me?” I ask. “Or just kind of mad?”
“I’d say she’s still insanely mad.”
“Does she talk about me?”
“You really need to stop asking me about Candice.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s not fair to put me in the middle.”
“But you see Candice every day. I moved away, remember?”
“Oh, I remember. Maybe you should remember, too.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Remember how Candice liked Scott? And how you knew that but you went after him anyway?”
“But that was so long ago! And he didn’t even like her back!”
“It doesn’t matter. You knew that she liked him and you went after him anyway. How did you think that would make her feel?”
“Are you on her side or something?”
April sighs. “I’m not on anyone’s side. I’m just saying.”
“Because it sounds like you’re on her side.”
This is so ridiculous. Candice got mad because I followed Scott here. I get that. But is she going to stay mad forever? How long will it take before we can move on?
As if my day wasn’t stressful enough. I’m still pissed at Mr. Peterson for getting in my face. I guess it could have been worse, though. If I’d vented my anti-corrupt-system opinions to any other teacher, they probably would have suspended me. It feels so good to be not only understood but also listened to. It really seemed like Mr. Peterson sympathized with what I was saying. But then he said that if I don’t get my average up to 85, I’d be kicked out of tutoring.
“It’s the rule,” he threw down.
“Some rules are meant to be broken,” I countered.
“Nice try. You have three weeks to get your average up or you won’t be tutoring with us anymore.”
Like I care. Tutoring wasn’t something I wanted to do anyway. I just joined to get Sadie off my back. So what if I get kicked out? There are plenty of other people who could help John. Okay, maybe not plenty, but there has to be someone.
“I’m sorry if you feel like you’re stuck in the middle,” I tell April. “I’m just trying to ask about Candice.”
“Well, don’t. When she’s ready to talk to you, she will.”
I’ve been cleaning my room the whole time we’ve been talking. My bag is a mess. I turn it over on my bed and shake everything out. Then I find his note.
“Oh my god,” I say.
“What?”
“I think Scott wrote me a note. I just found it in my bag.” But reality sets in when I realize that my name isn’t written in his handwriting. I don’t recognize the writing at all.
“What does it say?”
I open it. My heart sinks. I was still hoping it could be from Scott.
“It’s from Espresso Boy.”
“From the coffeehouse?”
“Yeah. He must have snuck it into my bag yesterday when I got up for a snack. He put his number in it.”
“Are you going to call him?”
“I don’t think so. No. Calling him to say I like someone else would be cruel. It would be worse than not calling. Don’t you think?”
“Are you sure you don’t like him?”
“Um, I moved here for Scott?”
Silence. April and I would normally analyze some boy liking one of us for hours. But things are so tense that I can tell this part of the conversation is over.
“So,” I say. “What else is going on with you?”
“You know, same old around here. Everyone’s totally over school and it’s not even October. I don’t know how we’re going to survive until June.”
“It’s like that here, too.”
“Is it? I thought your new school was so much better.”
“It is. But the kids act pretty much the same.”
“What happened today? You said some teacher made you stay after ... ?”
“Oh, yeah. Mr. Peterson.” I tell April what happened. “Can you believe he’s making me do actual work?”
“He’s not making you. You could always quit tutoring, right?”
“Yeah. I’m considering it. But then Sadie would get on my case again and I really don’t need the stress.”
“Why do you care if some girl is bothering you about tutoring?
“I’d say she’s still insanely mad.”
“Does she talk about me?”
“You really need to stop asking me about Candice.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s not fair to put me in the middle.”
“But you see Candice every day. I moved away, remember?”
“Oh, I remember. Maybe you should remember, too.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Remember how Candice liked Scott? And how you knew that but you went after him anyway?”
“But that was so long ago! And he didn’t even like her back!”
“It doesn’t matter. You knew that she liked him and you went after him anyway. How did you think that would make her feel?”
“Are you on her side or something?”
April sighs. “I’m not on anyone’s side. I’m just saying.”
“Because it sounds like you’re on her side.”
This is so ridiculous. Candice got mad because I followed Scott here. I get that. But is she going to stay mad forever? How long will it take before we can move on?
As if my day wasn’t stressful enough. I’m still pissed at Mr. Peterson for getting in my face. I guess it could have been worse, though. If I’d vented my anti-corrupt-system opinions to any other teacher, they probably would have suspended me. It feels so good to be not only understood but also listened to. It really seemed like Mr. Peterson sympathized with what I was saying. But then he said that if I don’t get my average up to 85, I’d be kicked out of tutoring.
“It’s the rule,” he threw down.
“Some rules are meant to be broken,” I countered.
“Nice try. You have three weeks to get your average up or you won’t be tutoring with us anymore.”
Like I care. Tutoring wasn’t something I wanted to do anyway. I just joined to get Sadie off my back. So what if I get kicked out? There are plenty of other people who could help John. Okay, maybe not plenty, but there has to be someone.
“I’m sorry if you feel like you’re stuck in the middle,” I tell April. “I’m just trying to ask about Candice.”
“Well, don’t. When she’s ready to talk to you, she will.”
I’ve been cleaning my room the whole time we’ve been talking. My bag is a mess. I turn it over on my bed and shake everything out. Then I find his note.
“Oh my god,” I say.
“What?”
“I think Scott wrote me a note. I just found it in my bag.” But reality sets in when I realize that my name isn’t written in his handwriting. I don’t recognize the writing at all.
“What does it say?”
I open it. My heart sinks. I was still hoping it could be from Scott.
“It’s from Espresso Boy.”
“From the coffeehouse?”
“Yeah. He must have snuck it into my bag yesterday when I got up for a snack. He put his number in it.”
“Are you going to call him?”
“I don’t think so. No. Calling him to say I like someone else would be cruel. It would be worse than not calling. Don’t you think?”
“Are you sure you don’t like him?”
“Um, I moved here for Scott?”
Silence. April and I would normally analyze some boy liking one of us for hours. But things are so tense that I can tell this part of the conversation is over.
“So,” I say. “What else is going on with you?”
“You know, same old around here. Everyone’s totally over school and it’s not even October. I don’t know how we’re going to survive until June.”
“It’s like that here, too.”
“Is it? I thought your new school was so much better.”
“It is. But the kids act pretty much the same.”
“What happened today? You said some teacher made you stay after ... ?”
“Oh, yeah. Mr. Peterson.” I tell April what happened. “Can you believe he’s making me do actual work?”
“He’s not making you. You could always quit tutoring, right?”
“Yeah. I’m considering it. But then Sadie would get on my case again and I really don’t need the stress.”
“Why do you care if some girl is bothering you about tutoring?
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