Tutor
Ch. 1
A/N: I really don't think I liked how this chap. turned out.. Everything moves too fast. I really only liked the end with the tutoring session Dx
--
CLYDE'S POV
I walked down the main hallway of the school, annoyed. Seems that they needed to speak to me in the office about something.
What the hell did I do now?
I shook my head and kept walking, trying to remember anything I could've gotten in trouble for over the past few days. Nope, nothing. I finally reached the door to the office. When I stepped in the doorway, I saw my mom and dad, sitting in two chairs, and open chair, then Craig, and in the two chairs to the right of him, his mom and dad. I froze for a second, then sat in the open chair.
Now, let me say this. As much as Craig and I hate eachother, our parents have been friends since before either of us were born. My dad and Craig's dad work at the same business. So when the corporation had some fancy celebration dinner, all of the family went
The principal, Mr. Feldman, sat behind the desk in front of us. I glanced at Craig, whose arms were folded, his hat pulled over his eyes. He threw his legs up on the desk, and scowled, with an 'I don't give a shit' look.
Oh, you must be such a badass.
I scratched the back of my head nervously.
"Hi, boys. Mrs. Donovan, I realize you were concerned with your son's grades lately?" He turns to my mother, who nods. I jump and open my mouth the say something, but nothing comes out.
"I believe I've found the perfect tutor for Clyde," he began, gesturing to Craig, who pulls his feet off of the desk and sits up, a baffled expression on his face.
God, no.
My parents don't even know that Craig and I haven't been friends since 5th grade. He became some popular big shot, and I became the fat loser. Things changed.
"We notice that Craig's grades have been exceptional in the past few semesters, always on the honor roll.." Mr. Feldman says, clearing his throat. Craig has this proud little smirk on his face. For someone who seemed like such a dumbass, he was really smart. His father smiles as well, proud of his son.
"And that Clyde's grades have steadily been dropping. Craig and Clyde have all of the same classes this year, so we suggest that perhaps.. An hour a day of tutoring would be ideal." He sits up straighter in his chair.
Don't do this to me.
Craig's really upset now, but he doesn't want to show it. Knowing that our parents are really good friends, I keep my mouth shut, every once in a while glaring at Craig.
"That sounds great! I'm glad my son can help." Mrs. Hawkins smiles at her son approvingly. Craig forces a smile, then glances at me again, annoyed.
"Craig, you're a nice young man. Thank you for volunteering to do this for Clyde, I'm sure he'll appreciate it." My mom says. "Right, Clyde?"
I nod slowly.
"How long will this be? How many days?" I finally ask.
"We'll try one semester. I trust that Craig can help you. But Clyde, if your grades don't go up, you may have to be held back a year." Mr. Feldman says.
Held back? I've never been held back. I know my grades have been shitty for the past few years, but that seemed a bit much. I can't think of anything to say to this, so I just nod.
"Clyde, we live right down the street from Craig. After school, you can walk over to his house around five. When I get back from work, I'll make dinner for you and your father. See, everything works out." my mom says. It's hard to take all of this in.
"..Yuh." I manage a nod.
"That sounds good. Craig will be home all day." Mr. Hawkins says.
"I'm glad everything could be sorted out. Good luck, Clyde. And Craig, I know how much of a troublemaker you are.. But next to Wendy Testaburger's grades, yours are the best in our school." Mr. Feldman says, then: "You are dismissed. Go straight to seventh period." We both get up from the chairs and walk out the door wordlessly. That is, until we're down the main hallway.
"This is bullshit." Craig complains, staring at the ground as we walked to our lockers, which were right beside eachothers. What a wonderful coincidence. I pulled out my books and began walking towards Ms. Needham's math class. Last class of the day.
Thankfully, we sat across the room from eachother. I stepped in the room, and cringe when I see Bebe and her friends scowling at me. I bit my lip and sit down. Ms. Needham's in the middle of a lesson.
"Alright, class.." I look at the board. I can't even read the algebra problems.
