“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play coy with me. Spill it.”
“Alright, but only because I’m scared you’ll beat me up now. It’s a good thing I don’t have much hair to pull. You have to swear you won’t say anything.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, OK.”
“Brandon asked me about you the other day. He wanted me to tell him everything I knew and even told me to find out more, so I might’ve mentioned you would be at Scope.”
I lightly grab what little bit of hair I can get hold of on his head and pull it. “Parker, why are you just now telling me?” I ask nervously.
“Ouch. Brandon and I go way back, and he asked me not to say anything.”
“Oh. I kinda feel bad I made you tell.”
“Don’t. He ignores me most of the time, so it serves him right.”
“Is he not a nice person? I mean, he took up for me one day when one of his friends made fun of me.”
“No, Brandon’s cool, but he’s a follower. He sticks with his crowd. No offense, but that’s why I was shocked when he asked about you. You know I love ya, girl, but you don’t exactly fit into his world.”
“I know.” I tear off a bite of my sandwich and put it in my mouth, not sure what to make of the news. A part of me feels excitement over Brandon being interested, but the reality of that going nowhere is setting in. What a bummer.
Tutored
Brandon
Leah is one badass. It’s not the fighting that’s hot. It’s the fact that she’ll take up for herself. OK, seeing her pull Nicole’s hair was a turn on, too. Nicole is Amber’s best friend, and she’s a bully. She thinks she’s all that and a bag of chips, but she’s more like the crumbs at the bottom.
I’m in a daze, daydreaming about Leah when my study hall teacher calls me to his desk.
“Brandon, here’s a pass to go to the office. Mrs. Grove wants to speak to you.”
“What did I do?”
“I’m only the messenger.”
“Fine.” I take the pass and leave class. I get to the office, and the secretary tells me I’ll have to wait a few minutes. I can’t imagine what this is about. After fifteen minutes, Mrs. Grove peeks her head out of her office and motions for me to enter.
“Brandon, take a seat please.”
“Did I do something wrong?” I ask as I sit in the chair in front of her desk.
“I called you in to discuss English.”
“I know I’m not doing well in that class, but I’m trying to catch up.”
“Mr. Stanley told me you are very close to failing. I don’t want to see you get kicked off the football team. You need to accept some tutoring.”
“No, thanks. I’ll figure it out on my own.”
“There isn’t time, Brandon. There are no second chances. If you fail, you’re off the team, and I don’t want to see that happen to you.
“You’re up for a few scholarships, and if your grades don’t improve, the universities will not offer them to you. Is that a chance you really want to take?”
I sigh. This sucks. I don’t want to be tutored, but I don’t see where I have a choice at this point.
“What will I have to do?”
“You’ll stay after school three days a week. There should be enough time to fit it in before practice. We’ll meet again in a few weeks and see how you’re improving.”
“Fine.”
“Show up at the tutoring lab after last period. You need to take advantage of this opportunity. It’ll benefit you at college, as well.”
“Can I go now?” I ask, sounding irritated since I am.
“Yes, Brandon, you can go.”
I don’t know why, but I’ve always struggled with reading. Aside from math, I barely get by since so much reading is involved in my other classes. I’ve never known what to do about it. I’m not dumb, but I imagine with my mediocre grades, it appears that way.
I finish my last class and head to the tutoring lab. I don’t know what to expect, and I’m dreading this. It’s one large room with about ten cubicles and a few long tables out in the open for students to work at.
I think I’ve heard before that the teaching faculty rotate turns manning the lab. My study hall teacher, Mr. Warner, is working it today.
“Long time no see, Brandon. Who are you here to work with?”
“I’m not sure. Mrs. Grove told me to show up after school.”
Mr. Warner, who I believe fried his brain years ago from drug use, flips through some papers on the desk he’s seated at.
“Your tutor hasn’t arrived yet. Wait in cubicle three, and they should meet you there shortly,” he says, pointing toward one of the cubicles that has a piece of paper taped to the side of it with a number three wrote in black marker.
“You’re not tutoring me?” I ask.
“No, a fellow student will be.”
Super. I can’t wait. Having another student tutor me is embarrassing. I trudge over to the cubicle and find it has a desk barely long enough for two people to sit at, and there are two chairs in front of it.
It feels very confined and personal. I sit in one of them and open my book. I should at least be able to tell this person what I’m working on, so I don’t sound stupid.
Leah
I text Paul to pick me up late in front of the school but to absolutely not get out of the car. I’m nervous as I arrive at the tutor lab. The last thing I want is to sit with someone I don’t know and try to teach them. I might be intelligent, but I have zero experience as a teacher.
“Hi, I’m Leah. I’m here to tutor.”
A man who looks as if he could’ve once been a hippie directs me where to go. I approach a cubicle and take a deep breath before I step around it.
Eyes turn and meet mine. Holy Hotness. It’s Brandon.
“Hi, I’m Leah.”
He closes his eyes for second, and I could swear I see him take a deep breath, too. He doesn’t look happy to see me. “Hi, I’m Brandon.”
