Studying Boys

by Stephanie Rowe

  No. I wouldn't let him. I didn't want to kiss him. Not here, in front of everyone. Not with George, the boy I was supposed to like, in the other room. Not so soon after the first kiss, or I might be falling into his list of abandoned conquests all too soon.

  And then I got tired of all the noise in my head. I got tired of the effort of trying to think too much. I just wanted to follow my heart. So, I put my hands on his waist, stood up on my tiptoes, and I kissed him.

  He froze, and I froze. Had I really done that? "Sorry, I—"

  Theo didn't let me finish another word, kissing me back instantly, his hands around my lower back. The kiss was amazing, every bit as magical as at the dance club, and I didn't even bother to pretend I wasn't loving it. I kissed him right back, matching him with everything I had. It was the most perfect moment, a kiss in the middle of study hall. Could you get a more romantic setting?

  "What are you guys doing?" Allie's shocked voice jerked me back to the present.

  I pushed Theo away and spun around. Allie was standing in the doorway, her mouth open in shock. "Allie, I can explain—"

  She recovered instantly. "Oh, no, Frances, you don't need explain. He does!" She shoved him away from me. "Are you insane, Theo?"

  Theo didn't look too sheepish or embarrassed. He actually looked pretty pleased about being caught kissing me, which made me grin. I liked that he wasn't embarrassed that she knew. I liked it a lot, actually.

  "Hey, Allie," he said cheerfully. "What's up?"

  "You can't kiss Frances!"

  His grin widened. "She kissed me."

  I shot a mutinous glare at Theo, who looked completely entertained. Hello? Shouldn't he be taking the heat here? "I didn't kiss you." But it was a total lie, and Allie clearly knew it.

  "You kissed him?" Allie sounded faint. "But it's Theo."

  "What's wrong with me?" Theo sounded a touch offended.

  "You're a jerk," Allie explained. "Frances needs a nice guy."

  Theo scowled. Good. Let him feel bad. "Why does everyone keep calling me a jerk?"

  "Because you can be one," Allie said. "Frances, what were you thinking? What about George?"

  Theo folded his arms across his chest and looked at me. "Yeah. What about George?"

  "He's much more my type," I said.

  Theo snorted, and Allie nodded. "Yes, he is," she said. Then her eyes widened. "Was it Theo you went out with on Friday night?"

  "Maybe."

  Allie spun around, her hands on her hips as she gifted Theo with another glare. "Theo! What are you doing to her? Corrupting her?"

  "She's quite corruptible," Theo said, flinching only slightly when I toed him in the shin. "You really think I could make her do anything she didn't want to do? I fear for my life when I'm with her."

  Was that the sweetest thing ever? A guy as tough as Theo respected me. I shot him a smile, and he smiled back.

  "You're coming with me." Allie grabbed my arm and pointed at Theo. "You stay away from her."

  "No promises," Theo said, giving me a special smile until we were out of sight.

  Allie dragged me straight through the living room and up the stairs to her room, where she slammed the door behind us. "What are you doing?"

  I just grinned, still thinking about how cute he'd been when he said he was afraid of me. Talk about female power!

  "He'll break your heart, Frances. Haven't you been listening to us? Have you had your head under a snowbank for the last ten years, not noticing the string of girls Theo has left behind him? You're too nice for him."

  I grinned at Allie. "He's a great kisser."

  "Of course he is! He's kissed about a thousand girls!"

  Well, when put that way, it didn't sound so good. My smile got a little smaller.

  Allie sat down next to me on the bed and sighed. "Frances, he doesn't study. He doesn't treat girls well. He's not right for you."

  There was a distinct possibility of that. However, there was also the possibility that maybe he was exactly right for me, or that I was exactly right for him. "He's coming to my house for a study date tomorrow night."

  "So?"

  "So, my whole family will be in and out of the room. No way is he going to have a chance to kiss me. It'll really be about studying."

  "So?"

  "So, he's taking me on a date that's studying, Allie. That's not something Theo would do if he was planning to ditch me tomorrow." Was it? God, I hoped not. I was definitely starting to trust him, maybe too much. "Maybe there's another side to him you've never seen."

