Serena, stop.
Would Tyler be willing to talk about it if I asked him? Or maybe I should bring it up with my friends, but then that means being interrogated for hours. It’s like there’s this itch I can’t scratch, this need toknowwhat’s going on. Especially if there’s any chance of things getting complicated. I shouldn’t even be thinking about him, entertaining this.Whatever this is.
But there’s a piece of me that still wants to know.
Chapter 11
Tyler
If you had told me that I needed tutoring, I would have laughed in your face.
Ask me again now. I’m not laughing, because this is my reality. We’re only a few weeks into the senior year and my guidance counselor plus my trigonometry teacher says I’m slipping.
Fuck.
I don’t understand how my grades are getting bad now. I’ve made studying a top priority now that I’m a senior. I quit going to parties and I’m not dating, well, fucking around with anyone. So, there are no distractions whatsoever.
I told Dad, and he said I shouldn’t worry too much about it, just do my best and I’ll be just fine. And I try to believe him, but it’s all been so time-consuming, especially after Mom died. I’m trying to fit in where she left off when she passed. Dad’s shoulders have grown heavier with the burden of providing for us with our household salary now cut in half, and I want toalleviate that weight as much as I can. But it’s tough juggling it all–taking care of Harper, keeping the house running, and trying to keep up with school.
I worry about Harper, making sure she’s happy and cared for. Sometimes, it feels like I’ve stepped into a role I wasn’t ready for, but there’s no room for hesitation when Harper is only three.
It’ll be a couple more years until Harper starts kindergarten, so for now, daycare is the best route to make sure she has someone watching her. So, until then, I’m in charge of making her snacks, drop-offs, and pickups.
I can’t fall behind. Focus, Tyler, focus. If I want to keep my grades on track and play my last lacrosse season, my only choice is to get a tutor.
As I step into the library–tutoring center–, it’s like entering the go-to spot for Skyline students who are all about grinding through homework and or finding a place to just chill out. Sunlight floods the room, making it feel less like a typical study spot and more like a place where you can actually breathe without assignments being jammed down your throat.
The walls are decked out with those cheesy motivational posters, but hey, they kinda work. They remind you that you’re not alone in thisacademic grind.
I wander through the space, eyeing the tutoring area. It’s a maze of desks and bookshelves, and I’m lowkey hoping my tutorwill magically appear and save me from drowning in homework. Time to hunt them down before I’m buried in assignments.
Thankfully, one of the librarians returns to her circular workstation. “Need help, sweetie?”
I scratch the back of my head, letting my hand rest on my neck. “Yeah,” I pull out a guidance slip, explaining why I’m here. “Ms. Vaughn sent me down to be assigned a tutor. I’m not sure how this works.”
The librarian, Ms. Kelly, accepts my guidance slip. Peering down, she pulls out a manilla folder from her end and starts scanning through the paperwork and her computer screen.
She stands up, gesturing for me to follow her. “The tutoring center is a valuable resource. I want you to understand there’s no need to be ashamed to ask for help or receive it.”
“Yup,” I say as we walk through rows of tables and chairs arranged to accommodate collaborative and individual study sessions.
Shelves line the walls, filled with textbooks, reference materials, and novels, “offering endless collections to cater to the diverse needs and wants of Skyline High,” Ms. Kelly explains as a museum guide and I nod along. “Most of our tutors are current students at Skyline. To be transparent, they receive academic volunteering merits on their records in return for their time. Restassured all of the student tutors have been vouched by multiple educators, so you will be in great hands.”
I bob my head, still following her explanation of how this shit works.
“So, the majority of your sessions will take place during your prospective study hall block, same for your tutor. Twice a week, you’ll have sessions in the center; however, if you need additional time, that is up to you and your tutor to facilitate.” Our walking stops as we transition into the tutoring center wing. She waves for me to take a seat at an empty table. “Any questions?”
“No ma’am, thank you for explaining. I appreciate it.”
Ms. Kelly’s eyes crinkle and she glances over my shoulder, something catching her attention. “Ah, there’s your tutor.”
“I’m sorry I’m late, I got lost.”
Her.
My jaw tightens at her soft voice, still managing to be heard despite the breathy undertones.
“Tyler, meet your tutor.” She pushes her glasses down slightly to read off the slip she was still holding on to from earlier. “Serena Inthavong, she’s brilliant at trigonometry. Despite being new to the school, she’s been recommended by her teacher and Ms. Vaughn.”
