Lessons to Learn

Chapter 6: After School Drama

Chapter 6

"Aren't you excited, Maya?" Alicia's dreary tone greeted me as I sat down at the lunch table with my tray. I grabbed my apple and took a small bite. "About what?" I asked curiously.

"About Lee, duh!" She groaned. "Good luck with that." She pointed over at the corner of the cafeteria, where I saw Lee sitting all by himself. I hadn't seen him since he helped me with my asthma situation, so the sight of him surprised me honestly.

"I don't have a problem with him." I said with confidence, although I was a little nervous about the tutor session. Hopefully everything would go as planned and I wouldn't screw it up somehow. "What's it matter to you?"

"I'm just looking out for your safety, that's all." She smiled at me sincerely. She might be looking out for me, but the way she's going on about it is just wrong.

"Can I ask you something, Alicia?" I took a sip of my milk.

"Sure!" She said almost immediately. "You know you can ask me anything."

"What did Lee ever do to you?" I put down my milk and stared at her seriously. "There has to be a reason why you dislike him..."

"Huh?" She looked puzzled. "I've barely even talked to him! But y'know...I've heard a lot about him. I think everyone has by now."

I sighed, "My point exactly! Don't judge a book by it's cover."

Alicia sneered at my remark. "You act like you know everything about him. Could you inform me some?" She crossed her arms tightly and furrowed her eyebrows.

I traced my eyes over at Lee. He seemed to be staring at me, but he looked away quickly. I felt my cheeks heat up. Why was he staring at me?

"Maya? I'm waiting." Alicia raised her voice. My eyes shot back to her. "Um...he's not as bad as everyone says he is. I think he's a good kid, deep down."

After a few minutes of silence, Alicia spoke up. "Well Maya," she leaned in closer, "Don't judge a book by it's cover."

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I made my way to Mr. Dale's door and haulted to a stop. It was after school and I looked everywhere for Lee. I mean everywhere. Where was he? He couldn't have went home...He did know that tutoring was today, right? I would hope that Mr. Dale told him.

I opened his door and peaked inside. "Mr. Dale...?" I asked. He was at his desk, grading papers. He perked up at the sound of my voice though and beckoned me to come in.

"Hello, Maya. What can I help you with?" He said as I walked in the room. "It's about Lee...I can't find him anywhere." I said immediately. Waiting around for Lee was not what I signed up for.

Mr. Dale raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I informed him that tutoring was today. I thought he would meet you in the library."

I shook my head. "I've been waiting there for quite a while, and I've checked all around school. I don't know where else he could be..."

"I'm right here." I heard Lee's voice as clear as day. It startled both Mr. Dale and I, as we both turned toward the door quickly. Lee was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. "Lee...I told you to meet Maya in the library for your tutor session. Where were you?" Mr. Dale asked earnestly.

Lee just rolled his eyes, which was followed by a sigh. "Pft, I didn't agree to this tutoring crap. I was just walking around, is that such a bad thing? "

"I'd rather you be on time than be late." Mr. Dale said.

"Why are you still here if you didn't agree to this?" I suddenly piped up. Lee cast his eyes on me for a few moments, then pointed at Mr. Dale swiftly. "He's forcing me, do you actually think I want to get tutored by you? I'd rather die."

I widened my eyes and looked away briefly. That was harsh...

"Lee!" Mr. Dale shouted louder than I'd ever heard him shout before. It made me jump a little, but Lee didn't seem fazed by it. "Don't speak to Maya like that! She is your tutor and you will treat her with respect."

"Whatever." He spat. "Can we just get this over with?"

Mr. Dale turned to me. "If he causes you any trouble, be sure to tell me and I'll take care of it." He glanced at Lee for a moment, but then nodded back at me.

"Okay." I said to Mr. Dale. "Well, shall we get going?" I faced Lee. He just stared at me and exited the room.

"I guess that's a yes..." I murmured and followed after Lee. "Maya..." I heard Mr. Dale say, "Thank you." I didn't even turn to face him, I just nodded and exited the room.

Lee was already halfway down the hallway after I left Mr. Dale's room. "Lee! Where are you going?" Of course, he didn't reply. Did I even mention he was going the direction opposite of the library. I sighed and quickened my pace to catch up to him. He was a fast walker, that's for sure.

"I came to tutor you, not to be your little sidekick." I said as I still tried to catch up with him. He was walking just a little bit ahead of me by now, and it was starting to annoy me.

He just acted as if I wasn't even there and walked with his hands in his jacket pockets. He kept his gaze on the ground, not even trying to pay attention to me.

"Stop ignoring me! Just quit acting like you don't even know me, you saved me for Pete's sake." Lee slowed his pace after I said this, just enough for me to be walking side by side with him, but he still didn't reply.

I let out an agitated groan. "I know that you didn't mean what you said back there."

He suddenly stopped and looked at me with confusion. "What?"

"That you'd rather die than get tutored by me." I looked him in the eye, with a small smirk forming on my face. "I just know that's not true. If that was the case, you'd already be dead, simply because I'm giving you a lesson right now."

Lee just let out a sarcastic laugh. "You think you just know it all, huh? That's funny."

"Wha-?"

"You think you're smarter than everyone else because they're all idiots." He moved closer to me, forcing me to take a few steps back. "You think you know it all. You secretly kill everyone in your mind." He grinned evily and pulled something out of his back pocket. He tried to hide it in his hand, but it looked sharp and pointy. It took me a moment to realize that it was a knife.

I felt that all too familiar feeling of my lungs being squeezed ever so slowly. My breaths were getting harder to catch by the second. This can't be happening....Was I wrong all along? I thought.

By now, he had me pinned against the wall. He was a few inches away from me, when he suddenly raised the knife above his head.

"Lee!" I yelped out of fear, causing him to suddenly cackle. "But, you're scared easily. Unbeknownst to you, you're an idiot yourself..." He sighed and started poking himself in the arm with it, which resulted in the blade bending with no harm done. "It was fake anyway."

I let out a sigh of relief as I clenched my chest. "Jesus, don't do that! That scared the hell out of me..." I took a few deep breaths while Lee was still laughing.

"People scare easily, I just make the best of it." He said casually. After I caught my breath, I said, "You don't scare me..."

"Oh really?" He laughed, "I just did."

"I mean in general!" I crossed my arms, "You're not what you make yourself out to be."

Lee frowned angrily. "What the hell? You don't know me." he said as he took one last glance at me and ran off.

"Lee!" I yelled. "Wait!"

But he was already gone.