CHAPTER FOUR

Olives' Point Of View

It was already five-thirty, and he hadn't arrived yet. I realized I had forgotten to give him my address. Well, that's better. Now I don't have to face him. The moment I heard Mr. Turner called his name, "Sydney Ronnie," I felt goosebumps all over me. Everyone is always afraid of him.

What surprises me is the fact that he always scores perfect A's. How can someone have it all? Summer had a crush on him and tried her best to get him to notice her, but all her efforts were in vain since the guy only dates seniors.

The home library was just a short distance from my room. I retrieved the hidden headphones and ear pods I kept there and plugged them in, drowning out the world with music. As I glanced at the books neatly arranged on the shelves, I realized I rarely visited the library. However, I had no choice but to improve my grades.

A particular book caught my attention. It had a black cover with deep blue, scarlet red, and light green lines. It was placed on the highest shelf, just out of my reach. Without warning, I felt someone behind me. Startled, I lost my balance and began to slip. But just as I was about to hit the ground, strong hands caught me, preventing my fall. Throughout the ordeal, my eyes remained shut tightly. When I finally opened them, I found myself staring into a pair of mesmerizing ocean blue eyes. A spark ignited within me, and my heart raced. "When did you get here?" I asked, removing my headphones and standing up. "Just now. Your help told me where to find you," Sydney replied, handing me the book. My gaze fell upon the title, "Tales of the Forbidden." It seemed mysterious.

"I didn't give you my address. How did you get here?" I asked, locking eyes with him, feeling my heart skip a beat. "Keith showed me your place," Sydney replied. It made sense since Keith lived in the same neighborhood as me.

"So, what do we start with?" I took a seat on one of the chairs in the library. "Math, of course," he replied, taking the seat next to me and pulling out his math book. Sydney guided me through "Trigonometry," one of the topics I had mentioned struggling with.

Surprisingly, I understood everything he taught me. He made it fun, which I thought was impossible. We didn't even notice that it was already nine o'clock. "Are you my daughter's tutor?" my mom asked Sydney. "Yes, and I promise that she will perform well after this. You have my word," Sydney assured her.

"It's already late. Won't your parents be worried about you?" my mom expressed concern. Right then, Sydney's phone rang. "Excuse me," he said, stepping out of the library for some privacy.

"What! You expect me to stay at a friend's house? Be serious, Dad!" we heard him shout from the corridor. He lowered his voice, and after some time, he returned to the library. "Is everything okay?" my mom asked, noticing the worried look on his face. "Yeah... my dad just told me to stay at a friend's house," he replied, looking up at my mom. "Oh, but why, though?" I asked curiously. His anger began to show.

"Don't worry, you can stay with us," my mom interjected, changing the subject. I felt sorry for him. Perhaps he had lost his mom or his parents were divorced.

"No, I don't want to be a bother to you," he said, his anger subsiding. "You won't be of any bother it's already late and besides we have a guest room," I didn't like the thought of him staying with us. I looked at my mom . She pinched me on the side.

"So it's settled you will stay with us."