The Tutor

Chapter 37

School buzzed with the end of term anticipation. Leaver's Ball was just around the corner. Rafe couldn't give two shits about the event, but everyone had been going on about it. The dress code was black tie, so Hazel and Amber were on their phones, picking out their outfits.

Once or twice, they asked for Rafe's opinion on which was a better dress, but he just shrugged. They called him boring and left him alone. He knew he wasn't great company but he just didn't have it in him to get excited about something he might not even go to. Drinking away his guilt kind of helped, but even that got boring after a while. 

It was the gnawing in his chest that did it, reminding him of what happened and shaming him repeatedly.

The flowers he'd sent to her house had been thrown out. His messages blocked. He wondered what else he could do to make up for everything.

"Hazel, do you have a date for the Ball?" Jonah asked with hope.

"Yeah, David is taking me from the year below."

Jonah frowned. "Why?"

"Why not? He's fancied me for ages. I'm done with bad boy types," she said, her eyes darting to Rafe and then back to her phone.

"Rafe, will you be my date to prom?" Jonah asked.

"Sorry man, Alex already asked and I kind of said yes." His pothead roommate was pretty much asexual, so he had no interest in asking one of the girls, but he didn't want to go alone. So, he'd asked Rafe.

A week ago, he was so sure that he would go with Nora to the event, with her as his girlfriend or at least just a friend. Now they weren't even friends, she hated his guts and he wasn't sure he wanted to go at all.

Yet sitting all alone in his room while everyone was out celebrating the end of school didn't sound great either.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Nora, go out of the cafeteria with Benny trailing behind her with his long strides. At least she wasn't glaring at him anymore, but every time he came up to make conversation, she would leave.

Although he'd gotten what he wanted - an offer to LBS, his team winning the finals, his father releasing his savings and funds - his victory had a bitter taste. The price was too steep to pay. He'd chosen his freedom over Nora's reputation, a devoted friend who had been there for him the entire year when no one else wanted to help him. He let out a sigh and rubbed his head, telling himself to give her more time. 

He wanted her forgiveness but not through persistent harassment. Maybe she did need some time and space from him to cool off. But he wouldn't stop trying.

"I'm going," he announced, unable to look at one more of Hazel's or Amy's dresses. When he asked why it had to be him who gave fashion advice, Amy said because as an Italian he naturally had a good sense of style. He wished Nora could have heard that because the whole first half of the year she'd called him a bum.

"It's still lunchtime," Luke said.

"Not hungry. See you in class," Rafe said and left his gang. His friends were aware of the rift between him and Nora. Luke even tried approaching Nora to justify Rafe and try to patch things up for them - even tried to take the blame himself.

"Honestly," she told Luke, "I don't care anymore. I just want to move on and finish this year in peace."

Rafe walked out to the empty hall. Though he promised himself to give her space, he found his legs taking him towards the library to look for Nora. He had to try again. He'd sent her about a dozen bouquets of flowers and even stood outside her house when Joyce politely told him that Nora wasn't feeling well. 

He couldn't look into her grandmother's eyes. He wondered if she was aware of what had happened. If she did, she didn't show it because she was just as warm and kind as the first day he'd met her. He hadn't approached her for two days now. Was it enough time to cool off?

The sound of Jack's vicious voice stopped Rafe in his tracks. It echoed harshly in the school's quiet, empty corridor with everyone still at lunch.

"Don't get in my way, you fucking faggot. Yeah, don't think I don't know what you've been doing in town with your fag friend, you filth."

There was a sound of lockers slamming and things being thrown on the ground. Rafe followed the source of the commotion to find Benny on the floor, his books and papers scattered. Nora wasn't around. Benny was holding his left shoulder in pain and pressed himself against the lockers, away from Jack's sneering face.

He came up to Benny and offered his hand. He hoisted him up and helped him with his books.

"You okay?" Rafe asked. Benny couldn't look him in the eyes and just nodded.

Something inside Rafe snapped. Calmly, he shrugged off his school blazer and folded it into the nearest open locker. It would only slow him down.

"Hey, this little shit was asking for—"

Before Jack could finish the sentence, Rafe's fist collided with Jack's nose. It produced a sickening, satisfying crunch. The hulking bully stumbled back. Confused at first, he grabbed his bleeding nose and scrunched his eyes in pain and anger.

"What the fuck is your problem?" he wheezed out, checking his nose for damage. "Don't tell me you're a faggot too, Ferreira," he taunted nasally.

"Piece of shit. I'm going to fucking end you," Rafe growled, going in for another punch.

Angered, Jack tackled Rafe. They slammed into the lockers. Rafe took the opportunity to headlock Jack and ram his knee into his gut. The giant groaned in pain and tried to get out of the grip. Rafe decided to let him go to make it a more interesting fight, but not before slamming Jack's face into the locker. With all the pent-up anger Rafe was feeling and the violent nature of Jack, this was promising to be a good fight.

Good, Rafe thought as he threw another perfect right hook to Jack's face with satisfaction. Fuck the school and his grades and his father's expectations. If he was going down, he might as well take Jack with him. No more holding back. It might not change back the time or what he did or didn't do.

But it sure as hell would make him feel better.