Page 40 of Tutoring the Bad Boy
“Why do you think? To teach me a lesson.” I sigh. “The same lesson she’s been teaching since I could do math. That relationships are bad and I need to concentrate on finishing school and my career.”
Leaning back, Ronnie shakes her head. “You need to put a stop to this. There is no way this isn’t going to end badly.”
“That’s not all. A recruiter from Gilroy University was here tonight, and I guess I wasn’t being as malleable as I should be.” I hesitate a second. “Kaleb was here too.”
Ronnie brings her hand to her mouth to conceal an exasperated laugh. “What?”
I roll my lips in to keep myself from smiling. “I invited him.”
“If you know about this plan, why are you going along with it?” Her eyebrows knit together as her head tilts.
Because I like Kaleb and the thought of dating him makes me tingle? “He’s working really hard to get his grade up. I just…I don’t think anyone ever gave him the grace to be broken-hearted when his mom left.” I shrug. “I want him to have a chance to follow his dream. If that means pretending to date him, then I’m willing to give it a shot.”
Ronnie sits there in silence, and I wonder if she’s about to tell me I’m the craziest girl in the whole world. Her face softens with compassion. “I get it.”
“You do?” There’s a reason Ronnie’s the greatest friend I’ve ever had.
“Sure.” A smile stretches on her lips. “Plus, he’s drop-dead gorgeous and there’s a perfectly good reason to go to prom next spring too.”
She makes a valid point. He is cute, and prom is coming. “There’s more to him than looks. Kaleb has qualities I never knew about. He’s smart, funny, and sort of…romantic.”
Ronnie lifts a single eyebrow, and then her eyes go wide. “You like him!”
Crud. “Of course I like him. He’s a nice guy,” I say, trying to downplay it.
She’s not buying what I’m selling. “You couldn’t play poker if your life depended on it, Ginny Gray. Spill.”
“Fine. I like him, but it can’t go anywhere. You’ve met my mother. Even if we tried to have a relationship, she’d be in the middle of it. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.” I flop back on my bed and look at the ceiling.
Now that I’ve said it aloud, I realize I more than like Kaleb. I’m falling for him. I miss him when he isn’t around. I’m happy when I’m with him. But I’m right about my mom, and there is zero point in pursuing it. “Besides, I’m not even sure if he likes me in the same way.”
I quickly sit up. “But none of this is why I asked you over. I need you to cover for me in the coming months.”
“Cover for you?”
“My mom wants my heart broken? Then I’m getting it broken. There’s no better way to make her think I’m lovesick than sneaking out to spend time with Kaleb.” I grin.
Ronnie’s eyebrows hit her hairline. “I don’t know about that. I mean, in theory, yes, it’d definitely make the dating part seem real, but are you sure you want to lie to your mom? You’ve never lied to her before.”
And again, she’s got an excellent point, though my mom felt like I lied to her when I snuck to meet Kaleb for the first tutoring session. “I have to get her to stop. I’ve tried talking. I’ve tried yelling. I’ve tried everything. Something has to get her attention. Something that will make her hear me. To actually hear the words I’m speaking.” My shoulders sag. “I’m desperate. I need…” Tears begin to trickle down my cheeks.
Ronnie pushes off the beanbag, crosses the room, and sits next to me, putting her arms around my shoulders. “I know. If you think this is what it takes, then I’m on board. I might need your help when it comes time for me to tell my mom I’m not going into acting.”
I put my arms around her. “You’ve got it.”
There’s a knock at the door, and Mom pushes it open. She’s carrying Tupperware filled with cookies, and she frowns. “Here are some sugarfree cookies I baked yesterday. Take them home to your family, Veronica. I’m so sorry about poor Chuck.”
A tear rolls down Ronnie’s cheek. “He was a good pup.”
Geez, she’s good.
Chapter Eighteen
Kaleb
Coming downstairs for breakfast,thoughts of Ginny still consume my mind. Is it possible that I slept with a smile on my face? I remember coming home and lying on my back, looking up at the ceiling, thinking that last night was the most fun I’d had in a while. The look on Principal Gray’s face, Coach Williams’s face. It was all priceless.
“We need to talk.” Dad’s sitting at the kitchen counter, the newspaper held in front of his face and a half-full glass of orange juice to his side. From the looks of the refrigerator on Sunday, I imagine OJ is still all we’ve got left. The scene feels right out of a family sitcom.
