The Tutor

Chapter Ten

Clarence sat with Justin at the lunch table lost in thought while Justin threw away his trash. When he sat next to her, he tangled their hands together. She smiled at him as thoughts of who would miss her swirled in her mind.

"So, what do you say, Clarence?" Noah asked while he bit into his food. Dylan rolled his eyes with a smile as Noah had sauce on the corner of his mouth. He threw a napkin at him while Noah shrugged with a smile.

"I'm sorry, what?" Clarence asked in confusion as Justin just smiled at her. Noah broke his nonverbal conversation with Dylan to look back to Clarence. She felt her cheeks heat up as they all looked at her with amusement. Elijah's eyes danced on her as Haylee tried to fight for his attention.

"Noah is having a party Thursday night. He wants us to come." Justin spoke to her with amusement laced in his words while the others just smirked. Austin was flirting with a cheerleader, or he would have spoken against her by now.

"Isn't there school the next day?" Clarence asked with confusion. This caused Noah to chuckle slightly as Dylan spoke up.

"The town has this holiday on Friday. It celebrates Archerfeild for founding this place." Dylan answered with a smile as he lifted his glasses up. Dylan was their grade's science expert which meant he should not fit in at the table filled with jocks until Noah invited him.

"This is Dylan, and he will be setting with us now." Noah smiled while Dylan pushed up his glasses in nerves. Everyone accepted him instantly since Noah told them to. Clarence was thankful to be able to hear anything other than sports at the table as the two talked of physics together.

"Will you be there?" Clarence looked to Justin who nodded, "Then I'll be there."

"Clarence, why are wearing a hoodie?" Noah asked with innocent confusion. "It is really hot in here."

"I guess I'm cold blooded." Clarence pulled on the ends of her hoodie. Noah gave a small chuckle as Dylan rambled about the scientific flaws in her joke. Clarence smiled at him as Noah threw a carrot at him.

"Have you been working on your English paper? It's due Monday." Clarence looked at Justin as she bit into her own food.

"Yeah, I finished it. I was hoping on Saturday that you could look it over." Justin smiled at her. She gave him a soft smile and turned back to her food.

"Yeah, I will look it over Saturday." Clarence sat nibbled on the end of her sandwich.

"You need to eat your food, Clare. You aren't even half way done, and lunch is almost over." Justin gave her a concerned look, but Clarence just gave him a smile.

"I'm a slow eater." She mumbled in embarrassment as she bit into her sandwich. Elijah gave the two a small eye roll before looking back to Haylee who was engaged in a story herself.

"You two are so cute." Dylan smiled at them, but Austin just rolled his eyes.

"Please, she can barely hold a conversation while Justin is always into the pitiful girls." Austin stopped talking to the girls to focus on them. The girls pouted, but quickly got over it when someone mentioned some new gossip.

"I told you to be nice!" Justin glared at Austin, but Austin was too busy glaring at Clarence. Clarence pulled on the ends of her hoodie. She wished she could disappear before his freezing glare.

"And I told you she was no good." Austin spoke with venom., "She is a nervous wreck half the time, and the other half she is just another whore."

"Don't call her that." Justin's voice could freeze a man. Clarence wrapped her arms around herself, and mumbled something about going to the bathroom before leaving. When she left, she heard yelling, and angry voice. She ran out when she heard Justin calling for her.

She made her way to the bathroom and leaned against the sink. She looked in the mirror and sighed.

Maybe when I'm gone, they can be like they used to. Happy.

She pulled her sleeve up, and allowed her finger to trace the scars that were given to her. When she traced over one, tears started to fill her mind.

She locked herself in the bathroom after she heard her father walk away. Green glass shards of a smashed beer bottle peaked through her skin. Her pale skin was getting stained red. She used the sink to hoist herself up while grabbing the first aid kit from the top of the sink. With a shaken hand, she pulled the glass out with a tweezer. She knew she should go to the doctor, but then she would lose everything she had.

The first time she had to give herself stitches was flashing through her. When the memory came to an end, the morning after that incident flashed through her mind as well.

When she woke up the next morning, he was sitting on the bed with his face in her hands, "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean it. I really didn't. You know I love you, right?" When he lifted head, she saw tears in his eyes.

"It's ok, dad. I love you too." She spoke softly while her eyes flared with caution.

She sighed when she heard the bell ring. She slowly walked out of the bathroom. She walked down the hall to get to English when a voice called to her.

"Where's your body guard, little Clare Bear?" Laura's voice squeaked as she walked with another girl.

"Probably regretting his life." The other girl claimed as Clarence bit her lip. She tried to shove through the group of kids as they laughed.

"I miss talking to you. Sine Justin took pity on you, I can never get a word in." Laura faked a pout. Clarence felt her chest tighten as she walked down the hall.

"Well, I don't think I ever met your little play toy. I'm Jane." The other girl gave Clarence an ugly smile. They threw insults at her, yet she stayed quiet. When she reached her English door, they finally left her. When they did, she felt as if she could breathe again. She closed her eyes, and slowly breathed in.

"Hey, Clare. You left your stuff when you walked out so I brought it." Justin smiled and gestured to the binders in his hands.

"Thank you so much, Justin." She gave him a smile, and took the stuff from his hands. His eyes were flashing with worry as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry for what happened with Austin. He isn't a bad guy. He is just afraid." Justin sighed as he grabbed her hand, "Please don't listen to anything he said"

"Don't worry. I heard worse." Clarence gave him a smile before walking into the class room. Justin was left in the hallways with a face of concern and confusion. His eyes hinted of his anger for whoever hurt Clarence, but he quickly hid it away.

Mr. White stood at the front while welcoming students to his room. The seats were the same as always. Even Zach's seat way in the back never moved after Justin pulled him there. Clarence sat down in her normal chair waiting for Justin to sit down. When he did make it in the room, his face was full of question and concern.

When Justin did sat next to Clarence, Mr. White started to talk. "Now that we are all here, I'd like to try something different. I want to our warm up to be a memory. Any memory of your life, and you will share with the person you are sitting with! I think it will help bring everyone closer. You have 10 minutes to write. Start now."

Clarence opened her journal and looked at the blanket page. She tapped her pen to the table as she thought. She looked over at Justin who was writing fiercely. She thought about all the things she wanted to tell him.

She wanted him to know everything. She hunched over and quickly wrote everything out. The letters came out as she thought about what she needed to tell him about her story. She wrote with a purpose and need. She needed this to convey everything she felt, everything she was before it was too late.

When Mr. White stopped them, and told them to write she looked at her work. It was slightly messy, but it was perfect.

"Do you want to go first?" Justin's voice broke her of her thoughts, and she slowly nodded.

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