The Tutor

9
I’m going crazy! Carson still hasn’t asked me to be his girlfriend and I’m on my way out the door to go home for the next two weeks! I swear I’m going to hurt that boy!
I got my luggage down the hallway and out the door. I was waiting for a taxi, brooding with my dark cloud overhead. I was not happy about this.
He’s been bugging me all week. He would always say, “Hey Gracie I have a question.” Then I would get all excited, but he would always just smirk and ask some stupid pointless question. He did it constantly!
I stood there pouting when someone was yelling my name behind me.
I turned around and saw Carson running up behind me. “Hey!” He said once he got to me. “Were you going to leave without saying bye?”
“Carson! You’re such a jerk!” I crossed my arms and turned around.
He wrapped his arms around me. “Gracie, but I have a quick question before you go.”
“I don’t want to hear it! You have been saying that all week.”
He chuckled. “Fine, I won’t ask you to be my girlfriend.”
I turned around and pushed him. “I have in my right mind to say no to you right now.”
“But the question is, do you want to?”
“No! Dang it! Of course I want to be your girlfriend! But I also want to clock you right now!”
He stepped forward and swiftly pressed his lips to mine.
He pulled back and smirked. “You’re a jerk.” I mumbled.
“Yeah, I know. So is that a yes?”
“Of course it is.”
“I suppose I’ll see you in two weeks.”
“That’s so long! I mean at my old school, Thanksgiving break was only a week.”
“Well, we have to travel a long ways to get home. This just gives us more time to get there.”
“I can’t believe you waited this long to ask me.”
“It was too much fun watching you flip out.”
“You’re a poohead!”
He laughed. “Yeah thanks. Go enjoy your break. Looks like your taxi is here anyways.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Later tonight. That’s when my plane leaves.”
“Alright. Well, I’ll see you later.” I wasn’t very happy about leaving him.
“Goodbye Gracie.” He kissed me one last time before I got in the taxi and drove off. Well, I have a boyfriend now.
~*~
I got off the airplane and descended the escalator. My mom was a little busy today so she said I could get a taxi home. Says so much about my oh so loving mother.
I went and grabbed my bags and then went out and flagged down a taxi. The old smelly man loaded my stuff in the car and I told him where to go.
I sat and looked out the window on the short drive. Things don’t change much in this town. Still all the same.
The Jacobson kids all playing in the streets with rocket launchers. The Newton kids getting mad at them and being goody two shoe tattle tales. All the same.
He finally found my house and pulled up. He helped me unload and I paid him.
I dragged all my stuff up the steps and unlocked the door. Figures my mom wouldn’t even be home. I walked in and everything seemed too quiet. I hated it. I set my stuff down and just looked around. It’s been so long since I’d been home it felt weird. I walked into the living room and to my utter astonishments I had all my friends and family scream, “Welcome home Gracie!” In my face! My aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and tons of friends from school were there.
I just stood there shocked as Rose came up and hugged me with my parents right behind her.
“Hey Gracie!” Rose said excitedly. I saw Ryan come up behind Rose once she released me. That’s when my shocked face turned into a big smile.
“Who’s idea was this?” I asked.
My mom answered. “It was Rose’s idea and I just helped get everything ready.” She smiled.
“Thank you!” I said giving even my mother a hug.
“Your welcome! You deserve it! I got your report card in the mail two days ago. I was shocked! No C’s, just A’s and B’s!”
Rose looked at me smirking. “I guess that tutor of yours really was helpful.”
“Oh! What’s your tutor’s name? I need to thank him!” My mom said.
“His name is Carson Meyers.”
“Great! Now go enjoy the party! By the way, I love what you’ve done with your hair.” My mom said smiling even wider.
“I have to talk to you!” Rose said.
“Well, spend the night tonight and we’ll have a long time to talk.”
“I need to know what happened with Carson!”
“I will tell you later.”
