Inferno Part 3

~142~ Pea Party

Sasha's POV

"Nolan, can I see you for a minute?" I ask once I give my students the last ten minutes of class.

I see him slump his shoulders as he slowly stands up and walks over to me. "Yeah?"

I stare at him as I hand him the homework I graded last night. He looks at it briefly and shakes his head. "Sasha, I'm sorry. Mom had just gotten home and I wanted to spend time with her."

"You had all weekend to do it—Why didn't you do it before you picked mom up at the airport?"

"Sasha, I know this might surprise you, but you're not my only class—I'm doing my best. I had a big assignment in Biology I had to do."

I look at him for a minute while I try and decide how to word this.

"I think it's time I talk to mom and dad, Nolan."

"About what?"

"This isn't the only class you're struggling in. Mason said your last few papers have been rough. It's getting too hard for you, isn't it?"

"I'm doing the best I can. I spent days on his paper."

I nod and push my hair off my shoulder. "I think you need more than just a week of tutoring. I think you need an actual tutor. You're smart, Nolan, but dyslexia...I think it's time you have a tutor you see daily."

"Like Special Ed?" He snaps as he crosses his arms.

"No, someone to help you. Look at this, you switched so many letters around. Half of this doesn't even make sense."

"Thanks"

"I'm not trying to be mean, but this is another failed assignment. I'm going to talk to mom and dad tonight about it."

"Please don't. I promise I'll try harder."

"You're trying crazy hard. This isn't about that, Nolan."

"I'm so mad at you," he spits as he goes back to his desk and sits down roughly, turning to a few of his buddies. He masks his face to goofy and at ease.

It's eerie how he does that.

When the bell rings, he grabs his stuff and leaves, not looking at me at all.

My next class is an honors class, and they're working on a a book called 'A Separate Peace' by John Knowles.

"Ok guys. You're gonna be working on the annotation assignment once this book is finished. I highly suggest that if you haven't finished reading this, you hurry up. This assignment will take a while to do," I say once class is just about over.

I hear several groans

"Mrs. West?" Izzy asks from her seat in the back.

"Yeah?"

"Any chance I can get an extension? I've been sick for three days."

"I know you have been, and nope. It's due Thursday and the test is on Friday."

"This isn't fair—Come on. You know how sick I was!"

"Really wanna keep going? I can call your dad right now."

She groans as she opens up her book silently and starts to read.

I look up when I hear a knock at my door, and my heart flutters.

Mason still makes me nervous, and seeing him in his teacher clothes makes my stomach clench. He's so dang sexy.

"Have a minute?" He asks with a smile.