by Destiny, A.
No, the weird part was “I figured I’d help him study.” Not that Ling was stupid—far from it. She was one of those people who got good-to-excellent grades without having to expend much effort. Translation? She hardly ever actually studied for anything. And often mocked those of us who did. In other words, not what most people would consider an ideal tutor for a struggling student.
“I said I’m helping him study.” She enunciated each word carefully.
I still wasn’t quite taking this in. “But you’re not even in our class.”
“So what? I have Mr. Ba for first period, remember?” There was a hint of annoyance in her smile now. I knew she was losing patience with me—expecting me to back off and let her do her thing.
Usually when Ling got that look on her face, it was best to let her have her way. Otherwise things tended to get messy.
Still, I hesitated. After talking with Logan the day before, I knew how important this was to him. He didn’t need Ling flirting instead of helping right now. Even if she did actually try to help him study, there was only so much she could do—while she was in one of Mr. Ba’s other tenth-grade bio classes, it wasn’t an accelerated class like ours.
Logan spoke up. “It’s cool, Ling. I need all the help I can get. Maybe all three of us can study together?”
“What a good idea.” She shot him a brilliant smile. “Oops, except I just remembered something—I passed Zoe on my way here, and she was looking for Bailey. Said she left something important in your locker yesterday.” She shot me a meaningful look.
For a second I felt stubborn. Why should I let Ling chase me away? She was the one who was butting in on my plans, not the other way around.
Then again, what did it matter? I’d already done my job. Logan knew the material—anything we could cover this morning would only be a review. Maybe it was a good thing if Ling could distract him from stressing out about the test for a while.
And if that was the case, I shouldn’t mind stepping aside. Not unless this meeting was more to me than a study session. Which it wasn’t. Logan and I were just friends. I needed to remember that.
“Oh. Okay, yeah.” I took a step backward, clutching my biology textbook to my chest. “I’d better go see what Zoe wants.”
“Are you sure?” Logan looked anxious.
Avoiding his eye, I backed up another step. “Yeah. Ling can help you—it’ll be fine.”
I turned and scurried away without a backward look.
“Ugh. I hate when Mr. Ba makes us touch mold.” Simone squirted another dollop of soap onto her palm. “It never feels like I can get it all off my hands.”
We were scrubbing up after that day’s bio lab. It had been an interesting one involving some mold spores we’d been growing since the beginning of the month. But for once I hadn’t been able to focus. I was all too aware that Logan was up there beyond the sliding doors in the classroom side of the room taking his placement test.
“Yeah,” I said, still distracted. “Eau de Rhizopus Stolonifer. It’s the next hot thing.”
Simone laughed, then reached for a paper towel. “Let’s get out of here.”
We grabbed our stuff and exited into the hall through the door at the back of the lab area. My gaze shot immediately to the other door—the one leading into the classroom area. It was closed. That meant Logan was still taking his test.
Simone hoisted her backpack onto one shoulder. “Ready to head to lunch?” she asked.
“You go ahead.” I shot another glance at the closed classroom door. “I want to wait and see how Logan did.”
“Oh, right.” Simone immediately gave me a critical once-over, then fluffed up my hair and straightened my shirt. “Want me to wait with you?”
“No, go ahead. No sense both of us being late for lunch.” I tried to sound casual.
“You want to be alone with him, huh? Okay.” She smirked. “I’ll try to keep Ling from rushing over here to offer her assistance.”
I’d told her about that morning’s library situation, of course. She’d been horrified but unsurprised. The war between Ling and Megan was still escalating—the two of them were barely speaking except to trade the occasional insult.
As Simone hurried off toward the cafeteria, I stepped over and peeked in through the glass part of the classroom door. Logan was bent over his test paper, face scrunched up with concentration. Mr. Ba was at his desk and saw me looking in. I stepped back quickly, but a moment later the teacher opened the door and joined me in the hall.
“Did you need something, Bailey?” he asked.
“No, sorry,” I said. “I was just seeing if Logan was finished yet.”
