Chapter Three
Freddy entered the classroom the next day to see Amber sitting up the back in her seat, writing furiously in her notebook. Freddy took a deep breath and started up the aisle towards her.
The discussion about his grades with his parents had lasted a lengthy two hours last night, and had ended with his mum bursting into tears and leaving the room. Of course that was after he had agreed to either be able to find a tutor himself, or be supplied with one by his parents. Which is why he found himself mentally preparing to beg Amber to tutor him, and begging was something he'd never had to do before.
"Hey," he greeted her as he slid into his seat.
"Hey Freddy," she replied not looking up from her work, "how are you?"
"Fine," Freddy replied carelessly, "look I need a favour..."
Amber looked up, "a favour?" she repeated.
"Yeah..." Freddy trailed off and sighed, "Ineedyoutotutorme," he said quickly.
"What?"
"I need you to tutor me," he repeated looking down at the floor to avoid her gaze; he could almost sense her grin, and when she spoke he knew it was there.
"Tutor you?" Amber repeated a smile crossing her face, "I take it Dewey spilled his guts yesterday?"
"Look," Freddy replied not bothering to answer her, "my parents have made a deal with me, that if I can't find a tutor, they'll find me one, and I know their idea of a tutor is some strict Ms Mullins impersonation... so I'd really appreciate it if you'd tutor me."
"How long are we talking here?" Amber asked, picking up her pencil and twirling it like a drumstick.
Freddy shrugged, "just till end of year exams. That's not even 3 months away."
Amber raised an eyebrow, "I see... and what's in it for me?"
Freddy looked up at her, "what?"
Amber shrugged, "what do I get out of it? "
Freddy hesitated before replying, "I don't know. A good feeling that you helped me."
Amber chuckled.
"Please," Freddy begged fully prepared to get onto his knees if he had to, "I'll do anything okay? I'm desperate here!"
Amber threw up her hands, "Okay. Okay I'll tutor you."
Freddy grinned.
"But you owe me," Amber warned pointing her pencil at Freddy.
"Anything," Freddy smiled, "so how about I meet you over at Dewey's at like 3.30pm and we can get started before band practice?"
Amber shrugged, "sure." "Great."
(Amber's POV)
"No!" Amber said quickly, "God, Freddy it's not that difficult."
"Maybe not for you," Freddy replied coldly, "but most of us aren't born with as high of an IQ as yours."
Amber sighed, they had been studying for an hour now, and half of that time was spent bickering. Tutoring would definitely be joining the flute, on her list of things she was terrible at. She had no patience for this type of thing.
"Look I'm sorry," Amber apologized, sweeping her hair off her face and tucking it behind her ears, "I'm not good at this type of thing alright. Lets just... try it again."
It was half an hour later when Joey and Katie had arrived and were warming up their instruments that Freddy finally felt like he had it.
"I think I've got it," he voiced as his eyes scanned over his work.
Amber held out her hand, and he handed his folder over to her, and watched as her eyes darted back and forth over his messy writing.
"Apart from the working here," she concluded pointing as a small section, "I think you've finally got it."
Freddy grinned, "Now that wasn't all that bad, was it?"
Amber looked at him in disbelief, "it took you one and half hours to master the basics of Algebra Freddy!"
"At least it's a start," Joey put in, who was examining Kevin's work over her shoulder, "that's not looking too bad."
"Thanks, mate." Freddy replied with a smile, giving him a high five.
Amber rolled her eyes, "unbelievable."
"Alright people!" called Dewey as he entered the room, "lets begin."
Freddy tossed a grin at Amber before heading over to the kit and taking a seat.
"You're staying today, Amber?" Dewey asked as he picked up his guitar.
"Yeah, might as well." Amber replied as she slid further down into her chair pulling her legs up onto it with her, "I want to see what you've been bragging about."
"Bragging?" Joey asked Dewey.
Dewey shrugged, "well you guys are pretty good." Freddy chuckled, "yeah we're alright."
"Alright lets go, 1,2,3,4...."
