A Note A Day

17 | in the spiral of her notebook

| 17 |

❝ Are you a beaver? Because daaaaaaaaaaaaaammm. ❞

THE LATE APRIL WEATHER was dizzying to Charlotte.

Massachusetts weather was always a little iffy, and was usually never warm, never sunny, and never satisfying.

It was slightly humid and sticky, slowly easing into the summer weather. Charlie's black band shirt was sticking to her skin as she looked out of the window in her math class. She noticed the newly vibrant trees and the enticing, baby blue sky.

A sigh whispered through her lips while she rested her head on her crossed arms on her cold desk.

Just a couple seconds of sleep couldn't hurt...

The bell rang, the shrilly sound startling her from her sluggish daydream, forcing her out of her seat.

She rubbed her eyes as she walked towards the door, before hearing, "Ms. Jackson, may I speak to you for a minute?"

Oh no, this couldn't be good.

Charlotte stifled a yawn as she leisurely strode up to Mrs. Wyatt's desk. "Yeah, what's up?"

Mrs. Wyatt's hands were clasped firmly together. "Mr. Dawes wanted me to inform you that he is unable to continue his tutoring."

Charlie's heart deflated. Her shoulders sagged and her heavy backpack slid down her sweaty, sticky arm.

Her heart was thumping with confusion and her ears were ringing with shrieks, shrieks of why did he quit?

Malcolm had been acting very strange lately, from leaving school early to only spouting out brief, small talk as opposed to long, cheery conversation.

"I'm currently looking for someone to replace Mr. Dawes and when I find a willing contribution I'll let you know right away. The tutoring has really improved your grade, Charlotte."

Charlotte weakly chuckled. So you think. I'm just doing better because instead of giving a two percent effort I'm giving ten percent.

"Um, thanks," she whispered nonetheless. "Do you - do you know why Malcolm isn't going to tutor anymore?"

Charlie's teacher tilted her head and steadily breathed in deeply, and then released. "I'm sorry, Charlotte." Her light brown eyes looked at her with pity (pity that Charlotte happened to lose her tutor, or pity for Malcolm?) for a moment before shaking her head with a frown.

"Uh, I gotta go," Charlie rushed out, motoring out of the stuffy classroom.

•|•|•

Charlotte was a little annoyed when she walked into the cafeteria and saw that Malcolm wasn't there. Theodore and Shane were and she supposed that she might as well sit with them. Even though she was a little peeved at Theodore, she could probably find out why Malcolm wasn't tutoring her anymore.

She could feel Theodore's eyes on her as she opened her lunch bag and took out her sandwich. Next to Shane she felt protected, as silly as that sounded, because she had ranted all of her emotional issues out to him (most about Theodore). He knew where she stood with the boy sitting before her, the boy wearing the black skinny jeans and the blue converse sneakers (that matched his eyes) and the red flannel that was rolled up at the sleeves despite the unusually hot weather. How was he not dying of heat?

Even his style was on point. Thank God, because if he ever wore basketball shorts, she would be gone faster than you could say 'fuckboy'.

"What's up with you?" Shane piped up, nudging Charlie in the side.