“Not yet.” Mr. Ba glanced at the door. “He got permission to stay a few extra minutes if necessary, since he has lunch period next. I’m happy to see that he’s taking this placement test very seriously.”
“Oh, he definitely is!” The words came out sounding a little more passionate than I’d intended. Clearing my throat, I added, “Um, I mean, Logan really wants to stay in this class.”
“Yes.” Mr. Ba stroked his chin, studying me with his perceptive dark eyes. “I can see that he’s a very driven and intelligent young man. I’m not surprised, given his lineage.”
“You mean his parents?” I said. “Do you know his mother?”
“Of course. Everyone at the university is thrilled to have Dr. Morse join the faculty. She’s done some groundbreaking research in quantum thermodynamics,” Mr. Ba replied. “I know Logan’s father only by reputation. But I understand he’s one of the top scholars in his field.”
“Yeah, that was my impression too.”
Mr. Ba nodded. “I imagine it would be difficult for a non-science-oriented child to grow up in that sort of household.” He chuckled. “Rather like a tone-deaf child being raised by Mozart and Leontyne Price, eh?”
“I don’t think Logan’s that bad at science,” I protested. “I was helping him prep for the test in study hall yesterday, and he caught on to most of the stuff pretty fast.”
“That’s good to hear.” Mr. Ba smiled. “Don’t worry, Bailey. I promise you that I’m invested in the academic improvement of all my students. Not just the talented ones like you.”
“I know. But—”
“But,” he interrupted, holding up one long, slim finger, “if the results of the placement test show that what’s best for Logan is to transfer to a less advanced class, that’s what I’ll recommend.” He checked his watch. “Now, you’d better scurry along to lunch.”
Despite Mr. Ba’s comment, I actually felt sort of optimistic as I headed for the cafeteria. Logan knew the material, and he was definitely motivated. He’d pass that test and then everything would be fine.
That sense of optimism lasted until Logan walked over to our lunch table and collapsed into the empty seat between Megan and Ling, looking totally wiped out. “Logan!” Ling exclaimed. “How’d it go?”
“Okay, I guess.” Logan smiled, but it looked forced.
“Was there anything about homeostasis on the test?” I asked. That was the one area that had given him the most trouble in yesterday’s study session.
“Two questions.” He lifted one shoulder. “I’m pretty sure I got the second one right, but the first one was kind of tricky.”
“Never mind, I’m sure you did great,” Megan broke in, scooting her chair closer to his. “Now listen, Logan, we were just talking about that new action movie that opens this weekend.”
“We were?” Darius glanced at Matt and shrugged. “I must’ve missed that.”
Meanwhile Ling was glaring at Megan. “Do you mind?” she snapped. “Logan was right in the middle of telling us about his test!” She put a hand on his. “Go ahead, Logan.”
“No, it’s okay.” He dumped his bagged lunch out on the table and picked up a banana. “I don’t really want to talk about it anymore.”
“See?” Megan rolled her eyes at Ling. “So anyway, about that movie . . .”
Chapter Tw
elve
By Friday morning I still wasn’t sure how Logan had really done on that placement test. “I just hope he passed,” I told Simone as the two of us climbed off the bus. “If he didn’t, he’s really going to beat himself up about it.”
She shot me a sympathetic look. We’d been discussing the Logan situation all the way to school.
“It’ll be a bummer if he has to transfer out of our class,” she said. “You’ll hardly get to see him.”
“That’s not the point,” I protested.
She yanked open the school door. “Seems like at least part of the point to me. How are you going to get to know him better if you never spend any time together?” She grimaced. “Especially with Megan and Ling hogging his attention at lunch. I swear, those two are driving me crazy! Why can’t they see how obvious it is that you’re the one Logan is meant to be with?”
“Because there’s nothing to see.” I glanced around, making sure nobody was close enough to hear us. “I’m not meant to be with Logan.”
“But the sparks!” she began.
“Sparks don’t mean anything. That stuff I felt was just a typical hormonal teenage reaction to a good-looking guy. Just a remnant of our primordial past when humans had to mate quickly before we got eaten by dinosaurs.”
