Page 6 of Tutoring the Bad Boy
“Mom.” I shoot the same tone back. “I’m seventeen. I know exactly what’s riding on me being at the top of my game. I don’t need sixteen hours of sleep a day to function. I know you want me to be prepared, but this is overkill.”
“On the weekdays, your bedtime is nine. It’s after eight. You still need to finish studying and get ready for bed—and I know you don’t study when Ronnie is here.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ronnie packing. She knows there’s no winning this argument. My mom has spoken like Zeus. Her word is law, and submission is the only answer.
Standing, Ronnie says, “No problem, Ms. Gray. I need to get home anyway. Mom wants me to help her run lines for her audition.”
My mom smiles. “Thanks for understanding, sweetheart. Tell your mom good luck.” She holds up a finger. “Oh, and before I forget, I have a new cauliflower-crust recipe. This one is supposed to be crispy, just like a taco shell.”
“The other one said the same thing, Mom.”
My mom sighs heavily. “Imogene, I get you don’t like my rules sometimes, but we haven’t butted heads in a while. Let’s not start now. It’s your senior year. I only want what’s best for you; you know that. I’m not trying to be mean—”
“You’re just looking out for me.” I stand and pull the door the rest of the way open. “I know.” I smile, trying to diffuse the tension.
She cups my cheek. “You are a great kid. Smart, full of potential. College is just around the corner. We just need to hold on one more year. Full-ride scholarship.” My mom smiles and drops her hand. “Only the best for you.”
I nod as she steps back from the door so I can walk Ronnie out. When we get outside, she turns to me. “At least your mom wants to be a mom.”
Toeing the edge of the grass, I shrug. “I know that, but, Ronnie,” I say and look up, locking eyes with her. “I…”
What do I say? I don’t have the words or the capability to form them. My mom is never going to let me live my life. Not while she has the ability to have a finger on me. She’s so afraid of me making the same mistakes as she did that she hasn’t taken a moment to think maybe her mistakes are what made her so great. Tough. Independent. Strong. Reliable. She’s everything a role model should be, and it’s all because…she made mistakes. How can I ever learn to be all those things when all I’m ever allowed to be is perfect?
Ronnie hugs me. “Your mom is tough on you because she loves you. You know that. I know that. Everyone that’s ever met her knows that. Just make it through this year and your life is your own.”
That last sentence is for Ronnie because from what I’ve seen of her mom, her life may never be her own if she doesn’t speak up. At least with my silence, I know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. For Ronnie, it’s just one long, dark road.
“I know.” I hug her back. “Thanks.”
There isn’t much else I could say. I’ve got it good. No, I’ve got it great. A mom who loves and cares about me. Who puts me first. I need to appreciate that. It’s just hard when I want a little say in my own life.
I wave bye to Ronnie as she takes a left and walks home. It’s not too far, a couple of blocks, and as far as neighborhoods go, this one is pretty safe. Turning, I head back inside to finish my schoolwork and get ready for bed.
My mom is waiting for me. “Ginny, I know you’re thinking I’m being overbearing, but…”
I shrug and smile. “I know, Mom.” Before I head to my room, I pause. “Do you know what happened to Kaleb Quinn’s mom after she left Port Crest?”
My mom’s eyebrows knit together. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.”
Her radar perks up. “Ginny, no. That boy has been in my office more times than I can count. He was almost arrested last week.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “His dad keeps rescuing him. It will only last so long, and I don’t want you anywhere near that nuclear bomb.”
“But it’s got to be hard. I mean, I’ve always had one parent. To go from two to one has to be difficult, right?”
“What’s brought about this sudden interest in Kaleb?”
“Nothing. Ronnie saw him outside at lunch today and said something.” Hopefully, I’ll remember to tell Ronnie I put her in my mom’s crosshairs; otherwise, she’ll get a lecture from my mom this weekend about the pitfalls of dating young and falling in lust. That’s what my mom called it because teenagers are too young to fall in love.
“She needs to stay away from that boy. Even if she doesn’t want to pursue acting, that boy is trouble. Broken home or not, he’s in control of his choices. If his father would be a father instead of a get-out-of-jail card, the boy might learn that there are consequences and straighten up.”
“Maybe he’s hurting. I mean, sometimes I think about Dad. What it’d be like if he was still in the picture. Maybe Kaleb’s dad just doesn’t know how to be strong like you.” I layer that last sentence on my mom like frosting on a cake.
Her eyes twinkle. “Don’t you flatter me. His father is in control of his choices as well. Just like I was. I made my choices; I live by them. He needs to do the same. He also needs to let Kaleb fall on his rear end. Once you reach the bottom—”
“There’s nowhere to go but up.”
She points her finger at me. “That’s right. Always look up, honey. You don’t have to reach the bottom to do that, either. I didn’t.”