She giggled and we went and enjoyed the party.
It was awesome. I got to talk to all my old friends. We all went swimming, had a huge barbecue, and just plain messed around like old times.
A couple of my old guy friends hit on me, but they were REJECTED.
I had so much fun.
Finally after hours, people finally all left. My family was staying in a hotel and at my grandparents house, so they all left too.
Rose and Ryan were the last ones left.
We all were just chilling on the couch watching a movie and eating crap.
“Crap, no more soda. This popcorn is super salty! What did you do to it Rose?” Ryan said laughing.
She smirked. “Garlic salt!”
“I’ll go get you a soda Ryan.” I said getting up.
“No, Gracie, stay. I’ll get the soda. You’re the special one today. Plus, I know where everything is.” She skipped off to the kitchen.
“So Gracie, how’s it going at that school?”
“Pretty great. I my grades have improved tenfold.”
He chuckled. “That’s not that hard from the way your grades were before.”
I laughed and hit shoulder playfully. “Thanks Ryan.”
“You’ve changed a bit.” He said staring at me. “You seem…lighter.”
“Lighter?”
“Like more bright and happy.”
“I’m not wearing as much makeup anymore and I don’t have my hair dyed. That’s a difference.”
“So true. I really liked the old Gracie, but the new Gracie is pretty great too.”
“Why thank you.”
“You know, before you left I was actually going to ask you out on a date.”
My eyes widened a little, but I kept my cool. I’m not going to lead him on. I’m going to play dumb! …I can only imagine what Carson would say to that last line.
“That’s too bad, but you’re with Rose now, and you guys looks so cute together.” I smiled innocently.
“Yeah, she’s great, I really like her, but she’s not you.”
“That’s not always a bad thing. Rose is special in her way.”
“I know, and that’s cool, it’s just, I really missed you.”
I sighed. “I know Ryan, but I have a boyfriend now.”
He looked shocked at that. “You do?”
“Yeah, his name is Carson.”
“Your tutor?”
I smiled. “Yes, my tutor.”
Rose came back in with the soda and tons of extra food, ending our conversation.
~*~
Ryan finally left and it was just Rose and I watching lame chick flicks. I didn’t know what to do. Should I tell her? Should I keep it to myself? Well if I tell her then I’ll sound like a pretentious bitch.
‘Yeah, hey Rose, your boyfriend still likes me more and used you practically as backup.’ Yeah, that will go over well, I’m sure.
I sighed and took a bite of the chocolate bar I was chewing.
“By the way Gracie, did Carson finally ask you?”
I laughed then told her the whole story.
“Well, now you have a boyfriend! I want to meet him so bad!”
“I know. You will someday!”
“What if he doesn’t pass the best friend test?”
I laughed. “I’m sure he will, either way, he won’t care.”
“He won’t? That’s offensive.”
“Carson really doesn’t know the definition of offensive, or he probably does, but doesn’t give a crap.”
She laughed. “Nice choice.”
“Why thank you.”
We talk and watched movies for the rest of the night. I think we fell asleep around four o clock in the morning.
I woke up on the couch to the TV still going. I got up lazily and went to the kitchen to get some breakfast.
This was weird being home. I’ve been at the school for so long I’m used to that routine. Now I’m not even going to see Carson for two weeks and I’m stuck here with my best friend’s boyfriend that still has a thing for me. Life’s just fabulous.
I got some cereal and tried not to face plant in it. I was so tired!
That’s when my mother rushed in. “Oh Gracie! This Thanksgiving is going to be incredible! I’ve gotten everything worked out to where people are going to come over to our house this year!”
“We’re not going to grandma’s?”
“Nope! It’s still going to be great!”
She bounced off all happy like and I sat there and pouted. I miss Carson.
Maybe I should call him. I looked at the time. It was twelve. Perfect.
I ran up to my room and grabbed my phone. I found his number and listened as it rang three times.
