Chapter One #2
Mia waves her hand. “Yeah, yeah. The important thing is that we hung out with each other most of the time and made the summer ours.” She sighs dramatically. “Weeks I wish I could bottle and experience over and over again.”
“With no school or teachers breathing down our necks,” I say as I open my locker.
“And no homework!” Mia agrees.
“And no stressing out about football,” Zoey says.
Mia pushes some of her straight black hair out of her brown eyes. “But you love football.”
Zoey shrugs. “I do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t stress out about it. But I’m not with you guys on the homework thing. You know I love school.”
Mia and I frown at each other. “We know,” we say.
“And speaking of which,” I say with a deep scowl. “I need to go to the office to meet my tutor.”
“Ugh, your parents are really forcing you to have a tutor?” Mia asks. “That’s so lame.”
“Right? She’ll probably be some snob who’ll make me feel stupid.”
“She?” Mia asks. “I thought he’d be a he and tutor you in other things.” She waggles her brows. “Like the art of kissing.”
“Seriously, gross.” Zoey shoves her shoulder.
“Yeah, right,” I mumble. “My dad doesn’t want me to have any ‘distractions.’ So he’s making sure my tutor is a girl.”
I sigh heavily. Because none of us have been fortunate enough to kiss a guy yet. Well, other than Mia, but that was for a movie. Does an on-screen kiss count as a first kiss? I guess it should, but I don’t count it.
“Bummer,” Mia says.
“I still have my eyes on the football players,” I tell them. “Tell me the scoop, Zoey. Who’s the sweetest and kindest guy on the team worthy enough to deserve me?”
Zoey thinks about it for a second. She shrugs. “Honestly? No one.”
My heart drops. “No one?”
“They’re not interested in a real relationship. They are jocks, you know.” She rolls her eyes. “As much as I love my team, they could be real jerks sometimes.”
“And no one else of the male species at school even knows we exist,” Mia says.
I sigh again. “I guess we’ll all go another year without boyfriends.”
Zoey throws her arms around us. “So what? We have each other. That’s all that matters.”
It’s easy for her to say that because she doesn’t want a boyfriend. Her focus is on football and school. She’s the second female football player to play for the Edenbury Lions. Her mom—my Aunt Bailey—was the first.
True, Mia and I don’t need boyfriends, but it would be cool to have one.
I mean, my parents are super in love and have told me—a million times—about their epic love story.
Growing up with parents who are that much in love, how could I not want the same?
Especially because my older brother and sister have amazing partners, too.
“Shoot, I really need to meet with Rivera,” I tell my friends. “See you guys later.”
“Good luck!” they say.
“Thanks.”
With an internal groan, I make my way to the office and let the secretary know I’m here to see the vice principal. She tells me I can head into her office. As soon as I walk in, I find her typing on her computer.
She looks up and smiles. “Good morning, Rylee.”
“Good morning. Before you say anything, I just want to let you know that my having a tutor is completely unnecessary. School hasn’t even started yet and you assume I’m going to need help. Doesn’t it make more sense for us to see how I do on my own before forcing a tutor on me?”
“Unfortunately, your reputation precedes you.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I’ll do better this year.”
“Your parents are very serious about this, Miss Barrington. And I think you should be, too. The real world is very different from our insular world here. You won’t have your parents bailing you out when you get into trouble. You need some discipline.”
“Can’t I be disciplined after I become an adult? These are the last two years I could get away with murder.”
She gives me a horrified look.
“Geez, I’m just kidding. But you get what I mean. These are my last years to have fun before I need to be a boring adult.”
“Rylee, sit down.”
With another internal groan, I do as she asks.
VP Rivera interlocks her fingers as she focuses on me. “You’re not a little kid, Rylee. You’re a young woman. Do you know what many kids your age are doing? They have jobs. They have responsibilities. They don’t have time for ‘fun.’”
I frown. “You’re saying I’m spoiled.”
“I’m saying you need to be more responsible. How else will you grow up to be a responsible adult? It starts with school.”
“But—”
“Your brother was an exemplary student. As was your sister. I don’t understand why you don’t strive to be more like them.”
My stomach twists at her words. “Why does everyone always compare me to my siblings? I’m not them.”
“Of course you’re not,” she says. “You are your own person. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take school seriously.
Chloe has gotten into one of the best journalism schools in the country.
She’s making her dream come true. And Noah is so successful as a musician because he made sure to have an education.
He knows what to prioritize in life. That all started here, in this school. ”
I blow air out of my cheeks. I know she’s right. But ugh.
“Everything in life is about balance,” she says.
“Working hard in school doesn’t have to take away from your having fun.
Just look at your friend Zoey Hastings. She’s a straight-A student and quarterback for the Lions.
And she even makes time to volunteer at her mother’s charity organization.
And I assume she makes time to hang out with you as well? ”
“Yes,” I mutter.
“Like I said. Balance.” She suddenly sits forward as her gaze flits to the door. “Mason. Good morning.” She gestures to me. “Rylee meet your tutor.”
Mason?
I twist around and find him standing in the doorway, eyes curiously flitting toward me.
We’ve known each other all our lives because we’ve been going to the same school since elementary.
He’s super smart and top of the class, but I don’t know him well because we don’t hang with the same people.
He has dark hair and brown eyes and he always looks like his brain is working non-stop.
“You’re my tutor?” I ask. “But you’re supposed to be a girl.”