  She cocked an eyebrow. "You really like him, don't you?"

  I sighed and picked up a pink glittery scarf from the end of her bed. I had never even held anything so girly and pretty in my hands, let alone worn it. "Sometimes."

  "And the other times?"

  I wrapped it around my neck. The fabric felt so soft and luxurious about my neck. "I think he can be a bit of a jerk. But when I tell him that, he shapes up pretty well."

  Allie studied me, then reached over and helped me arrange the scarf. "He did say he was afraid of you."

  "Of course he is. I think I'm the only girl he's ever met who doesn't want to climb in the backseat of a car with him." Or at least, not yet. The idea did hold some allure, now that I thought about it. I grinned. "He's turning me into a deviant."

  She frowned. "And that's good?"

  I thought for a moment, and then nodded. "He makes me laugh. And have fun."

  Allie pursed her lips. "You do have a tendency to be a little too serious."

  "So you've said."

  "Huh."

  We sat there in silence for a few minutes, and then Allie nodded. "Okay, then. As long as you promise to keep him afraid of you and don't climb into any backseats, this might be okay." She put her arm around my shoulder. "I would love to see you happy, Frances. We all worry about you, and how hard you work all the time."

  I grinned. "I don't even know if it's going to go anywhere."

  She looked at me thoughtfully. "And you're okay with that?"

  "Sure. Why not? It's not like I even like him half the time." That was part of the fun. "I'm afraid I don't want to go out with George anymore, though."

  Allie winked. "I wouldn't want to either."

  I smiled back, relieved that she wasn't trying to force him onto me anymore. "So, um, do you think we should tell Blue and Natalie?"

  Her smile faded. "Blue will freak."

  "Like you did."

  "Maybe we should wait until we see whether there is something worth freaking her out about."

  Phew. I was relieved to hear that. For some reason, I wasn't ready to share Theo with everyone yet. It was too tentative and too fragile, and I wasn't sure it would survive a bunch of outside interference. "Sounds good."

  "But I don't like lying to them."

  I sighed. "Me neither." That was the problem with my life right now. It was filled with deception. Lying to my parents about The Homework Club, about Theo, sneaking out at night, not telling my friends stuff, getting into a club through the back door. It was all fun and exciting, and it made me feel terrible at the same time.

  Something was going to have to give. I couldn't keep this up.

  Chapter Ten

  It was at dinner on Tuesday that I finally told my mom that Theo was coming over. I had less than an hour until he showed up, and I couldn't put it off anymore.

  Mom set down her fork and looked at me. "Theo is coming over to study?"

  "Yes." Uh, oh. She didn't look very happy. What if she said no? But how could she possibly object to me doing homework at my house?

  Mom carefully wiped her mouth with her napkin, her movements too precise and too careful. "Isn't he a senior?"

  That hadn't been a casual question, had it? Okay, so maybe inviting a senior boy to study was a little different than having Allie over to study. Not that I could let her see that. I had to convince her it as purely academic. So, I shrugged as calmly as I could and took another bite of my chi
cken stew. "Yes."

  "At another school?"

  Oh, I was starting to get nervous now. My mom was leaning toward me, watching me so carefully. I glanced over at Dawn, who was sitting next to me, listening carefully. The rest of my brothers and sisters were arguing with each other, so no one else was paying attention. My mom was supposed to have been so occupied with all the chaos that she had no time to actually analyze the situation. So much for that. Clearly, I was on her radar right now. "Yes, he goes to Mapleville High, with Blue and Natalie." Subtle reminder that perfectly nice people go to Mapleville High.

  She caught a sippy cup that was on its way to the floor and set it back on the table without ever turning her head from me. "So, what homework could you possibly have in common?"

  Uh... Good question. I hadn't prepared an answer to that question.

  "And don't even tell me that he's tutoring you." She handed one of the twins half a banana. "You get straight A's."

  My mind was totally blank.

