MasukThe weekend goes by without any messages from Ryan. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because I noticed the pressure they were under, especially with them facing their biggest rivals right at the beginning of the football season. I take advantage of my newfound free time to catch up on some of the series that came out during the school week.I thought I would spend the whole weekend that way, but then I receive a text from Ryan on Sunday around 2 p.m. telling me that we can have the tutoring session at his place. That surprises me because I thought he wouldn’t want me going over to his personal space. We schedule it for 7 p.m.Much too soon, the allocated time comes, and I gather my stuff. I reach their house and knock on the door. Mrs. Montague answers it, and the smile she almost blinds me with makes me feel a little guilty since I haven’t really bothered to visit her due to our split.“Gavin, come in,” she says excitedly.“Good evening, Aunt Elise,” I say, bending down to change my
The rest of the week goes by with us having tutoring sessions in my room at the end of every day. What surprises me most is how receptive he is to the tutoring because the Ryan I knew never liked studying one bit. Our interactions at school are still stiff, but now we at least text—well, it’s mostly him texting me every night to let me know he got home safely after our sessions, and me pretending like I don’t care while secretly kicking my legs and smiling like an idiot whenever I receive them.Friday comes too quickly, and as usual, Dad drives me to school. The fact that they haven’t resumed their teasing since the first day of tutoring is baffling to me, but I’m not about to complain since their teasing can be really embarrassing.I walk into school and realize people are crowded around the notice board. Curious, I go to see what’s so interesting and realize they’ve posted the football season schedule. Of course, SHIH is going against their arch enemies, Wolf Peak High School. The c
I immediately start organizing the study materials we are going to need for the tutoring session, and along with them, I tidy up my room as soon as I get upstairs. A while later, I head back downstairs only to realize that Mom is home.Today she is dressed in a green dress that complements her figure quite well. However, she doesn’t look good at all, and my heart drops because my mom is not the kind of person to wear her emotions on her face. If she isn’t even bothering to hide them today, then it must be bad.“Hey, Mom. Good evening. What’s wrong?” I say as I move toward her and give her a one-armed hug.“Just the usual, baby. How was school?” she asks, giving me a wan smile, her beautiful brown eyes dull.“The clients are being difficult again?” I ask knowingly.“Yep.”“Why can’t you just drop them?”“We already signed a contract, baby. I can’t just go back on it.”“I sometimes wish you were a bit unprincipled, you know. I hate seeing you like this,” I say with a sigh.“But baby, it
The next day rolls in feeling kind of slow. I’m nervous about having to tutor Ryan, and I’m also dreading his reaction to the fact that I’m the one doing the tutoring. As usual, Dad drops me off at school on his way to work, and I march in as though it’s a battlefield.Soon enough, I head to my first class. Just as I sit down, I feel a shadow loom over my desk. I raise my head—and there he is. Ryan.I swallow the lump in my throat. The fact that I’m this nervous talking to my best friend of over six years is heartbreaking. It sends a sharp stab through my stomach. This was the guy I trusted to always have my back. Now he’s the very person I have to watch out for… because he might be the one doing the stabbing.“I heard you’re going to be my tutor for the foreseeable future,” he says by way of greeting.“Good morning to you too, Ryan. And yes, Madam Agatha already informed me yesterday,” I reply, looking up at him defiantly.“And you agreed just like that?” he asks, incredulous.“Was I
Tuesday rolls in looking and feeling good. I enter school with a pep in my step, actually smiling as I walk towards my locker. I wait for a little while, and soon I hear those peppy steps I know so well. I turn to see Ceci hopping towards me as usual. “Well, well, well… someone looks happy today,” she says, arching her eyebrow. “I actually am. Considering yesterday’s situation, I thought I’d be feeling down today, but for some reason, I’m just really happy,” I tell her with a shrug. I close my locker, and we head towards our science class. Mr. Kepner, our science teacher, might not be strict about lateness, but that man holds grudges. Last semester, just because Osbert—one of Ryan’s blockhead friends—came late to class, he made him do a personalized test covering everything he had taught while Osbert was absent. To this day, I haven’t seen him come late again—and that’s saying something, considering how these footballers act like divas. We soon reach the classroom, and it’s alrea
The holiday comes to an end all too soon, and we head back to school. On the very first day, you can feel the excitement in the air. I just want to roll my eyes at everyone—I don’t really get the appeal of football.I walk toward my locker and soon spot Ceci bouncing in, as though she has springs under her feet. That girl’s hyper energy is something that needs to be studied because nobody should be that full of energy all the time.“Hey, twinee,” she greets me when she finally stops in front of me.“Hey. What’s got you so hyped up?” I ask.“It’s football season, baby. The only time we’re allowed to ogle those meatheads without reservation.” She wiggles her eyebrows, and I just laugh, shaking my head. Ceci has a weird obsession with looking at ripped men, and while I get the appeal, hers is on another level.“Let’s go to class,” I say, slamming my locker shut and grabbing her hand.“You’re the only person I know who isn’t excited about football season,” she says, shaking her head.“Wel







