The Tutor

Chapter 11

At the shrill of the bell, all the doors of the classrooms opened, and the halls filled with chatter, laughter and footsteps. Nora and Benny walked out of their History lesson and tried to avoid the human traffic by heading to the back exit, taking a longer but more scenic route to the library.

"Will you study with us?" Nora asked.

Benny shook his head. "I just need to return some books. I have work tonight."

After a moment of silence, Benny chuckled. "I still can't believe you're tutoring Rafaello Ferreira. You two almost melted each other with your death glares on the first day, remember?"

"Oh, we still glare at each other," she said.

"Man, I wish he asked me to tutor him," Benny said. He nudged her arm, "I think he asked you because he actually secretly likes you."

Nora scrunched her nose. "Trust me, he doesn't. You can even ask him yourself. He asked me because 'I'm top of the class'. His words exactly."

"Mhm, that's because I'm not in your class."

"I got 99% on the last coursework on Faust. What was your score again?" Benny looked affronted, palming his fringe to the side with more impatience than usual. "Mr Grant has some personal vendetta against me. Miss McGrath would've given me 100% if she was marking it. She's way better than Mr Grant."

"I like Mr Grant, he's a no-bullshit teacher. But you're right, Miss McGrath is a generous marker," Nora said.

"You just like anyone who's just as mean and lean as you."

"That's right," Nora said with a smirk.

They entered the school library, which was an entire building of its own and, like everywhere else, required a short walk from the main school building. Three stories high, it had a vast dome-shaped ceiling that accentuated the grandeur of the building. Rows and rows of books reminded Nora of the library from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Her beast was sitting on a table in the study area, flicking through the History of Football.

"Hey Rafe, meet my friend Benny," she said. Benny stiffened; his social reclusiveness obvious. Benny offered a shy wave.

"Hey, you alright?" Rafe said. "I'm Rafe."

Benny muttered something along the lines of 'everyone knows who you are' with a visible blush on his cheeks.

"Benny wants to ask you if you like me," Nora said casually, as she began unpacking endless books and stationary from her backpack. Benny's eyes bulged out, and he stuttered a feeble objection along with a nervous laugh.

Rafe looked at Nora thoughtfully and looked back at Benny in earnest. "Hate her guts. Honestly, she's impossible," he said with a grin.

Nora smirked. "You see?"

Benny let out a shaky chuckle. "Right, okay well, um, I'll leave you two. To study."

Whilst Rafe got distracted by a page in the book, Benny gave Nora an I can't believe you just put me on the spot like that, what's wrong with you look. She smiled innocently.

"You can study with us if you want Benny. I'll show you how to make a grown man cry," she said, and Rafe gave her the middle finger without looking up from his book.

"I'm good...maybe next time," Benny murmured and slinked away.

Rafe snapped his book shut. "He's awfully shy," he commented, taking a seat next to her closest to the window.

She shrugged. "He is. So am I, actually. That's why we're best friends."

Rafe snorted. "You? I've met strippers shyer than you."