The Start Of A Good Thing (Book 1)

Chapter 10

As soon as the last bell rang, Trevor slid out of his seventh period class. He walked amongst the crowd of students who were rushing to get home. He fought to get to his locker and took out his only notebook. It was time for the studying session with India and he really didn’t feel like going.

            Trevor entered the library several minutes later and saw India sitting in the same place as before. His nerves were slightly uneasy because of what happened last time. He walked through the library feeling like all eyes were on him. When he sat down at the table in front of India, she smiled.

            “Hey,” she greeted.

            “What’s up?”

            “You ready?” India asked. Trevor leaned back in the seat, looking unprepared. “So, what you need help with?”

            “Everythin’,” he confessed.

            “Ha, you’re kidding’ right?” India giggled. Her laughter faded upon seeing the clueless expression on his face. “Oh… your serious,” Trevor nodded his head. “Well, uh. What section are you in?” He shrugged his shoulders with out giving the question a moment of thought. India sighed, this might to be harder than she realized. “Can I see your book?”

            “I aint got it,” he replied.

            “You wanna run and get it real quick?” India suggested, wondering why someone wouldn’t bring their textbook to tutoring

            “Naw, like… I aint got no book,” he answered. India placed her hands on her face stressfully.

            “Okayyy. Imma go get one,” She got up from her seat and went to find a math book. When she returned she dropped the textbook on the table and flipped through it. “Since you don’t know what section your on, we’re going to start from step one.” Trevor slid lower in his seat, not wanting to learn.

            India began to teach and show Trevor the steps to different math problems in hopes he would get it. Unfortunately, Trevor was worse than she imagined. He didn’t understand anything she taught him. He just might be the hardest person she’s ever tutored.

            India shut the book and let out a tired a sigh. They’ve been at this for an hour and made no progress. Trevor appeared just as dumb founded as he did when they started.

            “Hmm. We’re going have to try something’ different,” India stated, thinking about what she could do to help Trevor. Teaching him regularly wasn’t working, and on top of that he wasn’t really trying to learn. She glared at Trevor, studying him, remembering his responses while she explained things to him. “Okay, I think I know what the problem is,” Trevor raised an eyebrow in question. “Tell me this, what’s going through your mind, as of this moment?”

            Trevor didn’t know where she was going with this, but went along with it. “uhh, nothin’ really.”

            “No, everyone thinks about something. It may seem like nothing, but it ‘is’ something,” She explained. “You can tell me what it is, I won’t judge you, or call you crazy.” Trevor sighed, not really feeling this.

            “I guess; I’m thinkin’ bout stuff that had happen in my past, things I’m thinkin’ bout doin, people I’m mad at,” Trevor paused; he never took a moment to think about what went on in his head. “A lot of different stuff, you know. I got a lot of questions, and no answers to em.”

            India stared into his eyes as he talked. “That’s interesting. But I’m pretty sure I know what’s going on.” Trevor looked at her, not believing she really knew. “I think you have a problem with focusing. Like, when I was showing you how to do the problem, you would nod your head and say ‘yea’, but I could tell by your eyes you weren’t actually listening. Almost like your mind was in a whole other world.”

            “Oh so you a psychologist now?” Trevor questioned, offended she made that interpretation about him.

            “No, it’ just, sometimes I can… ‘understand’ people,” she answered.

            “So you sayin’ you can ‘understand’ me?” Trevor retorted, almost in a mocking manner. “You think you can read me like a book or somethin’?” India could feel he was getting worked up and didn’t know why.

            “Hey, calm down. I’m just trying to come up with a way to help you,”

            “Maybe I aint need no damn help!” He barked, fiercely eyeing her down. India was taken back by his response and glared at him with tender eyes. It was that same look that calmed him down the first time he met her. Trevor sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I aint mean to say it like that.”

            “Well you did,” India pouted. She folded her arms, considering leaving. She turned her head away from him

            “Why you so sensitive man?” Trevor asked. “I said I’m sorry.”

             India gawked at his remark, “oh yea, when?”

            “Just now. I mean what you want me to do? Get on one knew and apologize?” He snapped. India got up from the table, packing her things. “Oh so you leavin’ again?”

            “Yea, I’m leaving’ again,” India told him. “It’s like impossible to get along with you. Your rude, your disrespectful, and, and…”

            “And what?” Trevor interrupted.

            “And unpredictable!” She exclaimed, pointing her finger at him. “I’ve been trying to be nice to you since day one.”

            “Day one?” Trevor repeated. “What’s day one? That day I got my ass kicked cause of you?”

            “You know what, I’m done with you,” India stated. “I told you I’m sorry about that, even though it aint my fault. Obviously they had it out for you, if they beat you like that. And to tell the truth, I’m beginning to think you deserved it.”

            “What?” Trevor growled, narrowing his eyes.

            “I said, I think you might have deserved it,” India repeated. “Every time I reached out to you, you either disrespected me, or gave me the cold shoulder,” Trevor kept his mouth shut as she spoke. He could have said something, or maybe even done something, but a feeling inside just wouldn’t let him. “At first, I let it slide, because I felt responsible for what happened to you. And believe it or not, I actually felt sorry for you. When I saw you at lunchtime, sitting by yourself, you looked so lonely. And then you got that girl to give me a ride home. It’s, it’s like your two different people!” India’s eyes where filled with confusion and compassion at the same time. She glared at Trevor as if she were searching for something. “And the guy I thought you were; the one I wanted to help, is the one I saw at lunch. The guy who looked out for me, despite what happened to him. The one who wrote that note . . . not the one that’s sitting in front of me.” The expression on Trevor’s face unwillingly showed India that her words got to him. Seeing him, India began to reconsider her actions. She bit her lip and lowered her bag on the ground. “And you know what? It’s because of ‘that guy’, I’m still going to help.” She sat down and re-opened the textbook, flipping the pages to where they left off.  Her whole demeanor was different now, if was as if she were the one in charge. “Now… ‘You’re’ going to do this problem, and then I’ll show you what’s wrong or right about it.” She scooted closer to Trevor, pushing a sheet of paper and a pencil in front of him.

            Trevor sighed under his breath and reluctantly took hold of the pencil. “What eva’ man, …”