Page 45 of Tutoring the Bad Boy
Kaleb gives me his twisted smile. “Yes, Principal Gray.”
I lightly sock him in the stomach. “Donotsay that.”
A burst of laughter pops out of him. He starts to walk off but then comes back. “Our plan within a plan starts tonight.”
“What do you mean?” I ask as I start to get up from the table and gather my things.
“I’m coming to your house.”
I smile and catch my bottom lip in my teeth. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. You’re gonna sneak out your window, lover girl.”
As he walks off, my mouth goes dry. Did he just say what I think he said?Lover girl.My heart pounds in my chest, and my cheeks burn. Geez. I let out a long puff of air. I’m seriously going to need a constant reminder to keep my cool. None of this is real. There’s a goal. That’s it.
I hastily walk toward my Home Economics class and realize that if I don’t break out into a run, I’m going to be late. Mom hasn’t said how long I’m grounded for, but if word spreads that I’m late to class, the end date for my punishment could be three decades from now.
Just as I step through the door, the bell rings and I heave a deep sigh of relief. The Home Economics room smells like cinnamon, and I instantly perk up.
The frumpy teacher with pink hair, Mrs. Ludendorff, makes her rounds through the room. “Please take your seats.”
Home Economics is by far the funniest class I have. I share a communal table with Ronnie and Dixie, as well as the twins, May and Sarah Wong. Never in a million years did I think my mom would have me take such a class. She says it looks good on my college application because it shows I’m well-rounded.
As I sit on my stool, I give a silent greeting to the girls since one wrong sentence will undoubtedly send us into a round of laughter. Another reason I’ve loved this class. It’s not so serious, and I can relax a little.
Mrs. Ludendorff, with her customary Betty-Crocker-Gone-Wrong exterior, points to the whiteboard where a recipe is laid out. “Today we’re making cinnamon rolls.”
Dixie clasps her hands together in excitement. “Yummy.”
“Yes, Dixie, theyareyummy.” Mrs. Ludendorff looks down at Dixie through her glasses. The prescription on them is so high that Mrs. Ludendorff looks bug-eyed. “Good enough to eat.”
We burst into laughter. At least we’re doing something today that takes my focus off everything going on in my life—being grounded, the plan within a plan, and all the feelings I’m having for Kaleb.
A loud static noise comes from the intercom speaker. “Good afternoon, students, this is Principal Gray.”
Every time Mom’s voice comes over the loudspeaker, I sink into a hot lava pit of mortification.
Mrs. Ludendorff says, “Quiet down now.”
“This is a stern reminder that no student is allowed to sit on the tables in the quad. Thank you and enjoy fourth period.”
I’d like to say I’m shocked, but I knew she was watching me. What’s shocking is that she’s outing me in front of the entire school. I’m furious. It’s one thing to privately keep tabs on me, but when she’s bringing the entire city of Port Crest into it—it’s war.
The girls note my reaction and knit their brows together. They have no idea. They don’t know that my mom just came over the loudspeaker to inform me that she knows I was sitting with Kaleb Quinn. Well, if she found that hard to take, wait until she catches me sneaking out my window.
“This is a very good reminder,” Mrs. Ludendorff says. “Not only is it bad manners to sit on the tables, but also, someone could get hurt.” As she talks, the girls all cock their heads in unison. Nothing Mrs. Ludendorff says seems to fully check out. “Now that we’ve made that clear, let’s look at this recipe and read the ingredients aloud.”
What is this, elementary school? I’ll never understand Mrs. Ludendorff’s weird obsession with having us read every single ingredient. As we all begin to recite, I feel the vibration of my phone and take it out, keeping it low and out of my teacher’s field of vision.
Kaleb: Was that what I think it was?
I look from side to side to make sure no one is watching me.
Me: Yep.
As Kaleb continues to type, I hear Ronnie clearing her throat, trying to get my attention.
Kaleb: I knew I sat on that table for a reason :)
