Friend or foe.
1642 Words
Alec’s POV.
Triple it!?
Money wasn't the problem, I agreed to it.
Hours later, the door bell rang. I bolted for the door, taking in a deep breath before I swung it open.
She stood before me.
Her brunette hair was pinned in a tight bun, and her eyes gleamed behind her glasses.
She was wearing a pink top, and lord help me, I could see her bosoms peeking out.
I couldn’t look away.
“Hayes,” I said, not even sure what I planned to say next. She was the best student with a scholarship—and my best bet at saving my failing academic life
“Look, I know how this looks” I said, running a hand through my hair. “Can we put everything behind us and start all over? I really need this”
“You should know by now that I hate your guts. You humiliated me in front of the whole school and now I should tutor you as if nothing happened?”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and scoffed.
“Like I care about your stupid grades”
Ouch. That stung.
“I deserve that”
Her shoulders dropped.
“I don't know what you are up to bannister, but I need this money and you need tutoring and that's all to it. But if I should get a hint of foul play. i quit”
I studied her. She was a lot feistier than I remembered.
“Fine” I said.
“Well,” she said eyeballing me. “Are you going to invite me in or are we doing our tutoring right here on your porch”
“Right. This way”
She pushed past me as I stepped aside.
She paused after a few steps, probably taking in the view.
I smirked.
“Like what you see Sam?” My lips curved.
“It's Samantha to you, sir”
“Okay,” I said, raising my hands in defence.
We climbed a few stairs and I kept glancing back to be sure she was still following. And each time I did she would stop in her tracks and glare at me.
She followed me into my room, and the way she froze in the doorway nearly made me laugh out loud.
Her gaze darted everywhere, the unmade bed, the hockey gear dumped in the corner, the posters on the wall, as if she’d just stepped into a lion’s den instead of a room.
“Here?” she asked, eyes narrowing.
“Yeah, here,” I said casually, kicking aside a stray hoodie. “What’s wrong, princess? Afraid I’ll bite?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a split second, I had the insane urge to see what she’d do if I really did lean in closer.
Before I could dig myself into that hole, I gestured toward the small table by the window. “Relax. We’re sitting over there. Don’t worry, your virtue is safe.”
The tension in her shoulders melted just enough for me to notice. She let out a tiny breath, one she probably didn't even realize she was holding. And of course that smile tugged at my mouth again.
“You are impossible” she muttered, brushing past me to drop her books on the table.
“Impossible?” I spread my arms in the air “Come on, Sam, admit it. You missed me”
Her glare was sharp enough to slice me into tiny pieces.
“It’s Samantha. And no. Not even a little.”
I dragged a chair back, dropping into it with A lazy sprawl.
Lily walked into my room, already dressed to go out—short black skirt and a tank top.
“Hi,” she said. “I came for my charger”
I rolled my eyes, she probably heard a girl's voice and came over to see who it was.
“Here” I said, tossing it to her. I caught the slight panic on Samantha's face before she looked away and busied herself with arranging nothing on the table.
“This is Lily,” I said. “My sister.”
Lily smiled politely. She had that look, the one where she sensed something but didn't know what.
“Oh,” Sam said flatly. “I’m Samantha. His tutor.”
Lily blinked. Then looked at me. Slowly.
Tutor? Her expression said.
“Right,” Lily said carefully. “Well… good luck with that.”
She paused, her eyes lingered on Sam for a second longer. Then she turned to me
“Dad’s asking for you later.”
My chest tightened.
“Okay,” I muttered.
She turned to leave “Where are you going?”
“Out, with Lisa” she yelled.
“Mmm, you better not be screwing around lily” I called out, but she already shut the door downstairs.
“I didn't know you had a sister” Samantha said.
I chuckled “I do, a pain in the ass but still my sister.”
She didn't laugh. She tugged a strand of hair behind her ear, and for some reason, my insides got hot.
“Okay,” she said.
Seeing her standing in the room brought back memories. My chest tightened. The girl I used to call four eyes in school. The same one I used to shove pencils off her desk just to see her huff. The girl who once hated me so much she threatened to report me for harassment.
And now, she's sitting across from me, all changed and I can't take my eyes off her. If I could go back to high school I would do things the right way. I would go back to that day before everything went south.
“Let's start with chemistry,” she said, looking at me.
“The one between us or?” I said gesturing between both of us.
She rolled her eyes.
“Organic chemistry” she hits the large textbook on the table with a force that sends papers flying.
Feisty.
She cracked open the textbook like she was about to conduct surgery. Pages whispered under her fingers as she flipped to some chapter that already made my head hurt.
“Okay,” she said briskly, sliding a notebook my way, “let’s start with molecular structures.”
I leaned forward, deliberately close enough for her to notice, resting my chin on my hand. “Molecular structures, huh? You gonna draw me a heart?”
Her pen froze for half a second before she shot me a look that could’ve curdled milk. “No. A hydrocarbon chain. Try to keep up.”
“Chains, hearts. Same thing,” I said, stretching back in my chair. “Both break eventually.”
She smacked her palm lightly against the page. “Focus, Alec.”
I watched her. She pushed her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose and bent over like I didn’t exist.
I swallowed hard, because underneath the jokes and the remarks. I did need to focus.
My dad’s voice echoed in my head as the words from the textbook danced before me.
You screw this up, Alec, and hockey is gone. No more team, no more scouts. You’re done.
My grades were low and if I didn’t get them up, he was going to cut away all sources of funding, and no hockey for me. No hockey, no dream.
I needed her.
“Here,” Samantha said, sliding the notebook toward me again. “Draw methane. Carbon in the middle. Four hydrogens. It’s literally the easiest thing you’ll do today.”
I picked up the pen, twirling it between my fingers. Easy. Sure. Except my mind blanked the second the tip touched the paper.
Don’t screw this up, Bannister.
I tried sketching the structure, but somewhere along the way, I added an extra line. Then another. When I glanced back at her, she was staring at the mess I’d made like she couldn’t decide if she should laugh or strangle me.
Her voice softened, almost, not quite. “That’s… not even close.”
For a second, heat crawled up my neck. My pride faltered every muscle in me wanting to snap back with some joke before she noticed my discomfort.
But it was too late.
“It’s okay,” she said “let’s go over that again”
Which made my discomfort ease away a little.
We continued for the next hour, going over structures and naming and finally, she smacked the pen on the textbook.
“We are all done!” She said.
“Finally” I exhaled, “I thought we were going to finish the whole textbook for a second there”
“Haha, very funny”
In seconds she already packed up her things, stacked up her books, and stood to leave.
“Leaving already?” I asked, standing to my feet.
She remained silent. Swaying her hips as she walked.
I followed her all the way to the porch.
“No goodbye, Sam?” I asked, “Is that how you treat your students?”
Before she could comprehend my next move, I stepped closer before I could stop myself.
She stiffened instantly.
“Don’t,” she said sharply.
That one word hit harder than any slap. I took a step back, hands raised.
“Okayyy, seems someone woke up on the wrong side of bed today”
She snorted and walked hurriedly down the steps.
“Goodbye, Sam! See you tommorow” I called out
She didn't reply.
I leaned against the door and watched till she walked out the gate.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
“D*mn it, Hayes… of all the people in the world, why does it have to be you?”
- Writer
