jerked my head up, just in time to see a bucket.
The air seemed to freeze, as I thought it all over.
Our school building was four stories high, and the roofs sloped quite a bit. The skylight we'd entered by was on the fourth floor, and we'd descended one floor.
The staff room was just across from the office.
It all fit.
We were in the bathroom that Arius had pranked, and left for the teachers.
And that was why I was standing under a teetering bucket of frothy water, tinged with yellow food colouring.
At least it was warm, as it cascaded down on me. And the colour wasn't too disturbing.
But after the bucket was done spilling its contents—and I was thoroughly drenched, standing in a puddle—the only thing I had to say was one word to Arius.
"Really?"