Tutor Me (12 page)

Her words came out in a rush. “Kai and I had lost you and Bryce during the show and we figured you two were together, so after the concert when I couldn’t find you I wasn’t too worried. I had forgotten my cell in Bryce’s car and Kai didn’t have your number, and we couldn’t reach Bryce. We went to Bryce’s car to see if you were there but you weren’t, and of course it was locked so I couldn’t get my phone out. We waited there and then Bryce finally called Kai from a McDonalds and that’s when we all realized that you were missing. I’m so so sorry Jenny. Where are you now?”

“I’m with Callum. Luckily he was nearby and was able to get to me before two pervs pulled me into their truck.” I said icily. “Put Bryce on please.”

Lacey let out a squeak and handed the phone to Bryce.

“Jenny. You OK? We’re coming to get you.” He sounded way too mellow for what I’d just been through.

“Don’t bother,” I snarled. “Why didn’t you check on me?” I was not happy to be going through all this with Callum next to me but it couldn’t be helped.

Bryce’s words were slurring. “Come on, babe. I thought you were with Lacey and Kai. I was –am- kind of turnt and I stumbled into McDonalds to sober up while I waited for you guys. I sent you a text.”

“Bullshit.”

“I did” he insisted. There was a pause. “Oh shit. I typed it but forgot to hit send. I’m really really sorry babe, you gotta believe me. Let me make it up to you.”

“Bryce we’ll talk tomorrow when you’re sober. Put Lacey back on.”

He protested but I said, “Now” and he finally handed the phone back over.

“Lacey, you’ve got to drive. Bryce is trashed.”

“I know. Now where are you?”

“Callum is taking me to the police and then home”- I paused, realizing I didn’t actually know that so I glanced at him inquiringly. He nodded firmly. “so just go home yourself.”

“How did you end up with that asswipe?”

Callum smirked at that, revealing that he could hear the other side of the conversation.

“When I couldn’t reach any of you I called him because I knew he was at a bar nearby. I’m not kidding when I say he got me out of a really dangerous situation. Lacey I’ve gotta go. We’re almost at the police station.” We weren’t there yet but I was still too pissed at her to chat any more.

“I’m coming to your house tomorrow morning with bagels to beg your forgiveness.”

Her contrition melted the last of my anger. “It’s ok, I forgive you. It was just unfortunate. Talk tomorrow.” I hung up, leaning back in the seat, suddenly feeling very tired. I closed my eyes.

Callum interrupted the silence that followed. “What a shit show.  You’ve picked some real winners to hang out with there.”

Without opening my eyes I said, “Shut it, Caldwell. I don’t want to hear it.”

We pulled up at the police station. We were there for an hour, filling out paperwork and talking to a sympathetic but weary looking detective. He gave me his card and said he’d call with an update if anything came of it. From his tone, the odds seemed against it. But Callum was right, we had to do it.

When we got back to the car it was close to one in the morning.

“Are you ok? What do you need?”

“Um, well, I’m ravenous actually. Could we stop somewhere to eat?”

He glanced over at me. “Sure. Any requests?”

“While I was on the phone I noticed a taco stand in a parking lot a few blocks back that looked really good.”

Callum looked surprised. “That’s unexpected, but hey, an awesome choice. Mexican Coke will be great for you.”

“Why’s it unexpected?” I turned in my seat.

He glanced over at me. “I don’t know, I’d have thought you’d want to go somewhere more mainstream like Chipotle.”

I shrugged. “I love Mexican street food. And if we’re talking about most of Phoenix, not just our narrow little high school world, then a taco truck is mainstream.”

He smirked. “Point taken.”

A little while later we were seated at a plastic table under an awning in the parking lot waiting for our tacos when I spotted the condiments stand. I jumped up, returning with several little plastic containers of salsas and a paper plate of green chiles.

“Careful, those are hot,” Callum said, pointing at the chiles.

“Oh you can’t handle them?” I looked at him innocently.

Callum must have detected the underlying challenge because he grinned and replied “I can handle them all right, I’m just not sure you can.”

I leaned forward, causing the table to wobble on the uneven asphalt. “Wanna bet? Whoever is the first to take a sip of Coke after eating one has to pay the check.”

“You’re on.”

