The Rest is History (Colton Bryan)

[Riana Skye]

Despite the fact that is was a lovely afternoon, with the spring breeze merrily dancing her way through the leaves, Riana found herself indoors, with a frusterated scowl ruining her smile. This was a facial expression she usually wore during school hours, but today it had followed her home. Today, Riana had to finish, and start, her History paper.

Riana was lying flat on her stomach on the floor of the main room in her dorm. Her head rested on her arms, which were folded accross her notebook. As for her pencil...it was somewhere. Riana found this position much more comfortable than sitting at a table, where she was forced to look at the blank paper that they put in every notebook. Riana hated looking at the lined pages, they seemed to taunt her, reflecting her empty stare back at her. Stupid notebooks, at least they made nice pillows. Riana preferred to look outside as she thinked. Her chin rested on the crease of her notebook, and her eyes could just see the blue sky out the window. From her position on the floor, Riana couldn't see much other than the sky, but she knew that was for the best. If she saw the good time everyone else was having, then all hope of this essay being finished was lost to the wind.

Still unable to muster anything wlrth being written down, Riana went through what she knew. During World War II, the Nazis had tried to kill the Jews. The Japs had tried to...be evil. America, Britain, and some other countries had saved the world from the Nazis and Japs. Sure, the world being saved was nice and all, but what did any of that have to do with the Italians? Riana's paper was supposed to be about the Italians during World War II, but for all she knew, the Italians might have just spent the war baking pizzas to share with the winner.

Mmmmmm, pizza. It was almost suppertime. Surely food would help Riana think. Was it possible to order a pizza to her room? Riana blinked a few times. No, she needed to concentrate. She could have pizza when she finished, for now, she needed to focus on those Italians, and whatever they had done during the second world war.

[Colton Bryan]

Colton was inside his room using the internet on his iPad when he started feeling a bit peckish. He decided he would go grab a snack from one of the vending machines. He had walked out of his room and was heading for the door to the hallway when he noticed Riana who was laying on the floor looking out the window of the dorm. He wondered why she was laying there and decided to ask, "Riana, anything wrong."

[Riana Skye]

Colton's entrance interrupted Riana's train of thought. Looking up at him, she blinked a few times. He had asked her what was wrong.

"My test answers", Riana sort of joked. "But really, everything's fine. Just finishing some homework".

As Riana spoke she used her left arm to cover her empty notebook. With her right hand she located the displaced pencil and tapped her notebook a couple times with the eraser end.

[Colton Bryan]

"I'm very good at a lot of subjects if you need help.", Colton said to Riana while he was still standing at the door waiting to see what her reposne would be.

[Riana Skye]

"Even history? What do you know about the Italians during World War Two?"

Riana was usually too stubborn to ask for help, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

[Colton Bryan]

"The Italians were mostly useless to the Axis powers warfront because their armed forces were not prepared for the war, such as not having enough motorized vechiels to mechanize their infantry. Their tanks were also known to have many problems such as over heating and bad cannon placement. The Itailan government was also not overthrown by their own people the allies had to force them to switch away from fascism." Colton said quickly listing as many facts he knew about the Italian forces during World War II. "Is that enough information?" He asked switching into Venetian without realizing.

[Riana Skye]

When Colton started talking, Riana immediately uncovered her notebook and wrote everything he said down. She was able to understand most of it, until he began jabbering in a language Riana classified as "Not English". Riana gave Colton a fake scowl while saying, "Hey! Watch your language".

Riana then examined the notes she had taken from Colton's inital burst of facts.

"What's fascism?"

[Colton Bryan]

"Fascism is an authoritarian government type that was created in Italy. It main function was to revitalize national pride with nationalistic ideals, the belief of social Darwinism, it encouraged political violence to put other fascists in power and had assigned gender roles of women mostly being used to make children and men becoming workers, Fascism views homosexuality as a mental condition that can be noticed by people around it and can be changed with therapy (often forced) to change them back into what was the "proper gender roles" for men and women. It also inspired what the Nazis in Germany did during 1933-1945." Colton finished breathlessly from the speed of how quickly he said the information.

[Riana Skye]

Colton's rapid fire explanation went through one ear and out the other. Riana had no hope in understanding the complex ideas Colton was explaining. Was the boy a walking encylopedia? Riana guessed his power was more than just super-languages, that guy probably had super-smarts too.

"Uhhhh...." Riana gave a small laugh, "Thanks. How on Earth do you know all this stuff?"

As she listened to his response, Riana would start to write her paper. Deciding to leave out the hyper-complicated fascism stuff, she wrote "Italy: Why the Axis Lost" at the top of the page. She then began scribbling down sentences describing the dire conditions of Italian tanks during World War 2.

[Colton Bryan]

"Whenever I interested in something I go on the Internet and usually spend a couple hours learning about it." Colton answered her question. After seeing that Riana had started to write down the information he had told her Colton asked, "Do you need anymore help?" He walked down to a couch that was against the wall of the room and sat down in it and thought to himself, he could wait a little longer for a snack if she really needed more help on her homework.

[Riana Skye]

Riana looked up from her work to answer Colton's question. While she could probably use more help, she didn't want to inconvenience him. Sure he seemed content to sit in the sofa, but Riana remembered that he had been going somewhere before stopping to help her out. What if she had made him late?

"I think I'm fine here. If I need more info I should probably search the internet like you do. Maybe I'll even get as smart aa you!"

Yeah right. Riana hadn't even thought of using the internet before Colton mentioned it. He'd always have the edge on her mentally. That gave her an idea. Riana hesitated before continuing. When she spoke, her voice sounded nervous and unsure.

"If I need help in the future will you be able too? Maybe even help me study for tests?"

[Colton Bryan]

"If you ever need help you can come ask me." He told her before he sprang up off the couch and said, "Now, If you need any more help I'll be going to get something to eat from the vending machines." He walked towards the dorm's door ,opened it then stood there for a moment before he looked back at Riana and asked, "Do you want anything?"

[Riana Skye]

Riana was glad Colton was willing to help. She was pretty sure she would need as much help as she could get with finals coming up. Her only regret was she didn't have a way of making it up to him.

When Colton offered something from the vending machine, Riana leaped up from her position on the ground. Her own hunger made itself know in her belly. She glanced at the sunny day outside before giving Colton her answer.

"Of course I want something. This homework thing is...famishing. But I'm coming with you, if you'd mind the company".

Her paper was almost done, and Riana needed a break anyway. She headed toward the door, intending to follow Colton on the way out. Suddenly, an idea sprung into her mind.

"You know, I could order a pizza for us if you're really hungry. My treat".

[Colton Bryan]

Colton held the door open for Riana while he gestured for Riana to go out of the room first and said, "After you." Colton's stomach had started to rumble when he heard Riana mention the pizza which caused him to lose concentration for a moment, that lead him to speak in Basque, "Pizza sounds really good right now. We could split the cost if you want."

[Riana Skye]

Colton sure was polite. Riana nodded her thanks as she walked through the door and into the hallway. Stopping to turn around and face him as he answered in...Spanish? Riana had no clue to what language he was speaking, let alone what he was actually saying.

"Is that Italian for 'I love pizza'? Cuz' I'm ordering us a large pepperoni".

Riana's cheery expression left her face for a moment, replaced by obviously mock hostility.

"Unless you don't...like...pepperoni".