The Tutor

15
“Carson it’s so good to see you.”
“Uh…Yeah, when exactly did you get here?”
“Well my parents and I just got back a couple nights ago and they re-enrolled me in here! Isn’t that great! My grades are so perfect that the dean just had to let me in.”
The peppiness this girl was giving off gave me a headache. I can’t believe Carson was in love with her…I’m nothing like that…
“That’s great Maya, well, I’m just going to-”
“Wait, Carson, I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened between us and I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
“There’s nothing to talk about Maya.”
“Well, I mean, it was kind of stupid and impulsive, which I am none of those things and you know that, but Dawson was just so convincing and-”
Weird, I’m both stupid and impulsive…
“Maya, seriously I don’t want to hear this.”
“Well, I think you should. I hurt you a lot and I know it was totally wrong. It was the one and only time that will ever happen. I promise. I was hoping maybe we could like…start where we left off?” She put her hand on his arm gently and jealousy flared up in me. I seriously don’t think she even saw me. They were both like a foot taller than me.
“Maya, I’m sorry, but that’s just not possible.”
“Why not?”
“I kind of have a girlfriend.”
“Kind of?” I snapped with my hand on my hip.
She finally looked over at me. “Her? She’s your girlfriend?”
“Yeah, she’s definitely my girlfriend. Not kind of, definitely.” She said quickly trying to cover his tracks.
“But Carson, she’s…nothing like me. She’s short, blond, and I don’t know she just doesn’t seem like your type.”
“I have a type?”
“Well, yes. You like girls that are sweet, smart, unimpulsive, classically romantic, and calm. She just doesn’t give off that aura.”
“Well, maybe different is good. Looks like I didn’t have too much luck with ‘my type’ in the first place.”
I laughed at that. “Burn!” I yelled.
She glared at me. “That’s so immature.” She sneered.
“Hey, I’m not the one that cheated on my totally perfect boyfriend with a lying douche.” I shrugged.
Carson turned and smiled. “You think I’m perfect?”
“Eh…”
“I’ll take it.” He shrugged.
“It was a mistake! I felt so bad about it I cried for days. I never would want to hurt Carson. He’s such a wonderful guy.”
I walked in front of Carson and looked her in the eye, “You never wanted to hurt him? How can you expect not to hurt him when you cheat on him? He loved you! Cheating on a guy makes no sense either! If you’re so happy with Carson, why’d you cheat? So listen, why don’t you leave him to someone who truly does care for him and don’t make a fool of yourself.”
She didn’t like me saying that. “People make mistakes! And yes he did love me, I’m sure there’s still some feelings left too. I for sure still love him and a little immature girl is not going to get in my way. And I didn’t think I would be replaced so quickly.” She pouted.
Carson put his hands on my shoulders to make sure I wouldn’t…you know…kill her.
“Listen Maya, it was so nice to see you again, but you’re not the center of the universe. People change. People grow up. And I wasn’t going to sit around and just wait for you to come crawling back to me. That was a long time ago and I met Gracie. Sure, I didn’t like her much when I first met her, but she grew on me.”
I smiled.
Maya turned to me. “Well Gracie, I hope you have fun while it lasts.”
She turned on her heel and walked away.
I looked up at Carson, “That’s the girl you dated?”
“She wasn’t always like that, I swear.”
“But she’s right you know…you fell in love with her and I’m the complete opposite of that.” I looked down.
“Gracie, you remember what I said before? About how I don’t have a type. That if I truly like a girl it won’t matter what she looks like or how she acts. What will only matter is how I feel about her.”
He placed his hand under my chin and lifted my lips up to his.
When he pulled away I smiled. “That was actually really sweet to say. What a surprise from you.”
He put his arm around my shoulders and we began walking. “Yeah, well…I guess at this point you can expect it. I keep saying you can’t, but…then I keep saying nice things.”
I chuckled. “You’re turning into a softy.” I said poking his stomach.
“Pfft! No!”
“Yes you are! You’re so nice to me now.”
“Well…I can’t be mean to you. That would defeat the purpose of you now being my girlfriend.”
“That is true, but I can take it.”
“I actually kind of want you to stay my girlfriend and to tell you the truth I don’t have much to be mean about when it comes to you.”
“Aw! See that’s so sweet!”
“Yeah, well I like you for goodness sakes.”
“That’s good to know.”
He kissed my cheek quickly. “You’re cute.”
“Don’t say that!” I said laughing. “You know I hate being called cute!”
“Yup.”
“Butthead.”
“Wow, I haven’t been called butthead since like…fifth grade.”
“I’m going to bring it back.”
He laughed. “Good luck with that one.”
~*~
“Come on Gracie, you know this.” Carson pleaded with me. We were back to the original routine of tutoring after school.
“I’m sorry, I’m just having a hard time remembering.”
“Dang, maybe I actually should have tutored you over the break. Come on, I’ll explain one more time.”
He went and wrote how to do the problem the fourth time and I watching carefully….I still didn’t get it.
I slammed my pen down. “I’m sorry Carson, but this just is ridiculous! I don’t want to have to deal with this and I’m through!”
“Gracie, please just calm down. Don’t worry, we’ll work something out. It’ll be fine.”
I sighed. “It’s late, let’s just go back to our dorms.”
“Alright fine.”
We packed everything up and walked out. He kissed my cheek before we went our separate ways.
The next morning I woke up and got ready quickly. I ran to my first class and unfortunately my biology teacher thought it necessary to have two teacher’s aides. So yes, Maya is one of them and now she knows I’m stupid as hell. She laughed greatly yesterday.
I walked in and saw her super close to Carson, talking to him. It made me a little uncomfortable.
I walked over and sat down on the other side of him. She looked up and glared. “What are you doing here?”
“Learning. I know, it’s strange, but true.” I rolled my eyes.
“No, I mean why are you here, as in right here. Why not sit over there?” She said pointing.
I looked at Carson and he was just holding back laughter. I was slightly confused, I won’t lie.
“Um…no.”
“But isn’t it awkward sitting next to Carson?”
“……no.”
“But I you guys just broke up last night.”
I stopped short at that. “Excuse me?”
“I heard you talking during your tutoring session and you broke up with him.”
I looked over at Carson and he was still trying to hold back laughter and it looked like he was going to burst.
“Um…as far as I know I didn’t break up with him.”
“But I heard you say, ‘I’m sorry Carson, but this just is ridiculous! I don’t want to have to deal with this and I’m through!’”
My eyes got wide and I just burst out laughing.
“You idiot! I was talking about my homework! Jeez!” I said laughing at her. Right when I burst into laughter Carson did too and we laughed and laughed together.
She got all frazzled and stood up. “It was a simple misunderstanding!”
“Yeah sure, but you were spying on us. You’re a creepy stalker!” I said when a tear rolled down my eye from laughing.
She huffed, “I was not stalking. I was in the library studying.”
“That my friend is a big fatty load of bull crap.”
“Whatever. You’re stupid and immature.”
She stomped off.
“Damn, she’s relentless.” I commented once we both calmed back down.
“Yeah, I know. I don’t remember her being quite so….annoying.”
“Yay, she replaced me on your list of annoying right?”
“Hah! Heck no!” He kissed my cheek and I pouted. “But for the record the list stretches out for a while and you’re slowly declining.” He smiled and I punched his arm.
“Being your girlfriend, I shouldn’t be on at all.” I paused for a second. “Then again you’re still on my list of arrogant pricks.”
“Because I know I still am one.” He smirked.
I rolled my eyes and the teacher began.