The Tutor | 2016 ✓

11

|| Ryland's POV ||

On my right cheekbone, a blue blob slowly begins to form, a bruise. It looks like the shape of four knuckles if observe close enough. Even if I were to run my fingertips as easily as possible, a shock of pain will still run through my body. The pain runs through my nerves, stings my fingertips and toes, then bounces right back to where it came from. It electrifies everywhere in and out of my body but I was used to the pain of a punch.

They've been worse.

There aren't many perks to fights but if preparation for other ones counts then that's one of them. But the pain isn't as bad when you win. It's a sweet kind of pain. The shock feels good and it just makes you want to feel it even more.

Sometimes, bruises and scars leave hysterical memories. Like a small, round scar on the side of my left calf, Ezra accidentally shot me with a bebe gun while we were screwing around in my back yard.

Or like, when you get hit by a baseball while at bat, the pain doesn't hurt at all for me. In fact, I want to get hit by the ball when I'm in the box. It's like the pitcher just giving you a free base. I wait for that bruise to become the shape of the baseball threads on my biceps or on my thigh. It's weird but my baseball/ softball buds understand, right?

But something is strange about this certain bruise. It isn't a bad kind of hurt, it feels nice. I press on it and feel the pain shock my body like lighting. It's the kind of pain that you crave. It hurts so bad but at the same time it doesn't and it's so painful you can't remember it. You just have to touch it again to remind you of the feeling just to be forgotten again.

It's where Blondie punched me. She said she didn't want me to get in trouble but I told her that I'm always in trouble. Everyone knows that but the way she said it made me feel weird. It was a feeling saying "she's so innocent, just forget about everything and leave it alone." and so I did.

Everly is so innocent but Saturday, she succeeded to show me otherwise. But, when I see her and when she shows up in my mind, I am somehow reminded of her innocence. She's a confusing person, to be honest.

She's like a human mood swing. She's sweet then she's mean and defensive. After that, she's sincere than she's distant. I've observed a lot in these few days I've known her but one thing I've noticed that hasn't changed is the way she always thinks about the consequences for the other person and not just herself.

Like, when we were at Ezra's party this weekend and I spilled my drink on her. I offered her my sweatshirt but she refused so I wouldn't have to suffer. And when Coach Arnold caught us by the baseball fields, she framed herself so I wouldn't get in trouble.

And it feels nice. It feels good when someone cares about your needs and how you'll be effected.

I hear a knock at my front door, clearing my brain of all its bombarding thoughts. I make my way down the stairs and open the door to Everly.

Her presence was still foreign around me and in my house hold but when I saw her backpack it immediately reminded me that I had to tutor her. There was some sort of hope that soon deteriorated when I realized I was just her tutor.

"Come in, Blondie." I welcomed softly.

She nodded her head and scrunched her lips into a straight line. Her hair fell smoothly like a dancer off of her shoulder and combined with the rest of the other millions of strands on her back.

I guide her up to my room and she sits in the same place she did last time. Everly takes a seat on the corner of my bed closest to my desk. I open my MacBook Air before sitting in my spinning chair and sliding in under my desk.

"Let my see your test." I demand.

"What test?"

"You know what I'm talking about." I put my hand out so she can place the two stapled papers together. "The one that got us here in the first place."

Blondie rolls her eyes then roughly lifts her backpack from the floor. She aggressively tugs her zipper open then pulls out a crumbled piece of paper in a ball. She hands it to me and I grab the paper ball, undoing it so that it'll be in its test form again.

"It was better crumbled in a ball and ready to be thrown into a fire." Everly comments.

I chuckle then go back to what was on my computer.

"Well, F is for Fantastic, ya know..."

"Shut up."

I can see her reflection in the screen of my laptop. A smile creeps upon her face and I can see that she's trying to fight of a smile. She's trying to silence her laugh but I don't want her to. I want her to laugh because her laugh is like the perfect melody. I want her to smile because her smile is brighter than the sun.

Shit, I just want her to be her happy self. I know she's got it in her.

"It's alright to laugh. I know I'm funny." I pretend to do a sassy hair whip even though my hair isn't as long as a girl's.

"Omg, you're crazy." Everly smacks her forehead in embarrassment.

"Trust me, Blondie, I know."

"You seem to know a lot about yourself." Everly states as I turn around in my chair to look at her. She rests her chin on her fisted hand looking exhausted and tired.

"My mind are the world's oceans and I'm a scientist. I haven't even discovered 5 percent of myself yet, Blondie."
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Well, hello there readers... didn't see ya there ;)

Ya, ya, ya, I know this chapter isn't all that great but it's an update, right? I don't know...

But I'm sooooooo sorry for the freaking long wait and then I give you... this.

I promise though that I'll start getting up in my game and updating regularly. These chapters will get better, I swear!

Thanks for reading and I love you all so much!

Buh-byeeeeeeee!

-BlackMidnights