Page 111 of Barefoot Dreams
“Understatement of a lifetime, Birdy. Keep reading.”
Eagerly, I flip the page, noting that he went back to write in it the very next day.
Not Dear Diary,
You like that? I thought it was creative! Not really, but you’re stuck with me so get used to it.
Today I did something weird because I saw Julie do it. She was walking barefoot around her backyard while Cal, Luke, and I played and when Cal told her to put her shoes back on, she asked him how the grass was supposed to talk to her if she did that?
I didn’t know grass could talk to you and I’m twelve years old!
So when I was at home, I went outside and took off my shoes, but the grass didn’t talk to me. Maybe I did something wrong?
But it did tickle me, and I liked it.
G.O.
***
Not Dear Diary,
Math sucked today. It always does, but today Mrs. Hunter had it out for me. She called on me every freaking time! You’d think she’d get a clue I didn’t have the answers after the first five times, but nope.
You think I’m mad about it, don’t you?
I should be, but guess what? She told me I needed to go get extra help with geometry and guess who she asked to help me??? That’s right! Julie! Because she’s that smart.
Should I be this happy about seeing her even though we are gonna do math? Is that normal? I think guys usually hate it, so I need to act like I do too, right?
You’re useless, you know that? No real help.
I’m off to my first lesson.
Don’t have too much fun without me,
G.O.
“Oh my goodness! I remember that day like it was yesterday!”
“Which?” Griffin asks, turning to look at me.
“Math tutoring.” I smile, shaking my head at the memory. I was such a goner for him. “I paced in front of the door for hours waiting for you.”
“Ah, yes.” He chuckles. “I didn’t pay attention to a word you said in those sessions because I was too busy staring at you.”
“No, you did not.” I laugh. “Such a liar! Your grades went up after a few sessions. Mrs. Hunter even thanked me.”
Griffin snorts. “That’s because I’d stay up for hours afterward, studying it all over again by myself. You were always such a distraction, Birdy.”
I bite the corner of my lip, not believing what I hear because back then he looked anything but excited to spend time with me.
All this seems so silly now, reading back to those days. But I remember opening the door when he knocked, so excited, I was having a real hard time reining it in and for the first two minutes before my brother showed up, Griff looked excited about it all.
I remember he flashed me a quick smile and I just about died from happiness, but then Cal walked out of the kitchen, telling me it’s unnatural to be this happy about teaching math, and Griffin’s smile disappeared.
It didn’t return for the entirety of our lesson. The first or the second or any other I had to give him.
I thought it was me. I thought he was annoyed because he had to spend time with me instead of his friends out back. But that wasn’t the case, now was it?
