The boy next door (Calum Hood fic)

Chapter 18

*Calum's POV

"Calum Hood, please report to the principles office. " I heard the intercom burst out of no where, that startled me and sent me standing straight up out of my chair. I walked down strangely discreet hallways, and opened the door to the office that smelled like old wood and dust.

"Sit down please," The principle directed me.

"I'm sorry, but did I do something wrong?" The question popped out of my mouth sounding the least bit offended.

"Well, you see here Calum, your grades are fairly low. And in order for you to graduate, you need to bump your grades up. So I found you a tutor."

"Well, who is it?" I said with a harsh edge to my tone.

"Now you see, I'm not quite sure who it is. But they're trying to set you up with someone who'd you be great with. Also you will need to stick with this tutor for the rest of the year. "

"For the rest of the year?" Why do I need a tutor for the rest of the year.

"In order for you to get the amount of credits you need to graduate, a tutor would definitely help for the rest of the year. " The words shocked me. Surely I'm not dumb, I just don't care about school or my grades. I just want to focus on my future ahead, not some math problems I will never use again. It seems that nowadays, when you're in school, it doesn't matter about if you're learning or not, but about good grades. I could get straight A's and not learn anything. The idea of that made me outraged, because the whole point of school is for us to learn. Not care if we get straight A's or not.

*Sarah's POV

"Thank you so much for helping in this tutoring program!" Jess's dandy voice chimed louder.

"Oh, yeah no problem. " I wasn't a huge fan of tutoring, but I needed to make some extra money for my future career path I'm planning to take. I am definitely very well experienced and intelligent in all subjects in school. So I figured, why not? I'm just hoping I won't be placed with some idiot jock, who only cares about looking inside my shirt than looking inside a textbook. Which made me pop up the question,"Wait!Who will I be with?"

"So you see, they like to place the kids together they think will work with better, and whom might have an enjoyable time while learning. " Did they really think tutoring, and learning was enjoyable? Enjoyable would be the last word I would think of. More like unpleasant. Don't get me wrong, I love learning. Just not about history. Or math. Which is funny, since I'm a complete nerd at the two.

"So today after school, just go to the library and you'll see your set up partner there. "

The day seemed to be sorrowful as I was drowning in my boredom and unwilling to comprehend anything that spoke to me. The library door clicked behind me, and I was immediately tugged but a small, fragile hand. Jess was pulling me, which I was very lousy in following her.

"Calum. Sarah. You two know each other right?" Calum and I just stared at each others eyes with immediate regret in choosing this tutoring program. In our minds we were both saying to each other, "What are you doing here?" Our eyes not moving one single bit since they had planted on each other.

"Great. You guys have fun!" We stood their like idiots, dumbfounded.

Until I moved my gaze, and placed my books on the table while saying," Uh, so what do you want to work on first?" I swallowed hard after that showing I was anxious to be there.

"Um, math first?"

"Yeah, sure. " We worked together silently on the problems on pre-calculus Calum had.

"You're in calculus 1 right?" Calum broke off the silence and awkward tension building between us.

"Yeah. "

"Why?I mean, isn't it hard to get into?"

"Tell me why you decided to take pre-calculus, huh?"

Calum chuckled at what I had said and replied with,"I don't know. I thought it would help. But obviously I won't be needing math later in life. "

I smiled at him,"Then why don't you drop it?"

"Well I was, but now I get to have you as a tutor. " He cheekily said then poking me in the cheek. We both couldn't hold our laughs in.

"Shhhh!" The old librarian said.

I then saw Luke out of the corner of my eye, with a loathed expression across his face. It seemed to be a mix of hatred, and jealousy hidden behind his sky blue eyes. My smile died down, and Calum's did too once he turned around.

"Hey Luke. " I said with a fake smile.

"Hey. " He said sternly.

"I was just tutoring Cal-"

"No it's okay, I don't want to bother you. I was actually just going to head down to the field to watch the cheer leaders practice. "

"Um, okay. I guess I'll see you after?"

"No, actually I was hoping I would get a ride with Melanie. You know, since she lives on my side of town. "

"Okay bye Luke. I'll text you. " I tried swallowing the lump that grew in my throat, and tried to cool off how bright red I looked. What was Luke trying to do watching the cheer leaders practice? Luke told me he always thought cheer leaders were too overrated, and preppy. It's very different, and unusual for him to say that. I also can't accept the fact he mentioned Melanie. He disliked Melanie a lot, and thought she was bland, and dull. If there was anyone I could name he didn't like, it would definitely be Melanie. Is it because I'm with Calum? Nothing is going on between me and Calum, all my feelings for him had evaporated already. Calum was nothing to me more than a friend. Luke knows that. I tell him every night I love him, and that he is the only person I love. He does the same to me, but just when I thought Melanie and Calum were out of the picture, they seemed to sneak back in.

Once my study session was over with Calum, I started making my way to the field, hoping Luke would be there. I had hoped this was all a joke, and that really he only said that out of envy. I had hoped that he just went to meet up with Ashton and Michael. Once I had spotted Luke on the bleachers, I tried making my way without drawing any attention.

"Luke?"

"Oh, hi Sarah. " His smiley mood turned down.

"Are you alright? Because, nothing's going on between me and Calum. "

"It's okay babe I trust you. " But the tone of his voice sounded more sarcastic than truthful.

"Also, you know that band you boys have?"

"Yeah?" Luke said seeming surprised by my question.

"Well, Calum plays the bass. So, you know maybe you could give him a try?"

"Sarah I-"

"I know Luke. You don't really like Calum. But if you could please-"

"Don't really like? That guy broke your heart. That guy is the guy you came weeping to me that night. I sure really don't like him. But, I have to give him credit. He is the one that brought us together. " Melanie's words popped back into my mind, when she said Luke is just a rebound. Is Luke technically agreeing with her? That he is the one that brought us together?

"Luke, listen I-" I swallowed the lumps in my throat but was interrupted by Melanie's high pitched voice, "Ready to go Luke?"

Both me and Luke stared at her but mostly Luke with his mouth open and his eyes moving up and down her body. I looked at him with a disgusted look.

"Uh I - uh, yeah. " Melanie grabbed his hand and pulled him, to link their arms together. Then turning back to me giving me a wink, and devilish smirk before leading him into her car, like she was about to devour her next victim.