Special Tutoring

POLLYLITTLE97 & #@rtemisbird#

*To reduce confusion over Wilhelm and William, Wilhelm von Aretin, Ethan's former best friend is now known as Joachim von Aretin (Jogi). Luv, Vardin*

We continued selling hard throughout the match. We even had girls go up onto the stands selling our baked wares stadium-concession style. We had a nationals to get to, and not even Trevor McGill and his fickle mind could stop us. So much for "with time, your heart will be touched by my actions", right?

Luckily for me, I was never interested in him. My poor bestie...all that for nothing. She dumped the hottest guy in school for him, became a social outcast, could potentially lose her chance to be cheer captain, and cried copious buckets of tears on my shoulder because he wouldn't talk to her, and now this? Oh shoot, how was I supposed to tell her about Emily and this devil spawn?!

Speaking of the devil, he was sitting up in the stands beside Ethan who after the game reached fevered pitch, chucked his book aside and cheered like mad with the rest of the spectators. I noticed that I was not the only one shooting daggers at him (Trevor, not Ethan). Some of the football guys were glaring at him in malevolence, but kept their distance and their cool. Everyone was clearing a wide berth around the persona non grata. Not even the rest of the geeks dared to interact with their King, knowing that some of the residual heat could ricochet on them. Maybe that was why he approached Ethan to accompany him.

As for Emily? She continued selling, as if she hadn't received a terrible shock only ninety minutes ago. She was the calming salve to any heated rash. Unlike me. I wavered between cursing Trevor McGill and wishing Sam Rhodes hit him just a little bit harder. Let's be clear on one thing, I am glad he is over me, but seriously? Why couldn't he like Amy instead? And since when did he start liking Emily?!

I got my answer later that night. While the cheer team cleaned up the gym (the only reason how we got approval from Coach to sell in the first place) and distributed the remainder of the cakes amongst ourselves, the two guys stood in the hallway, talking earnestly, or actually Trevor was doing most of the talking, Ethan spent the time reading his book, sometimes looking at me as if wishing I could rescue him.

"Chelsea, Mrs C will lock the money in her office," Our cheer captain, Selena spoke in low tones to Chelsea and me. "We will count tomorrow. Mai, call the girls together."

"Ok."

"Come on girls, let's do cheer hands (where we put our fists together in a circle)!" I turned my head to yell. All the varsity and JV girls formed one giant cheer hand together before yelling "GO VIXENS!"

"Bye everyone!" We all waved at one another as the cheer team disbanded and went off, some in cliques, others with their families or boyfriends.

"Mai, want to catch a ride with me?" Emily asked almost shyly. She cast a quick glance at Trevor's direction.

"No thanks. I think I will walk home with Ethan. You go ahead?" I replied, going over to heft my heavy gear, only to find it under a defined tricep.

"I got it, liebling," said Ethan. "Trevor says he would like to invite Emily and us to Stella's."

Trevor was already extending the invite to a blushing Emily. I beckoned Ethan to bend his head so that I could whisper in his ear.

"Must we?"

"He says Stella's is for thanking us for saving him that night. After interacting with him, he is not as irritating as I thought, though he is too talkative for a guy.  He showed up at my door after you left. He offered to pay for dinner and drive me here to support you."

"Aren't you easy?" I teased.

Ethan laughed. "Don't worry, he's not my type."

"Who is?"

His answer was to meet my lips with his. I closed my eyes in sublime pleasure, subconsciously raising my foot up. Beside us, Trevor coughed delicately. Drat you, Trevor. I evil-eyed him only to catch Emily in my glare. To the onlooker, Emily looked her usual self, but I could see her darting curious, sidelong glances at Trevor and subconsciously fidgeting with her hair (a classic giveway of a nervous Emily). I suddenly realized that she had probably never spoken face to face to Trevor before. And that Trevor was trying to use both Ethan and I to bridge the awkwardness.

"Sorry guys, need to touch up my makeup. Emily, lend me your lip gloss please," without waiting for an answer, I dragged Emily to the relative safety of the nearest washroom.

"Emily," I said, assuming what I hoped was my most severe expression. "Do you want to go out with Trevor McGill? If no, I can fake a migraine or something so we can get out of it."

Emily bit her lower lip and mulled over my question.

"Yes."

I felt like I was struck by lightning. Seeing my reaction, Emily explained, "Actually Mai, Trevor is in my AP French class, but I have never spoken to him before outside of class. All that l know about him in real life is that he can speak very eloquently and he is pretty cute even with braces. But that night when he fought with Sam Rhodes, I saw another side of him."

