If Only It Were That Simple

Chapter 28- A New Leaf

Lorrie-

I watch Connor and Jacob from the stove, "You two." I address them. "The living room is right down that hallway. Go get comfortable, Johnny's started a fire." Jacob quickly puts the candy canes by the stove and races off. "That means you can go too." She tells me

"I thought since you had crutches, you could use a spare pair of hands." I see him hold up both hands and wiggle his fingers. "I've got two free ones." He grins.

"Okay, if you insist." I tell him suppressing a smile, "In that drawer under the stove is a wooden tray with handles and a two inch rim. The third draw from the bottom next to the fridge is a green towel to line the tray."

He says nothing, but I hear him moving around the kitchen. I turn off the stove and ladle the cocoa into the mugs. I grab the whipped cream and put it in the tray with the candy canes and the chocolate bar. Connor helps me put the mugs into the tray and picks it up to follow me into the living room. I hear talking as I walk in turning out some of the over head lights. I leave the lamps on and the floor lights, and well, the fireplace, obviously. "Everyone hot chocolate's ready. Whipped cream, candy canes, and chocolate shavings who wants what on top?"

Jacob reaches for the whipped cream and sprays it on one of the mugs before shaving some chocolate and grabbing a candy cane. "This is amazing!"

"Connor, why don't you just put it on the table over there?" I point to the cluttered coffee table covered in half edited books, dance routines, scripts and half composed music. He manages to find a vacant spot on the table and sets it down.

"Lorrie?" Johnny asks fixing his own mug, "Can we talk?"

"Yes, of course." I answer fixing the remaining three how my siblings and I like our drinks, "What's up?" I ask him taking a deep breath.

"Can I talk to you, privately?" He corrects himself. He gently pries my mug out of my hand and gives me a questioning look. I nod heading to what would be my mother's study if she was ever here, so it's just a library filled with all our books with a desk and sitting area. I assume he's following me, hard to tell with my crutches clicking. I push the door open with my left crutch and head in. I settle into one of the leather armchairs with an ottoman and prop up my foot. He remains standing but takes my crutches and props them against the desk, just out of my reach. He closes the glass French doors and walks to the floor to ceiling window pulling open the curtain. "It's really coming down out there."

"Johnny," I begin, "I hope you didn't bring me in here to watch you look out the window." I smile as he closes the curtain and flips on the lamp the only light in the room.

"No," He sits in the other armchair placing both cups on the  table between us, "I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" I ask him, "For what?"

"For tutoring me?" He says, I nod, "For not giving up on me like everyone else."

"Everyone else?" I ask him.

"Yeah, you're not the first tutor my parents have hired to try to get my grades up." Johnny answers. "They've paid dozens of them to tutor me, none of them got me the grades I needed to stay on the team, and I've been benched countless times because of my grades." I pick up my cocoa as he continues. "My parents didn't think I could get into college without sports. That the only chance a college would accept me would be by sports scholarship." he picks up his cup and turns it around in his hand. His nervousness coming off him in waves. "Lorrie, you've tutored me how long, three months?" Johnny asks, I think for a moment before nodding. "That's the longest a tutor's stayed with me. My other tutors stayed for about a week, they thought I was a lost cause."