TUTORS ; E.D.

ONE: CHEMISTRY

WARNINGS: smut, drug usage and mentions, neglect mentions, mentions of abuse, general mature content. read at your own risk.

The sound of lockers slamming shut and idle chatter echoes in the hallways, everyone filtering out of class as fast as possible. Teenagers are packed in like sardines, but that doesn't last long as people slip out of the doors, laughing with their friends. Despite the commotion, Ethan's in a good mood, but that doesn't last long either.

Someone collides into him roughly, sending his books scattering across the floor just before Ethan reaches his locker. He lets out a sigh, watching two girls, Rachel and Rosa, skip away while giggling. Another guy snorts, kicking his chemistry notebook further across the hallway.

"I think you dropped some shit," Colton laughs, crossing his arms as Ethan silently collects his things. "Hey, where's the other twin?"

"Not sure," he mumbles, shaking dirt off one of his books. Someone else kicks his notebook back toward him, and he's not sure whether to thank them or be annoyed because they definitely weren't doing it as a favor. "Probably i-in the lot."

"If you see him, tell him to answer his damn phone. Or just tell him to be at my place at eight to spark up," the boy grins, patting him way too roughly on the back

"Yeah. Okay."

Ethan rolls his eyes after Colton walks away, finally able to grab his bag from his locker. He doesn't keep tabs on Grayson, but especially not for assholes like that.

He shuts his locker, turning the other way only to see a girl he knows from around school, Miranda, with his copy of Hamlet in her hand. "Found this--pretty sure it's yours?"

"Oh, t-thanks," Ethan smiles softly, tripping over his words when his fingertips graze hers as he takes it back. "Mrs. Lewis wouldn't... wouldn't be too happy if I lost that."

She skips back toward her friends after waving, her cheer skirt and high ponytail bouncing with her steps and not sparing him another glance. Taking a deep breath, Ethan remembers he promised to stop by his chemistry teachers class at the end of the day, so he begins to rush there.

The teacher lets him in, shutting the door to the classroom behind. "Hey, Mr. Magnus. Are my grades, um, okay?"

"Ethan, your grades are fantastic, as always," Magnus reassures, flipping through some papers on the desk. Ethan has never received a grade below a B. "At the beginning of this year, I asked you if you might be open to tutoring. I know we never talked about it much after, but I was wondering if you might consider it still? I know you don't really need the extra credit, but it can count toward your community service hours."

He still needs quite a few of those to graduate at the end of the year. Plus, with all his free time, it doesn't sound horrible. As long as whoever he's tutoring is bearable, and not one of the assholes who annoy him purposefully.

Biting his lip, he gives a slow nod. "I-I think I could do that."

In the very back of the parking lot, a car filled with teens is laughing, drawing penises and signing messages on the fogged up car windows.

The five of them skipped their second to last period and went for coffee, and ended up back at school smoking and snacking afterward instead of going to their last class. They're sat in Grayson Dolan's car, the air thick with smoke and all the windows rolled up. Aphrodite and Grayson sit up front, unbuckled to face the backseat where their friends Joey, Carla, and Elijah sit.

"Pass the hot chips," Carla whines, snatching them from Grayson's hands. "And one of the joints!"

"One second," Aphrodite laughs again, taking a long drag before passing it to her. When she does, her eyes happen to glance at Elijah's phone. Seeing the time, her eyes widen. "Oh shit. I totally forgot I had a meeting about my grades in like, two minutes! I gotta go. Where are the eye drops?"