"Violent thug?" I asked hopefully. "Aren't you afraid that whatever anger the football guys have towards him will be directed towards you as well?"

"Not really. I think it is a one-time thing. The football guys needed to be taught a lesson. I am sick of them picking on other people to exert their so-called authority. So I am glad Sam Rhodes lost his scholarship. That'd teach him to think twice before he abused another person."

I was skeptical. Sam Rhodes was the kind who used his brawn before his brain.

 "Seriously Mai, you really detest him, don't you?"

"Who? Sam or Trevor?"

"Trevor. I don't know what he did to you, or even to Sam Rhodes, but I think I would like to get to know him better. He is really fun to talk to and we have a lot of things in common...."

"Most importantly, he knows who I am in real life, and he is still interested in me. So I am willing to give it a shot and I kind of hope you will support me in this."

"Emily, you are a fit and gorgeous girl, so stop saying things like that." I sighed. I didn't think Amy would like to hear what I was going to say next but Emily was my close friend too. At least she is consistent and loyal and doesn't tear me to shreds when I do things she doesn't like. And I think Emily and Trevor will make a great couple. Amy and her drama may be a little too much for Trevor.

"If you like him, I will help you." There it was. I betrayed my best friend.

Emily beamed. "Thank you, Mai."

Ethan raised a brow when we exited the washroom, but he didn't say a thing. Instead we took Emily's car and met Trevor at Stella's, which was quiet for a Friday night. Guessed everyone else went home to rest up after such an exhilarating game. We went over its highlights, and even I had to admit that Trevor was a pretty humorous guy who kept us laughing over his mimicking of the other team's coach's courtside antics earlier. I observed him and Emily, and felt that I was right in my deduction earlier. The two of them did share a lot of common interests other than an unhealthy obsession with Artemis Fowl. And even after being trashed, Trevor was still brimming over with confidence, enough for himself and the more self-conscious Emily.

I was quite dismayed to find myself alone with Trevor for a short while when Ethan got up to go to the washroom, and Emily excused herself, to go feed the parking meter. I decided to look out of the window to watch Emily when Trevor said quietly, "Mai." Trevor persisted in trying to clear any doubt I had about him by seizing that slim window of opportunity.

I turned around to glower at him.

"Mai. I know what you're thinking."

"Frankly I don't think you do." I seriously doubted that he knew I was going to slap him so hard his teeth would chatter. How dared he toy with my bestie's feelings, cause so much turmoil in my life, and now try to get close to Emily?

"I am interested in you," he continued earnestly. "But after Ethan saved my ass that day, I knew that he is a much better guy for you."

I was stunned. Was this guy for real? Why was he acting like he was doing us a favor!

"Ethan's musically gifted, kind-hearted and really clever. I can now appreciate why you like him so much. He's a really awesome guy, even though he doesn't talk much (nobody does as much as you, Trevor!)" continued the deluded Trevor. "So I decided to get over you. It was a matter of coincidence, my growing interest in Emily. She was really gentle and took good care of me that night. She tried to distract me from the pain by talking about books, because she thought correctly that I liked to read. That's how I found out that she likes Artemis Fowl too, and then it wasn't too difficult to find out that she was  #@rtemisbird#."

That was because you were up to your old tricks, stalking her online instead of recovering from  your injury, I thought dryly. But I simply needed to know the answer to my question.

"Trevor."

"Yeah?"

"What about Amy?"

"Amy?" Trevor was puzzled. He probably thought that I was going to voice my regret over "losing him". "What about Amy?"

"Why did you drop Amy as a Facebook friend and ignored her?"

"I thought Amy was my friend," said Trevor bitterly. "But on hindsight, she was probably using me to get her homework done, and do her dirty work for her. She's not a nice person, Mai. She talked trash about you, said you were a cheap slut who was willing to give up her virginity to an older guy in return for free tutoring. I bet she badmouthed me to the jocks, otherwise why would her boyfriend beat me up for no reason? I have always kept my distance from the jocks. She didn't even help me when he was hitting me. Just stood there watching. Who does that?"

Amy said what?! I was so shell-shocked, I didn't even hear the second part of his explanation.

"Liebling, you are going to trap flies with your mouth like that," teased Ethan, returning to his seat beside me.

"What are you two whispering about?" He asked in suspicion, seeing my face.

