Page 18 of Tutoring the Bad Boy
He jumps up with me. “If I’m pretending to date you, then I’ll walk you home, because if this was real, that’s what I’d do.”
“Okay.”
Of all the things I thought I’d be doing my senior year, fake-dating a boy my mom despises wasn’t one of them. I’m a horrible liar, but if Kaleb is going to get into MIT, I’m going to need to play this like I play volleyball. Like a beast.
Then I remember that I typically put my heart into my games, and I nearly gulp. My heart can’t be in this. The second the thought hits me, I know one way or another, this whole thing is going to end with me wrecked.
Chapter Ten
Kaleb
It’s Wednesday,the end of the first six weeks, and I’m sweating bullets. I’ve been waiting all day to find out how I did on the last test I took. I know I’m doing better in Mrs. Yates’s class, but there’s always that lingering doubt that maybe I didn’t do as well as I thought I did. We’ve had quizzes every other day and two tests that count as twenty-five percent of the grade. We get that last test back today, along with our six-week grades. Mrs. Yates has us reading the next few poems so we can discuss them on Monday. The anticipation is killing me.
I’ve been meeting Ginny a couple of times a week since the night of the movie. We’ve mostly stuck to Shakespeare, but not totally. More than once I’ve apologized about the deal with her mom. That hasn’t been far from my thoughts at all.
That night, I had no intention of telling Ginny about that deal. First, for self-preservation. I want to get into a good school, and as wrong as it is, her mom is the best chance I have. Second, because it was her mom. I know what betrayal feels like, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. When the movie ended, I just couldn’t not tell her.
“Mr. Quinn?” Mrs. Yates’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I look at her. She’s smiling and holding up the test, blank side out to keep my grade confidential.
I take it as a good sign that I’ve done well, and I nearly break my neck getting out of my seat. When I reach her desk, she looks up at me and says, “Hard work pays off.”
Taking the test, I nod and stroll back to my desk before flipping it over to check the grade. It’s a C. Not fantastic, but it’s not failing, which was my goal. As for the entire six weeks, this test has me sitting at a C as well, but only by a point. One bad test, and it’s back to failing again. The good news is, since I made improvement, it also means Ginny will tutor me the rest of the year and I have the possibility of an even better grade by Christmas break. Those were the terms Principal Gray laid down, and I’ve met them.
Butterflies are lighting my stomach up, and the only person coming to mind is Ginny. I can’t wait to show her, making the last twenty minutes of class agonizing. When the bell rings, I stuff my junk into my bag and am about to floor it to the door, when Mrs. Yates calls on me to come back.
I swallow the groan and walk to her desk. “Yes, ma’am?”
“I knew if you wanted it bad enough, you could do it.” She smiles.
“Yes, ma’am.” I turn to leave and stop, scratching the back of my neck. “Um, thanks for helping me.”
Nodding, she looks down. “That’s all we need sometimes. Just a little help.” Her voice is thick, and if I stay, mine will be too. Why she’s had any amount of faith in me is beyond my grasp, but it’s something I’ll never forget. If for no other reason than Mrs. Yates, I’m going to officially get my act together and prove that I’m someone worthy of that faith.
My thoughts immediately go to Ginny. Mrs. Yates is great, but Ginny? I can be myself around her. My mom would always say that love couldn’t change a person. It wasn’t until she left that I realized she was talking about my dad. I wonder if my dad had opened his eyes a little sooner then maybe he could have changed and my parents would still be together.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks again,” I say and jet out the door, slamming into someone so hard that I’m left breathless.
“Ouch.” Ginny groans and touches her head. “Is your chin made of concrete?”
I laugh and hold my chest. “No, but I think your entire body is.” My chest physically hurts from the run-in. The girl is as solid as they come. “Geez.”
She grabs her bottom lip with her teeth, and her gaze hones in on the paper I’m holding. “So?”
My plan had been to fake failing, but I can’t stop the smile from forming on my lips. “C.”
Her mouth drops open with a gasp, and she flings her arms around my neck. “I’m so happy for you. That’s awesome.”
There’s zero hesitation on my part as I wrap my arms around her. “Couldn’t have done it without you.” I’m also keenly aware of how good it feels to be holding her. Like this is my spot. The one I’ve been looking for without even knowing it.
She leans back, her lips inches from mine. “I knew you could do it, and you didn’t need me.” Her warm peppermint breath hits my skin. “I’m glad I got to tutor you, though.”
“Oh. My. Word.” A girl with a Southern accent strolls up. “What did I miss?”
Ginny steps back but stays close enough that our arms touch. “Nothing. I was congratulating Kaleb on passing Mrs. Yates’s class.”
Another girl joins them. “What’s up?”
“Kaleb, these are my two friends, Dixie and Ronnie,” Ginny says, rolling her eyes.