She gave me a strange look. Clearly she didn’t get scientific humor.
“Right,” she said. “You just happened to have that reaction to this particular guy—for the first time ever.”
“You don’t know that,” I retorted. “Maybe I react that way to every guy I see, and I just never told you about it before.”
She didn’t look convinced. “I just don’t see why you won’t at least consider this. What are you afraid of?”
“How about Ling and Megan?” That was supposed to be a joke too, though it actually didn’t seem very funny. “Besides, Logan and I don’t have enough in common. I mean, how can I go out with a guy who barely knows a cell from a cell phone?”
By then we were almost to our morning meeting spot. Megan, Ling, and Zoe were there already.
“Happy Friday,” Zoe greeted us. “Can we go home yet?”
“I wish.” Ling held out a hand to check her manicure. “Have you guys seen Logan yet? I need to find out if he’s going to be around this weekend.”
“Wait, I thought you were so sure you’d be hanging out with him all weekend?” Megan smirked. “What happened—did he turn you down?”
“Of course not,” Ling snapped. “He’s saving up all his rejections for you.”
Megan rolled her eyes. “Oh, please.”
“Do you have weekend plans with Logan?” Simone asked her.
Megan frowned. “Not yet. But Logan and I were talking in homeroom yesterday about how nice the weather’s supposed to be tomorrow, and I’m sure he’s planning to ask me out.”
Simone shot me a look. “So neither of you has nailed down any plans with Logan this weekend. Interesting.”
“Why do you say that?” Now Ling was frowning at Simone too. “Don’t tell me you’re still interested in him?”
“I was never interested in Logan.” Simone shrugged. “The more relevant issue, though, is that Logan doesn’t seem particularly interested in either of you. Don’t you agree, Bailey?”
I shot her a warning look. “Leave me out of this, Simone.”
“Yeah. Mind your own business, Simone,” Ling added.
“Shut up, all of you—here he comes!” Megan hissed. Then she stepped forward and waved. “Hi, Logan!”
Logan was walking toward us with Matt and Darius. “Aren’t you going to say hi to me?” Darius asked Megan with a grin.
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, hi, whatever.” Then she turned back to Logan. “So what’s up? Do anything interesting last night?”
Logan looked slightly confused. “Homework, dinner—the usual,” he said. “Why? Did I miss a big party or something?”
“Don’t listen to her.” Ling grabbed him by the arm. “She’s always a little random in the morning.” She tossed her hair and giggled loudly, even though she hadn’t said anything remotely funny.
“Whatever.” Megan shot Ling a poisonous look, then sidled closer to Logan. “So Logan, I really like that shirt. Where’d you get it?”
“I’m not sure.” He glanced down at his shirt, a perfectly ordinary brown henley. “I think my mom bought it for me?”
“Hey, Darius, I just loooove your shoes,” Matt said, making a goofy face. “Wherever did you get them?”
“Dude, thanks!” Darius grinned. “And I just adore your sweat socks. They’re fabulous!”
Megan glared at the guys as Zoe and Simone laughed. Personally, I couldn’t blame them for making fun of her. She and Ling had never gone so psycho over a guy before. Obviously, competition was bringing out the worst in both of them.
Logan was staring at the other two guys, obviously not getting the joke. Feeling bad for him, I cleared my throat. “Hey, Logan. Did you talk to Mr. Ba? Did he give you the results?”
“Haven’t seen him yet.” His expression turned anxious, making me wish I hadn’t brought it up. “To be honest, I’m kind of afraid to go ask him. I figure I’ll just wait and get the bad news in bio.”
“That’s the spirit, man!” Matt clapped him on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it, Logan,” Ling cooed. “Let’s talk about something else. Like how fabulous the weather is supposed to be tomorrow, for instance . . .”
Logan was standing outside Mr. Ba’s classroom when I arrived for bio class. “Hey,” he greeted me, looking pale and sort of sick. “I was waiting for you. You know—for moral support. Wish me luck?”
