I founded out the reason Tyson was so late was that he was helping teach basketball that period. For a minute I thought I was saved but it was all a lie when Mr. James suggested we meet after school. Tyson agreed and that was it. Tyson went back to the gym and I went back to my class, where Angelina and Scarlett were waiting for me.
"What happened?" Angelina asked when I had taken my seat. "The worst, Tyson Guthrie is my tutor." As I said Tyson's name Scarlett squealed. "Tyson Guthrie! He's so dreamy!" She said a huge smile on her face "You're so lucky!" Angelina and I just looked at her. After a moment Angelina spoke again "Maybe it won't be that bad. I mean, Tyson's nice and he might be a very good tutor."
Maybe she was right. All I had to do was have a couple meetings with him, and that was it. I was overreacting. This calmed me down a bit, and for the rest of the day I was able to just relax. Tyson had suggested we meet at the Dot so after school, I walked there. I sent my dad a text telling him that I would be home at 6, but was hoping it would be sooner. When I walked in I didn't see Tyson so I sat down at a corner table and ordered myself a coffee. I opened up my book and tried to work on that night's assignment but I was getting nowhere. I didn't even notice Tyson arrive, but when I looked up there he was.
"Hey." He said. "Hey." I mumbled, let it begin. Tyson looked like he wanted to say something but didn't. It was quiet for a moment.
"So, ok let's start with this. What don't you get?" He said pulling out his own math book and setting it down on the table.
"Everything." I answered simply.
"Ok, I can help you. Let's just start at the beginning."
For the next two hours Tyson and I went over problem after problem and I actually got it. Even more surprisingly I was having fun. The way he explained it, it just worked. When I was talking to him, for some reason it was like I was a different person, and not who I pretended to be.
"If I look at one more math problem my head is going to explode!" I said after we finished the last problem on our homework. Tyson smiled at me. "You wanna take a walk or something?" he asked
I looked at my phone, it was 5:00. "Sure, that'd be nice."
It was cold outside, and there was snow on the ground, it was January. But it was nice to walk with Tyson. At first we were silent, but with Tyson silence didn't last too long.
"So why do you hate me so much?" He asked. It took me a minute to process what he had said.
"I don't hate you." I said quickly, looking down.
"You could have fooled me. Every time you see me you give me this look like you want to kill me. It's actually a bit creepy."
"I'm sorry. I guess I just come off a bit cold to everyone. But I don't hate you." When I looked up again he was smiling.
"Well I guess we just don't know each other well enough." He said laughing
"So what do you suggest to fix this?" I asked not sure exactly where he was going with this.
"I suggest the question game." He said as we turned a corner.
"The question game?"
"Yes. I ask you a question, and then you ask me one. It's a basic game. The only rule is that you have to tell the truth."
I thought about it for a minute. This was really getting out of control. I mean, I didn't do this kind of thing, especially not with a boy like Tyson, but why not. "Ok. Fine, you can go first."I said finally.
"Ok." He paused, thinking. "What's your favorite color?"
"Really that's your first question?"
"You have to start somewhere." He said smiling and for some odd reason I smiled back."Fine, my favorite color is light blue."
"Light blue? Huh." He said looking surprised. "What?" I asked a little annoyed. "Well it's just I thought you were going to say black, or purple. Something like that." I rolled my eyes, of course he would think that. I had to remember who I was talking to.
"Now it's my turn. What's your favorite color?"
"Red." He answered simply
"Red?" I repeated.
"Uh huh. Now it's my turn again. Why do you always wear so much black?" He asked eyeing my outfit. This question was a bit of a surprise after such a simple one, but I still answered it.
"Because it's… well because I… I like it." I said, this question was harder to answer than it should be.
"I thought you liked light blue." He pointed out.
" I do."
"Then why don't you wear it?"
It was starting to get really dark. I looked at my phone, it was 5:55. I was in trouble.
"Because I just don't ok? Now I have to get home." I said picking up the pace. I looked up at the street sign, we weren't too far away, and if I ran I could probably make it.
"Ok, ok. Let me walk you home." He said matching my strides without even trying.
