Page 1 of Private Tutoring
1
HARMONY
Ireminded myself to breathe as I pushed open the counselor’s door and stepped through. My second year at the Brooklyn Art Institute—known as BAI to the locals—wasn’t off to the best start. The prestigious New York college turned out an inordinate number of talented performers who hit it big on Broadway after graduation.
The need to be one of those elite performers settled deep in my chest, causing my pulse to leap into my throat and hammer double time.
Broadway. The Metropolitan Opera House. The New York Philharmonic. I’d take any of them, but Broadway was the dream that had pushed me to earn the music scholarship that allowed me to attend BAI.
I deserved to be here. I sucked air through the tightness in my throat and did my best to smile at Mrs. Collins. “Hello.”
She dipped her head in a light nod, an easy smile creasing her cheeks. Mrs. Collins had the kind of face that made everyone want to smile. “Congratulations on the understudy role. I hear you’ve been cast as Cosette.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I sank into the plush chair across from her narrow wooden desk and set my bookbag at my feet. “It’s like living a dream.”
Her brows came down slightly, and she laced her fingers together on top of the desk. “I understand how you feel, Harmony. This year’s production ofLes Misérablesis shaping up to be our best yet. And I’ve heard you sing, so I know Professor Bellington will do all he can to prepare you should you need to step into the role.”
The mention of Bellington’s name popped an image of him into my mind. Kind and studious with black-rimmed glasses that accentuated his crystal-blue eyes, combined with a strong jaw and aquiline nose, made him one of the heartthrobs of the college professors.
One of three, but I didn’t have time to think about that while staring at Mrs. Collins.
“It’s overwhelming to be chosen, especially since I’m just a sophomore.” I tried to keep my voice controlled, but the knot returned. How was it that talking with my professors, and even someone as kind and helpful as Mrs. Collins, threatened to choke me, but put me on stage and I couldn’t keep from singing?
“Well, you certainly deserve the spot.” Mrs. Collins glanced down at the sheaf of papers in front of her. “What concerns me are your grades. Math and Italian, to be exact.”
I shifted uncomfortably in the seat, crossing and uncrossing my ankles. My sneakers scuffed her blue carpet, and I watched a tiny spider crawl across the bookshelf to my right while I fought for the words I needed.
“It’s my duty to keep you informed, and this is deeply concerning. You’re a bright and talented woman. I don’t want to see that go to waste because of a few poor grades.” The smile stayed in place even as she delivered the news. She reached across the desk and patted my hand where it gripped the arm ofthe chair so tight my nails punctured the cloth. “To be perfectly honest, you’re getting close to academic probation.”
I’d known my grades in those two classes were poor, but probation?
“You had a shaky freshman year.” Mrs. Collins flipped through the papers that must be a printout of my grades. “If you drop much further, I’ll be forced to put you on probation. From there, you’ll have three months to bring your grades up to par before you lose the scholarship. I don’t want that to happen. Which is why I’ve brought you in now. To give you a chance to turn things around.”
I couldn’t afford to lose my scholarship. The private college tuition was astronomical, and as the kid of a single mother working her ass off to raise me, Mom didn’t have the financial stability to take over my tuition.
The weight of it fell on me, and I straightened my shoulders despite the tears blurring my vision. “What can I do?” I would not roll over and quit.
My dreams were worth fighting for, and damn it, I was going to fight like hell to stay.
“Tutoring is always my first suggestion. You’re in the sorority house with your friend Delilah and Leighona, among others. Talk with your fellow classmates, see if any of them are willing to help.” Relaxed and poised—like she didn’t just deliver the most devastating news of my life—Mrs. Collins leaned into her chair and tipped her head toward the window.
Sunlight streamed in, creating lines that cut across her desk and my lap. The small office had felt claustrophobic the first time I’d entered and sat down to discuss my future. That same feeling invaded now, pressing the walls in so tight I thought I might scream.
“I’m sorry to drop the news on you and then send you on your way.” She stood, her hand motioning in a gesture that meant she was ready for me to leave.
I stood, my legs shaking just enough to make me wobbly. “Thank you for letting me know.” I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. “I’ll figure something out.”
“Atta girl.” Mrs. Collins patted my shoulder, simultaneously comforting me while ushering me on my way.
The door closed behind me with a quietsnick, and I stood in the foyer of the administrative building with my head a mess of questions.
A short breath of the harsh cleaners they used on the floors cleared my head and put energy in my steps. I turned toward the glass doors that opened onto the quad and broke into a jog that carried me across the green grass and between knots of students studying, laughing, and making out all around me.
They passed in a blur as I lost the war against the tears I’d been holding back. The tears didn’t stop even when the brick facade of our sorority house came into view. My lungs threatened to burst from the combination of running and crying, and by the time I pushed through the front door, it was all I could do to collapse on the short love seat in the living room.
The TV blared in the study. Laughter tinged the air with happiness I couldn’t feel.
“Harmony?” Delilah, my best friend and roommate, strode in from the open doorway that led to the kitchen. She held a banana in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. Her dark hair hung in a curtain over her shoulders and down her back, her brown eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”