We each grabbed a chile and popped it in our mouths whole, removing only the stem. We chewed, watching the other’s face, and man were those chiles hot. We both started sweating and I could feel my face flushing, but I chewed and swallowed and I knew I would be OK. I had been doing this kind of competition with my family for as long as I could remember. My mother and her brothers were always trying to outdo each other on their tolerance for hot food. Callum clearly had less experience with spicy food because he was struggling. He swallowed the chile down but he was in serious pain, I could tell, his face bright red.

I giggled at him. “You ok there, big boy?” He just shook his head, giving me the finger.  Just as the tacos arrived he broke down and chugged half his Coke in one gulp.

“Aah” he said, relieved.

“Yes!” I pumped my fist, before taking a sip of my own Coke.

“I don’t care. It was worth losing the bet to soothe my poor mouth. And I would have paid for the food anyway, you know.”

“No way, I owed you since I ruined your night. I would have paid if it hadn’t been for the bet.”

Callum suddenly got serious and took my hand across the table to get my full attention. “Jenny, I want to make a few things clear. The first thing is, you didn’t ruin my night. I’m horrified about what probably would have happened if I hadn’t arrived.  The second thing is, your friends, and especially your boyfriend, suck. I loathe Lacey but I kind of accept that there was a misunderstanding there. Bryce on the other hand should never have let this happen. He should never have gotten shitfaced on a date with you, should never have lost you at the concert and then gone to a fucking McDonald’s instead of searching for you; should have been calling you off the hook instead of messing up one text. Third, walking down that dark street was not a great idea but it was not your fault that those guys attacked you. They were really bad people. His eyes were stormy.

I nodded mutely, pulling my hand away to rub a tear I felt coming.

He sat back. “OK let’s just eat our tacos.” I didn’t feel like them anymore but I made myself swallow them.

In his car he put on some mellow music and I leaned back. Feeling warm and safe, I fell asleep. I woke with a start to the touch of Callum’s hand on my arm. “Jenny, wake up, we’re at your house,” he was saying gently. I sat up, blinking my eyes. The events of the evening came flooding back but what stood out was his role in it. My heart squeezed painfully as I realized I was falling hard for him.

“So before you go, you’re OK, right? What are you thinking?”

“’She may contain the urge to run away, but hold her down with soggy clothes…’”

He looked concerned. Ignoring my game, he said “are you really freaked out?”

I gave a half smile to reassure him. “Nah, it was the only relevant song lyric I could think of.”

His hands went up in mock frustration. “Are you kidding me? What about, ‘you’re my angel, come and save me tonight’.” He sang the lyrics rather than saying them, with a passable impression of Steven Tyler’s voice.

I smiled. “Not one to hide your light under a bushel, apparently. So I guess I’m going to owe you one for like, forever, I’m thinking.”

“That’s about right. And as your newly appointed guardian angel slash super hero, I’m walking you to your door.”

I allowed him to help me out of his car and then follow me up to the porch. I got out my key and, turning it in the lock, opened the door. The house was quiet but the hall light was on. I hoped I hadn’t woken my dad.

On the threshold I turned and said, “Goodnight Callum.”

He was just standing there, watching me, looking irresistible. I almost hugged him but held myself back. Instead I headed inside, hearing him say “goodnight Jenny” quietly as I shut the door.

Inside, my dad was reading. “It’s so late! Did you stay up waiting for me?” I was astonished.

He shrugged. “Isn’t that what fathers of teenage girls are supposed to do?” He paused. “So, it must have been an interesting evening.” He had arched his eyebrow.

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, you left with one boy and came back with another.”

“You’re pretty observant for a bookish academic type, Ian.” I plopped down on the couch next to him.  I hadn’t intended to tell him anything about the night but I ended up giving him a mild version of it, leaving out the near-kidnapping and just saying I’d called Callum to get a ride home and that we’d stopped to eat.

“I would have come to get you if you’d called me, you know.” His words surprised me. It hadn’t even occurred to me to ask him.

“Yeh well I remember how Freya would forget to pick me up from ballet all the time because she was so busy with work, and you forgot a few times too. It sucked having to scrounge rides off the teacher.”

“Come now, you survived.” My father wasn’t one to admit error. “We were a tad neglectful, weren’t we?” Until now. That was something.

Sunday morning as promised a very contrite Lacey showed up with bagels and coffee. By then I really had forgiven her and I wanted to put things right quickly so I hugged her and told her not to worry, that it had worked out alright in the end and it was all a series of unfortunate events. She looked relieved. We sat at the dining table eating.

