The Tutor

(13) Mind Reader

Mind Reader . . .

I wanted her number.

No, want was a less of a word I could have used. I needed her number. I think it's the only way I could get through this lifetime with most of my sanity left.

I stared at her from across the cafeteria, even though I tried not to make it obvious that I was doing so. Ever since I spotted her sitting there with a group of her friends over 10 minutes ago, I've been unable to keep my eyes off her for longer than 30 seconds.

Her mouth opened and she leaned back in her seat from laughter. Covering her mouth, she hit the girl sitting closest to her playfully in the arm. She said something to the girl, shaking her head and looking down at the table.

"Bro," Levi's voice called out, waving his hand in my line of vision.

I snapped my head in his direction, opening my eyes wide. I felt as if I'd been caught doing something I wasn't supposed to. Glancing over at her once more, I tried to fight the next urge I got and focused in on what Levi was saying to me.

"It's like you've been ignoring me this whole time," he complained, looking over his shoulder. He turned back to me with squinted eyes, reading the look on my face.

I gave him an awkward smile, placing my hands on either side of me. I silently waited for him to continue with what he was saying, hoping he would ignore the fact that I wasn't paying attention at first.

He dramatically began to look over his shoulder, leaning back and forth to see over people's heads. "Who the fuck were you looking at over there?" he was asking, still swaying back and forth.

I leaned over the table, panic sweeping through me. I grabbed at his shirt, pulling him so he faced me again. "Dude, cut it out," I said through clenched teeth, glancing over at her to make sure she hadn't caught him trying to look. She wasn't even looking this way and I sighed from relief.

"Alright, alright," he said, removing my hand from his shirt. He smoothed out the wrinkles I caused, frowning at me. "I don't like when you keep secrets, Wyatt." Still squinting his eyes at me, he reached in front of him and grabbed a finger full of fries from his tray and shoved them in his mouth.

I rolled my eyes at him and began laughing. "I'm not keeping secrets," I lied. I shrugged, not wanting to voice anything else.

There's this huge possibility of me slipping up and mentioning her to him. If it were somebody else, anybody else for that matter, I wouldn't have minded telling him that I liked her. But that's the thing; I didn't exactly know how I felt towards her, and that's what's keeping me from telling him anything.

"Hey, babe," a voice said with way too much enthusiasm. I was just reminded why I was sitting in this noisy cafeteria to begin with.

I internally groaned, but forced a smile onto my face regardless. Gabrielle took the seat next to me, slinging her blonde hair over her shoulder in the process. Levi didn't have a problem showing his discontent, though, as he took a huge bite out of the burger he was eating. He glared at her through side eyes, not caring to be discreet that he was doing so.

Her friend, the short and curvy brunette named Alana, sat down in front of me, pulling her phone out and tapping away. She ignored the disgusted look Levi shot her and continued to stare down at her phone. Rolling her eyes, she sighed out loud and didn't look up.

"Hello, beautiful," I told Gabrielle coolly, wrapping my arm around her waist and sliding her closer to me. I leaned down towards her and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.