Tutor Me Read Free Page A

protested. “How lame is that?” She looked around to see if her comment was well received by the others.
    I was trying to compose a suitable retort, one that put her in her place without destroying a clearly fragile ego, when Lacey intervened. “Leave her be. A smarty in our camp is a good thing.”
    Alex threw out, “Will she be doing our homework too, then?”
    “No, just my own.” I shot back.
    I was about to resume reading  but Lacey moved over next to me and started chatting, so I closed my history book.
    “So, did you find out who you’ll be tutoring?” Her feet dangled languidly in the pool. She sipped her Diet Dr. Pepper.
    “Yes, get this, Callum Caldwell,” I said, rolling my eyes.
    I had expected her to laugh but her eyes narrowed. “That guy is a real shit.”
    “He does seem pretty arrogant. Obviously has no use for cheerleaders.”
    Lacey shook her head in disgust.  “I know you need him to do well to get the letter of rec from Ferguson but if it weren’t for that I would love it if he failed the class.”
    I was surprised by her hostility and was going to ask her about it when Chloe joined in the conversation. “He might be a shit, but he’s sex on a stick. Apparently he’s very talented with the lip ring.”
    She giggled until she saw Lacey’s look.
    “Jenny can do way better than that shithead.” She turned to me pointedly. “Just tutor him and keep away.” From someone else I might not have taken that command but I was eager to please, and just nodded.
    I was putting my nose back in my history book when Lacey spoke to me again.
    “Soooo… Bryce likes you.”
    I looked over at her, astonished.
    “Likes me like, thinks I’m a nice person, or likes likes me?”
    “Likes likes you.”
    Wow. This was something. One of the most popular boys in the school. Varsity football player, Abercrombie looks, blond haired and blue eyed, great body. I’d noticed how cute he was but he was way out of my league and last year he never so much as looked my way. But I had been sitting with the other cheerleaders at lunch the previous week when some football players came by, Bryce among them. There had been multiple conversations going on but at one point he had smiled and said hi to me. That had kind of blown me away and I’d analyzed it with Tina for a good half hour that evening, but it was difficult to make the leap to thinking he was into me. Especially as I had been so tongue-tied I’d just nodded at him.
    “What do you think about that?” Lacey asked, her eyes on her pedicured toes.
    “Pretty cool,” I said. “But I guess I’d like to hear it from him. The sum total of our interaction has been one ‘Hi’.”
    “Well, he’s having a party Friday after the game and we’re going, so expect more interaction.”
    Bryce Avery. Wait till I tell Tina!
    I left Lacey’s a little while later, needing to get to my homework in earnest. It was hard to concentrate on the social toll of WWI while lying in the hot sun. After changing I had tried to give the bathing suit back to Lacey but she waved me off with her hand.
    “No way, keep it. I never wear it. Take the red one too.” I resisted but we ended up compromising: I took the purple one and left the red one with her. She was very difficult to say no to.
     

Chapter 3
     
    As I walked up my driveway a little while later my phone rang. My mother. This was a surprise.
    “Hi Freya! How are you?” I never called my parents Mom or Dad. They’d never encouraged it, always calling each other by their first names in front of me even as a toddler: ‘Jenny I’m busy. Ask Ian to tie your shoes.’ ‘You’re not going to eat the squid ink pasta, sweet pea? Freya made it especially for you.’ By the time I was old enough to realize my use of their first names was a little strange, the habit had stuck.
    “Jenny darling I’m splendid. Today I gave my presentation in the seminar series and it was very warmly received.”
    My mother was never one to