Dusk (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 29 - Malice

Alex: u haven't come to the last few calls with us. is everything ok? it's been a while.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket, guilt eating away at my nerves.

"That's gentrification not gerrymandering Jenna, he literally explained that to us yesterday."

"It was a mistake, the words sound similar, you don't have to lose your shit," Jenna responded, looking ready to jump across the table and wring Eva's neck. The others were looking on in enthusiasm and I thought it'd be best to intrude before it got too far.

"It's alright- mistakes are mistakes, let's just move past it." Eva rolled her eyes and smirked, and I wondered what was going on between the two when I wasn't there. They'd been fighting more and more, and I really, really didn't know how to deal with conflict.

I wished Lucy was there. Lucy would've already had this group aced and ready to transfer. There would've been no snide comments or dirty looks. She wouldn't have had time for that.

"So uh," I flipped through the notes we'd gone through my eyes trained on the paper. "Right, gerrymandering is when district lines are manipulated to help a specific political party, gentrification happens when wealthy people and corporations buy property in poor communities and renovate them, which raises the cost of living and usually drives out the original residents..." I flipped through the pages some more, "a good example to research is Chelsea, New York. But I don't think gentrification is covered at all in your class, it's usually a sociology topic... so focus on gerrymandering for now."

I glanced at the clock, we'd already stayed a few minutes past the library closing.

"Yeah, I mean I know what gentrification is," Jenna said defensively, and I picked at my nail under the table, "I just got the words mixed up." Her cheeks were tinted a bit and I wondered if I'd only made her feel more uncomfortable.

"For sure, that happens." I offered her a smile, which she happily returned. I was not cut out to be a tutor. "We should get going though, before they kick us out."

***

"How the fuck did you tutor people in high school?" I said to the receiver, and heard a small laugh on the other end.

"Why, are you having trouble?" Lucy giggled, and I heard a few girls in the background singing along to Britney Spears.

"There's a few girls who are constantly bickering with each other for no apparent reason." I unlocked my car, tossing my bag in the passenger seat. "This girl Eva doesn't even need tutoring. She never has any questions. All she does is shit on everyone else."

I slumped in the driver's seat, closing my eyes and listening to her roommates try and vocalize the beat to Work Bitch.

"Why are you laughing? Does my distress bring you joy?"

Lucy only laughed some more.

"Evan, you're sooo slow sometimes." I frowned, opening my eyes and glaring at the empty parking lot.

"How?"

"This girl Eva doesn't need tutoring yet shows up and fights with any other girl who asks you questions? Sounds like she likes you."

"Wh-"

"I'm guessing the other girl likes you too but I'd need to know more. You're not great at picking up signals. Do you know how many girls in high school flirted with you and you'd never notice? I think Maddy has a tally somewhere..."

I leaned back against the headrest and groaned.

"If only I'd had some friends back then that would've enlightened me about such things."