Straightening my shoulders, I hold my head high as I step around the corner.
“Oliver Yang.”
At the sound of his name, he looks up. When he sees that it’s just me, his face falls like he’s just been summoned to detention.
“What?”
“Uh.” So, I hadn’t given much thought as to what I’d say next. “Why aren’t you in the meeting?”
He checks his watch. Interesting. Who wears watches these days?
“It doesn’t start for another five minutes.”
“Oh.” My eyes drop to the floor. “Right.”
Assuming that’s all I’ve come to ask, he goes back to his book. Which means I’m left standing there, arms crossed, losing confidence by the second.C’mon, Sara. Don’t let him get to you.
I clear my throat. “So—that thing I found out. Crazy, huh? I can’t believe I didn’t realize.”
Oliver heaves a long sigh, green eyes entangling with mine. “What are you on about? Just say it.”
“It’s just crazy,” I continue, a bite of determination layered in my voice now, “you’re ajunior.”
He makes a show of shutting his book. “Of all the things you found out about me today,that’sthe most shocking to you?” He rolls his eyes. “What, you thought I was a senior or something?”
“I mean, I’m a senior and they assigned a junior to tutor me.” I brave moving a few steps closer to where he sits. “Kinda weird, right?”
Oliver slides his book in his backpack before lifting his eyes to meet mine. “Sure, I guess it’s weird,” he says dully. “You must be embarrassed to find out you’re being tutored by a junior who also happens to be your next-door neighbor.”
At this, my face flames. “What’s embarrassing about that? Who’s embarrassed here? Why would I even—?”
Oliver’s on his feet now, his full height towering over me as he leans in closer. “Really, Sara Lin?” There’s a teasing, knowing edge in his tone. “Nothing to be embarrassed about—nothing at all lurking around your head?”
“What?” My feet act on autopilot, as if sensing I should now put distance between us. “What are you—are you talking about—? The, uh—?”
My heart beats faster, so fast that it feels like I’ve consumed ten energy drinks. His eyebrows do that Oliver thing where they draw together as he examines me.
There’s no way he’s referring to the subway incident, right? Not after all this time? But I can’t tell, because he keeps his stare level with mine. Nothing in his eyes gives anything away, which is even more infuriating.
“God, what are you staring at?” I smooth my skirt to give my hands something to do. “All I’m saying is that I’m a year older than you, so you need to show me some respect.”
“Are youserious?” He tilts his head, golden hair flopping to the left as he does. “You thinkI’mthe problem here?”
“I just mean sometimes you come off as rude,” I explain, suddenly exhausted by this topic. “But I guess we both have to work on . . .”
I trail off, not because I can’t think of anything to say, but because he’s turned his back on me. And now he’s strutting away—during the middle of our conversation!
“Maybe when you’re better at math, we’ll see,” he tosses over his shoulder.
He hasn’t gone far, lingering outside the journalism classroom. It doesn’t take long for me to catch up to him.
“See!” I fling a hand his way. “That’sexactlywhat I’m talking about.”
“Respect has nothing to do with age, Sara Lin. It has to be earned.” His face shifts, like he’s just remembered something. “Oh, you wanna reschedule tutoring since we have this meeting?”
Earned? What is he even talking about? He should respect me because I’m older, not because I have to earn it by being his friend or something. Geez, doesn’t he know anything?
Irritation flits through me. “Are you kidding? No, I don’t want to reschedule—ever.”