“Of course! But you don’t need it—I’m sure you did fine.” I reached out and squeezed his hand.
Then I froze, realizing what I’d done. I snatched my hand back, my face flaming. What was I thinking? Yes, Logan and I were supposed to be friends. I’d acted on instinct, trying to make him feel better the same way I might have if this were Simone or one of the other girls standing in front of me.
But Logan wasn’t Simone. He was still a guy. I couldn’t just go around touching him!
He was looking at me, not saying anything. Our eyes met; his looked less nervous than they had a moment ago. Now they were curious. Or was that confused?
“Bailey, I . . . ,” he began. Then he paused, glancing around at the students hurrying past in all directions.
I realized I was holding my breath, waiting for him to continue. To react to what I’d done. My heart beat faster. . . .
Then the door swung open and Mr. Ba peered out. “Logan! There you are,” the teacher said. “Can you give us a moment, please, Bailey?”
“Sure.” I pretended to fiddle with my backpack as Mr. Ba led Logan a few yards down the hall.
The conversation didn’t take very long. I couldn’t hear what Mr. Ba was saying, but I saw Logan’s face fall as the teacher talked. Uh-oh—that couldn’t be good news. He nodded a few times as Mr. Ba continued to talk, though he still looked upset.
Then, to my surprise, Mr. Ba called me over to join them. “Bailey,” he said briskly, “Mr. Morse and I would like to talk to you about something.”
“Okay.” I shifted my backpack farther up my shoulder. “What is it?”
Mr. Ba glanced at Logan. “Mr. Morse had some trouble with that placement test,” he said. “Enough trouble that normally I’d recommend transferring to a different section. However, I can see that he’s smart and motivated enough to do well in this class with a little extra help. That’s where you come in.”
I blinked and shot a look at Logan. What was Mr. Ba talking about?
He didn’t leave me in suspense for long. “I know you helped Mr. Morse prepare for the test,” he said. “I think continuing to study with someone like you would only benefit him. Would you be willing to tutor him on a regular basis to help him keep up with the class?”
“Tutor Logan? Sure!” I blurted out. “Um, I mean of cours
e, that would be fine.”
“Good, good.” Mr. Ba smiled at both of us. “I understand the two of you have a study hall together. If you’re willing to spend at least two of those periods per week working with Mr. Morse, I’m confident that he’ll be able to handle this course.”
“No problem! I can do all three days a week if you want.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized they might sound a little too eager. “I mean, two days a week is fine. Or three. Whatever works.”
“Thanks, Bailey.” Logan sounded relieved. “Are you sure you don’t mind? I know I’m a pretty tough case.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Feeling my cheeks starting to go red as I met his eyes, I returned my gaze to Mr. Ba. “Really. It’ll be fun.”
“Good, good,” Mr. Ba said again. “And of course, I’ll make sure you get credit for peer tutoring on this semester’s transcript, Bailey.” He winked. “That should look good when you’re applying for college down the road. And on the scholarship applications too.”
I nodded. But for once I wasn’t really thinking ahead to schools and scholarships. Instead a whole parade of images flitted through my head. Megan. Ling. The way Logan’s hand had felt so warm and strong when I’d grabbed it just now . . .
Uh-oh. What had I just gotten myself into?
Chapter Thirteen
I was still nervous as I walked to study hall that afternoon. Simone wasn’t helping.
“This is so cool, Bails!” she whispered as we headed for Mr. Gillespie’s room. “You’re going to have Logan’s attention nonstop, three times a week. Megan and Ling will be so jealous when they find out!”
“Don’t remind me.” I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Logan wasn’t walking up behind us in the hallway or something. “And yeah, I’ll have his attention—talking about biology.”
“Biology.” Simone waggled her eyebrows. “The study of life. And living bodies. Especially hot living bodies.”
I gave her a shove. “Quiet, we’re here.”
Logan was already in his seat when we entered. Simone waved at him, then nudged me with her shoulder. “I’ll leave you to it,” she whispered. “Have fun!”