Page 3 of Private Tutoring
MATTHEW
“What do you mean, academic probation?” I slammed my hands onto my hips and scowled at Mrs. Collins.
She eyed me from head to toe. “You know exactly what it means, Matthew.”
“But she’s my star student. I can’t lose her.” The mere thought of it was a gut punch that stole my breath. Harmony was the kind of star that every theater professor dreamed of walking onto their stage. “She’s a good student. And she cares about her education. I’ve seen her studying during her spare time off stage.”
Mrs. Collins raised her hands. If the gesture was meant to be placating, it failed. She reminded me of one of those puppets being directed by sets of strings. No thoughts of her own, only protocol and statistics. Numbers. Just like his best friend and fellow professor Stephen.
“I’m only the messenger. Harmony has been given plenty of time to work on her grades.” She took a step back as the students on stage finished reading through their lines and slipped away behind the curtain, Harmony among them.
I waved off Mrs. Collins and followed my students into the blessed coolness of backstage. Excited whispers cut through the air with the effectiveness of a razor blade. I’d heard it all before and had learned to ignore it.
“What’s he doing back here?”
“You think he noticed how well I did today?”
“I’d give anything to have him look at me. Any of the Dream Team.”
The nickname caused his mouth to twist in a half smile. Stephen hated that the students had degraded him because of his good looks and lumped him into the Dream Team alongside their friend Roberto.
There were worse things than being handsome and having a career he loved. Did it make life complicated when some of the bolder students offered their beds? Sure. But he’d learned how to deal with it. They all had.
I tempered the smile and caught up with Harmony as she gathered her bag and swung it over her shoulder. “Harmony, can I talk to you for a minute?”
She checked her watch, her eyes and stance skittish. “Um. Sure. I have another class across campus.”
“I’ll be brief.” I kept the smile easy and motioned toward my office. “It’s important.”
A few snickers sounded behind me. Leighona watched us from across the room, the long stretch of wood and curtains drawing a bit of gloom to the area. Racks of costumes stood in long lines, each character’s wardrobe in full production.
Leighona ran her hand over Cosette’s costume, the hunger in her eyes heavy enough to stifle the air.
Harmony followed me into my office. “Is something wrong?” She rubbed her throat like it ached.
That was when I noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes. She’d covered them with a layer of makeup, but few things werehidden in the bright lights I insisted on having in my office. I left the door open and perched on the corner of my desk with my hands in my lap.
“That depends on your version of wrong.” I kept going before she misunderstood. “Mrs. Collins tells me you’re having some issues.”
Her already pale face whitened to the point that I prepared to lunge and catch her if she went down.
She stretched out a hand, placing it on the bookshelf covered in images of shows I’d produced over the years.
My crowning jewel, a Broadway show ofHamletperched within an inch of her fingertips.
“What did she say?” Her voice was low, hesitant.
I crossed my arms. “That you’re failing two of your classes.”
A light wince pinched her cheeks. “I’ve been struggling with a couple of my classes.”
“Which ones?” Mrs. Collins hadn’t given me that information. “Maybe I can help.”
“Math and Italian. Core credits. I tried to swap the classes when I started failing, but they’re required.” She released the shelf, but her eyes pulled that way, and she stared at the pictures. Her throat worked, a sound of dismay carving through me.
Relief lowered my shoulders. I held back the urge to laugh, knowing she’d take it the wrong way. “Who are your professors?” I’d have to be incredibly lucky for her to have Roberto and Stephen, but I’d had stranger things happen.
Her gaze shifted from the pictures to me. Red crept into her cheeks, and she chewed on the inside of her cheek for a second before answering. “Professor Rossi and Professor Harding.”
