Secrets & Surrender 2 Read Free Page B

For once, I want to be good at something. Look at you! You’re here on a scholarship because you’re smart. Did you know Poppy had to pay SWT to take me? Do you know how embarrassing that is?”
    “Poppy?”
    “My father.” She sniffed. “And Mumsy didn’t even want me to come to tutoring. She said not to bother since I’ll only be here for one semester, two at the most. She says I’m here for my M-R-S not a B.S. and that I should have fun instead of studying all the time. I want more than that, Mandi. I want to be an elementary school teacher. I want to teach little girls that they’re smart and that they can be anything they want to be when they grow up. I know I can do this. I just need a little help. Or maybe a lot of help. But I can do this. I know I can.”
    “I didn’t know.” I watched as she pulled a tissue out of her polka dot covered purse, feeling a little bit of admiration for her. She really did want to make a difference. It wasn’t an act. She was the real thing. I hated to admit it, but I could see why Nic liked her. Beneath all the hair was a girl struggling to be taken seriously. I knew exactly how she felt. I guess I was lucky to have my parents and Nic. She was alone. And I’d taken away the one true friend she had on campus.
    Shimmering baby blue eyes gazed back at me, waiting for my help, wanting a friend.
    Aww, man. Don’t do it. Look away and stick to your job.
    I glanced down, fiddling with the algebra book. The girl’s family was loaded. They could hire her a private tutor.
    My head whipped back up. That’s why she’s here. They weren’t supporting her at all. This was all she had.
    “Okay, I’ll help you. I know you can get this. It’ll just take some more time.”
    “Really? You’ll still tutor me?” Her face beamed.
    Ugh! I couldn’t believe what I was about to do.
    “Of course. Let’s meet again tomorrow, okay?”
    “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” She threw her arms around me. “I’ll work really hard. I promise. I’ll do whatever readings or exercises you think will help.”
    My arms flailed, not knowing whether to hug or pat her. “Uh, I know you will.”
    “It feels so good to finally have a friend on campus.”
    Great. Now I was her friend. Of course, I didn’t make it any better with the next thing that popped out of my mouth.
    “I’m going over to the music building to meet up with Nic. He should be finishing up his guitar lessons about now. Wanna come? We could go to the café or something and hang out.”
    Her eyes widened. “Really?”
    Tell her “no” damn it!
    “Um, yes?”
    Crap!
    “Yay! Okay, but I’m buying. Let’s go to Gil’s Broiler. I’ve heard they bake the best Manske rolls.”
    Kristie continued jabbering as she gathered her things. As we walked out the door, she hooked her arm through mine the way Cassie used to. I shook my head, wondering how in the world I’d gotten into this mess. And here I was, leading a perky redhead straight to Nic.

THREE: Mandi
    K ristie took bouncing to a whole new level.
    When I had first arrived on campus, I had expected to get the strange looks I always got when I was in a new place that wasn’t used to seeing a brown face. I had survived Koppe High, so I’d assumed SWT would be a breeze. I got a few nasty looks from some of the girls dressed in their sorority t-shirts whenever I was with Nic. It was obvious that they wanted him, and they hated it when he didn’t give any of them a second glance. He was polite when they said “hi,” but other than that, he acted as if they weren’t even there.
    Walking with Kristie across the quad to the music building, her every step bubbling with excitement, caught almost every guy’s attention. There were a few wolf whistles when we passed a group of frat guys wearing their maroon polo shirts emblazoned with their fraternity’s letters. Kristie didn’t seem to notice or hear them as she prattled on and on about the latest episode of Dallas , one