AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I could feel my palms starting to sweat and rubbed them on the side of my ironed navy blue trousers. “I don’t think I’m the right fit. With all due respect, I would love to do you this favor, sir, but I am requesting he’s assigned a different tutor.”
He chuckled. “Miss O’Connell, what gave you the idea this was doing me a favor?”
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean a favor. I just meant I can’t keep up with the grades expected to maintain my scholarship if my extra time is spent helping Henry Walton with his.”
Headmaster Waltz picked a piece of paper off his desk and read it silently to himself. He leaned back in his chair. “Well, may I add that the parents of the student you are going to tutor are in charge of your scholarship?”
“Oh,” I said, suddenly feeling numb.
“I understand this might be difficult, but you now see the predicament we find ourselves in.” He sighed and stood up. “I hope you and Mr. Walton will find a schedule that works for you both.”
Speechless and angry at the headmaster for the first time since we met because he was treating me like any other student and not Grace, the girl whose story he knew well. He was forcing me to risk my scholarship by wasting precious studying time on some kid who was no doubt going to get kicked out within a week, but I didn’t have a choice because the scholarship I was worried I might lose now depended not only on my grades but on stupid Henry Walton passing his classes. I couldn’t let myself down, but I wouldn’t let my mom down. Visitation Day was coming soon, and I wanted her to have every reason to smile and be happy. I agreed to Headmaster Waltz’s ultimatum for her sake. “I’m happy to do it,” I replied solemnly.
“I think that is an excellent decision, Miss O’Connell. Riverview Academy thanks you for stepping up and showing so much Grace under pressure.” He smiled and laughed at the joke he made about my name.
As I walked out of his office, I turned before leaving and said, “I’ll be sure Henry will pass his classes. Sorry for wasting your time, Headmaster Waltz. Forget I ever came in.”
“You’ve never wasted my time, Miss O’Connell. See you in a few days for book club.”
I closed the door behind me and rested my back on it to catch my breath before going to class. In the silence of the hallway, I sorted out how I was going to handle the entitled Henry Walton. He would get the same attitude he gave. I could be just as difficult as he could. A few deep inhales while I imagined how that would play showed me that it might not go as planned because he was the kind of guy who would fail just so he could laugh when I lost the Walton family scholarship.
New plan.
Help Henry Walton pass the semester then never talk to him again.
I glanced at my watch and saw I still had thirty minutes before the end of lunch, so I ran to the dining hall.
“I’ll just have the chicken salad, thanks Pam.” I smiled at our lunch lady and waited while she grabbed a salad box from the refrigerator behind her. Pam was always one of the highlights of my day because she knew I came from nothing and always saved my favorites that she held even after mealtime ended in case I ran late studying.
“Here you go, sweetie,” Pam said, smiling. “I added a second helping in case you’re extra hungry.”
“Thank you, Pam.” I took the container and went to eat at my favorite spot in the cafeteria—a small table for two by the window that gave me a view of the courtyard.
“Hi, G.” A familiar voice called out, and I turned around to see my best friend, Alexis.
“Hey, Lexi.” I beamed as she sat down in the other chair.
“I was waiting at the lockers for you, for—like—ever.”
I poked at my chicken salad and groaned. “I was at the headmaster’s office.”
“Wait, you had book club without me?” Lexi giggled, grinning at the fact that her bestie is a nerd who goes to a monthly book club with our headmaster—something she would never—ever—do.
“No, that’s next week. I went because Ms. Martin told me I have to some new kid whose parents are funding my freakin’ scholarship! How much does that suck?”
“Oh, that blows!” She reached over and grabbed a piece of chicken with her fingers. “Is he that bad, G? I mean, it’s not worth losing your scholarship, right?”
Lexi was one of the few people at school who never judged me for being broke, but I still hated having to talk about it. Lexi and I met on the first day of school and bonded immediately. She treated me like everyone else, and despite her family owning one of the biggest shoe brands of all time, money never influenced how she treated me. As much as I sometimes imagined going back to public school, where it was normal to have a single-parent, live off minimum wage, and go back-to-school shopping at thrift stores, Lexi made Riverview not only bearable but impossible to imagine leaving. She was the sister I never had.
“Yes, he’s that bad!” I dropped my fork and threw my hands up, exasperated. “You should have seen how cocky he was today.” I shook my head, remembering, and exhaled. “He walked into Ms. Martin’s class like he owned the place!”
“That sucks, G, but you and I both know how bratty and entitled rich kids are.” She pulled my salad over to her and took a bite. “I mean, present company excluded, of course!” She laughed with a mouthful of chicken salad.”
I shrugged. “I don't have a choice, do I? It’s Henry Walton or my scholarship.”
She stopped chewing. “Oh, shit. He’s a Walton?”
“Yep.” I rolled my eyes.
