My Chemistry Tutor

CHAPTER 1

JENNIE'S POV

"Jennie, can you please stop reading ahead? I can tell what you're doing from over here," Mrs. Jeon, my chemistry teacher, comments with a sharp look.

"Nerd alert," one guy in the front mutters.

"You wish you were as smart as her," Jisoo, my best friend, shoots back without hesitation.

"Bitch," the guy responds, making my teacher sigh heavily.

"Next word I hear from you, you are going outside, young man," Mrs. Jeon warns before turning back to me.

"Jennie, I know you probably already understand what we're learning, but please don't go ahead."

"Okay, sorry," I reply quickly, flipping twenty pages back to where the class actually is.

I glance over at Jisoo to thank her for defending me, and she gives me a reassuring thumbs up.

At the end of class, the guy sticks his middle finger up at us as he storms out.

"Wow, what a stupid. I thought more people were decent... I guess not. No worries, I'll always defend you," Jisoo says, pulling me into a tight hug.

After the hug, I bend down to grab my backpack, then turn around, only to find myself inches away from Lisa's face.

"O-Oh, I-I'm so sorry," I blurt out, stumbling to move out of the way for this beautiful woman.

Lisa chuckles, leaning closer as she seductively whispers, "By the way, nerds are hot."

I freeze, stunned and unable to get a single word out as Lisa walks past me, her presence lingering in my chest like a spark I can't shake off.

"Dude, that hurt me to watch. You looked like a deer caught in headlights," Jisoo tells me, laughing uncontrollably.

"It's not my fault Lisa is stunning. I mean, have you looked at that girl's face? Her face is amazing!" I try to explain, throwing my hands in the air.

Jisoo suddenly stops laughing and stares at me, mock-offended. "What about my face?"

"Oh...I mean, your face is pretty too, but like... you're my friend, so..." I stammer, fumbling for the right words.

"I'm just teasing you," Jisoo bursts into laughter again.

"Jisoo, you're such an asshole sometimes," I mutter, rolling my eyes as I head out of class.

"Hey! If you ever want to make a move on Lisa someday, you'd better get more confident when talking," Jisoo advises, catching up beside me.

"Who said anything about making a move on Lisa? I just want to admire her from afar," I insist quickly.

"Oh my gosh, you're useless!" Jisoo whines dramatically.

"I need you to clear up some things for me. Why is it that you're crushing on Lisa again?" she asks, tilting her head at me.

"I'm not crushing on Lisa; I'm simply admiring her beauty. What's not to like about how she looks? Plus, she's gay and that makes her double hot. Not to mention, she's a good person, kind, and she always speaks her mind," I explain carefully.

"I think you're talking about a different Lisa," Jisoo teases. "The Lisa I know is like this mysterious badass... wait. If she's gay, then why don't you just ask her out? You're gay too. Two gays equal happy, right?" she comments with a smug grin.

"Can't believe you called me hopeless," I tease her back.

"Lisa's just... too much for me. I've only dated one girl, and that didn't even work out. Besides, Lisa's like a pro. Why the hell would she ever notice me like that?"

"I mean, she just noticed you a couple of minutes ago," Jisoo points out.

"Yeah, but that was more like teasing than noticing," I argue.

"Isn't teasing better than just noticing you? Teasing means she likes you, right?" Jisoo replies with a shrug.

"But she teases everyone, so I don't know anything. Girls are confusing," I whine.

"Hey! We are girls too, stupid," Jisoo says, lightly smacking my arm.

"No shit," I mumble under my breath.

"Stop this self-deprecating talk, my friend. We will boost your confidence!" Jisoo yells suddenly, making everyone in the hallway stare at us.

I quickly try to quiet her down. "How the hell are you going to do that?"

"Practice, my friend," she merely replies, as if it's the simplest answer in the world.

Just before we enter the cafeteria, I hear my name being called.

I turn around and see Mrs. Jeon hurrying toward me.

"Jennie, wait! I need to ask you for a favor," she calls out.

"What kind of favor is she talking about?" Jisoo whispers suspiciously in my ear.

"How the fuck should I know?" I shrug, whispering back.

Mrs. Jeon finally catches up to me, slightly out of breath.

"I need to start going to the gym again."

"Same," Jisoo mutters under her breath.

"Anyway," Mrs. Jeon continues, ignoring her, "I was wondering if you could tutor one of your classmates. They aren't doing well, and I would hate for them to be held back in their senior year because of this class. So... what do you say?"

I hesitate, weighing the pros and cons.

I hate interacting with people. I'm awkward, and I suck at explaining things clearly. Honestly, it's best if she chooses someone else to tutor this student.

Just as I'm about to decline, Jisoo blurts out, "She'll do it!"

"Oh, thank you so much, Jennie!" Mrs. Jeon beams, already turning to walk away.

I spin toward Jisoo in disbelief. "What the heck did you do?!"

"I'm doing you a favor," she replies simply.

"What?! No, you're not. I hate talking to other people. I suck at it."

Jisoo puts her hands firmly on my shoulders.

"That's exactly why I said yes for you. This is your chance to break out of your shell. This is a wonderful opportunity," Jisoo explains with determination.

I sigh in frustration. "I guess you're right, but I hate this."

"I know you do, but maybe this will raise your confidence level. After this, you might be able to talk to people without getting nervous. Then you can actually ask out girls," Jisoo says, trying to reassure me.

"Okay. Okay. This is a good chance," I admit reluctantly.

"Good! Now let's go eat. I'm starving," she says, tugging me toward the cafeteria.