5

Chapter 5

"You're not doing well at all," Michael repeated calmly.

"What are you talking about?" Andrés snapped defensively. His cheeks burned and he was beginning to wonder why Michael wasn't taking his refusal seriously.

"Look, if you really can't accept being helped, I'll understand. Don't feel obligated to-"

"No!" Andrés interrupted angrily. Michael closed his mouth immediately and stared at the young man in front of him with curiosity.

"No, I can't accept you helping me," Andrés stated firmly. "I'm sorry. That's my final answer."

For a long while, neither boy moved. Finally, Michael spoke softly.

"Okay. Just as you wish."

*****

Two days later, Andrés found himself lying on the couch of Michael's flat while Michael lay curled up on a chair opposite of him. They hadn't spoken since Michael brought him to his apartment and refused to leave until Andrés was settled in, which wasn't long at all because it was obvious that Andrés needed time to adjust to the situation.

He glanced across to his right and caught Michael gazing intently at him. Michael met his gaze almost immediately and returned to his book.

"This is your first trip away from the academy, isn't it?" he commented absently. Andrés didn't reply and instead focused on the way Michael's fingers tapped against the pages slowly as he read.

"Do you like it?" Andrés finally replied after a while of silence, deciding to change the topic.

"Not exactly," Michael said honestly. "To be honest, I wouldn't mind staying here longer, but I promised my parents I would go back to school tomorrow. So yeah. It is a nice change, but it's not something I particularly enjoy."

Andrés raised an eyebrow. For some reason, he felt like he knew exactly what that meant. He sighed slightly, shifting in order to make more room on the couch. Michael shifted his position as well, making himself comfortable.

"If I recall correctly, your father taught you how to read and write, correct? Can you do so without me?"

"Most of the time," he shrugged. "My tutor, however, has become rather strict and hasn't been as patient as his teacher was. Which is why I decided to learn by myself."

"Why?"

"That's none of your business, Andrés."

Andrés opened his mouth to retort, when he heard footsteps approaching the door.