by A. R. Perry
What. The. Hell? We need to study not goof off at some park.
Braden turns left into the all but abandoned lot and parks before reaching into the back seat to retrieve his backpack.
“And what are we doing here?” I peer at my phone to check if I have service. We’re not that far from the main road, but sometimes mine is spotty.
“Studying.”
“This is a weird location.”
With an exasperated exhale, he props open his door. “Just come on.”
He doesn’t wait for me to answer before slamming the door. It rocks the SUV from the force. He’s angry and I’m the cause, but my defenses are up. A stupid iron wall I built after everything with Jesse.
Now, I’m left with two options: follow him or sit and wait it out hoping he gives up and takes me back.
When he starts walking, leaving me behind I get the impression that waiting him out won’t work. So, with an exasperated noise of my own, I hop out. Not two seconds after the door closes, his alarm system beeps. I squint to where he’s walking, but he hasn’t so much as glanced back at me. His keys are suspended in the air over his shoulder though.
He wanted me to see. Wanted me to know he can read me.
What a butthole.
I take my time catching up to him. I’ve already run once today for the guy. As I trail him I’m starting to think this was a terrible idea. Tutoring him in general is a terrible idea. Whatever. I’ve given in so I guess I have to enjoy the ride. Besides, if I show him he can’t get a rise out of me, maybe he’ll stop whatever game he’s playing. I’ll just have to double my efforts to keep him at bay. Even when the sun hits his eyes and makes them sparkle like sapphires. Or when his mouth twists into a half grin that is equal parts cocky and cute.
Nope. Bad. Bad. Stella.
See. That photo messed with me. I was perfectly fine before seeing him all sexy and half-dressed.
Braden rounds a group of trees and once I’ve done the same, a lake comes into view and in the distance, the white-topped mountains frame the skyline. It’s breathtaking, and I can imagine that during the winter when everything is whited out, it would make a picture-perfect view.
Why have I never been to this park?
Braden dumps his bag on a wooden bench near the waterline. He’s staring out at the mountains with a faint smile on his lips when I join him. It’s peaceful. He looks peaceful. I wish I could join him there too. Too bad life has a way of ruffling feathers and sucking the joy out of things.
And poof. The bit of peace I have is ripped away.
“Okay.” I slam my bag down on the chipped wooden top. “Now that we’ve wasted time, can we please get this over with? I have homework I need to do too.”
After a deep breath, Braden nods. “Sure.”
I waste no time. The faster this is over, the fast I get home. “How far did you get in the reading assignment?”
“Didn’t do it.” Braden’s gaze swings my way, there’s a hardness to his features that wasn’t there before.
“And why not?”
“Because I didn’t. Just give me the rundown, I’m sure that will be easier to understand, anyway.”
I get it now. Get the guidance counselor to hook him up with one of the school losers because we’re easy to manipulate. God. I am an idiot for trusting him even the tiniest amount.
“That’s not how this works. I’m not doing your homework for you. If that’s how you thought our arrangement was going to go, then you’re sorely mistaken.”
“Why do you jump to all these wild conclusions about me? You don’t even know me.”
“I know you. You and your friends.” I slam my book shut because it’s either that or punching him in the face. Okay. Jesse’s face might have flashing in my mind, but still. “You’re all the same. And I won’t be on the receiving end of some mind game.”
“And what is it you think you know about me, huh? Name one thing that isn’t rumor based.”
I come up short, mouth popping open and closed like a drowning fish. I had a list of things I was ready to throw in his face, but then reality came and smacked me upside the head. Damn. Everything I do know about him has been secondhand from Devon, mostly. But it doesn’t matter because the big thing, the thing I can’t get around, is his friendship with Jesse. Jesse and all those guys. Besides, rumors start somewhere.
“Exactly,” Braden grumbles when I don’t answer right away. “You think you know me, but you don’t. No one does.”
“What about your best friend, huh? Or Michelle. The girl you dumped in a crowded café just like all the other girls you used and threw out.” I stand and shove my stuff into my backpack. “Don’t come preaching to me. I may have heard some things through rumors, but I’ve also seen you in action when I was another invisible bystander.”
“Michelle?” His eyebrows scrunch in the middle as he glares a hole through my head.
Michelle. That’s the only thing he got from any of that. Great.
My phone vibrates on the bench. Right now I want to chuck it in the water because the sound has somehow broken through our intense stare down and now Braden is smirking at me as if he knows something I don’t.
Arrogant dillweed. Just like I thought.
“I think you’re right.” Braden pulls out his binder and flips to a blank page, ignoring the fact that I’m so ready to go. “We aren’t friends. I kind of thought you were different, but I guess what people say about you is true. But since we’re stuck with each other we can keep it professional.”
Professional? Who is this guy?
“I won’t study at school. A bus runs through this general area. Meet me here once a week on Tuesday until I can convince Mrs. Rivera to find me someone else.” He grabs his book and flips to the third chapter as if his word is God or some shit.
