Difference Between

Chapter 2 - Surprisingly Stupidly at Bliss

Thanks to Don and Tobias, everyone who's been going to school with me since fifth grade knows about Mom dating Kean. For the past few days, people have come up to me, asking variations of "Is it true," "Have you talked to Marcus," "Are you guys friends again," and "Are you annoyed?" By the twenty-fifth time someone calls my name - not that I've been counting - I grip my open locker door and don't even bother to turn around.

"Before you ask," I snap, "yes, it's true. Yes, I talked to Marcus - sort of. No, I don't think we're friends again. And yes, I'm annoyed. Now!"

I slam my locker shut, emphasizing that last word. I whirl around, coming face-to-face with a wide-eyed August Nightspade. Well shit... He and Marcus have been really close friends since maybe sixth grade. So the chances of him telling Marcus about my little outburst are pretty high up there.

His eyes flicker around before coming back to me. "I'm sorry?"

"You weren't... gonna ask me about that... were you...?" He shakes his head. Of course not. He probably heard it all from Marcus by now. "Then I'm sorry."

He offers me a grim smile, the corners of his brown eyes crinkling. "Long day?"

"Long week."

He nods but doesn't press for more. "If it makes you feel any better, Marcus is having just as bad of a week."

This gets a laugh out of me. "Thanks for the information."

He smiles. "No problem."

"But if you weren't gonna ask about that, what were you...?"

He blinks before remembering what he came to talk to me about. "Oh, right. So you know how your mom just passed back our last quizzes?" I nod. He hands me his quiz. On the top right corner of the front page is "Ashlyn graded this one :)" in Mom's handwriting. I forget she does this whenever I help her grade. Something about giving me credit on top of extra credit, but I'm pretty sure she just wants people to know that I know what I'm doing in her class and can tutor. That's probably what August wants to talk to me about; next to that note is his score circled in my handwriting. It's barely passing.

"I was hoping you would go over the questions I got wrong," August elaborates.

Just because I can tutor doesn't mean I want to. Especially if I have to tutor August or anyone close to Marcus for that matter. I don't need a repeat of the whole fifth grade situation.

"You know my mom's door is always open if you need her, right?" I ask, handing him his quiz back.

He shrugs. "Yeah, but she sent me to you."

What? "Really?"

His eyebrows furrow. "Is that a problem?"

Yes. Mom knows I don't like to talk about history with people unless I'm really close and comfortable with them. Not since the whole thing with Marcus in fifth grade. I'll tutor someone if I have to, but only if they come to me first. August came to Mom first, so why would she redirect him to me?

August keeps a steady gaze, waiting for my answer. I swallow, shaking my head. "No. No problem. When are you free?"

His eyes narrow, and his lips part. But he shakes his head in the end and all he says is, "After school today."

"Perfect. I'll meet you on the bleachers?"

"Sounds great. Thanks, Ashlyn."

I press my lips into a thin line, hoping it at least remotely resembles a smile. "Yeah. Anytime."