"Nothing, Ethan." I turned my head back to Trevor, after swallowing the hot tears that were quick to sting my eyes. "Whatever Amy said about me is between me and her, but as for Emily..." I looked out the window.

"I can see Emily walking back so I am going to make this quick." I said quietly. "I'm glad you moved on. Emily's different from Amy and me. She's nice and sweet, even though she appears tomboyish and tough, she's really fragile and sensitive. So you better be good to her. Break her heart and I will kill you myself."

Ethan found my hand on the table and squeezed it reassuringly.

"And she will have my help," added on Ethan helpfully. "I know of at least 10 ways to kill someone and make it look like an accident. But I think you have a good chance with Emily. She's a great person, quick thinking and patient."

"I should be saying that to you," Trevor said ruefully to Ethan. "Treasure Mai."

I was going to say something, but Ethan's grasp on my hand tightened and I winced.

"I will, McGill." he replied. "Here comes Emily."

"I put in enough money to last another hour. I also put in some for your car as well, Trevor," said Emily. Returning to her seat, she surveyed all of us with a smile, then paused. "What's wrong, Mai?"

"I'm ok," I whispered. Trevor and Ethan eyed me with anxious glances, Trevor's with an added dash of guilt and regret for telling me the truth.

"Emily, Mai's tired. I'm going to bring her home," said Ethan. As we got up from the table, Trevor and Emily stood up as well.

"Wait up, I can drive you guys," Emily said, picking up her purse. I studied her expression. Despite her generous offer, but I could tell she wanted to stay.

"It's ok, Emily, Ethan will bring me home. You should stay and have a chat with Trevor. You just fed the meters so don't waste your money. See you guys."

"Yeah, see you." Ethan helped me into my jacket, lifted my gear and we waved goodbye. We didn't say a word as we walked along the quiet streets. The leftover snow hardened by the winds, crunched beneath our feet.

"Tired, liebling?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"What did Trevor say to you while I was gone? Somehow I don't think it was talking about Emily that upset you."

Sweet, observant Ethan.

"Ethan?"

"Ja, liebling?"

"Do you think I am a slut?"

"Did Trevor call you that?!" Ethan's face tightened in cold fury. "Tell me."

"No, it's Amy."

"Was zum Teufel? Amy?" I was expecting Ethan to exclaim in shock. Instead he asked me, "Did Trevor tell you that?"

"Yes."

"Do you believe him?"

"I don't know... Amy tends to get emotional sometimes that she says stuff without thinking."

"Given that is what you understand about her character, you'd guessed that she said it in a fit of anger. Sometimes when you're emotional, you say things that you'd regret later," Ethan said, looking ahead, as if remembering something from experience.

"So you owe it to your long standing friendship with her to talk this through with her instead of believing what someone else tells you. And Mai?"

"Hmm?"

"You're not a slut. Feisty, yes, a litle too reckless maybe but definitely not a slut. So don't listen to Trevor's crap, ok?" His free arm went around my waist. I snuggled closer into his warmth. We walked in companionable silence until we reached my place. The lights were not on. I remembered that Qin said that she wasn't going to be back until the next morning.

"Good night, liebling." Ethan leaned his head in for a kiss. I knew it was bad timing, given what had just happened, but our kiss from earlier hungered me for more. I clutched at his lapel, as he was about to draw away.

"Ethan?"

"Yes Mai?"

"Is it ok if we do it?"

"Do what?" asked Ethan, with an extremely innocent expression.

I blushed. "You know what I mean."

"Liebling, I thought you'd never ask. But isn't your sister waiting up for you?"

"She isn't in. I was thinking we could do it here tonight."

Ethan hesitated before admitting, "Damn, that's pretty exciting." Our eyes met, I could see he was as horny as I was. Our relationship was great, but sex with Ethan was awesome. And for once, we wouldn't be interrupted.

Even though the house was empty except for the two of us, we practically sneaked in my room like thieves. The second the door was closed, Ethan dropped my gear with a loud thud on the floor, and reached a hand up my cheerleader skirt. Our lips met, as he fisted my bloomers and gently tugged them off.

"Spread your legs for me, liebling," breathed Ethan, in between sucking my lower lip and seizing my mouth with his again. His hand pulled away my cotton panties to the side and he slotted a finger into me. Gasping, I tensed around the unfamiliar digit invading my softness, then relaxed as Ethan worked his finger, one, then two, then one, in and out of me, rubbing and teasing my inner wall.