Lessons [completed]

Persistence

Emily's POV

Opening the door to see Hunter was surreal. I never imagined he'd come to my house.

"Hey, Emily! I'm ready to study! I brought my textbook, notes, and homework. I have questions—"

I cut him off, "Slow down! I know you're really excited to learn about economics, but just chill a little bit! Welcome to my humble abode," I replied, stepping aside for him to walk into my house.

He stepped inside, clumsily taking off his shoes when he almost stepped on the wooden floors with his vans. It was something small and cute he did, so I didn't make fun of him about it. He flattened his red and black flannel and put his hands in the pockets of his khakis. Standard boy wear, as Jynx pointed out yesterday.

"This is an awesome house!" He complimented, pointing at a painting of a dog. We both chuckled at that. It was a painting of my old dog, Scruff. "Please tell me we get to study with the watchfulness of that dog."

I snickered and shook my head. "Sorry, we're using the TV room. It's really quiet and comfy. Plus, there's actually table space there," I replied, pointing out that there were no chairs in the room with the painting. It was the piano room!

We walked over to the TV room, strolling past the kitchen and dining room. He plopped his backpack down beside the couch, like Jynx would, and we sat down.

"What's your homework?" I asked, watching him pull out his textbook and binder.

He slipped me the homework and opened his textbook to the middle. It looked like fairly easy homework, so I could see why Mr. Scott recommended tutoring for him. While inspecting his necessary work, I noticed his little note taking in the margins. His handwriting was vastly different from Jynx's. His was very angled, especially with S's, and Jynx wrote in half cursive, letting each letter flow into the next.

When he noticed me staring, he said, "Mr. Scott says taking notes is super important, so I'm sorry if that makes things harder to read or something."

I looked over at him, smiling at his apology. His puppy dog eyes and candid tired look made him look like a freshman, but his jawline and body structure made me a lucky girl to be alone in the same house as him.

I shook my head. "It's fine. Better for me, in case I forget something."

He started reading through the chapter we needed for his homework, and I let him figure almost everything out for himself. Whenever he had a question, I tried to answer it, but sometimes we came across something we couldn't decide on. In that case, we started a list of questions for Mr. Scott in his notebook. Again, I noticed his handwriting, but it looked more sloppy when he wrote in front of me.

A part of me wanted him to be attracted to me. Of course I love Jynx, but it would be damn hilarious if he fell for me. It would make me feel so much better about the years I spent trying to get his attention. In fact, it would be satisfying.

But I've also wanted him to feel the same way, and it would be a waste to not give him a chance.

We finished half of his homework, and I stretched my arms out. "Time to take a break?" I asked, and he immediately agreed. "Want some coffee or tea? Or food?"

"Coffee would be nice," he answered, looking over at my gigantic kitchen. "Just black for me, please."

That's also interesting. I was a versatile consumer of drinks, so I was fine with anything, but Jynx rarely drank coffee or tea. She preferred soda or juice, and Hunter like his coffee black.

I started making coffee and turned around to look over at him. However, he was standing right behind me, so I almost bumped into the counter as I took a step back. I had to look up at him a tiny bit, which I wasn't used to anymore. Jynx made me feel tall and powerful, and Hunter made me feel small and overpowered.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" He laughed. "You have a very interesting kitchen. It makes me wonder about your family—no offense."

"None taken! I get it all the time," I said. "My dad left when I was little, and my mom works full time. She's super badass and makes a lot of money, and we never really buy much, so we got this house a couple of years ago."

He nodded, looking at the fancy coffee machine and shiny fridge. "She sounds awesome," he replied, and my heart splintered.

I remembered my mom hitting me and calling me a faggot. It didn't hurt that much anymore, especially since I'm spending time with a boy, but I could feel my jaw lock into place when I remembered her hitting me. It's not like I was close with my mother, but it sure did make me rethink my relationship with her. We used to be so close, especially as a kid with Dad, but everything changed when we moved. Everything was about work and money, and my life was all about school and grades. Of course, grades are extremely important, but having a positive, strong relationship with your only remaining family isn't too bad either!

"Something like that," I replied with a half smile. I turned around and started pouring his coffee into a mug. I took my coffee with one spoonful of Splenda, but I just handed his coffee over when I poured it.

He thanked me and began sipping from the mug after blowing the steam away. I poured myself a cup, added the Splenda, and also took a sip.

We stared at each other while slowly drinking our scorching drinks.

He broke the silence, "So you're dating Jynx?"

I looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with him anymore. Could this boy be any more obvious  with his jealousy? "She's not as bad as you think. She's even better than you."

He scoffed. "Better than me? Please, no one's better than me!" His smile said sarcasm, but he probably meant it.

Hunter would say something like that. He's so full of himself sometimes. I guess Jynx was right when she said he's just a fuckboy that's gonna throw me away once he's done with me. Still, I can't help but see how brave and smart he is. Sure, economics isn't his thing, but he's a good student otherwise. As far as I'm concerned, I'm lucky that such a prestigious fuckboy is trying to get me.

"I had a crush on you for like three years or some shit, and you only noticed me because a lesbian told you I'm a good kisser. You're clearly not the generous guy you think you are," I said.

Hunter said, "It's not my fault I didn't notice you. You didn't exactly make yourself noticeable."

I replied, "That doesn't just mean you can suddenly show up and kiss me when you don't even know me."

"You agreed to go on that date with me, and I liked you when I got to know you. It seems like you were bored with Jynx, so who's really at fault here?"

I nearly spit out the mouthful of coffee I sipped while he was speaking. He had a pretty good point. There was really no reason for me to go on a date with him while I was dating Jynx. I should've been more loyal. Just because things got complicated, doesn't mean I can just run off to a fuckboy.

We brought our coffee back to his homework and continued. It didn't take that much longer to finish, especially with the absence of innocent jokes and giggles we shared beforehand. He kept his distance, but I liked being close to him. It's nothing I'm proud of, but he makes me feel better even when he knows my dark side.

"I should probably get going. Wednesdays are my sports days, so I better get some good sleep," he said. I didn't reply. Instead, he packed up and walked over to the door. He put his shoes back on and opened the door. However, before leaving, he turned back and smiled. His teeth were bright and hypnotizing. He continued, "If you ever get bored of Jynx, I'll be here. I can tell there's something inside you that knows it's not meant to be."

Anger exploded within me, but my body froze. He left without another word, and I locked the door behind him when I could finally move. How could he have the audacity to say that? I love Jynx. She's the light of my life. She's the sun that I could never look at, and Hunter's the inconstant moon that changes nearly every night. His love is dark and secretive, but I can love Jynx with my heart open.