I gape at him with my backpack half hanging off my shoulder. Since I don’t have a ride home and I have no idea which bus runs through here, I sit back down and pull out my own book. At least the scenery is beautiful. The mountains. Not Braden. Because now I see him for who he really is. And even if he’s not playing some game with Jesse, I have no plans of sticking around to be his pawn. If he thinks I’ll be going out of my way to help him, he’s out of his mind.
A week and a half since the argument at the lake. We ignore each other in English. We sit on opposite ends of the table in bio, speaking only when we must. I never made it to tutor him. Instead, I picked up a shift since my mom came down with a cold and missed a day of work.
A part of me hopes the jackass drove out there and sat waiting for someone who had no plan of showing up. Would be the perfect opportunity for him to learn not everyone bends to his will just because he says so.
Zari has been a pain in my butt ever since I refused to tell her what happened. She seems to think she can fix what’s broken if I tell her. Devon forgave me and moved on to hating other things. Life is back to a more normal rhythm. I couldn’t be happier. Well, I mean if Braden up and disappeared altogether that would be great, but beggars can’t be choosers.
His fan club has grown with a different girl by his side at lunch and hanging all over him in the halls every day. Not that I pay attention to it. Okay, that’s a lie, but it’s hard to miss.
But it’s that same behavior that has me scowling in his direction as he flirts with a cheerleader the next table over in bio instead of pulling his weight on our assignment. When he was paired with me I knew I would end up doing the bulk of the work. I hate being right sometimes.
I slam my book around, being childish and hoping he breaks first because I really need help on this assignment. If it means I pass I’ll be able to put up with him for one period. But he is good at tuning out anything else besides the sound of his own voice and the grating giggle of the girl he’s shamelessly flirting with. No doubt she’ll be at the café in a few months.
The classroom door opens and a stocky kid with thick black-rimmed glasses shuffles inside and passes a pink paper to Mr. Bro
wn.
Remember those scenes in movies where a kid gets called to the office and everyone ooos and awws and you think God this is lame and so unrealistic? Yeah, I thought that too until my name is called and half the class turns around, snickering and doing the aforementioned childish sounds.
Braden glances at me out of the corner of his eye as I gather my stuff. The bell is set to ring in about fifteen minutes, so I might as well take my crap so I’m not late to my next class. I do my best to ignore him, but when my hurried movements knock my textbook off the table right at his feet, I have no choice but to acknowledge him. Especially when he moves first and snatches the book off the stained tile ground.
“Thanks,” I mutter as I take the book from his hands. Our fingers brush in the process and I swear my heart tries to leap right out of my mouth. Out of instinct my frown deepens almost as if I can control the tempo if I think hard about how much I don’t like him.
Always a problem when brain and heart aren’t on the same page.
I speed walk out of the room to whispers and it reminds me so much of freshman year, I have to blink to clear my vision.
Swallowing against the burning in my throat, I beeline for the office. This year isn’t even in full swing and already I wish I pressed harder to finish my last year with homeschool. I had brought it to her during the summer when her hours got cut at her day job, but she refused without hearing me out all the way. With homeschool my schedule would have been flexible and I could have picked up more shifts instead of her having to get another job. Plus, I wouldn’t be putting up with any of this crap.
A silver-haired lady greets me with pursed lips as I approach the desk. Since I haven’t been to the office in almost three years, I have no idea what her name is. But since she seems about as friendly as I feel, my concern passes in a quick wave.
“I was called in,” I state with false bravado. Because if I’m being honest, I’m kind of nervous.
“Name.”
“Stella Bellemore.”
She clicks a few keys on the computer before glancing my way. “Mrs. Rivera called you in. Down the hall, second door on right. She’s expecting you.”
Unease turns to nausea. Stupid Braden. He’s been nothing but trouble since the second I slammed into him. Of course my first time being called to the office in years would be because of him.
I trudge down the hallway past an office with several teachers crowded around a desk. They don’t even look my way, which is for the best. I’m sure my face is showing just how happy I am to be here.
Mrs. Rivera’s door is open so I forgo knocking and step right in. She’s bent over a laptop, her black hair piled in a messy bun has dipped to the side making it look less purposeful and more stress induced. I’ve seen that exact hairstyle on my mom after a long shift.
Her brown eyes meet mine over maroon glasses that have slipped low on her pointy nose when I’m standing next to the black chair meant for visitors.
“Stella.” She closes her laptop and gives me a warm smile, pushing her glasses back into place with her pointer finger. “Please sit.”
With a sigh, I sit. Guess this won’t be a fast visit.
“How are things? Have you made your list of colleges you’d like to apply to? Deadlines are coming up quick.”
“Is that why you called me here?” Try as I might, I can’t keep the anger out of my voice. If she pulled me out of the one class I struggle in to discuss college, I will scream.
“Well…no.” She shifts a scattered stack of papers on her desk around until she comes out with a manila folder. “I wanted to talk to you about how your tutoring sessions are going. You have met with Mr. DiMarco, correct?”
Braden. Ugh.
“Twice, yes.” I bob my head as I chew on my lower lip.
“Hmmm.” She flips open the folder and scans whatever is inside. “And how did those sessions go?”
