Why Can't It Just Be You?

~ Two ~

You Stay Two Meters Away from Me

Flashback

"Tutor?" sixteen-year-old Phoebe echoed, looking at her father in absolute surprise. "Are you kidding me, dear Ba-ba?"

Hector Perkos sat solemnly on his chair in his study room. He was watching his daughter who was standing with her wide eyes across his study table.

"Ba-ba?"

"Yes. A tutor."

Seriousness. If there was some apparent mood that Phoebe could feel from her father's statement, it was seriousness, utmost seriousness.

No! She screamed inside. Phoebe was currently in her first grade of Lykeion and, as far as she knew, she was doing well in her academics. Why would she need a tutor?

"You are doing good in your other subjects," Hector began his explanation.

"So, why do I need a tutor? You've just said I'm doing good." She crossed her arms on her chest and walked nearer to the table.

"In some of your subjects, agapité kóri, you do them fairly well." Hector opened a folder in his table. "Let me see... Ancient Greek, Modern Greek Language and Literature, History, Biology, Foreign Language, Physical Education, Art Education... you do them fairly well..."

Phoebe bit her lip. Her father obviously had her school records on his table.

"But you are supposed to prepare yourself well in Business and Economics... in business, agapité kóri, you have to do good in mathematics," Hector maintained his serious tone as he scanned the pieces of paper in the folder.

Phoebe bit her lip even more when she heard what her father said. Of all the subjects, why on earth maths have to be the most important subject related to business? If only it could be literature, P.E., or English, then her life would be much easier.

"Why of all subjects, Ba-ba, it has to be maths?" she grumbled, sitting now on the chair in front of his father's study table. "I hate that subject."

Hector, seeing the irritation in his daughter's face, began to smile. Phoebe really was like a photocopy of his American wife, even with the way she talked and acted when Julie was still younger.

"Now, you're smiling at me!" Phoebe exclaimed, smiling as well. "Does that mean you're no longer assigning a tutor to me? Oh, efcharistó!"

Hector again turned back to his solemn expression.

"Ah, Ba-ba, you're playing with me!" she complained now seeing his immediate change of expression.

"Agapité kóri, you have to understand your Ba-ba. Everything I do is for you. Someday, you'll be the one managing the shipping company. Who else would?"

Still disbelieving, he stared at her father.

"Don't look at me that way. We have to do this," her father said with a tone of finality. "Anyway, I'm assigning the best man in maths for you."

"Best man in maths?" she echoed. "A guy? My tutor will be a guy?"

"Naí, he is the best in his alma mater so I expect you to deal with him properly. He is a very good employee of mine so I don't want you to scare the hell out of him. The shipping company needs him," Hector said with a warning tone.

Phoebe laughed this time. "Seems like you value this guy a lot! But why does he sound like a complete nerd?" She questioned, imagining a geek with big-rimmed eye glasses.