us.
“They won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I just am ,” he sighed, annoyed.
“No wonder you need a tutor.” I smirked, “You don’t even go to class.”
He ignored this, playing a quick series of notes.
“You’re really good.” The comment escaped my mouth.
“Why are you still whispering?” he asked, not looking up.
A ‘thank you’ would’ve been more appropriate.
I chuckled. “I don’t know.”
“Have you seen Justin around? Since earlier in the gym?” he asked suddenly, locking his eyes with mine.
“Uh. No,” I replied, caught off guard by the question. “Why?”
“No reason.” He shrugged, swinging his guitar back over his shoulder. “Get back to class.”
“Is that an order?” I asked, challenging him.
“Yeah,” he responded, turning and walking back over to me.
“And what’ll you do if I don’t obey? Tell on me?” I asked, trying not to stutter.
“I’ll play. Really loud,” he threatened, running his fingers quickly over the strings behind his back.
I angled my jaw, turning to get my backpack off the floor.
I sauntered back to class, not looking back. Why I’d listened to Fox, I didn’t know. But he was acting sketchy, wanting me to get back to class, hanging around with me in the empty hallway…
I didn’t have a problem with leaving him alone. It was actually better if I did. He was a bad influence.
***
“Alright, Fox take care of the floors,” Nina said, gesturing to the bucket of water and the mop next to her.
“Emery, please clean the windows and tidy the counters and tables,” she told me, rubbing her temples.
“Ok, is there anything you need, Nina?” I asked her with concern.
“No, it’s – I’m fine.” She shook her head, heading to the bathroom before returning to her office.
Fox remained quiet, getting right to work. I found this odd.
“What’s with everyone? You ok?” I asked him, grabbing the Windex.
“Yeah, why?” he replied dully.
“You don’t seem like yourself,” I replied, spraying the glass.
“You’ve barely known me a month, Em – Emery,” he muttered, seeming distracted.
He called me by my full name. S omething’s definitely off.
“Well, excuse me for caring.”
I wiped the glass furiously, making squeaky noises as I tried to rub little specks of unknown substance off.
“You made a valid point, yesterday. We don’t know each other.”
“This is why you’re acting all serious? Because I snapped at you? ” I asked, turning to look at him.
“What, I can’t be serious?” he questioned, cocking his head as he dipped the mop back into the yellow bucket of soapy water.
I turned around, wiping down the rest of the windows hastily.
What is his problem?
“Nina, I’m out!” I called as my hand pulled the front door open.
“Ok, honey!” she shouted from her office.
As I rounded the corner of the building, I glance at Fox through the glass. He was mopping the floor as if his life depended on it, flipping his hair out of his eyes.
I was excited to see Holly, mostly because – unlike everyone else in my life – she was always smiling. Always.
I saw her run to me straight away, curls bouncing in the wind.
“Hey, Holly!” I exclaimed, waving to her.
“Hi,” she greeted shyly, holding her hand out.
Secretly hoping some of her positive energy would rub off on me, I took her smooth little hand and followed her to the playground.
I took her on the slide, and some other kids joined us in the sand box. We played for what seemed like hours.
Then we went inside for cookies.
“Here comes the plane,” I
“They won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I just am ,” he sighed, annoyed.
“No wonder you need a tutor.” I smirked, “You don’t even go to class.”
He ignored this, playing a quick series of notes.
“You’re really good.” The comment escaped my mouth.
“Why are you still whispering?” he asked, not looking up.
A ‘thank you’ would’ve been more appropriate.
I chuckled. “I don’t know.”
“Have you seen Justin around? Since earlier in the gym?” he asked suddenly, locking his eyes with mine.
“Uh. No,” I replied, caught off guard by the question. “Why?”
“No reason.” He shrugged, swinging his guitar back over his shoulder. “Get back to class.”
“Is that an order?” I asked, challenging him.
“Yeah,” he responded, turning and walking back over to me.
“And what’ll you do if I don’t obey? Tell on me?” I asked, trying not to stutter.
“I’ll play. Really loud,” he threatened, running his fingers quickly over the strings behind his back.
I angled my jaw, turning to get my backpack off the floor.
I sauntered back to class, not looking back. Why I’d listened to Fox, I didn’t know. But he was acting sketchy, wanting me to get back to class, hanging around with me in the empty hallway…
I didn’t have a problem with leaving him alone. It was actually better if I did. He was a bad influence.
***
“Alright, Fox take care of the floors,” Nina said, gesturing to the bucket of water and the mop next to her.
“Emery, please clean the windows and tidy the counters and tables,” she told me, rubbing her temples.
“Ok, is there anything you need, Nina?” I asked her with concern.
“No, it’s – I’m fine.” She shook her head, heading to the bathroom before returning to her office.
Fox remained quiet, getting right to work. I found this odd.
“What’s with everyone? You ok?” I asked him, grabbing the Windex.
“Yeah, why?” he replied dully.
“You don’t seem like yourself,” I replied, spraying the glass.
“You’ve barely known me a month, Em – Emery,” he muttered, seeming distracted.
He called me by my full name. S omething’s definitely off.
“Well, excuse me for caring.”
I wiped the glass furiously, making squeaky noises as I tried to rub little specks of unknown substance off.
“You made a valid point, yesterday. We don’t know each other.”
“This is why you’re acting all serious? Because I snapped at you? ” I asked, turning to look at him.
“What, I can’t be serious?” he questioned, cocking his head as he dipped the mop back into the yellow bucket of soapy water.
I turned around, wiping down the rest of the windows hastily.
What is his problem?
“Nina, I’m out!” I called as my hand pulled the front door open.
“Ok, honey!” she shouted from her office.
As I rounded the corner of the building, I glance at Fox through the glass. He was mopping the floor as if his life depended on it, flipping his hair out of his eyes.
I was excited to see Holly, mostly because – unlike everyone else in my life – she was always smiling. Always.
I saw her run to me straight away, curls bouncing in the wind.
“Hey, Holly!” I exclaimed, waving to her.
“Hi,” she greeted shyly, holding her hand out.
Secretly hoping some of her positive energy would rub off on me, I took her smooth little hand and followed her to the playground.
I took her on the slide, and some other kids joined us in the sand box. We played for what seemed like hours.
Then we went inside for cookies.
“Here comes the plane,” I
Similar Books
