The Scarlet Sweater

8. The Tutor and His Pupil

It had been three months since Nic became aware of his best friend’s… indiscretion. You could say he had handled the situation with an impressive sense of decorum, you could say that… if you didn’t know what he was really doing. Ever since Nic discovered that Daniel had given Jeni Juliearl, (the robotic demon child) he had been tutoring our friendly Jock.

Nic had known Daniel long enough to know that he wasn’t the best at English. He took that knowledge and used it to his advantage. Nic approached Daniel a mere thirty minutes after his conversation with Jeni in the detention room. He explained that he had begun tutoring kids because it would look good on a college application. Nic offered to tutor Daniel in English, knowing full well that our jock’s grade was plummeting due to the… oddly relevant book they were reading (The Scarlet Letter).

As Daniel was unaware that Nic knew about his… “relationship” with Jeni, he greatly appreciated the offer and joyously accepted. What Daniel didn’t know was that Nic’s offer to tutor him was not made in good spirits. Nic had devised a somewhat evil plan to sabotage Daniel’s grades by teaching him the wrong things. He hoped that the failing grades would get him removed from the football team, thereby destroying his future.

And succeed his plans did. After two study sessions, Daniel’s grades began to drop drastically (more than before!).

“Why is this happening?” he asked Nic one day after a study session. “I thought you were supposed to be helping me. Now, I don’t even have football to lean on!”

“You haven’t been kicked off the team yet,” Nic said. “If you stick with me, then your grades will go up.”

But Nic’s charming words didn’t ring true. Daniel was kicked off the football team in a matter of a couple hours. Mr. Bausch delivered the news.

“I’m sorry to inform you, Mr. Stohlmannesdale, that you have been asked to resign as captain of the football...squad? Crew? Jamboree?”

“But I’m the best player!” exclaimed Daniel, as Mr. Bausch continued to rattle off synonyms of the word “team.” Mr. Bausch didn’t answer, so Daniel walked away.

There began a rumor about this time, saying that Nic was tutoring Daniel in vain. Daniel had shrugged this preposterous idea off as child’s play, but now he wasn’t sure he was buying Nic’s study methods. He decided to ask him, more in depth, about his “help.”

Daniel was packing up his things from his athletic locker when Nic walked in with the rest of the team. His locker was right next to Daniel’s, so the two were able to talk.

“So, I was kicked off the team this afternoon.” Daniel said, sitting down.

“No way,” Nic said, with no emotion.

“Yeah way. I just thought I’d tell you because you’re my most trusted friend. But I have one problem.”

“Name it, and it shall be fixed!” Nic exclaimed.

“It’s actually with you,” Daniel said, staring at the floor.

“Me?” Nic bellowed. “Me? Why, I haven’t done anything.”

“I’m not so sure. Your ‘help’ isn’t exactly helping me.”

“Things always get darker before they get lighter, my friend.”

“And now it’s October, and this is the darkest moment in my life! Are you sure—?” he stopped short, and fell on the ground in pain.

Nic rushed to his side. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Daniel remarked, pushing his hand to his heart. When the weights had crushed him several weeks ago, he had began to feel short of breath and pain radiated from his heart, eventually flowing to the rest of his body and causing him excruciating irritation.

“I don’t know what that was about, but I’m assuring you, I am here to help you.” Nic smiled.

Daniel looked at him, but didn’t smile. This friendly face was turning into a real annoyance.

Mr. Bausch scuffed into the locker room. “We have another practice before our game tomorrow to see who our new captain is going to be. Our previous captain has graciously stepped down due to poor academic performance.”

All eyes turned to Daniel, who blushed. He didn’t expect Mr. Bausch to remark about his resignation publicly. This embarrassed him, and he quickly zipped his bag closed and trotted out of the locker room.

Nic felt a twinge of guilt. This had been all his fault. He had caused his best friend to lose the only precious sort of leadership in the whole school hierarchy. Now, without that, what could Daniel do? Where could he go?

Frankly, thought Nic, I don’t give a damn.

“Practice will begin at 4:30.” Mr. Bausch said calmly. Everyone exhaled, a cheerful exhale.

“A.M.” Mr. Bausch finished, menacingly. The team groaned. This collective adolescent outburst could be heard all the way in Mr. Krause’s room, where he was having a council with Jeni.

Mr. Krause was Jeni’s favorite teacher (and coach), he just… seemed to “get” what she was about. Upon hearing about her plagiarism, however, Mr. Krause decided that he needed to have a one-on-one conference with this most promising of speechers. When she heard that Mr. Krause wanted to talk to her, Jeni was delighted. She couldn’t wait to talk to a teacher that would finally understand what she was going through. She believed deep down that he would see her as a victim of mistreatment. Our friendly martyr could not have been more wrong.

“Jeni, Jeni, Jeni… I requested your presence because we need to discuss what you did earlier this year.”

“What I… What I did?”

“Yes. What you did.” Jeni gulped.

“It has come to my attention that you PLAGIARIzed. It has also come to my attention that you are involved in Speech.”

“Duh.”

“I cannot have a PLAGIARIzer on my team.”

“What? What are you saying?”
“You are being removed from the Speech team. I cannot risk you PLAGIARIzing an Entertainment speech and losing Louisville the ‘butt-kicking’ reputation it has taken so long to achieve.”

“I… I’m off the team?”

“You are off the team.”

The next couple of hours were a blur to Jeni. She wandered listlessly through the hallways… weeping. As she wandered, Jeni was unaware of an oncoming collision. Daniel was also wandering through the hallways, he wasn’t weeping, though. They ran straight into one another.

“What is your problem?” Jeni shouted.

“I… I’ve lost everything.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I, too, have lost everything.”

They made eye contact. Slowly they embraced each other, attempting to provide comfort. Both of them had lost so much so fast. Jeni realized that of all the people in the school, nobody understood her pain as well as Daniel. No one could relate as he did. They stepped back from one another, looking deep into each other’s eyes. Daniel was suddenly unable to contain the emotions flowing out of him. He reached up, grabbing Jeni’s face and gently pressed his lips against hers. At first Jeni was taken aback, but then she began to kiss him back. It was a beautiful moment filled with immense passion. Unfortunately for them, Daniel and Jeni didn’t notice Nic walking down the hallway toward them. He saw them… the sight shocked him. Filled with a fiery rage, Nic turned and ran.