I stare blankly. Craig studies the board, biting a fingernail in the process. More problems are being written on the board that I can't understand; I just act like I'm following everything. I write down every problem, even though I don't get a damn thing I've written. Then the final bell rings, and Ms. Needham tries to control us, even though half the students are already out the door.
"The twelve problems on the board WILL be homework! If they are not turned in by tomorrow, the grade will be an immediate zero!" I pick up my books and run out the door, not even noticing Craig in front of me. I accidentally run right into him. Both of our books fall to he floor.
"Sorr-" I start to mumble, but he interrupts.
"Nice work, tubby.." he mumbles, picking up his things.
"Fuck you." I walk ahead of him and towards my locker.
"Whatever, see you at five."
I sighed and avoided the crowd, stopping at my locker to take whatever I need for homework later. I walk down the hall and into the gym. I sit on the bleachers, alone, until we get put on the buses. I sit alone that afternoon. I don't feel like talking to anybody. Mrs. Sagging-Tits, Butters, Craig, nobody.
The bus engine roared and rolled along the pavement. In front of me is the raven-haired bastard himself; chatting with Token, beside him. I just stare out the window and try to clear my head. He keeps invading my thoughts, though, somehow. I'm annoyed that I'm thinking so much about a person I hate. The bus stops suddenly, and I realize it's my stop.
Craig's, too.
But I shake my head and walk down the sidewalk, rounding the corner. I walk up the steps to my porch and pull the key out of my backpack. I put the key in, turn it, then open the door.
"I'm home," I say to nobody in particular. Not that anyone was home, anyways. I throw my backpack and sweatshirt to the couch. I check my watch: 4:36.
I walk into the kitchen and find a note on the fridge.
Clyde,
There are Hot Pockets in the freezer. I'll be home around seven. Good luck with tutoring!
-Mom
I opened the freezer, but then decided I wasn't hungry. I walk back to the couch, pick up my backpack, and I'm out the door again. It's starting to rain, so I walk faster and before I know it, I'm at his house.
I knock on the door.
... No answer.
I knock again, louder this time.
"Jesus, hold on a minute." I hear from inside. Then the door opens. "Uh, hi." he mumbles, moving from the doorway.
"Hi. Where should I put my stuff..?" He points to a table in front of a tv. "There. You're here kinda early. Red Racer's on."
"You still watch Red Racer?"
He flips me off and I hold back a laugh. ".. I guess we could start the math homework." He walks to the table and pulls out a chair. I follow and sit across the table from him, opening my math book. "I think all of them are wrong. I didn't really pay attention." I say with a shrug.
"Well, that's not surprising. Okay. In this problem, what can we cancel out?"
"I dunno."
"The like terms. See, D - D would be zero. So those cancel eachother out." he draws and X over D - D on his paper. "And uh, you'd do the same with any other like terms. See any other ones?"
I nod and draw an X over A - A. "What do you do with those?" I say, pointing to something on the paper.
3( a + 9)
"You use.. the distribution property. It's like this.." he starts writing on the paper.
3 X a + 3 X 9
"You uh, multiply the number on the outside of the parentheses by everything inside of it. Then add."
"Um.. okay."
"3 times A would be 3a, since we don't know what A is."
"Okay. Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah." he looks up from the paper.
"Why are you being so nice all of the sudden? You're being like, a different person."
"I don't know.." he flips me off again.
"But--"
"Fuck you."
"Craig, I don't get why you have to be like that with--"
"I said, fuck you."
"Well you know what? If you're going to be a little bitch about it, then fuck you, too. I'm going home." I pick up my books and walk over to the couch, throwing them in my backpack.
I open the door, then run out into the pouring rain.
And I don't look back.
-------
A/N: Hope that didn't turn out too bad.. I really don't like it very much. But meh, R&R. The next chap will be TONS better. I think in this one, the story moved too fast.. But the next one will be lots better. Seriously.
-Hailey
