The Year of Avery

Chapter Four: No Such Thing as a Free Tutor

It had been one week since school had started and, already, Angelina was managing her classload much better than I was. In addition to her classes, she was, of course, taking two community college courses that she was going to use to minimize her workload in college and finish in three years instead of the normal four to five.

I wasn't sure how she did it. One week in, and I was already drowning in reading, quizzes, and papers. One week in, and I was already frustrated by my English class in particular. The people in the area around me were too distracting: my best friend to my left; the cute British boy to my right; the guy of my dreams right behind me; and the teacher-of-the-year right in front of me. Thankfully, Angelina was so focused on her education that any likelihood of her trying to distract me in class via text or post-it notes was virtually nonexistent.

Throughout the years, Angelina had passed me five notes per year, on average, and I had kept each and every single one that had some sort of witty remark that would allow me to reminisce on some particularly memorable incident.

Except, of course, for the last one. While I had thrown that note away out of embarrassment, it would forever be kept engraved in my head. The note from when Isaac Monroe first talked to me, first said my name, and first sat near me. And, if the engravement ever left my head, I knew Angelina would be there to help me remember the incident, because, after all, that's what friends are for.

Nevertheless, I tried to ignore it and focus on my education as much as possible. While the chances of me getting into UCLA were slim to none, I still wanted to get into a college nearby so I wouldn't have to worry about paying for rent or getting additional loans so that I could dorm. Thus far, however, my attempts were all made in vain.

"You guys are seriously so lucky you have Harding for English. If I had him... oh, boy...," my friend, Rebecca Nelson, said, pulling me out of my stressful thoughts. "To do or not to do, aye, there's the rub," she said, giggling.

"I can't believe you just corrupted Hamlet's monologue," our other friend, Keran Moreno, said, stuffing her face with Greek yogurt and granola.

"It's a soliloquy, honey," Becca corrected, causing Angelina to choke on her Sunny D. I laughed, and Keran gave Becca the finger. While I was closest with Angelina, she and I had met these two girls in our freshman year of high school during our geometry class.

Keran Moreno was a private school transfer student who came during the second semester of our freshman year. She was sweet and quiet, though her random, off-beat outbursts were usually funny and surprising. Normally, she was reading or writing, and, when she wasn't, she was falling down several flights of stairs. She was impossibly adorable, with small, round, green eyes, and long brown hair with natural blond highlights. Though she was paler than I was, she did manage a very slight tan, which she kept showing off during our nutrition break.

On the other hand, Becca was the complete opposite. She started off her year with both Angelina and me, but she ended her year in a different learning academy on campus. When our advanced studies program proved too easy for Becca, she transferred into the highly gifted program. Unlike Keran, she was outspoken and she wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind, even if resulted in an insult. Her big eyes were blue and almond-shaped, gorgeously contrasting from her dark skin. Her honey-colored hair was almost always worn short and curly, though she was currently wearing it long and straight.

"Well, you could have had Mr. Harding if you hadn't transferred into your fancy program," Keran said with a sneer, teasing Becca.

"My 'fancy program' looks good on college applications, Keran."

"Mr. Harding looks good in front of the whiteboard."

"No arguing there," Angelina said, laughing. "I think our dear friend, Avery, is the luckiest out of all of us though. In addition to Mr. H., Isaac Monroe is sitting behind her."