The Tutor

(18) Truth Be Told

I rolled the stem of the soft white-colored flower between my fingers, causing it to twirl in slow circles. I couldn't take my eyes off it for some reason, and I continued to debate whether or not I should even give this to her.

"The Narcissus," the lady at the store patiently began to explain to me as she reached within the basket to retrieve the flower for me. "... is commonly known as the 'Daffodil' to some. The shape of them is said to be cheerful-like, and the color proves to be a perfect gift to make someone smile or even add a touch of sunshine to their day." She handed the flower to me and gave me a smile, which was contagious because I smiled back.

Jennifer would have to like this, and no matter how hard I try to convince myself that this doesn't mean anything, it does; and I know that it does deep down inside me. But the majority of me just wants to believe that it's just a gift for a friend, kind of like a "thank you" for helping me out.

I scoffed out loud at the last thought, and shifted in my seat to look out my car window. I've been waiting outside her house for over 15 minutes now, and I figured that even after I stopped by the store, we should have arrived here at the same time. I was wrong.

I slouched down in my seat and stared straight ahead. I was parked in her driveway, mine being the only car here. I looked up towards her house, scanning the upstairs windows and couldn't see a sign of life coming from the place. It felt too still and empty, like no one lived there.

Slightly growing impatient, I sighed and picked up my phone from my lap and glanced down at the time. I was about to unlock my phone to give her a call when I heard the engine of a car approaching from a distance. Looking up, I saw the white Lexus coming down the road and I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.

I waited for her to park beside my car before I opened the door and stepped out, making sure to keep the flower hidden from her line of vision. I watched her through her passenger window, and she made no move to exit her car. She turned towards me, but I could barely make out the look on her face due to her windows being so dark. I saw her moving her hand back in forth in a gesture, I'm guessing, of waving, so I waved back and continued to smile at her. Finally, I watched her shut off her car and hesitantly open the door.

Jennifer stepped out of the car and closed the door, angled away from me. "Hey," she spoke softly, still not turning to face me. She looked towards the pavement, causing her hair to shield the little amount of her face that I actually could see.

The smile slipped off my face at that moment, and it felt like my heart sank into my stomach for a reason I wasn't aware of just yet. Something was wrong, and I could feel it. She normally would have been joking around, or teasing me, or something in the happy mood I saw this morning in class.

Was she not happy to see me anymore? Does she want to just cancel? I was confused, because a part of me thought she was actually excited to hang out with me; well, that was the impression I got from her this morning. I pinched the stem of the flower, and continued to hold it behind me.

Swallowing hard, and managing to shove aside the feeling I was getting, I made a move towards her. I chose to walk around the car just to be closer to her or to even get a glimpse of her face to try and read her expression. It felt like she was trying to avoid me, because as soon as I did that she moved away from me and towards the house.

"Let's go inside," she said slowly, but in a suggestive way; and started walking up the driveway towards the front door. "Nicole is spending the rest of the week at my grandma's house," she told me, speaking to me over her shoulder. "So it's just us for today."

I followed her, catching up and walking steadily behind her. "That's fine," I said and laughed a little. She didn't say anything else but silently began unlocking the door to her house. She walked inside first, and after I closed the door behind us, I finally decided to give her the flower.