Six

January 12

It's been three weeks since James had confessed to Alia. He was relieved that, even three weeks later, be didn't regret telling her what he did.

But he had to admit, he missed her company. He closed his locker with the last of the students milling around him. His backpack weighted with books, hung from his shoulder as he rummaged in the mess of his locker. "Hey, West!"

James turned an annoyed stare to Tyler Arc. Tyler looped his arm around the neck of an unamused James. "When are you gonna introduce me to that girl you kept goin' on about?"

With an iron grip, James clasped his hand around Tyler's wrist. "Tyler?" Tyler tried to twist himself out of his grip to no avail.

Tyler laughed nervously. "Yeah, Bud? You know that really," James squeezed his wrist again making Tyler squeal. "hurts!"

"I am in a seriously bad mood, and if you don't shut the hell up," His tone was menacing and his thoughts were all about Alia. Alia, Alia, Alia. "I will be more than glad to send you to the ER with a broken wrist."

He released Tyler's wrist. He cradled his bruising wrist dramatically. "What are you, on your period? It was just a question." Tyler grumbled to James defensively. He perked as if remembering something. "Oh, Mrs. Walk sent me to tell you that she needs you in her classroom." He snickered. "Have fun with that."

He rolled his eyes and dragged himself to her classroom. James could almost feel that it was going to be about a certain woman who wouldn't leave his thoughts. Alia, Alia, Alia.

Standing in front of her desk without giving her so much as a hello he said in a borderline annoyed voice, "Yes?"

Mrs. Walk peered at him through her smudged glasses. "Ah, James!" She straightened the papers on her desk and gestured towards the empty swivel chair in front of her desk. Uncomfortably, he lowered himself into the cushioned chair. "I'll tell you why you're here." Great. "Miss Night," Alia. "Told me that you stopped going to tutoring. Is there a reason why?"

"Yeah," Because I have feelings for her. "Because I don't really need the tutoring."

She clasped her hands together and looked him in the eye, her glasses lowered on the bridge of her nose so that she peered over the top of them. "Tell me, would you at least consider going back to tutoring?"

With a crease in his brow, he asked, "Why?"

The elderly woman leaned back in her chair calmly. "I'm afraid that if you stop going to tutoring, your grades will begin to slip again." Her necklaces clicked together as she lowered her glasses. "Would you be willing to do that?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, he sighed. Now, James felt obligated to go back to tutoring. He mentally cursed the authority teachers held that made him feel like he had to listen to everything they said. After a nod of his head, the teacher smiled at him. "I'm happy to know that. And I'm sure Miss Night will be more than happy to have you as a student again."

Right. If he was going back to tutoring, he'd go back to seeing Alia regularly again. Hesitantly, he spoke out. "Um, Mrs. Walk, would it be possible to have a different tutor?"

At this, she frowned slightly. "Oh, I'm afraid not. All the tutors except Alia have their schedule full."

He'd expected as much but he still wasn't looking forward to it. "Right." He stood and left, hoping the bus hadn't left yet.

A small smile appeared on his lips without him even noticing. He wasn't looking forward to it. But, at the same time, he was definitely looking forward to it.