That Good Pain in your Stomach

Snow Days

"Philip, before you leave, I need to speak with you," the math teacher, Mrs. Richard's said as Philip was gathering his notebooks. The boy approached the desk. "Philip, your grades have really been slipping. I would like you to start taking lessons from a tutor." Philip knew why he wasn't doing so good in math lately. He's in the advanced math class, but that wasn't the problem. He has been distracted in this class ever since a certain blonde boy transferred into it. Lukas Waldenbeck was always a slacker, but once he started applying himself, he was actually really good at math and was transferred into the advanced class. "I have already spoken to him and he said that, if you agree, to meet him at his house after school. Here's the address."

Philip looked down at the paper with the address on it. Above the address was his new tutor's name. Lukas Waldenbeck.

Just great, Philip thought. How am I going to concentrate during a one on one session with him if I already can't stop staring at him in the middle of a crowded classroom?

"Um, Mrs. Richards, is it possible for anyone else to tutor me? Lukas and I aren't exactly friends." That was an understatement. Lukas has been bullying Philip since they were ten. Philip always thought it was because he's gay. But earlier this school year, Lukas came out. Now Philip really doesn't understand why Lukas hates him so much.

"No, Philip. You really need to get those grades up. And Lukas is my top student." Philip nodded before stepping out into the hallway to call his adoptive parents.

Helen Torrance and Gabe Caldwell fostered Philip when he was ten. When he was thirteen, he found out that his mom overdosed. Right after her funeral, Helen and Gabe officially adopted Philip so he couldn't be taken from their home. They had already started loving him as their own. "Philip, is everything okay?" Helen asked when he called her.

"Yeah, Helen, I'm fine. But my grades have really been going down lately. So I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to a tutor's house after school today. I might not be home for dinner."

"That's fine, honey. School comes first."

"I know. I'll see you when I get home. Love you."

"Love you, too, honey. Bye."

Philip hung up his phone and shoved it in his pocket. "Yo, Shea!" he heard coming from behind him in the empty hallway. It was Lukas. Philip tensed up.

"What do you want, Lukas?" Philip asked in a small voice.

"Did Mrs. Richards talk you?" He looked up and down the hallway to make sure they were alone.

"Yeah. I just can't believe you agreed to it. I thought the last thing you wanted was to be alone with me, nevermind being alone with me in your house."

"Right...um...do you have a ride to my house?"

"I can walk..." Philip trailed off. Why is he acting so weird?

"Oh. That works. So I guess I'll see you later," Lukas said, pushing a hand through his hair before walking away.

Why is he acting so different? Philip wondered.

Later that day, Philip was walking to Lukas' house when it started snowing pretty badly. There was already about an inch on the ground by the time he made it to Lukas' house. 

"Damn. Sorry, Shea, I didn't think it would be this bad out. If I did, I would've insisted harder that I drive you," Lukas said once he opened the door and let Philip in.

The two teenagers went up to Lukas' room and took their notes and textbooks out. "So Mrs. Richards wants us to study for about two hours each day. So I guess you'll just have to put up with me for a while," Lukas said.