Sage had screamed so loud when I told her what we did and saw the picture that I was pretty sure I needed hearing aids for the next two hours. Thankfully, she calmed down after the initial shock wore off.
I had printed it out when I got home and placed two-sided tape near it for when I would tutor Wyatt. I hadn’t realized that it would be hard for me to place the pictures if he kept the book all the time.
Luckily, he promised to bring it when I tutored him.
My parents hadn’t questioned much when I told them I’d be home later. I had let them know I was tutoring and that was that.
I guessed it helped that this week they were busy at work. My mom had a big case and my dad was ushering other colleagues around the hospital for tours and schmoozing as he called it.
Either way, I was home free.
I checked the time. It was five minutes past six and I still hadn’t heard from Wyatt. I smoothed down my blouse for the fifth time and checked my phone for messages once more.
It wasn’t like communication devices hadn’t been invented. Technology made it possible to keep in touch with the world at the snap of my fingers. He couldn’t text me he’d be late?
The bookstore wasn’t super busy for a weeknight. I had chosen a table that angled itself toward the door but also away from the cash register and snack counter. I didn’t want him to be occupied when he needed to concentrate on the tutoring.
My fingers tapped on the table, as if the faster they went, it would summon his presence.
Finally, the bell over the door rang and in strolled Wyatt.
His expression was strained and the carefree Wyatt from yesterday had been replaced by a sullen and brooding teenager. What was that about?
“I wish you would have told me you were going to be late.”
His jaw tensed. “I didn’t know.” He piled his books from his bag on the table. “I’ll be right back.”
I sat there, mouth agape. He was late and now he was disappearing again? I seriously hoped he brought his will to work because otherwise this would be a long tutoring session.
After a few minutes, he sat with his hands clutching a to-go mug from the bookstore. He took several long drinks before he looked at me.
“Everything okay?”
“Fine. Let’s just get this over with.”
Fine. Grouchy Wyatt it is.
“I want to work on your thesis for each paper. Once we nail down those, you can separately work on finding support and then we meet to go over what you found.”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“Do you have the original papers that show the requirements?”
He pulled several packets from different notebooks, then handed them over. He sipped his drink while I skimmed them for the main prompts.
“Do you have to turn these in?”
“No.”
“Perfect.” I took a turquoise felt tip pen and underlined each packet for the main questions. “I underlined the point for each of your papers. Now we just have to answer them based on your opinions before we look for support.”
He groaned. “We really have to do these today?”
“Yes. Papers don’t write themselves the day before.”
“No paper writes itself, but papers can be written the day before. I’ve done it plenty of times.”
“And look at your grades.”
His gaze narrowed. “Fine. Which one to start with?”
“Doesn’t matter. You choose.”
He ruffled through each one, until he landed on an English paper from his world literature class.
“Okay, so the question is how is pride involved in the novel Things Fall Apart?”
“Pride? Okonkwo falls victim to pride throughout the novel.”
“Perfect. What are three examples of this?”
“He takes pride in his accomplishments, his pride gets in the way when he judges others, and his pride is damaged from his exile.”
“Boom. That’s basically your introduction. You have the graphic organizer for the other couple of sentences, but that is the main purpose of your paper. Use the organizer to write that down. Then we will do another one.”
Wyatt dutifully started writing, while I surveyed the bookstore. Sage’s dad wasn’t at the cash register, but Sage had told me he had hired someone recently to work the weeknights she couldn’t.
The ambience was peaceful. Small fairy lights were wrapped around the tops of bookcases alighting the store in soft light. All sorts of things to sit on were littered throughout the space. There were several tables for moments like this, but there were also seats built into bookshelves near the edges of the rooms, large bean bag chairs, and soft rugs to warm up the dark hardwood floors. The walls were a slate blue, a nice contrast with the stain of the shelves.
I never failed to get lost in a book here.
“Okay, that’s done.”
“Which one next?”
“I guess I should do one for Mr. Andrews.”
I nodded. “What about the most delinquent one?”
He pulled it from the bottom pile and read what I had underlined. “What is supply and demand? How does it impact a product of your choice?”
“Any idea on what product you want to choose?”
“No.”
“Okay, well what do you like to learn about?”
He scrunched his nose. “Music?”
“Okay, so what about an instrument or songs?”
He sighed. “That feels dumb.”
“Do you have any other hobbies or interests?”
“Fine. I’ll just do a guitar.”
“That works. Just write it next to the question, so you can come back to it.”
Two done. I only hoped we could finish them all before it was too late.
* * *
“These look great.”
Wyatt didn’t quite smile, but he seemed to be at least somewhat proud of his work, which was a start.
I grabbed my mug of herbal tea and sipped as I watched the patrons at the shop. Many seemed to be by themselves and older, around college age.
“Thanks for helping me. It was easier to concentrate with someone else around.”
“No problem. That’s the deal.”
He nodded. “Right.”
“So, have you figured out what we should do on the next date and when?” I pulled the photo from my bag. “I printed this for the book.”
He twisted around and grabbed the adventure book from his bag.
I arched an eyebrow. “You brought it with you?”
“Never know when I’ll need it.” He grabbed the photo from me, our fingers gently brushing, and placed it in the spot for try something new. “I told you it was a good one.”
“Yes, you were right.”
He gaped. “I was right? Oh, man. I need to hear that again.”
I averted my gaze and mumbled, “You were right.”
He pumped a fist in the air like one of those eighties’ movie love interests. “That makes the whole day so much better.”
I scrunched my nose. There it was again, that feeling like something had happened. But even with the gut feeling that something seemed off, it wasn’t my place to ask. I was his fake date, not his real one.
“What’s your schedule like tomorrow?” he asked.
“I have our monthly National Honor Society meeting after school until four. Then nothing.”
“Okay. So, meet you in the parking lot at four? I’ll drive for this one.”
I arched a brow. “Why?”
“Because and that’s all the questions about that.”
I sighed. “Will you ever give me a warning?”
He stroked his chin. “Probably not.”
I crossed my arms. “Fine, but you’d tell me if I had to dress specifically for it, right?”
“Maybe.”
“Fine. But you need to write out supporting details for one of these papers by tomorrow when I see you. Have you been keeping up with your homework?”
He nodded. “I just need the supporting details for one?”
“Yep.”
“Easy peasy.”
I huffed. “If it’s so easy, why didn’t you do it before?”
Wyatt leaned back in his chair, shifting his hair under a gray beanie. Something darker flitted through his gaze. I didn’t know him well, so I had no idea what that was about.
“I’ll make sure I do it.”
“Thank you.”
“So, what would you be doing if you weren’t here with me?”
“Normally, I’d be home by now. Doing homework or reading I guess.”
“Are you an only child?”
“Yep, and my parents usually have weird work schedules, so it’s generally just me at home.”
“What do they do?”
“Mom’s a lawyer. My dad is a doctor.”
“Wow. I’m surprised you didn’t choose one of those professions then.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I was never interested in arguing or needles.”
He chuckled. “But finance does it for you?”
“I like the rationality of numbers.”
“So, no pie then?”
My nose crinkled. “Huh?”
“Well pi is irrational …”
Did he just make a math joke? I didn’t even know what to say.
“Tough crowd.”
“No. I mean that was a good one …”
“Just didn’t expect it from the dumb guitar player.”
“Hey. I didn’t say that.”
He shook his head and closed the books spread out between us. “It’s fine, Marley. I should head out.”
Did he really think I thought that? I would never place myself above someone else just because they weren’t a school person. I knew better.
Still, I couldn’t help but watch him pack up and then leave, never turning around even as he reached the door.