Dancing, Love, and tutoring?

Chapter 8

For the past few days, I avoid Ashton at all costs; even ditch practice just so I don't have to see him. I am completely horrified that I agreed to go to prom with him. I got away from Ashton before, but now he is never going to let me go.

Mr. Forester calls after me as I follow everyone else out of the room. I sigh and approach the desk, giving him a blank stare.

"Is something wrong, Mr. F?" I ask.

He grabs a folder from the corner of his desk, pulling out a paper with a bunch of words and numbers on it.

"This is Mr. Moore's grades from term one to now. As you can see on his first report card, Asher's grades were in the 30-50 range which is failing. Term two; his grades went up to the 80-100 range, thanks to your help." Explains Mr. Forester.

"So what's the problem then? Asher is passing now, right?" I question, getting slightly annoyed.

Mr. Forester knits his eyebrows together in a V-shape and says "Wrong, Ms. Cooper. Asher's grades have plummeted back down to the 30-50 range. This can only mean that you have not been tutoring him like we've agreed."

I nervously twist a piece of hair, knowing that I haven't been tutoring Asher. I bite my lip and lie "Asher told me that he wanted to try working on his own, Mr. Forester. I didn't think that he was going to start failing again."

Asher let me stop tutoring him so I could dance again and please Ashton. I don't understand why he is failing again, though. Asher was doing so well, even completing his assignments before our sessions.

Mr. Forester is clearly angry by the way a vein in his forehead begins pulsing through his skin.

"Well, from now until grades close, Ms. Cooper, you are to continue tutoring Mr. Moore no matter what. Do you understand me? I never let a student fail and will NOT start now!" yells Mr. Forester, pounding his fist on the desk.

Too scared to speak, I nod my head quickly in agreement and leave the room. I look at my phone and see its 2:30. I have to go find Asher and start helping him study. Finals are three days before prom and grades close the day after. If Asher doesn't pass his final with at least a B, he'll fail for the year and will be expelled. I couldn't live with myself if I let my friend flunk out of High School when I was supposed to be helping him.

Quickly, I run to the Art room only to find Asher not there. I try the library, but he isn't there either. I'm about to walk out the front door of the school and drive to Asher's apartment, when I see him in an empty classroom, doodling in his note book.

Angry, I storm into the room and up to Asher's desk, throwing the notebook on the floor. Papers fly everywhere as Asher stands up, yelling.

"What the hell was that for?" He grabs his hair angrily with both hands, looking at me for an answer with his piercing blue-green eyes.

"That was for failing all your classes AGAIN! I don't understand why you thought it was okay to start slacking off after I stop helping you. You’re perfectly capable of doing your work. You don't need me!" I shout my hands on my hips as I stare at him, trying to look just as threatening.

A mixture of anger and hurt is in Asher's eyes as he glares at me with trembling fist clenched hands. I tense up, preparing myself for Asher to hit me like Ashton use to, but nothing happens. I look at Asher and see his standing so close to me I can feel his warm breath on my face. He gently grips my arms as his eyes begin to soften and his hands stop trembling.

In a weak voice, Asher says "But I do need you, Lydia. More than you think."

I see tears forming in his beautiful blue-green before he quickly looks away. Asher lets go of my arms, leaving behind goose bumps. Goose bumps? I never felt anything like that before. No, I did once. When I bumped into Asher in the hallway and he brushed my hair out of my face, his hand gently touching my soft skin, leaving chills up my spine. I knew I had a small crush on Asher, but could there be something more there now?

I want to say something, anything to break this unbearable silence between us, but I am mute. I wonder what is going through his mind. Probably a billion questions, like me.

Finally, Asher begins to speak again. "Lydia, from the moment I caught you looking at me and I looked into your eyes...... I knew I fell for you. You seem so innocent and shy, but there’s a passionate, determined side of you that amazes me. I never met anyone that could make me want to open up before. Your... amazing....no...Incredible..."

As Asher nervously tries to find the right words, I look down at the floor and see one of his drawings is at my feet. Asher goes silent again as I pick it up. The picture is of a girl in a leotard doing a graceful leap through the air. I begin picking up more of the drawings from the floor until I have a pile. One picture is of a girl looking down at a paper on a desk. Another is of a girl looking at a book. The final picture is a close up of the same girl giving a shy smile, her hair hanging slightly in her face. I realize that every girl in the pictures look familiar. My eyes widen as I slowly look up at a blushing Asher. All of the girls in the pictures are me.

Asher quickly snatches the drawings from my hands, embarrassed.

I find my voice and say "Asher...you drew me?"

He looks at me, his cheeks pink against his tan skin. "Yeah, I guess... I did."

I step closer to Asher, closing the space between us. "They are amazing...beautiful."

"You think so?" Asher says, a smirk playing on his lips.

I stand on my tip-toes; bring my face closer to his "Mhm."

Gently, I press my lips against his, wrapping my arms loosely around his neck. Asher kisses me back, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist, pulling me closer to his body. All my worries and fears seem to disappear as my lips move in sync with his. I realize that I have liked Asher since I first saw him in English class. Whenever I tutored or just hung out with him, I felt so happy and care free. With Asher, there is no pressure to be something I'm not. All I have to do is be me and he accepts me. Right now, dancing doesn't even compare to how I feel about Asher.

Asher is the first one to break the kiss. I become a little sad because I didn't want this moment to end.

Breathlessly, he looks down at me, smiling and whispers "I've wanted to do that for a long time."

I laugh and whisper back "So have I."