The Wrong Brother

Chapter 7 - What I felt instead, was nothing

I know I have to deal with school before I go on my date with Dylan, but to be fair, I'm actually excited to be in calculus class today, which is very unusual.

It's only because Mrs. Clark is giving us the grades for last week's assignment and I think I nailed it! I studied so hard to make sure I got an A, that I'm smiling by the time she gets to my desk. Now it's the time that my hard work pays off.

She gives me the paper and my smile fades away the moment I see the big C marked in red.

I got a C? Are you fucking kidding me?

I keep staring at my grade as I sigh heavily, seconds away from tearing the paper apart. I truly don't know what I did wrong.

What do I have to do to be good enough in this shit I'll probably never use in my life?

"All right everyone, you have your grades, but don't beat yourselves up. It was a hard test, only one person got an A."

Great, let me guess who...

"You can ask Bennett for help in case you need." Of freaking course.

She smiles widely at him and it makes me want to throw up. I think she might have a crush on him or whatever.

He looks rather embarrassed with the exposure and I can see him sinking deep in his chair.

Why do my classes with him have to be chemistry, math and everything I'm not good at? It just makes me feel even more brainless than I already do around him.

Why can't we have PA together? Well, he's so annoyingly good at everything he does that I'm sure he's good at climbing a stupid rope hanging from the gym's ceiling too.

I'm so pissed off right now.

The class is dismissed shortly after, but I don't move. I'm still staring at the paper that is announcing my failure in capital letters, as if the grade will magically change if I look long enough.

"I can help you if you want." I look up to find Bennett standing right in front of my desk and staring down at me. I didn't realize everyone else had already left the classroom, so it's just the two of us.

This is how I get to be humiliated even more. Awesome.

"Thanks, but I'm helpless. God, I'm so stupid." I cover my face with my hand, but he gently takes it and pulls it out of the way, letting it go once he can see my face again.

It's a weird and somehow bold gesture, but cute at the same time, to be honest.

"You're not stupid. You're smarter than you think." I look at him with disbelief, but I see no signs of sarcasm. He actually means it. "You just need some extra help, that's all."

For the third time in a span of a week, Bennett is trying to help me. At his parent's house during his mother's party, yesterday at the cafeteria when I spilled juice all over myself and he offered to help me clean up - yeah, that's a story for another time - and now.

''If it makes you feel any better, it was indeed a hard test.'' Well, it doesn't make me feel better. I'm not sure if he's trying to show off, but I don't think he is. "Just let me know if I can help you, ok?''

I frown at his offer. He's offering to tutor me?

It's a known fact that even though Bennett is a genius, he doesn't tutor anyone. It's not his thing, not to mention the fact that people are a bit afraid of him and his weirdness.

''I thought you didn't like tutoring.''

''I don't.'' He shrugs. ''I don't mind tutoring you, though. It's the morons of this school that bother me.'' He smirks and I half smile. ''It's not like I'll let you fail.''