  She was picking up momentum now, and I was utterly without an answer. I guess to be a good liar, you need to practice, because I was sure dropping the ball with this one.

  "Funny coincidence that it was Theo who picked you up on Friday. And dropped you off."

  I felt like I was choking. There were no good answers right now. I truly hadn't expected to be grilled. I really thought she'd been too distracted, and perfectly happy to have me studying at home.

  "And that Blue's parents weren't home to confirm you were at Blue's house," she continued.

  Why couldn't my sisters have a crisis right now? Where were the tears? Help!

  "And when I called Blue's house on Sunday, you were studying with Theo, according to Blue's mom. Not with the girls. With Theo." My mom folded her arms across her chest and eyed me. "So?"

  Then I blurted out the only thing I could think of. "I'm tutoring him."

  My mom narrowed her eyes. "Really." Could there be more skepticism dripping from that word?

  "Yes. He's an athlete, and he needs to get his grades up to stay on the team, but he's totally embarrassed. It doesn't do any good for his reputation, you know?" I couldn't believe it. Lying again? What was I turning into? "It's English where he's really struggling. Blue asked me to help him. That way no one at his school has to know."

  She just kept looking at me.

  I met her gaze, but inside I was crumbling. My stomach hurt and everything felt like it was tumbling down around me. "It'll be great to put on my college application, that I'm a tutor."

  "Are you lying to me?"

  "No." I couldn't do this anymore. I had to tell her the truth.

  She stared at me. "Fine."

  Fine?

  "He can come over."

  I grinned.

  "But I'll be watching."

  I stopped smiling. Did that mean Theo was going to have to agree to actually be tutored by me tonight? There was no way he'd be willing to do that to his reputation. I was so sunk.

  * * *

  "So, your mom thinks I'm such a bad student that I need a freshman to tutor me?" Theo didn't look too happy after I'd told him the story. We were sitting in my kitchen, both doors open to the rest of the house. "She believed you?"

  "What other choice did I have? She knew there was something going on between us." I set my book bag on the chair next to me and unzipped it.

  Theo watched me, but made no effort to unload his own backpack. "But you had to tell her I was stupid?"

  I grimaced at his question. I'd be upset, too, if someone thought I was stupid. But this was Theo. Wasn't being attractive and a good football player so much more important? "Do you really care? I mean, you don't even study."

  Theo narrowed his eyes at me. "How do you know I don't study?"

  I blinked, surprised by the question. Was he really a closet geek? "Do you?"

  "No."

  I sighed. So much for hoping there was really a secret George Moon hidden beneath the muscles and shaggy hair. "Then why are you getting upset?"

  "My grades are fine. I don't need a tutor."

  "Fine? Just fine?" I thought back to the car he had rebuilt all on his own, and the fact that his grades were fine with no effort. "Theo? Think how amazing your grades would be if you actually did study, even a little bit."

  Theo drummed his fingers on the table, his blue eyes intent on me. "You really take this studying thing seriously, don't you?"

  I pulled four text books out of my backpack and set them on the kitchen table. "Yes."

  He gestured at my stack of reading material. "You really invited me over here to work."

  "Of course I did." Then my smile faded. So, he hadn't come here just to study? He'd come here thinking we were really going to be sneaking up to my bedroom? So, he wasn't making this big sacrifice because he actually liked me, and wanted to hang with me even though he wasn't going to get to be romantic. He was here because he'd thought he was going to get some action.

  Disappointment rushed through me and I turned away, biting my lip as I dug for a pen. "You don't have to stay," I muttered. "Feel free to leave anytime if you're not in the mood to work."

  But he didn't get up. Not yet at least. "So, where's the girl who went dancing on Friday?"

  "Same girl." I felt a little lump in the bottom of my stomach. Was this where it ended? He found out what I was really like and decided I was too boring? "But this is what I'm like most of the time." I found my pencil and looked at him. "This is me, Theo."

  "Huh."

  "Is that bad?" I grimaced when I blurted out the question. It didn't matter what he thought. I was me and I couldn’t change that. I shouldn't need his approval.

