Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 59th cycle. Now cycle 60!

"Support System"
Jake & Ryder

A/N: This story and all stories for two weeks (days 1240-1253) are dedicated to
a very dear and awesome friend on the occasion of her birthday ;) Here's to you, Anne!

He wasn't always the best to pick up on things, but on this, it was hard not to notice. Ryder had been like a ghost for days, absent from Glee Club, distracted… Finally, he'd gone up to find him at his locker one afternoon.

"You know I was starting to think you'd transferred schools."

"I know, I'm sorry," Ryder shook his head. "They're not too pissed in Glee Club, are they? I already told Mr. Schuester about it."

"And what's 'it'?" Jake asked. Ryder frowned, closing his locker.

"Got this big test coming up next week, and I'm trying real hard not to mess it up, even though I know I will," he explained, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"That bad?"

"I've been taking the extra time wherever I can get it, but I don't feel anywhere nearer," he admitted. "I try and stay focused, but then I think about how bad I'm going to fail, and then I forget what I was doing for a few minutes until I can just…" he gestured about his head, which Jake interpreted as meaning 'clear my head.'

"Alright, look, I've got this paper I need to start on…"

"For English? Wasn't that due today?" Ryder cut in.

"I got an extension," Jake shrugged. "Anyway, how about we just team up? We each have our own work to do, we'll work side by side, that way we can keep each other from getting distracted."

"Won't that make us more distracted?" Ryder pointed out.

"We're just not going to let each other cave," Jake assured him. "So, you in?"

"Yeah, might as well," he gave a thankful nod.

The first time they had set themselves up, in the school library, it became clear that, for all their good intentions, it would take them a bit to lock into the rules they had set up for this. One would stop working, so the other would say something, and before they knew it ten minutes had passed. This had happened enough times that, by the time they had packed up for the day, Ryder looked ready to abandon and strike out on his own again.

"Look, next time, we'll sit at different tables," he offered. Ryder had debated the options with himself before agreeing.

They had done better the next day, and with that they had come to develop a system. They were both dead set on finishing up their own work load, and on making sure their friend would do the same. They kept the chatter for after they left the library.

"Is it getting any easier?" Jake asked. "You know, with your… problems."

"Easier than when I was younger," Ryder nodded. "Probably easier than the start of the year, too. It's still hard, and I'll get frustrated sometimes."

"Like when you're stressed?" Jake guessed.

"Definitely." This had been one of the major things standing in his way with this test, all the stress. But Jake had done him a solid, offering himself to stand by like he did. Neither of them wanted to show that they'd get distracted, so they would keep working.

By the time the day of his test came around, Ryder had found that the material wasn't the jumble it had once been. He didn't know for sure how he would do, but he knew if he sat there and did his best, then it should be good enough.

After he had left the class, his test handed in, he kept thinking about Jake and how he had helped him, and he knew he wanted to find a way to thank him. He wouldn't have made it through without him. He didn't have a whole lot of money to spare, and even then buying a present for him would have felt weird. This also ruled out singing a song for him in Glee Club. Maybe he'd just owe him one, if at any time Jake needed help.

They had started off so at odds with one another. Back then he couldn't have seen how Jake Puckerman could ever be his friend, especially with this dilemma over Marley in between them. But things had changed since then. Jake had won out in the end, that was how it could be said, although the words sounded wrong. He may not have gotten the girl in the end, but he had a friend who would now have his back, including in situations like this, with his test.

So maybe the best thing he could do was to say thanks, and he had done that, going into Glee Club later on the day of his test.

"Hey, it's no problem," Jake had told him. "I mean, it helped me, too, with my paper."

"Did you hand it in yet?"

"Yeah, don't know if it's any good, but it's done." Ryder smirked to himself; maybe he had returned the favor already. "And, hey, next time something big like that comes up, don't just go hiding in your hole somewhere. Let me know."

"I'll try and remember that," he nodded. "But, we are free now," he pointed out as he realized. "My test is done, your paper is done…"

"Yeah, and?" Jake asked, waiting to hear what he had in mind.

"I've got a new game at home, I got it like two weeks ago, but I couldn't open it or I'd just end up spending hours there instead of…"

"You had me at 'new game'," Jake held up his hand, and Ryder chuckled.

"Fine, just enjoy the chair right now, because I'm going to kick your butt later."

THE END

A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.
In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are
always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!