"Oh, I'm sorry," Melanie said. "I thought you were someone else."
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Julie asked as she hovered at the door, uncertain. Melanie shook her head.
"Come inside."
Julie nodded and stepped in, closing the door behind herself. Melanie was surprised to see her here because Julie didn't need much help. She was one of her best students who really got the material and understood it. Maybe, this time, Julie found something challenging about the text, and she dropped by for help. Melanie would be glad to help her. Julie had the potential to be a great psychologist one day and possessed the qualities of understanding and sensitivity.
"What can I help you with?" Melanie asked curiously.
"Um," Julie started hesitantly as she sat down, adjusting her bag so she wouldn't sit on it as she placed it on her lap. "I wanted to see if I could get extra tutoring."
Melanie frowned, confused. "Tutoring? You need it? You're getting straight A's in my class."
"Yeah, but I think tutoring might help me do better," Julie stuttered out.
"Well, I'm surprised. I really don't think you need tutoring, and besides, I really don't offer it—"
"But you tutor Noah," Julie said, and once she said it, Melanie was able to piece together why Julie was asking for tutoring. Melanie eyed Julie, who meekly looked down, picking at her nails. If Melanie understood this correctly, Julie wanted tutoring sessions from her because she wanted to be with Noah even if she didn't need tutoring. Julie clearly liked Noah a lot, and Melanie had suspected as much. Whenever Julie wasn't paying attention in class, it was usually because she was being distracted by Noah.
Though it wouldn't kill Melanie to tutor Julie because she wouldn't be going out of her way, Melanie wasn't too sure it would be helpful for Noah. Noah definitely understood the material better than he had before, but if Julie was there, he could be distracted.
"Uh…" Melanie started, stuck between turning Julie down or not. But then a part of her began to think that maybe, just maybe, this was a good thing. She was spending a lot of time with Noah, so much time that even some of her co-workers started to comment on how Noah was always with her. This was the perfect opportunity to create distance. Julie was a nice young beautiful girl closer in age to Noah. This was the person Noah should be showing his affection to.
"Okay," Melanie agreed. "I get it. I'll tutor you, but you can't distract Noah while he studies. This is not the Love Connection."
Julie shot out of her seat, startling Melanie. "Oh my gosh. Thank you so much, Professor Bryant. I won't distract him."
She must really like Noah, Melanie thought.
"But I'll only tutor you under one condition," Melanie said.
"What?" Julie asked, her eyes still bright with excitement.
"I'll give you more material to study during our sessions," Melanie said before further explaining herself. "You're a great student, and you're good with the material. I'm really surprised that psychology isn't your major."
"Oh, well, I always wanted to major in Art," Julie explained. "I didn't really think I would love psychology as much as I do."
"Do we have a deal?" Melanie asked as she stood and offered her hand. Without hesitation, Julie shook her hand.
"Yes, we do."
Melanie watched as Julie nearly skipped out of the door and wondered if she had done the right thing. Right now, it was best for some separation between her and Noah. She liked him, but maybe she liked him too much, and it was probably because of all the time they spent together. Julie would be a nice buffer to create some much-needed space between them. Besides, Noah had liked Julie at one point. He could like her again.
CHAPTER
27
NOAH
A
T SEVEN O’CLOCK ON THE DOT, NOAH WALKED INTO THE TUTORING CLASSROOM LIKE HE NORMALLY DID ON MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY. After the last time he had been late, and the debacle happened between him and Melanie, Noah made it a point never to be late again. He didn't like it when Melanie was upset with him, and he never wanted to go through that again.
When Noah stepped inside the room, he expected to see what he usually saw— Melanie glancing at her watch to make sure Noah wasn't a second late with her shoes kicked off near her, because though she liked wearing heels, the moment she could take them off for her comfort, she would. But instead, her shoes were on as she stood in front of the board, scribbling something down. But that wasn't the only thing that was off. Instead of it just being she and him, like it usually was, like it had been since the beginning, now someone else was in the room— Julie, to be exact.
"Hey, Noah," Julie greeted with a bright smile.
"Hey, Julie," Noah said slowly as he glanced at Melanie, who seemed to be too preoccupied with whatever she was writing on the board. Since he couldn't depend on her for an answer, Noah decided he would ask the source.
