The Boy Who Almost Broke My Heart [On Hold]

August 22nd: Under the Bleachers

Later that afternoon I approached the bleachers with a heart full of dread. A shrill feminine giggle sounded, followed by tittering from some other girls. Extreme caution was going to be required here. I put on my best casual expression and went underneath, where head cheerleader Carly and her crew awaited.

Carly looked at me, one perfectly manicured eyebrow raised high over her bottle of Evian. Evian, who even drinks that? I thought to myself as I surveyed the space. There was Carly, perfect in her cheerleading team exercise gear and matching accessories, blonde ponytail pulled high. Next to her was Sam, a redhead whose name I only knew because it was on her jacket in the halls, along with Trae, the school's only African-American student, and two freshmen from the jv cheerleading squad who were complete strangers to me.

"May I help you?" Carly asked.

I glanced around and found the battered old teacher's desk that Kaiden had described. Apparently, a lot of the football team got tutoring here. Two cracked orange plastic cafeteria chairs left over from the last remodel sat by it. I walked over and dropped my bag on the dusty desk. A puff of lawn clippings flew off and I sneezed. Nobody said 'bless you'.

"Don't mind me. I'm just here to tutor someone."

"On the second day of school?" Carly's other eyebrow joined the first in the stratosphere.

"Yeah. He asked, so here I am."

"And just who is he?" Carly screwed the cap back on her Evian with precise twists while she tried to stare me down with her question.

I didn't reply, choosing instead to rummage through my bookbag and unearth the Statistics book. I'd taken the class as a junior, so I had to borrow a book from Mrs. Carlisle, the Math teacher. As soon as she heard who I was tutoring, she went all helpful and gushy. Gross.

"I asked you a question," Carly said.

"Yep, you did." I sat in one of the orange chairs.

"Listen, bitch," Sam the redhead said, taking a step toward me and the desk. "When Carly asks, you answer."

"Hey, ladies. What's up?" Kaiden asked as he joined our little tableaux.

"Kaiden!" Carly said, her expression suddenly transformed into sweetness and light.

"Hi Kaiden," the other girls said in a sickly unison. Even the frosh knew his name. Double gross.

He was wearing tight lace-up football pants that made it hard for me to keep my eyes glued to his face and a sweaty, stained tee-shirt with his number (17) on it. Carly scampered up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck with a sideways glance to me, and proceeded to stick her tongue down his throat. I suppressed a sigh and put my attention into finding my calculator. It made sense. The head cheerleader dating the star football jock. Former star football jock. Whatever. The other girls huddled up a short distance away, whispering and giggling some more. Much to my surprise, Kaiden gently unwrapped Carly's arms from his neck and pulled away.

"I gotta study," he said as he stepped back.

"You?" Carly's basilisk glare was all for me. "She's tutoring you? Why? You don't need tutoring! You always get good grades." Suddenly her face cleared and she threw me a pitying glance. "Oh! You're one of the foster girls, aren't you? Kaiden, you're so nice."

"No, Carly." Kaiden sat in the other orange chair. "I really do need to study. I'm retaking Statistics, and I need a good grade in it this time. Talk to you later!"

With that, he turned my attention to the first chapter of the Statistics course and we started a grueling review session during which he made me explain things multiple times. There was no way he didn't get some of it the first time through. I could see the comprehension on his face. But for whatever reason, he wanted to make sure that the tutoring session took up an entire half-hour. I was exhausted and never wanted to think Math thoughts again by the time we were through.

By the time we were through, Coach Marks, the girl's Phys. ed. Coach, had come to collect the cheerleaders and had them out running through their cheerleading stuff far from us. I shoved my supplies back in my backpack and gave Kaiden my own scowl.

"I don't need charity."

Kaiden smiled a smile that felt like warm syrup poured over me. How did he do that? I hated it and wanted it to never stop all at the same time.

"No, I'm not giving you charity. I need charity. Your charity," he said. He ran a hand through his hair, which had lost its gelled perfection with his workout and was now a riot of tumbling curls.

I let loose a skeptical snort.

"Look, I really do need help with the Statistics. My dad wants me to have another "A" for my transcripts. Also, I broke up with Carly over the summer and you see how well that went. That girl will not take no for an answer."

"I see," I said as I shouldered my backpack. I didn't really. It seemed like it would have been safer to pick a male tutor under the circumstances.

"Ms. Mator!"

I looked over my shoulder. It was Coach Marks.

"Is your tutoring session over? Do you not have somewhere else to be?" She gave me her trademark steely no-nonsense glare. Grabbing my upper arm, she marched me out from under the bleachers, letting go only when we were out from beneath.

"Bye Kelsey!" that traitor Kaiden called out as we left.

"Ms. Mator. I realize that you do not have the advantage of the guidance of a mother. Nor did you ever, really," she added half under her breath. "But we do not allow girls to loiter under the bleachers with boys."

"I wasn't loitering! I was tutoring Statistics!" I tried not to squint at the afternoon sun hitting me full in the face. Teachers hate squinting.

"Be that as it may. You will come out the instant each tutoring session is complete. And expect me to drop in regularly to check on you."

Off in the distance, I could see the cheerleaders watching. And giggling.

"Yes ma'am," I said, but I could feel that my face had frozen into the sullen expression that teachers, social workers, and foster parents all hated.

One of her callused hands landed on my shoulder as she peered at me.

"Look. I know this is hard. He's a handsome young man, and very kind. But Kaiden Preston has a great future ahead of him. He doesn't need some girl from the wrong side of the tracks messing it up for him."

"I'm just here for the tutoring money, Coach." It was only half a lie. And shit. Kaiden hadn't paid me yet.

I had a lot on my mind as I marched to the Simmons house where a steaming bowl of cabbage soup awaited me. It's fat-burning, don't you know?