I glared up at him, but I didn't argue. Walking alone in the dark wasn't a good idea. And although I would never admit it out loud, the dark scared me. We walked quickly down the sidewalk, my heart was pounding. My dad was very over protective and if I wasn't home on time he got very upset. Even if I called ahead and told him I was going to be late he freaked out. I didn't like my dad too much when he got upset, he was actually kind of scary. But even with all this running through my mind I couldn't forget my game with Tyson and curiosity got the better of me. I asked another question.
"Do you think I'm… weird?" I felt so frantic and maybe that's why such a lame question came out.
He stopped and looked at me. "No Sophie, I don't." This wasn't what I had expected. Then again I wasn't exactly sure what I had expected him to say. When I looked up I realized we were on my street. "I think that you should start wearing light blue though. And lots of it!" he laughed and I started laughing too. "And maybe cut down on the eyeliner, you do have very pretty eyes." He said looking into my eyes. I looked back. The green met the blue, and for a minute we just stood there looking at each other. Then I remembered the time.
"I should probably go." I said quickly turning and walking forward. Tyson followed me until I got to my house.
"See you tomorrow then?" he asked
"Sure." I answered. "Wait how are you going to get home?"
"My house is only a couple blocks over, I'll be fine."
"Ok. Well goodnight." I said as I walked up the path to my house.
"Goodnight." I heard him answer from behind me.
I turned back around before I went inside, but he was gone. I took a deep breath and walked inside.
It was 6:15, and of course my dad was in the kitchen pacing, my mother washing the dishes nearby. When I entered the both looked up at me. My dad had that dark look in his eye, and my mom looked worried.
"Where have you been?" My dad shouted angrily.
"Eli…" My mom said softly.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?" My dad said ignoring my mother.
"I'm only 15 minutes late, calm down." I said quietly. But I knew that only made it worse so I started again. "I was with my tutor, and weren't watching the time. I'm sorry."
"Well that's not good enough Sophie." My dad was still shouting.
My mom walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sophie, please just go up to your room. There are some leftovers from dinner in the microwave for you." My mom said still speaking very softly. I turned quickly, stopping to get my dinner on the way out. I ran upstairs to my room and shut the door. My mom would calm him as she always did, but it was always hard to see my dad like that. And it haunted me. Sometimes I wondered what was said after I left, but part of me didn't want to know. An hour later I was sitting on my bed working on my English assignment when someone knocked on my door. "Come in." I called. My mom stepped into my room, closing the door behind her.
"Hey sweetheart." She said sitting on the edge of my bed. She looked so tired and stressed, it made me feel a bit guilty. "Hey." I answered. Her presence instantly calmed me. "Are you alright?" Now its questions like this that really get me. An honest question that so many people answer with a lie, just like I did. "I'm fine." I said forcing a smile, which she returned. My mother always handled my discipline so I guess that's why it was so easy to get annoyed with her. But I was like her in many ways, and after all she had given me the eyes Tyson just said were pretty.
"That boy, outside with you, was that your tutor?" she asked. Great so they had been watching me. Thanks for the trust.
"Yes. His name is Tyson, Tyson Guthrie." I wanted to tell her everything that happened but she got a strange look on her face. She quickly fixed it. The smile returning.
"Well, I'm proud of you Sophie. It's not easy to admit you need help. I'm sure your grades will come up soon." My mother's voice was all business now. The moment gone. I nodded. "Well your dad is sorry about earlier, but you know how he gets. Try to get back on time tomorrow please."
I nodded again. Then my mom stood up. "Goodnight Sophie." She said kissing the top of my head.
"Goodnight mom." I said returning my attention to my English assignment. Then she was gone, closing my door behind her.
I finished all my homework an hour later, and still not being tired I called Angelina. Our conversation going as they all usually did. Then I was forced to go to sleep, mostly out of boredom.
When I woke up the next morning, I went about my usual morning routine. Brushing my teeth, showering, getting dressed, but when it came time to do my makeup I stood staring at myself in the mirror. Finally I decided to go without eye liner. Call it peer pressure, but I couldn't get Tyson's words out of my mind. I walked downstairs and got my stuff. My mom drove me to school and I started the day. The whole day I felt excited for my tutoring at the Dot. This scared me a bit. What was happening to me? Several days later I was scaring myself even more, wearing less black, and opening up to Tyson about things I had promised myself to keep secret. It seemed the more Tyson and I met, the more I changed. And the more I learned that there was more to Tyson than he wanted people to know, but there was more to me too. I just hadn't realized it.