Page 13 of Tutoring the Bad Boy
“Uh…” Kaleb looks caught in a bear trap. “I thought I should get more involved with school activities. And since she’s my tutor, I thought…”
“Right.” My mom takes her focus from him and turns on me. “You were very rude to Coach Williams. She came all this way to watch you play. The least you could do was be willing to listen.”
Coach Williams is a recruiter from Gilroy University, a small school a few hours from Port Crest. It would give my mom the ability to pop in for visits, and the only kind of pop I’m interested in is the fizzy kind. There’s no way I’m going to Gilroy.
“I was polite. I thanked her for her time.” I also don’t want to flat-out tell my mom that I refuse to go there either. At least not right now when things are so tense between us. “Besides…” I’m thinking harder than I ever have before, trying to come up with a reason that I can’t meet Coach Williams.
“Ginny said to meet her after the game so I could get some tutoring in. She said tomorrow is her homework day, so I didn’t want to cut into that,” Kaleb says, coming to my rescue. Only, he doesn’t have any books at all, so that excuse has about as much chance of flying as a frog does.
My mom doesn’t miss a beat as she tilts her head. “Oh, really? Do you normally meet up for tutoring with no books in sight?”
“Uh…”
Then I remember seeing something hanging on the corkboard in Mrs. Yates’s class. “There’s…there’s a movie showing at the Show on the Shore tonight calledWarm Bodies. We were going to see that because it’s a retelling ofRomeo and Juliet. That’s coming up in a few weeks, but I thought it would be good for him to see it so we could discuss it later.”
“So you’re going on a date?” my mom asks. Her horrified look isn’t lost on me.
Kaleb’s eyes widen, and the color drains from his face. “Absolutely not!” Kaleb blurts.
For a second, I’m a little hurt. Does the idea of going out on a date with me sound that bad? Then again, it’s my mom. It could just be fear. “Um, no. It’s not a date. I don’t have time for that, remember? I have school and volleyball. The only reason I mentioned the movie is that I think extra credit is being offered and Kaleb needs it.”
“Hey.” Kaleb crosses his arms over his chest. “I…fine. I need it.”
“I see.” My mom looks at me.
I look at Kaleb. “Hey, could you give me a second to talk to my mom?”
He holds my gaze a moment, nods, and then walks far enough that away I’m positive he can’t overhear me. I step closer to my mom. “Mom, I need to tutor him to the best of my ability. I don’t want Mrs. Yates getting you in trouble. If I get his grade up, it’s a win for both of us.”
I’ve put as much force in the words as I can muster because I sure don’t feel it. I like Mrs. Yates, and I love her as a teacher. It bugs me that she might have to resign because my mom is so laser-focused on making sure I don’t turn out just like her—a single mom who has to fight her way through life.
“Mom, I know I lied to you, but I’ve never done it before. That has to count for something. I’m not interested in dating, and if I was, Kaleb Quinn wouldn’t be on the list of people I want to date.” That last part is bitter on my tongue. I like Kaleb, and maybe…I force the thought to die. It doesn’t matter what I think of Kaleb. I’m his tutor and nothing else. Even if I was interested, he’s not interested in me.
Her hands drop to her sides, and she takes a huge breath while keeping her eyes locked with mine. I can almost see the debate she’s having with herself. Then her eyes tear up. “I just…I just don’t want you falling into the trap I did. Love is great. It’s wonderful, but you’re only seventeen. You have your whole life ahead of you.”
I put my arms around her and hug her. “I know, Mom. You love me. You want all the things you didn’t get.”
“I do, Ginny. You have unlimited potential, and I don’t want anything getting in your way. I want you to strive for the moon and have a straight shot for it.” My mom leans back. “I want…” She chokes back a sob. “I want all the good things for you.”
“I know. You’re amazing, Mom. You are. I couldn’t be prouder of you. All the things you’ve accomplished. I want to be just like you.” And I do. That’s the truth. She hasn’t let anything stop her from achieving her dreams. I just want…a little more balance, I guess. “I’m not dating Kaleb. I’m just tutoring him. Please trust me.”
My mom nods. “All right. You give it your all and tutor him.” She smiles. “I’ll take Coach Williams up on her offer to eat dinner and let her know that you’d planned to tutor someone. That’ll look good to her; I’m sure of it.”
“Exactly. I’m a well-rounded student.” That’s not going to Gilroy if it was the last college on earth, but, hey, whatever makes my mom happy at the moment and allows me to tutor Kaleb.
She hugs me and gives a squeeze before releasing me. “Okay. Just…”
“Don’t be late.” I finish her sentence and smile. “As soon as the movie’s over, I’ll be home. I promise.”
“Okay.”
“Would you tell Kaleb I’m going to grab a shower and then I’ll be out?” I point at her. “And be nice.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yes, I’ll tell him, and I’ll be nice.” As I go to step inside the locker room, my mom touches my arm. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
Hopefully our talk has helped things a little. At least, I want it to. I’m not sure if I can handle things getting worse.