Freddy entered the classroom the next day to see Amber sitting up the back in her seat, writing furiously in her notebook. Freddy took a deep breath and started up the aisle towards her.
The discussion about his grades with his parents had lasted a lengthy two hours last night, and had ended with his mum bursting into tears and leaving the room. Of course that was after he had agreed to either be able to find a tutor himself, or be supplied with one by his parents. Which is why he found himself mentally preparing to beg Amber to tutor him, and begging was something he'd never had to do before.
"Hey," he greeted her as he slid into his seat.
"Hey Freddy," she replied not looking up from her work, "how are you?"
"Fine," Freddy replied carelessly, "look I need a favour..."
Amber looked up, "a favour?" she repeated.
"Yeah..." Freddy trailed off and sighed, "Ineedyoutotutorme," he said quickly.
"What?"
"I need you to tutor me," he repeated looking down at the floor to avoid her gaze; he could almost sense her grin, and when she spoke he knew it was there.
"Tutor you?" Amber repeated a smile crossing her face, "I take it Dewey spilled his guts yesterday?"
"Look," Freddy replied not bothering to answer her, "my parents have made a deal with me, that if I can't find a tutor, they'll find me one, and I know their idea of a tutor is some strict Ms Mullins impersonation... so I'd really appreciate it if you'd tutor me."
"How long are we talking here?" Amber asked, picking up her pencil and twirling it like a drumstick.
Freddy shrugged, "just till end of year exams. That's not even 3 months away."
Amber raised an eyebrow, "I see... and what's in it for me?"
Freddy looked up at her, "what?"
Amber shrugged, "what do I get out of it? "
Freddy hesitated before replying, "I don't know. A good feeling that you helped me."
Amber chuckled.
"Please," Freddy begged fully prepared to get onto his knees if he had to, "I'll do anything okay? I'm desperate here!"
Amber threw up her hands, "Okay. Okay I'll tutor you."
Freddy grinned.
"But you owe me," Amber warned pointing her pencil at Freddy.
"Anything," Freddy smiled, "so how about I meet you over at Dewey's at like 3.30pm and we can get started before band practice?"
Amber shrugged, "sure." "Great."
(Amber's POV)
"No!" Amber said quickly, "God, Freddy it's not that difficult."
"Maybe not for you," Freddy replied coldly, "but most of us aren't born with as high of an IQ as yours."
Amber sighed, they had been studying for an hour now, and half of that time was spent bickering. Tutoring would definitely be joining the flute, on her list of things she was terrible at. She had no patience for this type of thing.
"Look I'm sorry," Amber apologized, sweeping her hair off her face and tucking it behind her ears, "I'm not good at this type of thing alright. Lets just... try it again."
It was half an hour later when Joey and Katie had arrived and were warming up their instruments that Freddy finally felt like he had it.
"I think I've got it," he voiced as his eyes scanned over his work.
Amber held out her hand, and he handed his folder over to her, and watched as her eyes darted back and forth over his messy writing.
"Apart from the working here," she concluded pointing as a small section, "I think you've finally got it."
Freddy grinned, "Now that wasn't all that bad, was it?"
Amber looked at him in disbelief, "it took you one and half hours to master the basics of Algebra Freddy!"
"At least it's a start," Joey put in, who was examining Kevin's work over her shoulder, "that's not looking too bad."
"Thanks, mate." Freddy replied with a smile, giving him a high five.
Amber rolled her eyes, "unbelievable."
"Alright people!" called Dewey as he entered the room, "lets begin."
Freddy tossed a grin at Amber before heading over to the kit and taking a seat.
"You're staying today, Amber?" Dewey asked as he picked up his guitar.
"Yeah, might as well." Amber replied as she slid further down into her chair pulling her legs up onto it with her, "I want to see what you've been bragging about."
"Bragging?" Joey asked Dewey.
Dewey shrugged, "well you guys are pretty good." Freddy chuckled, "yeah we're alright."
"Alright lets go, 1,2,3,4...."