Love that part ^

Reason Why I Hate Kai #9 : he's a show off.

Today was the day I was supposed to tutor Kai. I did have a small once of guilt because he seemed pretty desperate but I don't like people nosing around in my personal business.

I chewed on my granola bar as I watched gym start.

My PE teacher glanced at me curiously. "Isla, can you please join the others?"

I flashed him an unpleasant hand gesture and since coach was a bit of a wimp he backed off and went to instruct everyone to climb up the rope.

"So know guilty after thoughts?" Harry asked as he sat down next to me, broom still in hand.

"Shut up." I muttered. Chucking the wrapper into the garbage with ease. I was good at basketball, like really good, but after awhile I decided I didn't have time for it. Of course I never told Pops that. I just claimed I didn't like it anymore.

I watched as friends grouped together. Brock and his guys were all gathered around the rope. Trying to show off as the girls waited their turn. Siena hung in the background with her friend Mackenzie who chatted excitedly with her.

Loud cheers brought my attention to Kai and his friends. They were cheering on Jay who was wiggling up the rope. He was sweating like crazy which makes sense because he was still wearing his atrocious orange scarf.

"You got this Moron!" I yelled form the sidelines. I usually wasn't one to cheer people on unless it was Leif against Pops at checkers but Jay was struggling so much he needed it.

Surprisingly, Jay had managed to wiggle his way up there pretty well and he rang the bell before sliding down. Panting heavily.

"Are you glad Sensei made us climb to the bounty now?" I heard Cole nudge his friend. Jay just chugged the water Nya offered to him.

"Kai you're up next." Lloyd said.

"Yeah, get your butt up there, I still want a turn." Nya shoved him. Kai stuck out his tongue before doing a quick stretch. Eyeing the rope.

It's no secret that Kai Smith is ripped. His arms were well muscled and clearly showing through his gym shirt and when he reached back to do an arm strength it rode up showing his well toned abs.

Usually I would've called him out and tease him but since I was mad at him I took out Gladiator and glanced over it boredly. I'm a pretty good actress.

He glanced briefly at me. I narrowed my eyes at him and he quickly looked away before leaping onto the rope. His muscles clenched as he pulled himself up. He skillfully climbed up it. I noted how when Jay went up they all cheered him on but they mostly just threw insults at Kai when he went.

Kai rang the bell and jumped down like it was nothing. Smirking at Cole. Lloyd rolled his eyes before trying to climb himself. Kai's eyes strayed over to mine. Instead of looking away he smirked and flexed his muscles. My face grew hot but my darker complexion thankfully made it less noticeable.

I mimed gagging as his bicep twitched.

Nya slapped him in the arm when I was prepared to launch my water at him and he turned with a grin to watch Lloyd ring the bell.

*****

"Excuse me." A bright voice piped up.

I skimmed the page quickly before meeting the large eyes that stared down at me.

"Can I help you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, can you please move?" She stared back. I recognized her from the school newspaper. The editor in chief.

  "Uh sure." I stood with my book and watched as she carefully taped a poster with duck tape.

  "What's the poster for?" I asked.

  "We're raising money for cancer research." She said cheerfully. "We're doing a small play and all the money for the tickets are going to the research."

  I blinked. I never was affected by cancer as much as others have. I remembered how sad Pops was when his college friend died of cancer.

  "Would you like to join?" She asked.

  I did. Kind of. It would be a fun thing to be apart of. But something held me back.

"Oh...I wish I could." I found myself saying, though my heart sunk at the words. "I wouldn't have any time to help though. I have to watch my brother while my father and aunt go to work."

  She nodded understandingly. Only a little disappointed. "Well, if you do find the time feel free to join in!" She said brightly before skipping off.

  I watched her go. My eyes trailing over the poster.

When I turned to walk away I crashed straight into someone. It wasn't graceful and I ended up elbowing whoever it was in the stomach and got a chin to my head. I stumbled back, barely catching my book.

  I shook my head and glanced up. It was Kai.

He didn't look totally pleased to see me either.

  "Oh hi." I said a little cooly, adjusting my book.

"Hey." He said stiffly. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his track pants.

I waited for more but when nothing came I carried on. As I brushed by him he turned.

  "How is it fair that when I simply ask you something, you totally call off a deal we made?" He asked.

  I turned around. He looked slightly irritated but his eyes held something else. Disappointment.

  "Maybe because you didn't know when to let something go?" My voice was equally filled with annoyance.

  "So what? You get a little miffed and then you ruin my chances of getting a better grade with sorry you're just too stupid politely marked with a forty something or other percent?" Kai's eyes flashed.

I glanced at him. "Forty something?"

He sighed and leaned against the wall. Sliding down with a thump.

Unsure what to do I say down beside him. "Nya's smart. Jay's smart. Lloyd is very smart and heck Zane is smarter than all of us. Even Cole is smarter than me." Kai rubbed his head with his hands.

"And then I'm....just stupid." Kai ended with his hand falling back to the ground with a thump.

I blinked. I carefully chose my words. "Pops always said that there are two types of smart. There's book smart. And then there's life smart. sometimes people are life smart, and sometime people are book smart. And the sometimes people are both. He says....that you could be the smartest person in the world but still you you don't know how to carry a normal conversation. But then there's people that maybe...aren't that smart. Maybe they failed everything. But they know how to deal with life. They're insightful. Pops said that those people to him were the real geniuses because life is hard to figure out. It's like....a maze you have to get through."

Kai was listening quietly. It was the most quiet I've seen him.

"Thanks." He said. "But...I don't think I'm either of them."

"I don't know..." I pressed my lips together and picked at a thread on the waist band of my pants. "You seem pretty life smart...trying to get me to open up and all that crap."

Kai laughed. Suddenly his phone dinged. He glanced at it, eyes widening before he scurried up.

"I have to go." He said quickly. He started to leave. I looked up from the floor.

"Hey Kai?"

He glanced back.

"My favourite colour is red."

He lips slowly turned into the biggest smile I've ever seen. With a wave and a goofy grin he went skipping down the hall.

And I'd be lying if I said a small smile of my own didn't appear on my own face.

A/N*******

This is a very curious idea I believe in. That people that are "geniuses" aren't the only geniuses. Of course they are amazing that they accomplish all that. But the smartest person I know isn't book smart. But life smart.

Book smart can get you a long way.

But life smart can sometimes get you farther. Maybe not in careers and other stuff but in life.

You can be wise and caring.

And that's what I feel life smart is about.

Now Im a little bit of both. No person is bound to one "smart" but I do feel that I'm more life smart than book smart.

I'm not saying that one is better than the other of course. Im just highlighting the life smart because many people sometimes have problems by thinking their stupid because they're slower at learning or have a learning disability.

Which smart are you?

LuckyBugBooks 🐞

WARNING: If you are reading this story on any other site other than WattPad you are risking a malware attack that could affect the safety of your device. I suggest reading this story on WattPad to get the original safer version.