“Now, tell me the whole story,” she commanded. Her eyes narrowed when I talked about Callum’s rescue.

“Sounds like he was a real hero,” she said dryly. “Anything you’re not telling me?”

I blinked innocently. “You spend an hour a week with a person, you get to know them. I guess we get along now. We’re just friends though.” She dropped it but I doubted she was convinced.

Forgiving Bryce wasn’t so easy. He came to my house that evening after I got home from the Y to apologize. I was polite but didn’t invite him inside, still feeling grumpy with him. He then brought me roses at school on Monday, presenting them to me very publicly in the cafeteria. He leaned in and spoke quietly in my ear. “Please forgive me babe.” I don’t like holding grudges and it was impossible not to melt at his puppy dog eyes so I relented then and gave him a hug. It was meant to be quick but Bryce responded by burying his head in my neck and nuzzling me there, holding onto me tight. One of the lunch monitors made an “ahem” sound near us and Bryce finally released me.

My eyes flicked to Callum’s table on the other side of the cafeteria, where he was sitting with Theo and a couple of their groupies. Callum’s eyes were like steel drills boring into me. I looked away. I knew he was disgusted that I’d forgiven Bryce but the way I saw it, Bryce had acted immaturely, not meanly, and now he was really and truly groveling. Then I started to get annoyed. Callum had no right to judge me in that way. I didn’t interfere in his personal life. I snapped my head up and glared back at him while Bryce held my hand as we walked out of the cafeteria.

Callum ignored me in class, which was fine because I was pissed at his attitude anyway. After school Bryce was walking me to my car when Callum and Theo passed us across the parking lot. Theo waved at me but Callum didn’t even look over.

Bryce’s eyes narrowed when he saw them and he called over, “Hey Caldwell. Thanks for taking care of my girl on Saturday.” Callum stared at him icily. I held my breath because it was clear this wasn’t going to end well.

Callum spat out, “Someone had to since you weren’t man enough.”

I grabbed Bryce’s arm to pull him along.

Bryce cut to the chase. “Now stay the fuck away from her.”

Callum strode over until he was nose to nose with Bryce. “You want to say that again?”

And then they lunged at each other. Theo tried to pull Callum back and I grabbed Bryce to do the same, but he was too strong for me to budge him at all. I then tried to insert myself in between them as they wrestled, getting an elbow to the cheek in the process.

“Stop it,” I screamed, to no avail. Just then the school security guard blew a whistle and ran over, and both boys fell back, panting. Neither wanted detention so they denied that they were engaged in anything more than a friendly tussle. The guard, unconvinced, waited until everyone got in their cars before leaving. Theo and Callum drove off in Theo’s car, and I got into Bryce’s.

I knew I had to diffuse this situation or there was going to be ongoing trouble.

“Are you coming home with me?” he asked hopefully. “I have football practice in half an hour but”-

OK here goes
. I climbed onto his lap (somewhat awkwardly but oh well) and put my finger to his lips. “Bryce,” I said firmly, “you need to back off Callum. I’m his tutor, that’s all, and he did me a solid on Saturday. There is nothing more to it than that. I know for a fact he’s dating one of those roadie chicks, and I’m with you. But if you bait him he will rise to the occasion, just cuz. Not because of me, but because of the whole alpha thing you guys have going on. So drop it. If you or your buddies touch him or incite him I will be very very pissed.” My voice turned soft and I saw Bryce swallow. I ran my hand down his chest. My voice dropped lower. “And I don’t want to be pissed with you. I really don’t.” I leaned forward and kissed him on the neck just as he had done to me earlier, and then nibbled gently on his left earlobe. “OK?” I asked between nuzzles.

“K” said Bryce, his voice strangled. He then pulled my head up and began kissing me hard on the mouth. I knew that at some point soon I was going to have to put out more than I had been if I was going to really keep Callum out of the line of fire of the football team, but for the moment Bryce seemed satisfied.

After all the drama, Wednesday’s tutoring session was surprisingly calm. Somehow after Saturday I felt more comfortable with Callum, like he wasn’t just this mysterious rocker guy but actually a pal. We joked a bit and chatted during the lesson and it felt good. Neither of us brought up the incident in the parking lot or anything else sensitive.

