Exposure • Tamber

Chapter 10: Shooting Stars

"You wanted to see me?" Tara shifted the book in her arms and held it tightly to her chest. She thought she had done well in her midterm but Professor Macher asking her to stay after class didn't seem like a good sign.

"Yes, I wanted you to take a look at your exam." Professor Macher flipped through a stack of tests till he found the one with Tara's name on it. Swirly 'T' and finished with a smiley face.

Tara took the test and reluctantly let her eyes fall on the red mark in the top right corner.

"Are you serious?" Tara asked, wide eyed.

Professor Macher chuckled and held out his hand for Tara to return her test.

"But that's an A right? 93 is an A, Isn't it?" Tara asked, still a little shocked.

"It is."  He placed Tara's test back in its place, "It seems you've improved."

"Uh, yeah!" Tara was over being shocked and had moved onto being extremely excited.

"With the improvements you've made I wanted to give you the option of putting a stop to the tutoring." Macher's attention was only half on Tara and half on the new students entering the room for his next class.

Stop tutoring? But that would mean no more Amber, wouldn't it? Sure Tara considered them to be friends but up to this point it was mostly based on circumstance. They had become friends because Amber didn't have the choice not to spend time with Tara. Given the option would she still spend time with her?

"I think I'd like to keep up with the tutoring." Her words came out fast, like if she didn't say it right away she might not have the option anymore. "I mean, it's been really helpful."

"Very well." He offered her a small smile before moving around her to get ready to start his class, "I just wanted to give you the choice."

And just like that he was diving into his next class, leaving Tara to make her exit while overthinking what had just happened. 

Was it fair to trap Amber like that? Was trap even the right word? Was she being silly in thinking Amber wouldn't hang out with her without being forced to? She did say yes to the carnival, after all. But that was after Tara had brought up using it as a study date to watch people. Why had she done that? Or right, cause she's an idiot.

—

Amber had slipped in while Tara was talking to Professor Macher at the front of the room.  Like usual she made her way up to the back of the auditorium and dropped down into one of the seats near the wall. She kicked her foot up onto the seat in front of her and sank down low in it.

Showing up to class was such a boring way to spend her day and it was severely cutting into her regular naps. 

She had yet to call her mother back and honestly had no intention to. Her mother would find her if she really wanted to. But the email from Macher was something she was actually nervous about. Especially seeing the face Tara was making up front.

For the first time in her life Amber wished she had sat closer to the front so she could hear what they were talking about.  The only thing she could think of was Tara's test. Had she done poorly and now they were both in trouble? If that was the case it wasn't Tara's fault at all. It had to be her fault.

She was about to march down to the front of the room and take the blame but Tara turned and left before she could. Amber would have to set the record straight after class, then. Maybe she could get Tara a retake.

—

"She what?" Amber's mouth hung agape at the news.

"Next time you start demanding a retake make sure they actually need it first." Macher shook his head and packed up his things.