TUTORS ; E.D.

TWO: AGREEMENTS

Cold fingertips tap along the steering wheel while Aphrodite waits for her little brother to exit the school. The boy comes strolling out with some of his friends, but knowing he's being picked up by his older sister, tries to get rid of them. It doesn't work.

"Hey, Hades," she smiles, her window rolled down.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me by my middle name?" He huffs, throwing his bag in the backseat. "Johnny, Eric, text me later?"

"Sure, dude. Bye, Aphrodite," Eric gushes, both him and Johnny ogling the girl. She's used to it from those two--it always pissed off Hades. That's why he tries to keep their interactions with his sister short.

She waits until they're driving to speak up, "I still don't get why you want people to call you Victor. Hades is a cool name."

He rolls his eyes at his older sister, already beginning to text his friends. When he started school this year, suddenly he preferred his middle name to his first. Aphrodite was trying to make him accept the name he had, but it wasn't going well.

Their mother picked their names out, after begging their father for months both times she was pregnant. She had a small obsession with mythology, but the two kids were never that intrigued by it. Especially now, since their parents got a divorce a years ago and she disappeared off of the face of the earth. It was the last thing they wanted to study, for it reminded them she left.

Truthfully, Aphrodite did understand a little bit why he might want to go by another name. The attachment it had to their mom hurt her sometimes too. That didn't mean she wouldn't still try and get him to like the one he already has. But he's 13, it isn't the worst thing for him to want to change about himself.

"Hey, so, Vic," she sighs, pulling into their driveway. "I have some studying and stuff I have to do for school today. I'm not sure when I'll be home."

"Really?" He frowns, giving her his full attention now. "Is dad gonna be home for dinner tonight?"

"I don't know, man. I never do. Don't count on it. But there's stuff in the fridge, leftovers or you can cook. And if you really need me to, I can have a pizza or something delivered if you text me. Now go do your homework before you go and get distracted, okay?"

She ruffles his hair with a smile before shoving him out of the car. Today, she has to be tutored. The first session, actually.

It still sounds boring, but it's better than flunking out of high school her senior year.

Her friends were disappointed when she canceled, as if they were doing anything important. It was a Wednesday afternoon--at most they were probably raiding a gas station for slushies and snacks before getting baked in a graveyard, on the bridge, or by the pond in the woods. There isn't really anything else to do in their hometown or most of the close surrounding towns that didn't cost an arm and a leg or wasn't boring as hell. They all had some money, from work or whatever else, but not enough to constantly be going out.

Luckily, it wasn't a far drive from her own house to the Dolan's. She pulls into the empty driveway with her windows down, Flawless by The Neighbourhood playing on her car speakers. She makes sure to listen to it play through before going inside--Ethan could definitely hear it from inside his living room but doesn't say anything.

Aphrodite let herself in, having been there enough to know where the spare key is with no need to knock.

Ethan glances up at her from his spot on the couch, waving very gently before returning to what he was writing down. "Hey," she hums, taking a seat on the opposite couch. "Am I early?"