  He glanced at open door, then leaned forward and put his hand over mine. "No. It's not bad," he whispered. "Just different." Then he kissed me quickly.

  I grinned. Okay, I believed him. This just might work.

  * * *

  Three weeks later, we were sitting at my kitchen table again. It was the sixth time we'd studied at my house, and my mom was actually believing me. Theo had started bringing school work with him and seemed to be taking the work seriously.

  It was Friday night, and he was here with me. Not out partying. Not out causing trouble. He was here with me, at my house, studying. A sign, don't you think?

  Plus, The Homework Club was going really well. Kids' grades had gone up, and Theo didn't even need to patrol to keep things under control. It was working.

  Everything was great.

  My mom appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. "We're all going out for ice cream. You two want to come?"

  All of them were going? So we'd get the house to ourselves? I tried to hide my smile. "No, thanks. We'll keep working."

  Theo and I hadn't even been alone together. We only saw each other at The Homework Club, Blue's house, and my house, since I was semi-grounded and couldn't go anywhere else. Yes, he'd made sure to squeeze in a few kisses here and there, but with all the people coming in and out of the rooms, there hadn't been any privacy. Quite honestly, at first, that had been fine with me. I was afraid that if I became too available, then Theo would get bored and ditch me.

  But it had been long enough now, and we'd spent enough time together, that I wasn't worried anymore. I just thought he was amazing, and I looked forward to his kisses so much. And now, we were going to be alone for an hour? Oh, boy. I was psyched.

  "All right, then," my mom said. "We'll be back in about an hour."

  "Bye."

  Theo was staring at me, and I tried not to look at him, certain my mom would be able to read my expression.

  Neither of us moved until the front door shut. We heard the car start, listened to it pull out, and then sat there for another minute.

  Then Theo got a wicked grin on his face, and my heart started racing. "Did I tell you how cute you look tonight?"

  I smiled, and leaned back in my chair. "No," I teased, "you didn't."

  "Well, you're super cute." He pushed his chair back f
rom the table, stood up and walked over to me. He held out his hand. "Want to dance?"

  Like I had to think about that answer for a minute. Of course! But I was having too much fun teasing him. "There's no music."

  He smiled. "Don't worry, my dear. I'm a great singer."

  My dear. Okay, so I was officially melting. I let him pull me to my feet, and I slipped my hands around his neck. He anchored his hands behind my back and pulled me up against him, swaying gently as he started singing softly. It was the same song we'd slow-danced to at the club. "You remember the song we danced to?"

  "Of course." He kissed my nose, continuing to hum. "How could I forget?"

  How indeed? And to think I'd ever called this guy a jerk. He was seriously the sweetest guy ever, and I was totally falling for him.

  "Mind if I kiss you?"

  I grinned. "Maybe."

  "Maybe, huh?" He spread his hands on my back, rubbing in a circular motion. I noticed that he kept his hands away from my butt, which made me laugh. He might like me, but he was still a little afraid of me. That was good.

  He bent his head, and I met him halfway. I was becoming quite addicted to kissing.

  "Frances!" My mom's squawk ripped into my bliss.

  Oh, no. I stumbled backwards, tripping over the chair. Only Theo's quick grab kept me on my feet. Unfortunately, it also ended up with me in his arms.

  In front of my mom, who was looking absolutely horrified. Oh, God. I was so busted. "Mom—"

  "Mrs. Spinelli, I can explain," Theo said, moving in front of me.

  Protecting me from my mom? That was so sweet. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to work this time. He was going to find himself in our trash can in about two minutes when my dad walked in, and I was going to be skewered alive.

  "You. Out of my house." My mom pointed at Theo. "Now."

  He didn't move, which totally melted me. "It's not Frances's fault."

  "Out!"

  Theo glanced at me, and I nodded. There was nothing he was going to be able do to this time. "It's okay."

  "I'll stay if you want." He was totally ignoring my mom's commands because he thought I needed him.

  I could love this guy. Really. "I'll be fine." Or I'd be dead. Either way, Theo wasn't going to be able to save me.