I sit next to him at the small desk and turn to face him. “Look, I’ll be straight with you. I’ve never tutored anyone before. This is my punishment for what I did to Nicole Reagan, but I’ll do my best to help.”
“This is embarrassing. I’m not doing that great in English, so I have to do this to stay on the team and not lose a scholarship.”
“Don’t sweat it. I don’t think any less of you because you need help with English. I mean, no one should think less of someone because they need tutoring, and I don’t even know you, so I shouldn’t judge, anyway. Um, I’ll shut up now.”
I’m a total moron. I turn back around and stare at the cubicle wall in front of me that the desk is shoved up against.
“I really like your hair this color, too.”
I feel the heat on my face as I get the courage to look at him again. “Thanks.”
“I thought it was cool that you stood up for yourself with Nicole. She can be a real bitch.”
“Isn’t she your friend? I mean, I see she sits at your table at lunch.”
He gives me a flirty grin. “You’ve noticed me at lunch?”
I grin right back at him. “I’ve noticed you staring at me at lunch.”
He’s blushing now. “Nicole’s a friend by default and that’s pushing it.”
I guess that’s how I felt about my old friends. Maybe Brandon and I are more alike than I thought. He smells incredible. Why am I drawn to him like a magnet?
Liking him would be nothing short of very complicated for the obvious fact that every girl he spends time with hates me, and some of the guys make fun of me, too.
I had no intentions of dating anyone when I moved here for fear of blowing my cover, and I also don’t need anyone preventing me from wanting to travel across Europe next summer.
“OK, um, what are you struggling with?”
“I have trouble understanding and remembering what I’ve read.”
“How are you in your other cla
sses?”
“I do great in Math and not too bad in science, but any class that has a lot of reading is hard for me. Like this ridiculous poem …” he says, pointing to a page in his open book. “When I read it, it seems like a garbled mess to me.”
“Can I see it?”
“Sure.” He slides the book over a little, but I have to lean into him some to read. A thick energy fills the space between us, and I’m wondering how I’ll focus on what I need to do.
Mmm … he couldn’t smell any better. Dammit, no. He’s not supposed to smell good. Of course, it’s a love poem. Can this get any more awkward? He should understand this.
“Would you mind if I read this to you, and then see what you think it means?”
“Um, no, go ahead.”
I read the few paragraphs aloud and wait for him to respond.
“I believe it’s about a man who’s separated from the woman he loves, so he tries to escape her memory by living in the woods, but he soon finds that everything in nature reminds him of her.”
“That’s right, and I don’t think I could’ve described it any better.”
“It seemed easier to understand when you read it aloud than when I read it in the book.”
I recite a few more poems in his chapter, and he explains every one of them eloquently. He’s smart, so what’s the problem?
“Hey, Leah.”
I snap out of my daze. “What? I’m sorry, did you say something?”
“Did I get the last one right?”
“Yes. I was thinking how smart you are.” Oh my gosh. Did I say that aloud?
He puts his hand over mine on the desk, and his touch is electrifying. My pulse quickens, and I’m awakened, feeling something foreign yet thrilling.
“I can’t recall anyone ever telling me I’m smart. Thank you.”
“It’s obvious you are.” My hand begins to tremble, so I pull it away and put it in my lap. “Um, I know we’re not supposed to meet tomorrow, but I have an idea. Would you have time?” I ask.
“If you’ll go out with me after.”
I look at his handsome face again, and he’s giving me that flirty grin. I swallow hard and chew on my lip.
“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. Your friends dislike me already, so I’d hate to cause you trouble, and trouble seems to be all that follows me.” I look away from him. That sounded lame.
“They shouldn’t dislike you when they don’t know you, and I don’t care what they think.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Will you think about it? Sometimes trouble is a good thing.” He’s giving me the most alluring look, and I feel burning hot all over. Shit.
“OK. Our time’s up, so I need to get going.”
“Can I drive you home?”
“I have a ride but thank you.”
“You’re not walking today?”
“No. I won’t be walking anymore. It was nice meeting you, Brandon.”
“Same here, Leah.” He slices through me with his intense emerald eyes, so I hurry out of the cubicle, worried he’ll sense the effect he’s having on me.
My Lucky Charm
Brandon
She might actually be my lucky charm. Leah’s even more beautiful up close, and the desire to touch her is overwhelming. I finally had to put my hand on hers to feel her skin.
I was embarrassed and pissed off when I saw it was her who would tutor me, certain I’d come across as dumb, but I felt comfortable around her. For the first time, I felt like I could be myself around a girl.
Parker was right. There’s something familiar about her. Maybe it’s because she feels like home, like someone who’s known me forever.
“Dude, get changed. We’ve got to get to practice,” Anthony says. I hadn’t noticed that I’ve been staring into my gym locker. We’re the only two not out on the field.
“Sorry, man.” I pull my jersey over my head.
“You’re thinking about that girl again, aren’t you?”
“I met her, and she’s awesome.”
“I heard what she did to Nicole.”
