All I wanted

6.

I lay out everything I needed to go over the lesson Mrs.Henry assigned me to tutor. Not even two minutes in on me explaining the lesson, Theo interrupts.

"You know I don't actually need a tutor right?" He looks straight at me.

"If you didn't need a tutor, Mrs.Henry wouldn't have told that you were failing and I wouldn't need to be here." I half-laugh.

"I'm serious. I'm only failing her class because I don't do the homework. I'm not stupid."

"Ok...how about this, to test your knowledge I'll give you a math problem and if you get it right I'll give you a harder one, of course, the problems will be what we learned in class so far." I explain my proposal.

"Sure. Give it to me." He says calmly.

I write a problem out and slide over the paper to him. He scribbled on the paper and slide the paper back to me. It hasn't even been 30 seconds yet. It took me about a minute to check the answer myself. He got it right.

I give him a harder problem and again he got it right. Problem after problem he gets them all right. Work neatly shown and all under a minute for each problem. Wait what?! So he does have potential.

"Is that enough proof?" He raises an eyebrow.

"I'm impressed! You're really smart. How come you don't use your smarts when it comes to trying in school?"

"Not motivated. Plus I have better things to do than sit in a class for an hour with people I don't like."

"Like what? Smoke with your friends and drool over girls?" I scoff.

"Jealous?" He smirks " And yes, I rather hang out with my friends than stay in that prison for a whole day."

"Doesn't your mom care about your grade or ever wonder about your attendance?"

"She knows that I skip even though she doesn't like it, but as long as I get my grades up by the end of the year I won't get kicked out." He jokes.

I nod. "How about we make a compromise. We don't have to meet up after school because obviously, you don't need tutoring. We can just meet with Mrs.Henry at the end of the day so she can think there is progress going on then go our separate ways."

"I'm starting to be a great influence on you, aren't I? I'm in." He smiles. He genuinely smiles.

"Ok great, well I guess I can leave now." I start packing my bag.

I hear tiny footsteps coming from the stairs. I see the cutest little girl. She looks a lot like Theo. She walks up to us.

" T I'm hungry." The little girl tugs on Theo's sleeve.

"Gracie, you are almost 8 years old. Go make your own meal. Whatever you make, double it because I want some too." He jokes and picks Gracie up, ticking her. She bursts out laughing.

Theo puts her down and she looks at me. I smile at her. She taps Theo on the arm. He bends down to her height and she cuffs his ear.

"Who's the pretty girl?" She tries to whisper in Theo's ear. Ahh, I love her already!

"Where? I don't see one." He replies. Ouch. Why do girls like him again?

"Gracie this is Athena. Athena this is Gracie, my little sister." He gestures back and forth.

"Hi, cutie." I wave and she shyly smiles.

"Are you T's new girlfriend?" She asks.

"Oh no! We are just...math partners." I think of an excuse fast. I look up at Theo and he is just as surprised as me. Does he have a new girl every week? Dang, this boy gets around.

"Ok, can you stay and play with me?" She looks up at me.

Should I leave and make an excuse or stay? What will Theo think?