“As good as a popular kid meeting with a not so popular kid could go.”
The folder smacks on the desk. “What does that mean exactly?”
She can’t be this naive. She’s not old. Surely she remembers high school.
“It means you put one of the most popular guys in school with me, one of the least popular kids and you thought this would end well? Why didn’t you assign him Zari? They run together and are less likely to be at each other’s throats.”
“Is that what happened?”
I roll my eyes. “Obviously.”
Okay. So my sass might be a little over-the-top, but come on, she had to know how it would play out.
Mrs. Rivera sighs, her fingers tapping on the desktop for a few seconds before she leans back, gripping the worn leather armrests. “I put you with Braden not only because of how well you do in English, but because you stay out of trouble. You stay out of drama. Fantastic grades. I figured you could ground him somehow, make him focus and stay on track.” She sighs again. “I guess if it isn’t working, I can put him on a wait list. Hope another student steps up and wants to help.”
Perfect moment for my nagging conscious to make an appearance. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.
“No. Don’t do that. I’ll continue to be his tutor until you find someone else.” She smiles, but I’m not finished. “But only if you promise you’re actually going to find someone else. I can’t be stuck with him all year.” Then I deliver the blow guaranteed to insure my success. “My own grades are suffering.”
Her eyes widen, but she nods. “Of course. I will do everything in my power to replace you before winter break.”
“Good.” I stand to leave.
“But Stella…a word of unsolicited advice. High school is a blip in your life. Don’t let those kids make you feel less than. There’s always going to be someone who wants to hold you down either because it makes them feel better or because they suck as humans.”
“Awesome. Thanks for that.” I hike the strap of my backpack higher on my shoulder. As if she knows anything. Adults always think they know, but they didn’t grow up with the internet. They never experienced how fast things can fly with a simple click of a button.
How a picture could almost ruin everything.
By the time I exit the office, the late bell has already rung. Whatever, I hate gym anyway. Deciding to be a rebel, I skip and head to the library to catch up on homework. It’s Tuesday, which means I’m supposed to be tutoring Braden. Since he doesn’t know I’m back in and I never got his phone number, I’ll have to catch him in the parking lot before he leaves.
I might have searched for his car this morning but only because I wanted to prepare for the type of day I was in store for. Bradenless would have been preferable.
The library is deserted, giving me the pick of the place. I tiptoe to the back, ducking out of the way when Mrs. Michaels rounds a bookshelf with a gigantic stack of books balanced against her chest.
Thirty minutes to kill. I resist the temptation of social media and pull out a blank piece of paper. If I’m going to tutor Braden, I need to have a plan in place. I’m not good with people interactions so we need something, a guide to follow that will allow me to teach him but also keep us from going at each other’s throat like last time.
Boundaries. Everyone loves boundaries.
I start with the obvious. We are not friends. I jot it down then list a few extra points.
No personal stories.
No questions other than homework.
We will meet on time twice a week at a location both parties agree on.
I won’t lie so figure out a way to let people know.
I’m done the moment Mrs. Rivera finds a replacement.
I tap my pen on my chin trying to decide if I need to add anything else. I kind of want to add that he will pay attention during bio and stop his flirting, but I figure he will take it as me having a thing for him or something, so I leave it off.
By the time I’ve rewritten the rules in a legible handwriting, it’s time to run if I want to catch him. I fold the paper and
stuff it into the back pocket of my jeans before slinging on my backpack.
Mrs. Michaels waves as I speed walk to the front door. I’m surprised she didn’t say anything considering I should be in class and students with half days aren’t out yet. I guess sometimes staying on the good side of teachers and the rest of the staff has its perks.
The bell rings as I round the corner and jog farther into the parking lot. Braden’s SUV is where he left it this morning. I head right for it, figuring if I plant myself in front of the driver door he’ll have to hear me out. My only hope is that no one is with him. Namely Jesse.
Five minutes later I see him approaching. He’s alone, thank God. His head is bent, eyes glued to his phone as his fingers work across the screen. Judging from the scowl on his face, he’s not in the best mood. Guess it’s about to get a hell of a lot worse when he notices me loitering by his car.
When he’s a few feet from me, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his keys, hitting the unlock button as he does. The sudden sound makes me jump, my elbow knocking into the door. The noise from the impact coupled with my growled curse draws his attention up and away from his phone.
Those damn infuriatingly gorgeous eyes lock on to mine, but nothing in his expression shifts. It’s a blank mask that makes me regret even coming.
“What are you doing here, Stella?” He slides his phone into his back pocket as he moves past me to the back door.
“It’s Tuesday.”
“And?” He tosses his bag into the back seat, then slams the door a little too hard, giving away his irritation.
Irritation I can work with. I can navigate that better than impassive.
“Tutoring. Mrs. Rivera doesn’t have a replacement for me yet so you’re stuck until she does.”
“What makes you think I want you?”
Ouch.
I flinch away from the harshness of his tone. “I’m your only option.” I hate saying those words out loud but it’s true. If he had anyone else, he sure wouldn’t have picked me.