“I saw the whole thing and loved every second of it. She did what I can’t. I’m over Nicole and Amber’s shit.”
“I hear that.”
“Let’s go. I have some sexual frustration I need to burn off,” I say.
***
I haven’t been able to think about anything other than Leah since we talked yesterday, and I’m excited about seeing her again after school. I can’t help but smile at her during lunch, and she actually smiles back.
“Who are you cheesing at?” Amber asks. She’s sitting across from me and down a couple of seats, but I guess she’s still watching my every move.
She turns her body around to look in the direction of Leah. Leah’s smile soon turns to a frown before she goes back to talking to Parker. I wish I could sit with her.
“Don’t even tell me you have a thing for that new girl,” Amber says nastily.
“OK, I won’t tell you.”
Anthony snickers.
“What am I missing here?” Cole asks.
“It seems Brandon likes the new social outcast. You know, the witch that pulled Nicole’s hair,” Amber replies.
“I knew you had a thing for Lucky Charm.”
I snap my head to Cole and glare at him.
“I told you not to call her that. I mean it.”
“Oh my gosh. You really like her,” Nicole says, seeming more pissed than Amber even. I guess so since Leah called her out for the bitch she is.
“Yeah, I like her, and you both better leave her the hell alone.” I look next to me at Cole. “You too.”
“Don’t worry. She’s freakin’ crazy,” Nicole says.
I get up from the table. I don’t know if I can survive two semesters with some of these people.
I can hardly wait for the school day to end. I don’t care about English. I want to see Leah and find a way to touch her again. I walk in, and Mr. Stoner, I mean Warner is working. His eyes light up when he sees me.
“Mr. Jennings, I didn’t expect to see you back already.”
“Oh, you know how important it is I pass English. I need all the help I can get.”
“Cubicle three’s open again.”
I take a seat, and it’s not long before Leah walks in. She’s wearing red skinny jeans that match her hair and the concert shirt from the band we watched at Scope. She’s sexy, and I want to kiss her so damn bad.
“Hi, I like your shirt.”
“Thanks. Did you like the band?”
“Yeah. I thought they were talented. Is that the kind of music you listen to?”
“Not Icelandic, normally, but I listen to rock and some metal, and you?” she asks.
“Same.” She sets a paper in front of me that looks very similar to a test.
“Will you humor me and fill out this questionnaire?”
“If you’ll go out with me tonight? I have a game, so it would be late, but I’d really like to see you. You could come watch me play, and I could take you home.”
“Um, I’ll need to drive to the game, but I could meet you somewhere after.”
“That’ll work.” I’m trying not to read more into her response. I hope she’s interested and not feeling sorry for me. I do as she asks and answer the questions in front of me.
It’s mostly about how I see letters, how organized I am, how I process information, and what my grades are like. I’m not sure where she’s going with this, but I answer honestly.
“Here you go.” I hand her the paper. “I’m sharing a lot of personal info with you, so I hope you’re planning to reciprocate.” I grin at her.
She blushes and drops her eyes to the paper. I can’t stop staring at her. Leah’s so damn beautiful. Her skin is like porcelain. I know she’s young, but no girl at this school has skin as perfect as hers.
“I’m not a doctor, teacher or psychologist, but I highly suspect there’s a good e
xplanation as to why you struggle with reading. It’s something out of your control.”
“What is it?”
“Please don’t get upset with me. Like I said, I’m not the specialist, and it’s something that wouldn’t be in your control. I think you might be dyslexic.”
“I’ve heard of that, but I don’t really understand it. What makes you think that?”
“I pulled this questionnaire off the internet at a reputable site, and your answers tell that it’s highly likely. It’s better to be diagnosed while young, but there are still measures that could be put into place to help improve your grades. It would definitely keep you on the team, and you would even get help at college.”
“You haven’t even spent an hour with me, and you think that?”
“I do. With dyslexia, your brain processes what it sees differently than those who don’t have it. That’s why you understood the poems when I reeled them off to you instead of when you read them from the book.
“You were processing the information from listening instead of seeing. You should have your parents get you evaluated for it right away to help keep you on the team.”
“I don’t even know what to say. I mean, thank you for thinking of it and for caring that much. Would you please not mention it to anyone? The guys would give me a hard time about it.”
I look away from her. I’m touched at her concern, but I’m also embarrassed. I’m not familiar with dyslexia to know if it would change her opinion of me. I’ll have to research it. She doesn’t seem to care in a negative way.
“I would never do that.”
Our faces are only a foot apart, and my desire to touch her is even stronger now. I take hold of a piece of her hair and slide it between my fingers. It feels like silk.
“Now I know you’re extra special, so you’ll really hurt my feelings if you don’t go out with me.”
She gives me a grin that takes my breath away. She hasn’t smiled at me like this before.
“I guess you do owe me a meal since I might’ve saved your lifelong dream of playing football.”
“That’s not the most important dream I have, but I do owe you.”
“Then I’ll see you at the game, Brandon.” Just like that, her hair slips through my fingers and she’s gone. I have to taste those cherry lips.
My Lucky Charm Page 4