“Hello?”
“Hey Carson!”
“Oh! Hey Gracie, how’s being home feel?”
“It’s alright. Last night my friends and family threw me a welcome home party.”
“Oh, that sounds better than my night. All I got was a pat on the back, screaming siblings and spaghetti O’s.”
I chuckled. “It’s only been a day and as much as in hate to admit it, I actually kind of miss you.” Okay, I miss him A LOT.
“Oh really? You just kind of miss me?”
“Yes. Take it or leave it.”
He just laughed. “So how happy was your mom about your grades?”
“Ecstatic! She wants to like give you a huge gift and everything.”
“Well, I’m okay with that.”
“Technically you do already have her daughter.”
“That’s so true.”
“What do you think about Dawson’s explanation?”
“I think he’s full of crap.”
“Me too! Do you remember my teddy bear I have to sleep with?”
He laughed. “Yes, I do.”
“Well, remember how I got it?”
“Yes.”
“Dawson was the little boy!”
There was silence on the phone, then finally after a while he spoke. “Excuse me?”
“Dawson was the little boy that gave me that teddy bear.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Of all the people to give you that teddy bear it had to be him.”
“I know! How weird is that?!”
“Well…I mean, I know this is a weird request, but can you like, not sleep with it?”
“What?! Why?”
“Because, you’re my girlfriend and it’s just weird that you’re sleeping with a teddy bear given to you by the guy I hate most in this world.”
“That’s true. Now that I look at Mr. Teddy, he has a gross way about him, now that I know Dawson gave him to me.”
“Good. Don’t sleep with the gross teddy bear.”
“What am I supposed to sleep with now though?”
“Me.”
I full on blushed, even though he couldn’t see it. “Carson!” I laughed.
“Let me guess, you blushed and got all flustered.”
“That’s why you’re the smartest guy in school.” I huffed.
My door swung open suddenly and there was Rose. “Gracie! Can I talk to him?!”
“Rose, really?”
“Come on, you can stay and it will be for one second.”
I sighed, “Fine, but it goes on speaker phone.”
“Sweet!”
I turned the phone on speaker. “Okay, Carson Rose my best friend is here. She wanted to talk to you.”
“Alright then. What do you want to ask me Rose?” He asked.
“First of all, do you truly really like Gracie?”
“Oh gosh, is this going to be like the interrogation of the boyfriend?”
I laughed. “Yes, just suffer through it now and it will be better later.”
“Answer the question Carson.” Rose said.
“Yes, I do truly really like Gracie.”
I blushed once again!
“Hey Carson, she’s blushing big time!”
He laughed. “Yeah, I figured. Next question.”
“Do you have any bad intentions with Gracie?”
“Define ‘bad.’”
“Like you only want her for sex.”
“Nope, I want her for the lovely company she provides.”
“Good answer. Okay, what’s her favorite color?”
“Depends on the day.”
“Very nice. What is her favorite animal?”
“Lion. She also likes penguins, but only on Tuesdays.”
“That was shockingly specific.”
“I have a good memory.”
“Okay, how do you make Gracie laugh the easiest?”
“I actually don’t know. She practically laughs at everything.”
“So true, but the correct answer is tripping someone. A good fall always cracks her up.”
“She’s not the only one.”
“Well, that’s all the questions I got. You passed with flying colors.”
“And I was nervous.” He said jokingly. “Well, I have to go. It was nice to kind of meet you Rose and Gracie, I’ll see you in two weeks. Don’t miss me too much.”
“I’ll try not to.” I said laughing. Although I know I’m going to miss him terribly.
“I’ll call you tomorrow or tonight hopefully. Alright?”
“Sounds good. Bye.”
“Bye Gracie.”
We hung up and I turned to Rose. “So what do you think?”
“He’s beyond perfect for you. I just have to see him now.”
I smiled. “I know.”
“Now let’s go have a fun filled, best friend day!”