Towards the end of the lesson I felt so relieved by how we were getting on that I couldn’t help but say, “I’m glad we’re becoming friends, Callum.”

He gave me a quizzical look and didn’t say anything. What, we weren’t friends? That hurt. I had apparently exaggerated our rapport on Saturday.

I was mulling this over as I put my textbook away in my book bag and pushed the chair back to stand when Callum abruptly asked, “do you like Talking Heads?”

“David Byrne?” I asked, somewhat surprised. This had come out of the blue. “I don’t know their music that well. ‘Burning Down the House’, right? Why do you ask?”

Callum and I were both standing by our chairs in the kitchen.

“Back in the ‘80s they made this concert movie, “Stop Making Sense”, and it’s the bomb. I watch it every few months. I’m planning to put it on right now. Want to stay and see it with me? I think you’ll be blown away.”

I was supposed to go hang out by Lacey’s pool right then so I hesitated. Callum must have seen my hesitation and quickly said, “No big deal. Just mentioning it. You should try to see it at some point.”

Was that disappointment in his face?
Oh Callum, as if I would say no to this!

“I’d like to watch it with you,” I hastened to say, before he rescinded the invitation completely. “Let me just send a text and then I can stay.” Callum’s face lit up.
Go Jenny, go Jenny!

I texted Lacey to say I wasn’t going to make it and of course she called immediately. I quickly turned off my phone rather than answer and have to explain what was going on.

Callum, who was setting up the streaming with the remote, noticed and grinned. “Getting shit for changing your plans, huh?”

“Mind your own business.”

He snickered and turned back to the remote.

I sat down on the couch and the movie started. Callum closed the curtains to block the glare of sunlight on the screen and plopped down next to me, keeping a good foot between us. There were no lights on in the living room but the sun flickered in through the curtains, casting the room in a sepia shade. At first I was only thinking about Callum sitting next to me but from David Byrne’s opening line to the crowd I was riveted to the movie. Within a minute I was on the edge of the couch and soon after that I was standing up dancing. I kicked off my rather uncomfortable peep toe wedges to be barefoot. At one point I looked down to see Callum watching me and I grabbed his hand, pulling him up. “You dance too so I don’t feel like I’m making a fool of myself.”

Unsurprisingly he had terrific moves, like a guy in a rock band should. We danced near each other without touching, facing the screen like two concertgoers. Sunlight peeked through the gaps in the curtains, occasionally crossing our bodies as we danced around the room. For the slow songs he’d flop back down on the couch but I stayed standing, swaying.

The movie ends with the finale of the concert, the song ‘Take Me to the River’, and we danced hard. Afterward I stood there, suddenly conscious of how sweaty I was. I’d worn my hair down but now the back of my neck was soaking wet from dancing. Yuck. I grabbed an elastic hairband from my jean pocket and pulled my hair into a ponytail, then looped it again into a bun. Callum had been shutting down the TV and I’d turned away as I pulled my hair up. I suddenly felt a stillness in the room, and he was right behind me. I swung around, practically bumping into him. He was watching me.

“What? My neck is totally sweaty, sorry. It’s gross.” I was embarrassed.

But his eyes were smoldering. He didn’t look like he thought it was gross. Something caught in my throat. He leaned forward, tilted his head, and
licked
me from my collar bone to just below my ear.
Wow
.

He pulled back, looking at me with burning eyes. “Your damp neck drives. Me. Wild.” He said it quietly. There was a pause, in which we just stood there while I stopped breathing.

He spoke up first. “You know how earlier you said you were glad we were becoming friends?”

I nodded, wondering where this was going.

“Don’t ever try to put me in the friend zone again, ok?” His voice had that quiet, firm tone that he only used once in a while, to great effect.

I took a ragged breath, defeated. Who was I kidding? He was right. My feelings for him went way beyond friendship and it was hypocritical to call it otherwise. As I looked at him, with our new honesty, I saw how wet with sweat his own hair was, and how the smooth brown skin of his neck glistened. Without overthinking it I stood on my tippy toes and leaned forward, placing my lips on the side of his neck. His skin was salty and wet and all him. I nipped gently, then gave a little lick with my tongue. He gasped and started to move into me but I made myself pull away. That’s all I could handle right then.

“I’ve got to go. Thanks for the movie.” I grabbed my book bag and flung open the door. As I turned away I threw out there, “I get it now. About the neck.” Then I left.